Year: 1877

1t is to be regretted that the letter of Gen.


Dix, which recently appeared in tbs columns


OF the PRESS, deals with the subject at the


head of this article in tone so unfavorable to


the candid discussion it calls for The real


merits OF the question are scarcely referred to


while the writer imputes the lowest motives


to those who advocate this measure, and


would arouse against them the strongest pre-


JUDGES found in human nature. The taxation


of chuch property is not advocated by inf


dels specially or by the skeptcal classes gener-


ally any more than by many earnest friends of


religious truth and devout attendants upon
church services. The illustrations adduced by


Gen. Dix are drawn from systems of religious


worship and forms of government differing


widely from our own; and the most cursory ex-
animation will show their inspplicsbilty to


our own political system. The religion of the
Jews was national, and formed an


integral part of their governmental


system, - indeed it was their govern


ment. Its first great temple was built by


the royal family, aided by the common contri-


buttons of the nation at large; and in later


periods of their history their synagogues were
erected by the districts in which they were
situated. So also in early Christian times, the
heather temples that afterwards became places
OF worship for better faith were the property
of the States or cities that erected them, and


when the nation changed its religion they


passed over to the dominant faith. The idea
of the union of Church and State was carried
over to the Christian Church, and the State, as
matter of course, built the places of worship
and endowed the religious estabh shme nts that


were not cared for by private charity. The


religious wants of the people were as much


the care of the government as were the courts


of justice; and hence all expenditures in


this direction were matters of public charge


and general taxation. 1t is so at the present


time wherever the Church is national,


or is under the control of the State;
and in all such cases the government may con-
sistently exempt its own property from taxa


ton, or may properly tax the whole commu-


nifty for its support. But our own government


recognizes the entire separation of the Church


from the State, and comedies to citizen perfect


freedom of thought and action in religions


matters-the only limitation of this freedom


being that no citizen in the exercise of his


freedom shall interfere with the rights of his


fellow citizens The long struggle that re-


suited in the establishment of the great prin-


ciple of religious liberty has left too many


memories of wrong, injustice and cruelty, to


permit its advocates to think lightly of any en-


croachment upon this fundamental idea of our


government. When the citizen is taxed for


the support of the public schools he has no


reason to complain. for general education is


Indispensable to the existence of our free insti-


tutions, and the theory Of our government is


that the state should provide for the education


of the people, But when citizen is taxed,


directly or indirectly, for the support of re-


ligiods system with which he has no sympathy,


he may justly demur, since it is violation of
one of the most important principles of the
government under which he lives Important
as religious cnlture is to the prosperity, and
even to the existence of a nation, our govern
ment claims no right to impose upon the people
any system of religious belief or form of wor-
ship. That is left to the conscience OF each
individual or denomination, and if the individ-
ual or public religious conscience do not re-
spond to the teaching of the Divine Word or
the call of duty by making ample provision for
such religious culture, then, the only thing
that can be done Is for the people to suffer the
penalty of such neglect. If religion is worth
| ANYTHING it is worth all that it can cost the
denominations to sustain its worship in their
own chosen way. As good citizens, church
members should contribute their just proper
| tion of taxes for governmental purposes; and
| when they ask for exemption from taxation in
respect to their church property, they ask that
others may be compelled to aid them
in supporting their form of worship. The
| denomination that fought the battle
| of religious liberty in this country may
| well be hostile to the admission of so dangerous
| principle, and can afford to advocate the


taxation of church property-even though it
bear heavily upon their resources or expose
them to the imputation of affihating with the
mercenary and profane. They have suffered
| enough IN defense of the principle to estimate
| it at its true value and in every proper and
| practicable way should protest against the CON-
| pulsory support of religious worship, whether
| exacted by levying church rates by government
| tai officers, or exempting church properly from
| taxation by State or municipal law.


CITIZEN.