Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-12-18
National Reform Convention.

fifty-four members were enrolled. The
Rev. f. Merrick, d. D., late President of
the Ohio Wesleyan University, was
made President of the Convention, and
the Rev. s W. Miller, of Mansfield. Sec
retary. Addresses were made by the
Rev. c. II: Payne, d. D., President of the
Ohio Wesleyan University, on THE Bi-
BILE in the Schools" by Prof. o. n. StOd-
dard, Ii. D., of Wooster University, on
"The Relation of Nations to the Bible;;"
by the Rev. n NJ. Milligan, ID. d., of
Pittsburgh, on Communism and its OPP
portunity in America; by President Ill.
\. Thompson, d. D., of Otterbein Uni
versity, on Corrupt Influences in Amer
lean Politics." and by the Rev. d. A.
Wallace, d. D., of Wooster, Revs. I. p.
Stevenson, of Philadelphia, ThOs. Balph,
of st. Clairsville, W. 5. Owens, of Steu-
benville, President H. II. George, of &C.
neva College, and other speakers on va
rious aspects of the cause as presented
in the resolutions. These resolutions
present very fair and complete state
ment of the principles and aims of the
National Reform movement. They were
unanimously adopted, and are as fol-
lows:
Resolved, 1. That the Church and the
State are distinct institutions, having
separate organizations and objects, and
are in such sense independent of each
other that neither has any function to
perform in the sphere of the other.
2. That the State, not less than the
Church, is divine institution, and as
such derives its authority from God in
the highest sense, and only in a subor-
dinate sense from the people, and that it
is necessarily subject to the natural rev.
elation of the Divine will made in rea-
son and conscience, and also, where this
is enjoyed, to the supernatural reVela-
tiOn made in His inspired Word, i'll so
far as this word expresses His will on
this subject, coming within the sphere
of the State.
3. That while our fathers recognized
in some measure these fundamental
principles in the formation of our gov
ernment. in guarding on the one hand
against The union of Church and State,
and cn the other i'll modelling our insti-
tutions il accordance with the general
principles of Christian morality, yet they
failed 10 make that distinct recognition
of the supremacy of the divine law
which IS necessary to give stability and
permanence to our Christian laws, insti-
! tutiOns and uSages.
| 4. That the nOn-recognitiOn of the Di-
vine Being and of the authority of His
Word in the Constitution of the United
States, whether due to oversight or in
tentiOn, is at variance with the spirit
and the letter of the colonial charters,
the articles of confederation, the Decla-
ration of the Constitutions
4 and laws of individual States, aud with
the character and usages of our people
as a whole, as well us with usages OF the
government itself.
5. That the vital connection which
our Nation has had from the beginning
and still has, with Christianity, is the
true source of its prosperity and power
and that on the continuance of this con-
nectiun depends the security of Our
rights and liberties, and of all that Is
most precious in our civil institutions.
6. That in demanding the insertion
in our fundamental law of an acknOwl-
edgment of Almighty God as the source
of all authority in civil government, OF
the Lord Jesus Christ as the Ruler OF
the Nations, and of His revealed will as
of supreme authority, we propose the
adoption of no new principles, but only
the intelligent recognition, and Legal
l. Lirho-t onth hnritu of fhai
which has been an acknowledged prin.
ciple of the Nations life from its origin
Our movement is therefore in the high
, est and best sense of the word conserya
tive, while that of our opponents, the
secular party, is revolutionary.
I. That the recognition of Christiani'
ty in the National Constitution does
not involve union of Church and State
but rather the opposite, since it enables
the State more clearly to express its OWL
relation to Christianity without the in.
tervention of any church organization.
s. That as the Christian institutions
of this Nation do not infringe upon the
rights of any class of citizens, but are
the bulwark and safeguard of all rights
the securing for these institutions OF an
explicit legal basis in our fundamental
law can be in no manner lntOlerant OF
prOscriptlve.
o. That this recognition of the cOnnec'
ton of our Government with Christiani'
ty is not necessary to sustain the Chris
} tian religion, but to aid in preserving
the Christian usages and institutions OF
our country.
: 10. That, practically, the alternatives
before rs as a peOple are National atheism
or National Christianity; between thest
there is not and cannot be any neutra
ground.
IL. That the organized, persistent and
TO some extent,succeSSful assaults which
, are made upon the existing features Of
our Government, such as our Sabbath
and the use of the Bible in our public
schools, the increasing laxity of oul
; Opinion and the contradictory legisla
= ton which prevail on the subject Of
marriage and divorce, and the Imminent
danger which menaces us that the exi
gencies of political parties may lead to ;
E BETRAYAL and surrender of principles anC
interests vital to our National welfare
admonish us, and that if We would pre-
5 serve ,ne inheritance transmitted to u
3 we mus, stand for its defence.
= L
= vine Providence to us i'll the past we ar
I encouraged to believe that the approach
, ing crisis is not intended for the destruc
I tion of the Nation, but for its reforma
| ton: and we pledge ourselves to con
\ time to present and advocate thi
\ amendment until the Nation, by th'
: voice of the people, in the charter of it
!. rights and liberties, shall declare it
{ Christian character as it has already as
: serted its freedom.
| Is. That the thanks of the Nation ar
S due to the Supreme Court of the UniteC
f States for their late decision in the Rey
!. nolds case, in which the Christian Law
i of marriage is emphatically vindicated
n to President Hayes for his earnest recon-
e mendation, in his recent message, of eff
f ficient measures to suppress the system
g of polygany in the territory of Utah ;an'