Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1885-09-11

THE question is often asked, il
this a Christian country in the ey,
of the law? And in the Church Re
Uiei0 for July the Rev. Edwin NJ
VanDusen, D. D. gives some strong
reasons to prove that it Is. In the
first place he holds chat one of the
avowed and strong motives that nc.
tuated the first settlers of the coun.
try was the dissemination of the
principles and institutions Of Christ
ianity. If we examine the colonial
charters, some of them bearing date
nearly three hundred years ago,
they clearly show that their authors,
and the cOlOnists themselves, were
looking to the extension of Christi
anity and the spiritual enlightenment
of all who might be gathered to-
gether under these charters in the
principles of the gospel of Christ.
Evidently and avowedly their great
purpose was to make this a Christ
ian people. The first Of these royal
charters, granted by James !, April
10, 1906, for the settlement of Vir-
ginia, speaks of a desire to forward
a work (which may by the prOvi-
dence of Almighty God, hereafter
tend to the glory of His Divine Ma
jesty in propagating the Christian
The second charter of
1909, announces "that the
effect we can desire is, the
and reduction of the peO-
pie of these parts to the true worship
Of God and the Christian religion"
The charters of the Plymouth coun-
I'll, the charter of Maryland and the
charter of VIM. Penn all show a pi-
Jus zeal for extending the Christian |
The first efforts for educa-
ing the young at that early period |
we're entirely consistent with the re-
'OgnitiOn of Christianity in the col
,nial charters. The first law for the
of schools was enacted
n New England, and its object was
to enable each person man, woman,
nd child to read the Bible" BY
many other examples he proves how
lain and unqualified was the recog-
itiOn of Christianity by the found
RS of this nation, its truths and
rinciples were made the very CEN
er and source of law for more than
ne hundred and fifty years before
ne revolution, and at its conclusion !
ur fathers reaflirmed it under cir
that leave no doubt of '
leir sincerity. I
DIR. Van Dusen proves that Christ '
nifty is part of the common law of
lie land which we inherited from 1
ngland, where Lord Mansfield de- =,
AIRED, "the essential principles of h
vealed religion are part of the COM s.
on law" This was reafirmed by S
Kent in New York in B
IL, and in Pennsylvania in 1924, A
len he decided, "that Christianity "
and always has been, part of the II
'mmOn law of Pennsylvania. It is fl
t proclaimed by the commanding
ice of any superior, but expressed
the calm and mild accents of GUS fl
nary law. It's foundations are I'm
BAD and strong and deep; they are ~
d in the authority, the interests, bl
1 the affections of the people. to
living all questions of hereafter, ~
s the purest system of morality, a.
finest auxiliary and only stable tir
port of all human laws" So well &c
lblished has this principle be- Ju
ne that few, if any, courts can be orr
nd that would deny it. When wa
years since the civil authority ~
4 Southern State was remon- 90
ted with by a Jew, because in a Nc
recommending a day "T
thanksgiving and prayer, Christi &c
y and its Divine Author were bun
Ken of apprOvingly, giving cause an" s'no
it was asserted, to a a :
ion of the citizens Of the State. est
Executive took the broad and an:
ground that we are Christian bur
lie, that he was administering a the
that recognized christi Oy
2 and no other religion, though ..TL
lerated the Jewish and others, has
therefore there could be no Just lust
'asOnable objection to his allu- of Il
to the Saviour and his Gospel. ton
lief Justice COmegys, of Della coas
, endorsed the same principle in ish
barge delivered few years ago from
e Grand Jury at Wilmington, Yuk
liter Mr.. r. Ingersoll had given Fort
to bis defiant unbelief and rib ues
lasphemy, in one of his charac- lustr
ic lectures in that city. His ond
said: "Blasphemous language Miss
sed near where we are assem- past'
BY an audacions disciple of the pape
lers Of revealed religion, for the Ed
'se Of exposing its doctrines to impO
mpt and ridicule. 4 = | say lean
that the law of this State is youn
It the insulting of God bv re. light
lfnl or derogatory language or Gable
'sions, and exciting the pas by b
Of the people by treating their Case
l.