The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-06
CHURCH AND STATE.

A Notable Address by Governor Cobb.
Governor Cobb was one of the speak
ers at the 18th anniversary exercises OF
the First Baptist church, Rockland,
last week, and his address was charac-
terized by the lofty patriotism and
literary excellence which marks all his
public utterances. We quote as fol-
lows from the report of his speech in
| the Courier Gazette:
The sentiment to which | have been
| asked to respond, "Our State" is one
which suggests relationship between
certain moral and political forces that
| may we'll be considered, however brief
ly, at this time and upon this occasion.
l refer to the relationship of the church
and the State; the church in its effort
| to spiritualize and elevate the indlvld-
| ual, the State in its attempt to weld
the common opinion of many into laws
that shall seem to be for the best inter
ests of the individual in his relation to
society, business and all the forms OF
general intercourse.
1t is true that in this country we
have no church and no creed whose
! observances and tenets to the exclusion
of others are stamped with the distinct
and specific approval of the law. On
| the contrary the desire to live under
| conditions promising religious liberty,
| or more properly, freedom to accept a
| form of belief other than the establish
ed religion of England, was the cause
| that led to the settlement of New Eng
| land and furnished the basis upon
| which our structure of government
| has since been raised. But if we have
no legaiized creed it is because we
neither need nor want one, and the
| lack of it has not yet stunted the growth
| of morality nor impaired the ylgor OF
| religious endeavor.
The strength of State, the wisdom
| and progressiveness of its laws, It's at
tempts to improve both public aud prl-
vate welfare, all these are but express
sions in other forms of the strength,
| the wisdom and the desire for better
ment that characterize the citizen and
influence his exercise of suffrage.
Every intelligent man, whatever his
attitude towards the church may be, is
forced to admit its influence as power
full social factor and in the development
of this country and in the development
of Maine there is no single agency, out
side the schools and halls OF learning,
that has done so much to shape and
direct legislation upon the great and
burning moral issues of every day and
generation as the Church. Its influence
is often belittled, at times secretly
derided, but it is always there, always
vigilant, most always successIul; and
because it appeals in the last analysis
to the innate and inherent best In men,
it's motives are always right and III tile
! end compel submission and respect.
Whoever dreams in Maine that the
Church is not to be reckoned with, in
any attempted assault upon conditions
that it believes best calculated to IN
sure social order and Well-belng, Will
suffer --arude awakening, and whoever
believes that respect for law is essen
tlal for the preservation OF the prlncl-
plies of self-goyernment will pray that
the Church may long endure to battle
for that cause. | am not speaking IN
these surroundings as the exponent OF
any creed, for | represent none. Nor
can claim the right to touch upon the
religious side of this question, although
| know it has one. | simply believe
that the relationship of the Church and
State is so close and inseparabe that
he who loves his State, has pride IN her
traditions and accomplishments and
faith in her future, owes 1t to her no
less than to himself to uphold and sup
port as best he can the ideals of an IN
situation without whose existence ana
cooperation the State herself must fall.