The independent., 1903-04-23
NAVY DISCIPLINE
Kissing Does not Make Flag
Lovers

text of sermon Sunday evening by
Herbert S. Bigelow, pastor of the
Vine Street Congregational church,
Cincinnati, o.
The case was that of seaman who
was heard to call the United States
flag dirty rag For this blasphemy
the fellow was compelled to kiss the
flag six times and to swear that he
would never again speak disrespectful-
ly of the flag or allow any one else
to do so In his presence.
This news item Is interesting"
said Mr.. Bigelow, because 1t reminds
us of the childish way in which men
used to treat each other. There Is
nothing very grim or tragic about 1t.
1t is only amusing. But 1t illustrates
very well the principle which Is rare
ly practiced now, but which once was
common practice among men-the
principle that mans thought could
be regulated. or his heart changed by
violence or threats OF violence upon
his person.
.'In the day when Baptists were
looked upon as heretics the Canton
Of Zurich decreed that all the Bap-
fists should be drowned. II these
pestilent fellows persisted in their be-
lief In immersion their Calvinistic
brethren proposed to give them
enough of 1t.
TN the Virginia colony 1t was
capital crime to speak nimpiousiy' of
the Trinity. The same penalty was
invoked for 'blasphemfng Gods holy
name.' One OF the modes Of punish
ment provided by the law Of Virginia
for the man who should curse sacred
things was that "a bodkin should be
thrust through his tongue The sec
ond offense of Sabbath breaking was
punishable by whipping and the third
offense by death. Non-attendance at
divine worship was punishable by
whipping and-the penalty for the
third offense was the galleys for six
months
"The law made 1t the first duty Of
a man on arriving In the colony to
repair to the minister and be exam
ined as to the orthodoxy of his relig-
ious faith. If he proved unsound he
was to be instructed IL he refused
to go he was to be whipped. If he
refused the second time he was to be
whipped twice, and be compelled to
acknowledge his fault on Sabbath day
in the assembly Of the congregation
If he refused the third time he was to
be whipped every day until he makes
acnoWledgement"
I'm Virginia, in 1884, a man by the
name of Coleman was excommuni-
Gated for forty days for using scorn-
full speeches and putting on his hat
in church.
In 1856 the Boston colony enacted
that any person denying any of the
books Of the Bible should be whipped
or fined and, If obstinate, banished.
Earlier than that there was law
which banished Jesuits and which
punished them with death In case
they returned after being banished.
Those old heresy hunters in Bos-
ton removed governor of the col
ony because they were not satisfied
with the orthodoxy of his opinions.
In 1850 one William Pychon was sum-
moned before the magistrate to an
swer for book written on the Atone
AANAil. AC IOuit OIuCIGu that LuC
book be burned in the market place
BY the hangman and appropriated %
pounds to preacher to write an an
swer to it.
Compare these dark ways with
this noble declaration of William
Penn: / abhore two principles in
religion, and pity them that own
them; the first is obedience to author
ity without conviction; and the other
is destroying them that differ from
me for Gods sake. Such a religion
is without Judgment, though not
without teeth.
Thomas Jefferson said: 1T is err
ror alone that needs the support Of
government. Truth can stand by it.
SELF In what painful school have
we been taught that lesson! Yet,
thank God, we have learned 1t in re-
gard to matters of religious opinion
and we are the first nation in the his
tory of the world to embrace the gos-
pei Of religious freedom in all its FULL
ness.
Nov we know with Jefferson that