The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-02-21

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stands upon the same platform. E'-
cry individual is accountable to God
for himself and not for aLother- In
all matters of conscience the indlvid-
ual stands before the bar of God and
not before the bar of public inquiry,
or before the civil laws. / have no
right to interfere with any individual
in these matters of religion.
The family is the fou adation of
society. And let US apply this great
principle here at the very beginning
of great influences. If the principle
is praticed there, we can look for 1t ln
the world at large. l have no right
to bring to bear upon my wife the
power of my influence to worship as L
do, CT in the church where | worship.
My wife has as much right to her re-
ligious convictions as l have, and
| neither NV pastor nor my own people
have the right to bear upon her any
outside influences TO get her to waive
honest convictions for any personal
prefere noes. My wfe'S religious con-
| VictiOns are as sacred as my own, and
| say with emphasis, that if L had a
pastor who would 20 to her with a
logic born of bigOtry and strive to get
her TO join my church, l would regard
it as personal insult and hold the
| sacred hypOcrite personally reSponsi-
ble. The man who does not give his
wife this right of liberty of conscience
is traitor to his own honor pledged
at the marriage altar: and the preach
er who helps him in that cOntempGl-
| BILE business is traitor to his God.
| This great principle Of Freedom of
! Worship gives to my child the same
right which it gives TO me. 1t does
not matter what church l belong to,
my child has the right to choose for
| himself, and | as an b nest man have
| if t,.ar llu or I'm
tiOnally, to saddle him with a creed
| which he has not had the opportunity
to consider or accept. Common hon
! esty demands that | shall give to my
child the same rights which | have
| before God. God demands Ger ain
things OF my child and | have no
right to stand between my child and
| his God. So reaching out from home
this principle mbraceS my neighbour,
and his family. 1t embraces every
man. woman and child. Every being
has the same rights which l have be-
fore God, and dS an honest man L
must concede them There are too
many little religious demagngues A
mans conscience is sacred. and says to
the churches, preachers and laymen.
''hands off Let me choose for my
self" No man has right to bring
to bear upon another any social or
| financial pressure TO get him to change
! his religious opinions The man who
refuses his fellow the greatest liberty
| in all matters Of religion commits
! crime against man and God. God
! himself will not have an unwilling
! service, yet some of his profeSsed am-
baSsadors among US would have men
! to do this. ] am glad, lay thankful
/ to God that the 20O. 900 Jr-, O. U. A.
NJ. of this country stand behind me
| tonight and say "ReligiOuS Liberty
| for every one" is pltnk in our plat
and for this we shall struggle until
the Victory is won.
! THE FOURTH GEM Is THE SEPARATION
OF CHURCH AND STATE
Everything which tends to the union
of Church and State must go There
are intimationS in some directions
which have tendency to the union.
SJrawS show which Way the tides flow.
There are little straws in the country
which show the trend of the opinions
| of certain persons. l have received in
my official capacity as pastor proc
lamation from the Governor of n. c.,
with tue official seal of the State there
on and enclosed ia an official envelope.
| What right has the Governor of n. Q.
to set forth the duty of any citizen, or
church to- worship on any occasion?
| He as the Governor may go to church
/
| no right TO say it is nv duty. A State
| can't worship, that is only in the pow
| er of the indIvidual; and the eXecu
| tive officer of the State is going beyond
| his limits when he officially notifies
| the pastors of what he concelves to be
their duty with reference to worship
| Ii is no more my duty to thank God
| for blessings on the last Thursday in
| November than IL is on the first of
| / w fn
| thank God daily and let the Governor
| of North Carolina thank God yearly,
| if ne so desires. Why is 1t that the
| leading denominations of today have
all united in protesting against gov
ernmental appropriations to sectarian
schools ? Why is it that this Order
and other patriotic orders have united
| in protesting against that policy?
| Congressman Linton, of Michigan,
says that 100000 OF our population
! is low estimate of those who are pro-
| testing against this policy. This
| gigantic protest is not against the ap-
pr Ipriation of money to education for
| the BOYS and girls of our country, but
against that abominable and adulter-
Gus union between Church and State to
| which it will sooner or later lead. This
union leads to the prostitution of
Ecclesiastical power, and political
| patronage and to denominational
chickering's. 1t leads to unwise and un-
just legislation and finally coIruptS
| State and Church and makes every
citizen slave To the dominant power.
THE FIFTH GEM is THE READING OF
THE BIBLE IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
We do not believe the Bible should
| be used to teach SectarIanIsm, but to
| inculcate its high moral teachings.
No dogma or creed should be enunci-
ated by any teacher, but as the recog-
nized standard of moral excellence it
should be read daily in the schools of
| our land. This Book of books should
| have a place in every school by the
side of the worlds great classics. Its
purity of thought and style, its sub.
lime imagery and its glorious revela-
tions, the profundity and scope of its
teachings will satisfy the noblest de-
sires of their natures and mould our
youth into splendid characters. Edu.
cation is incomplete without a know
ledge of this great Book. A nd while the
reading of the Bible can't give thor.
ough knowledge, yet it will set forth its
beauty, and enkindle in the minds o1
those who have q greater desire to
know it's truth, and knowing the
truth it shall make them free. These
five principles are not only Jewels in
our crown but the pillars of our Re-
public. These principles carried into
the hearts of men will make them
better citizens. Will enlarge the
horizon of their vision and give 6
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