The Delta independent., 1889-03-19
Union of Religion and the State.

The above was the subject of u lecture de.
livered at the school house in this place last
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The
speaker referred to the excellence of the con.
stitution of the United States. which has for
one hundred years granted liberty of religious
opinion to ali churches, aud under which
every form of belief or anbelief has been
immolested by the laws. Under this con-
stitntion the arts and sciences have -four
ished, schools and churches have multiplied,
and progress. has been made in all that con-
stitutes national greatness to an extent never
before known. This wonderful progress is
due to the principles of liberty embodied in
the constitution. The frs, amendment to the
constitution declares that Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof"
Twenty-Five years ago, in Xenia, Ohio, an
organization was formed known rs the INA.
tional Reform Association" The official organ
of this body is the christian Statesman" of
Pittsburg, Pa. The object of the Association
is, according to its constitution. ''ro main.
tain existing Christian features in the Amer.
lean Government; to promote needed reforms
in the action of the government touching he
Sabbath, the religions element in
Education, the Oath, and Public Morality as
affected by the liquor traffic and other kin.
dred evils, and to secure such an amendment to
the Constitution of the United States ms will
declare the nations allegiance to Jesus Christ
and its acceptance of the moral laws of the
| Christian religion, and SO indicate that this is
a Christian nation, and place all the Christian
| laws, institutions and usages of our govern.
n,ent OH an undeniable legal basis in the
| fundamental law Of the land." But to do this
would be to force Christian laws on the people
by the authority of the u. s. Constitution.
! This would be contrary to the first Amend
ment Of our Constitution which forbids any
religious Legislation. Lest any should think
this movements is the work of few obscure
crarks, it may be said that the officers are all
leading men of the nation, bishops of the
leading churches, presidents ofcolleges Mem.
bers of Congress, aud justices of the Supreme
| Court. The president of the National W. c.
I. u, and several of the presidents of the
state Unions, are vice presidents of the Ma.
tional Reform Association, there bein, 100 in
numbers. The leaders fthc Prohibition party
have also espoused the cause of rel, :ious
legislation. Within year the National Re.
formers have obtained an ally in the person
of United States Senator Blair of New ITamp-
shire. May 81, 1885 he introduced into the
| U. S. senate bill called tho Sunday Rest
Bill" providing that no one shall do any
secular work works of nace %sity, charity, and
mercy excepted) on sunday, the penalty of
| such work being fine ranging from ten to one
thousand dollars. This bill calls Sunday the
Lords day" pertaining to the Lord and in
| the last section proposes to enforce the "re-
ligioas observance of the Sabbath day."
Such a law would not only be unconstitution.
al, az we have seen above. but all snch legg-
lntion is unscripiural. Christ said in Matt.
%: u. "Render unto Caesar the things which
are Cnesar's; and unto God the things that are
Gods" Therefore AZ the Sabbath pertains to
| God, it should be rendered to him and not to
| Caesar (eivil autliority.) Tho duties we owe
To God are those required in the first four
precepts ol the ten commandments, and with
these duties civil laws have nothing to do;
| but the crimes forbidden in the last six com.
mandinents may be restrained by the state,
| ls they acknowledgements OF the natural rights
Of mankind Read Rom. Is: 10.
10 be cont.auea.