Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-05
SAYS COUNTRY HAS
NATIONAL RELIGION
Rev. DR.. Charles Edward Locke De.
clares Principles of Christianity
Are Incorporated in Fabric
of Nation

At the First Methodist church last
evening a Fourth of July service was
held. The patriotic songs of the ma
tions were sung, including America"
and 1.-THE Star Spangled Banner" DR..
Charles Edward Locke. the pastor, de-
livered patriotic sermon. His sub
ject was: Have We a National Re-
ligion?" He took for his text: 20,
praise the Lord, all ye nations; praise
him, all ye people" Psalms 111:l. DR..
Locke said in part:
"On the anniversary of the birth of
liberty l ask your indulgence in the
discussion of the question, Have we
a National Religion?'
Religion is necessary to the life of a
nation. A great Frenchman, writing
of our country, said, 'Despotism may
govern without faith-liberty cannot
Religion furnishes to the masses re-
spect for the law; it inspires them
with lofty ideals and safeguards the
personal character of the citizen. No
nation ever sank into degeneracy while
its temples were crowded with wor-
shippers Reverence, order and obedi-
ence are inculcated by religion and are
indispensable qualities of good citizen
ship. Lord Russell said: There is no
need in the nature Of things that ma
tions should die. History points to no
people who. while strong in faith, in
reverence, in truthfulness, in charac-
ter, in frugality. in the virtues of the
temple and the hearth. has sunk into
atrophy and decline. So long as moral
energy fails not the life of the nation
Will not fall
What are the indications that we
have a national religion? Columbus,
as he reached these shores, humbly
prostra ted himself before Almighty God
in prayer. Our Puritan fathers came
to this country seeking a faiths pure
shrine After a perilous voyage of
sixty three days they anchored in the
harbor of Cape Cod but before land
ing signed a secret compact, for the
glory of God and the advancement of
the Christian faith. The Declaration
of Independence explicitly speaks of
the right to worship Cod The char
ter of the Northwest Territory recog-
nized the laws of the Christian re-
ligion. The convention which framed
the constitution of the United States
was opened with prayer.
THE president of the United States
proclaims a day of thanksgiving and
prayer to Almighty God. The officers
of the general government are sworn
into office with hands upon the Bible
National and state legislatures ap-
point chaplains. Ordained ministers
solemnize marriages. There are laws
requiring the keeping of the Sunday
i'm all of the states but one. Some of
the nations coins bear the reverent
legend, In God We Trust
THE federal laws recognize the Sun
day; no distilling is permitted, and the
Sunday is not counted in the ten days
allowed the president for signing bills
"In his first 4 inaugural President
Washington solemnly declared: No
people can be bound to acknowledge
and adore the Invisible Hand which
conducts the affairs of man more than
the people of the United States. Every
step by which they have advanced to
the character of an Independent nation
seems to have been distinguished by
some token OF providential agency
"Of course | have not forgotten that
the first amendment to the constitu-
congress shall make no laws establish
ing a religion or prohibiting free eXer-
seise thereof. And this is right. We
have no religion by legal enactment.
The separation of church and state
must be wisely maintained. But with
out eompulson the sober. second
thought of this mighty nation has
moved steadily toward the character
and ideals of Jesus Christ so that
today by the preference and habit of
the people Christianity has been in
corporated into our national fabric;
and the truths of the holy Bible rest
in divine glow on our escutcheon."