Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-30

and their pastor were fed, and upon
what they turned their eyes, and found
cause for hope and cheerful courage in
the dark hours Of their persecution,
adversely and nfliction. The religion
of assent has Its equal counterpart in
the religion Of. dissent-the obligation
to do those things that we ought TO
do; and the equal obligation 10 leave
undone those things we ought not TO
do. Jt is well to pause now and then
on our Journey and consider the in
dubitable progress Of civilization-the
actual moral outgrowth OF the prin-
ciples of Christianity and the conse.
guent advance the world has made
under it, and how to-day we accept and
enjoy, as matter Of course, the bless
ings and advantages Of civil and re-
ligious liberty, giving but little thought
to the generations who, in bygone
years, toied and suffered to secure
them for US. How small the measure
of our gratitude and infrequent our,
recognition Of those who--
Beyond their dark age led the van Of
thought"
On such scene, and on such an occa.
sion as this, we'll may the words Of
Whittier be repeated--
1--WE lightly hold
A right winch brave men died to gain.
The stake, the cord.
The axe. the sword.
Grim nurses at Its birth Of pain"
[Cheers | Consider the absolute and
unquestioned religious liberty of the
times in which we live, and in those
countries governed by the English
speaking races, and then go back 800
years and endeavor to realize here in
England the condition OF, John Robin
son and his little flock of religionists
at Scrooby, asking only to be allowed
to worship God and lift their hearts TO
Him in such words and forms of sup
plication for His guidance and mercy
as their needs of conscience and the
instructive hunger Of hearts instructed
them to pray for. Conscience and
reason were the underlying moral
forces then, as now, at work, and froni
them was slowly evolving all social
and political progress at the root of
which lay tho recognition of individual
freedom and tho "equal right of every
man to be unhindered by men in the
fuliilment Of his duty TO Cod Yet
in those days, under the reign of James
l, pedantic bigot, well styled a
captain of arts, and doctor of
arms, !" it was forbidden so to pray in
England; and equally restrained were
they from going out Of England, to
pray in foreign lands. 1t was sought
to enforce the royal claim to settle the
worlds theology by the will of a mon
arch to make the religion of the mag
istrate tie religion Of the people, and
all individual freedom of conscience
and mind was to be'despotically coerced
into unintelligent and hypocritical
submission. Cheers.
The Christian religion was not based
upon worldly power or property in any
Of its forms, but upon freedom of con
science. and the Kingdom of God had
been divinely. declared to be within
each human heart. The principles Of
such system of necessity logically
brought into active exercise those
qualities of mind and moral nature
which were thus developed naturally
and instinctively--the muscles of the
mind, which, like the muscles of the
body, are educated into strength, and
both obey tho same inherent natural
law of growth by use-and thus IL is
plainly seen how liberality leads to
strength and the health of the body
polite, [Cheers. But the terrible and
monIentous issue was raised whether
| liberty of conscience was TO be allowed,
| or whether men were 10 he forced into
atheism, or become utterly irreligious,
or compelled to a sacrilegious reception
! of the sacrament-no true conversion,
but the deadly sin of hypocrisy, and
| the dissertation Of what is holiest.
When such an issue was framed, the
morality of John Robinson and his
associates, founded on religious princi-
plies, could not hesitate. And as
William Bradford has recorded, "being
thus moiested and with no hone OF
their continuance there by a ioynte
consent, they resolved to go into ye
low countries whore they heard was
freedom of religion for all men,
This was in 1907. and will not recite
the sad and well-known history of the
arbitrary and cruel measures that were
resorted to, to prevent tho departure
of the congregation. and how. finally
in broken detachments, distressed,
sea, they came, after great hardships,
| together in Amsterdam, and In the
| course of another year were transferred
/
here and now, OF gratitude and honor
to the country which in their hour OF
sore need gave them welcome, pro-
lection and generous liberation in an
age Of intolerance. [Cheers. The
Netherlands was but little patch OF
earth rescued from the sea, warred over
by man and the elements. without
natural advantages other than those
arising from contact with the sea,
which was everywhere threatning to
engulf them-yet in the seventeenth
century this war worn, weuther- beaten
strip Of land had become the COM
mercial centre of Europe, an asylum
for the victims OF religious persecution,
and is one of the phenomena OF his
tory. [Cheers.
A military eye would have sought in
vain for strong natural positions--no
range of hills, no salient features fol-
the combination OF resistance and the
delivery of assault. The hreastworks
Of Holland consisted in the stout
hearts of her people, sustained by con
scientious conviction, animated by
hope and calm reliance on that
Power with whom the wisdom of this
world is but foolishness. In fearful
struggle lasting 40 years it had gained
its own liberties, against desperate
odds, with an unhinching and per
tinacious courage never paralleled in
tho annals Of history, had made itf
soil the grave of 300, 600 invading
Spanish soldiers. and compelled an
expenditure by Spain of more thar
200, 600, 600 ducats in the futile effort