The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-07
FREEDOM OF THE CHURCH
CARDINAL GIBBONS ON TIE RELA-
TONS TO TIE STATE.

The Church More Sturdy IN Her
Growth and More Prosperous in her
Career When Free from Govern
mental interference 80 The United
States q Christian Nation.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 6.-AJ a reception
and BANQUET tonight Of the Catholic Club
OF this city Cardinal Gibbons made an au'
dress, in the course of which he said;
lam called upon to respond 70 me toasS
ssChurch aud state " l am firmly p-TSuhueL
both nv study and observation that the cluItu
In more sturdy in her growth and IS more pros
nervous in her career, when she Is free 70 pursue
her divine mission without any interference on
the part OF the state, Here, thank goa nc
church IS free and therefore she Is prosperous
Here, church aud state run ~ pSEaiia. '4tgs'
each assisting the other, Here tue colsLlluLlJu
holds over the church It's protecting arm WIN
ont interfering in ecclesiastical alalls
We have no state religion or oIlc!Al
church In the United states out II
would be a great mistake TO draw as an
inference from this fact that, therefore, our
government is anti Christian or anu religious
Iventure TO say, on the contrary lhaI ne -
no commonwealth under the sun more strongly
permeated by Christian and religious principles
than the government OF the United STATES.
Here the Christian Sabbath Is observed as
day of rest as well as in any country IN Lne CIV
liked world. on that day the courts OF justice
Are closed and give place to the courts OF our
Lord which are opened for divine worship IN
every town and hamlet in the land. me mem
bers of our national and state legislatures Deglu
their daily proceedings by invoking the aJheT
Of Light on their deliberations. We celebrate
cur annual Thanksgiving day IN Wnlch
we pour out our gratitude 10 the over
of every good gift for temporal
Blessings vouchsafed TO US as hSIou'
But II the state protects the church the church
on her part is the strongest bulwark and SAFE
guard Of the commonwealth IN spite OF heT
earthly mission. 1t will be the delight as wei
as the duty of ministers Of Christ in the future,
as il has been in the past, TO uphold our clvll
and political institutions. II Will be our dellgnt
20 proclaim the moral law which Is the OASIS OF
all good government and to foster d9mesuc
peace and public tranquility and social order
throughout the land For my part oeiieNe
that the relations between church and state are
as close and cordial as we should desire. Al!
we ask is a fair field and no special
favor. don't wish to see the day When the
state viii be called on to build our churches
and subsidize our clergy, for 1t were TO be
feared that as soon as the government com
meneed to support the churches 1t would dictate
TO us what doctrines we ought TO
preach and ought not to preach. And
in proportion as state patronage would increase
the devotion and patronage Of the faithful
would wax cold. II is a great wrong TO muzzle
the press il would be a greater wrong to muz-
zle the pulpit, No amount OF patronage could
compensate for the evil of government
gospel and its divinely appointed ministers.
Thank God, we can all say in this free country
with the apostle, UeTbum Dec non est GHtqdtum
the word Of God is not bound. " May the
happy condition of things now existing always
remain when the priests of Gods church VIII
bestow on people their time, their talents, their
ministry, and will pour out their LIES blood II
necessary, and when they will receive in return
the affections. gratitude the filial obedience and
the free will offering of devoted and faithful
people