The evening times., 1898-11-29
RELIGIOUS LAWS
UPSET BY VOTING.
COvenanters Violate Church
Vows by Casting Ballots.
A SHOCK TO CONSCIENCE
Ia
Statement of Editor Pritchard of
the Christian Nation.
Reasons why Members of the
Church at Newburg, n. Y, Were
Tried by the Prcsbytery.

New York, Nov 29-John W. Prtchard,
editor of the Christian Nation, makes
the following statement with regard 10
the recent trial of members of the Cow
enanter Church in Newburg n. Y, for
voting at civil election:
During the past week papers have
printed accounts of the trial of some
Covenanters in Newburg, n. Y, by New
York presbytery for voting. Voting at
civil elections under right conditions, IS
clearly duty. But the, conditions may
be such that voting would cease to be a
duty and become a crime against con-
science
'The late Charles A. Dana understood
this. In an editorial in the Sun, after the
election of 1894, he said: 1t is the duty
of all citizens TO vote whenever it is pos
sible for them to do so; but there may BE-
cases in which some Citizens would sIcri-
fee their moral independence by voting.
man has the right under the Constitt-
tion of the United States to refrain from
voting.
"A few words win explain why the
Newburg Or. j. R. Thompsons) were
tried for voting at a civil election.
The Covenanters are the original
Presbyterians, ante-dating every other
Presbyterian organization IN the world
and holding Presbyterianism in its puri-
ty. They take their name, 'Covenanters,'
from the fact that they enter into formal
covenant with God, individually and col
lectively 10 faithfully uphold these prin-
cipIes.
''Tnis covenant contains the following
paragraphs:
I'VE will pray and labor for the peace
and welfare of our country. and for its
reformation by a constitutional recogni-
tion of God as the source of all power:
of Jesus Christ as the ruler of nations;
OF the Holy Scriptures as the supreme
rule and of the true Christian religion:
and we will continue to refuse to incor-
porate by any act. with the political
body, until this blessed reformation has
been secured
The literal meaning of this IS that be-
ieVing the constitution 10 be fatally de-
fective as the supreme confession OF the
political faith OF IA Christian people. il
| Is maintained that Christians may not
vote at civil elections because they must
swear to document which is practical
denial of Gods authority.
The Newburg members were not tried
| for voting because of the mere act of vot-
| ing. They were tried for the violation of
a church law, for a violation of their cove
| nant vows.
ANY violation of law in the State is
| parallel case.
The patriotism of the Covenanters has
| by some papers been called in question
The covenanters are patriots.
Before the American revolution the
! Covenanters spoke out for entire indePen-
| dence at a time when. so far as history
shows John Adams had not yet spoken
his first public words in favor of indepen-
| dence.
More than sixty years before the eman-
cipation proclamation by President Lin
coin. the Covenanters' Church enacted
! without dissenting voice that NO slave
| holder shall be allowed the communion of
! the church
The Covenanters bore arms for the de-
fense of the Union in 1861 80 and Lin
coin is on record saying: i know these
| Covenanters we'll; they have made two
| demands of this nation, the freedom OF
| the slaves, and the nations recognition
of God. During my first Administration
| one Of these demands has been granted,
and perhaps during my second Admins
tration they will obtaine the other
The principle of non-incorporation for
| NplSGitllCe SAKE IL Iltt peculiar 10 Cove
anters. William Lloyd Garrison, and
Wendell Phillips. and their host of fol-
| lowers believed the Constitution to be in
league with human slavery, and declined
to vote because they could not swear 10
| support it. They disfranchised them
selves for conscience sake. They were
jeered then, but they are cheered now;
| and the Governmnt has amended the Con-
| stitution to harmonic with their early
| convictions concerning ii.
"Non-incorporation, even political. is
not sign of withdrawal from the great
activities of the world as has been caarg-
ed The reverse is true
| "Covenanters of today ere not only at
the front in every Christian reform move
ment. but they are leaders in the m rcan-
tile world.
'"rhe members of DR.. Thompson's
| church in Newburg were not tried for the
mere act of voting; but they are members
of church which believes that the Con-
| stitution, by reason of its Christless char
| acter, debars Christians from voting;
and they were tried for violating a church
| law by which the members make s cri-
| flee of their franchise until by the adop-
| ton of a Christian amendment to the
| Constitution, the franchise can be en-
| joyed without SIM