The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1878-04-07
DALLAS. TEXAS.
SUNDAY MORNING APRIL T.
MIXED nnIlans OF RELIGION.

The founders Of our republic bullded
better than they knew when they set
up a wall Of separation between the
church aud the state, One result OF
this Ia that nowhere else.in the world
10 tho theory OF a free church more com
pletely carried out than Ia the United
States, Nevertheless, even here In our
free states, very mixed notions OF reli'
gIous liberty still fingers, In small
communities and In tho rural dlsirlcis
the spirit that animated ancient Puri"
tahiam, oonf,unding the duties Of u
church member with those Of citizen,
and virtually defining freedom TO wor'
ship God, TO DO freedom 10
force others 10 worship Him only acN
cording 10 orthodox rule and practice
and not otherwise, Ia not yet wholly ok
tinot. II reveals itself In the interdlci
Of tho manner OF observing the Sabbath
by the German and French element
In the cold shoulder given by noighbors
and even by members OF tho same FAM
lily 10 each other when they happen 10
differ In religious opinions In taboong
opposing seoln. and In u multitude Of
impalpable but mono the loss sharp and
distressing antipathios that sunder tho
social and family tea OF the little COM
muniiy. Different M this, IL In some
respects, from interdiots which the
popea In the middle ages felt
constrained, in their contests with re-
belliouS soveroigns TO lay upon town,
district, or an entire Kingdom yot II is
NO much akin 10 them that It's chilling
and darkening effect can be discerned
hanging over those communities whore
tho antipathies arc sharp, In tho mid
die ages churches wcro closed, bells
were silent, the sacramento were with.
held, tho rites of burial were not pcrs
formed and tho public ceremonies of
religion were suspended in cur day,
tho anathema Is less terrible and nons
intercourse Is not enforced by the
swerd, still the ostracism is
none the less complete, This
liberty of conscience on the
other hand, is strangely liable
to abuse, Nothing but the most mixed
notions of religious liberty could have
led the Mormons to an attempt to es-
tablish in Utah theocratic despotism,
and justify by appeals to the constitu.
ton Of the United States their claim,
in the name Of religious liberty, to its
attachments of polygamy and destroys
ing angels. But the latest curious ex.
empliiication of our theme has been
offered by the Mennonites. This
strange sect OF Professionals has had q
peculiar and eventiul history, written
in blood, No less than six thousand Of
them suffered martyrdom under the
reign of cruel Philip IL, of
Spain. They were scattered by
persecution into various countries,
some coming to the United States
with the first Dutch settlers of New
York. In 1871 they numbered popu,
lation of forty thousand in southern
Russia, but the exemption from military
service which they had enjoyed there
since 1888 was then withdrawn, and they
began to emigrate largely to this land
of religious tolerance. The religious
beliefs of the Mennonites are peculiar.
They reject infant baptism and baptize
adults only on profession of faith, prac,
ticing footwashing non-resistance, and
abstinence from oaths. The church is fcrN
hidden to 90 to law but it makes its
own defense by reading to the courts
extracts from its only law book, the bi,
BILE. They enjoln upon their adherents
strict separation from the excommuni,
Gated, and prohibit all religious inter>
course with other christians, even at
funerals and family prayers. Verify,
Puritanism is out Puritaned.
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