The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15
"A Mans Conscience Is Respon-
sible Only to the One
Great Judge"
ALL FOR GOOD CITIZENSHIP
The Patriots of Colonial Times Fougl 1
Against the Joining of Church
and State.

od lie dIlCIlOdllCS Was nOG nSdIiy 81
large as usual, but the enthusiasm of those
present more than made amends for this
deficiency.
Chairman Outflow opened the meeting
with few general remarks, excusing the
small attendance because of the beautiful
day at park and seashore. DR.. George T.
Derrick followed IN a brief address, after
which the speaker of the day was intro
duced.
What is patriotism in this country ?"
said Professor Jones. "That is a question
which needs 10 be thoroughly understood.
Love of country is much more than affec-
tion Tor mountains, rills aud rivers. 1t is
the love of country which extends to its
principles and its institutions which
makes tue country what 1t is.
The chief principle involved nowadays
IS the same as existed when the country
was establlshed-the relation of religion
and state. Our tat ers said: That reli-
giOn, or the duty which we owe to our
Creator and the manner of discharging it,
can be directed only by reason and convic-
ton, not by force or violence, and there
fore all men are equally entitled to the
free exercise of religion according to the
dictates of conscience"
The speaker discoursed on the relation
of religion to the Government as viewed
by the Colonies. He said that Jefferson,
Adams and others fought against the es-
ia blishment of any particular church. for
the reason that such act would be merely
erecting a claim to infallibility which
would lead US back to the church of
Rome"
at was contended." continued the
speaker, that a mans conscience is re-
sponsible only to the great Judge; hence
it is easily seen that the one thing our
fathers had inIview in giving religious free
dom was to escape tn G church of Rome.
In order TO do this, however, it was neces-
sRry that no church or religion be given
the preference. This was done in Penn
sylvania before the Government was even
established.
"Other colonies followed suit, with the
result that the Declaration of lndepend-
ence carried with II this fundamental
principle OF success. Before this, how
ever, a vigorous attempt was made TO pass
in the General Assembly a Dill establish
ing a provision for teachers OF the Chris
tian religion. 1T provided for q general
assessment on all taxable property for the
purpose named, each person, as he paid the
tax, to say to which particular denomina-
ton he desired it conveyed. The bill was
successfully carried to the third reading
and then checked by motion of Madison
to postpone to the next General Assem-
bly, Madison Immediately issued the fol-
lowing letter, which finally caused the de-
feat of the measure:
Because we hold it for a fundamental and
undeniable truth that religion, or the duty
which we owe to our Creator and the manner
OF discharging it can be directed only by
reason and conviction, not by force or Vlo-
lence-the religion, then, OF every man must
be left to the conviction and conscience or
every man; and 1t is the right OF every man
to exercise it as these may dictate ms rlgnI
is in its nature, an inalienable. right 1t is
iualienable, because the opinions OF men, de-
pending only Oh the evidence contemplated
in their own minds, cannot follow the. dle-
tates of other men. 1t is inalienable, also, be-
cause what is here q right toward men Is
duty toward the Creator. 1t is the duty OF
every man to render to the Creator such nom
age and such only, as he believes TO be &C
TINS duty is precedent, both in order of time
and in degree OF litigation, to the claims OF
civil society. Before any man can be cons1d-
cred as q member OF civil society, ne must be
considered as a subject OF the Governor OF the
universe: and if a member OF civil society,
who enters into any subordinate association
must always do 1t with reservation OF MS
duty 10 the general authority. much more
must every man who becomes a member of
any particular civil society do 1t with saving
of his allegiance to the Universal sovereign.
We maintain, therefore, that IN matters OF re-
ligion no mans right is abridged by the lnstl-
tuition of civil society, and that religion IS
wholly exempt from its cogniZance. True 1t IS,
that no other rule exists by which any ques ton
which may divide q society can be ultimately
determined than the will OF the majority; but
1t is also true that the majority may trespass
upon the rights of the minority.
Because, If religion is exempt from the
authority OF society at large. still less can
it be subject to that OF the legis iatlYe body.
The latter is but the creature and ylcegerent
Of the former. It's Jurisdiction is both deriva-
tive and limited. 1t is limited with regard to
the coordinate departments; more necessarily
is it limited with regard 70 the constituents
The preservation of free government requ
not merely that the metes aud bounds when
separate each department OF power be lnYar--
ably maintained, but more especially that
Of ha Cnf fer, r,an
great barrier which defends the rights OF the
people. The rulers who are guilty OF sucn an
encroEchment exceed the commission from
which they derive their authority, ana are
tyrauts The people who submit 10 IL are gov
erned by laws made neither by themselves nor
by any authority derived from them, and are
Because experience witnesseth that eccle-
siastical establishments, instead OF maintain
ing the purity and efficacy of religion, have
had a contrary operation. During almost
fifteen centuries has the legal establishment
of Christianity been on trial. What have been
its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride
and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and
servility in the laity; in both, superstition,
bigotIy and persecution. Inquire OF the teach
ers of Christianity for the ages in which it ap-
peared in its greatest luster; those OF every
sect point to the ages prior TO its incorpora-
non with civil polity. Propose a restoration
Of this primitive state, in which Its teachers
depend on the voluntary regard of their focks,
many of them predict its downfall. On
which side ought their testimony to have
their interest ?
cit is proper now to see if there is any
special need to revise the laws made by
our forefathers. You are all familiar with
the fact that the church OF Rome has
made assertions that she wanted this
country. Tnis comes clean from Leo to
San Francisco. In 1892 the Supreme Court
of the United States declared this country
a Christian Nation, proving it by docu-
ments issued by Ferdinand and Isabella 10
Columbus. See what followed this. July
IL, 1892, there was published in this coun-
try, in the New York Sun, letter from
the Vatican announcing the plans of Leo
XIII respecting the United States and
throughout the world. In this letter it
was written:
What the church has done in the past for
others she will now do for the United States.
Like all intuitive souls he halls in the
United American States and in their young
aud fourishing church the source OF new life
for Europeans He wants America 10 be pow