The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-05-04
people genial, social life and cul-

people genial, s. eial life and cul.
ture.
3rd. A Christaif church contrib
utes directly and powerfully TO the
maintenance OF law and the institu.
tiohs of civil government.
Men may speculate as they please
as TO the nature of civil government
and the source of its authority they
will find it rooted In the depth of
mems moral and religious being.
Men regard law and bow to it's ma
jesty because they recognize God.
1t is slgni6cant fact that atheism
has never founded government, or
proven itself able to maintain one
when founded. When the Greeks
lost faith in their divinities law was
stripped of its majesty and govern.
ment lost its power When Rome
abandoned her religious faith she was
ready to tall. AT the close OF the
last century France sought to found
a government upon atheism. They
met i'll solemn conclaye and declared
Deity myth, and voted that Reason
was God. Then they selected "a
beautiful and abandoned woman as
the impersonation ot diety. The
next thing was to Set up plaster of
Paris images and to plant liberty
trees. Soon the passions arose, the
fumes OF hell gained mastery and the
guillotine completed the harvest of
death. That bIlndly resolution that
settled down into the direst despot.
ism stands on the lines of history as
beacon light to warn the nations
that where God is ignored law has
no power, government no sanction,
freedom no saiegard and human
rights no protection.
l need not stop to point out to YOU
how directly and potently the Christ
ian church contributes to the strength
and perpetuity OF ourfivil institutions.
IL Is The tutelar dei,A0fi freedom. A.
,G4ssasssi .s.iiss .s.is~s 1-sorL1,
II do not know tlistN it has reached
you-the taxation OF 'shurch property.
There are some who are troubled
over the connection Of church and
State which they fancy it produces.
They tell US government is aiding to
support and propagate religion. Now
why does government excuse a
church edi6ce from taxation? Not
because OF any relationship to 1t, but
because government needs the help
iot religion to preserve itself. And
SO IL encourages the foundation of
churches IN this way. IL does not
tax church edifice Tor the same rea.
son that it does not tax a school
house-to foster its own best in.
teresls.
There are other elements of value
In a church Tor community, but l
Will not stop to mention them.
! have chosen the very lowest and
l have chosen these first because I
wanted you to see that regarded from
the lowest standpoint church In it's
worth TO a community stood above
every other, and III the second place
because We accustom ourselves TO
LOOK only upon the spiritual phases
OF Tins subject and tail TO see the
other.
The work you have just inaugur-
ated is OF importance to every one
in this community. Whether you
worship here or not, whether you
believe in religion or not this enter.
PRISE will be benefit to you all. 1t
will contribute to the security OF lite
and property. Tell me the conse.
quence # every church was disman
tied; abolish the institutions of re.
liglon and tortell the outcome.
DR.. Bushnell, OF Hartford. Conn.
once pithily said: "What was real
estate worth in Sodom when Lot left
II 7" 1t was worth just what our
liberties and laws, our institutions
and advantages would be worth
without the presence and power of
Christian churches scattered through.
out oar land.
From a Wisconsin Correspondent.
Editor ofthe Florida Ag4fculturist:
Headline Ot The YELLOW iasSan,,na