THH NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCI recognized by the law of the land. We
cannot refrain, however, from inserting
ATION.
the following extracts, in which will he
found unanswerable argument against
We shall have to worry along awhile the union of Church and State:
“Certain it is that every argument for
• vet without God in the Constitution. On
civil
lil>erty gains additional strength
March 27, the proposed amendment to the
preambleto our National constitution. , I when applied to liberty in the concerns
“acknowleding the supreme authority and of religion; and there is no argument in
just government of the Almighty God in favor of establishing the Christian relig
all the affairs of men and nations,” was ion but may be pleaded, with equal pro
tai led by the House Judiciary committee priety for establishing the tenets of Mo
with only one dissenting vote, that of hammed by those who believe the Koran.
......... We beg leave farther to represent,
•Representative Stone of Pennsylvania.
Every year or two a lot of religion? that religious establishments are highly
crank?, with more zeal than common injurious to the temporal interests of any
sense, make a vigorous effort io get their communitv............ Neither can it be made
God-in-tbe-constitution amendment l-e- to appear that the gospel nfceds any such
fore the House.
The present failure civil ai l. We rather conceive that when
which amounts to a snubbing, ought to our Savior declares his kingdom is not
discourage them forever. All that ground of this world, be renounces all depend
w as gone over during the Confederation ence upon State power; and as his weap
ami before our Constitution was adopted, ons are spiritual, and were only designed
ami our fore fathers were wire enough to have influence on the judgement and
ami just enough to prepare a constitution heart of men, we are persuaded that if
• mankind were left in quiet possession of
for the whole people, not for any acct.
Equal rights to all and special privi their inalienable religious privelegcs,
leges to none, was their motto. A little Christianity, as in the days of the apostles,
history bearing upon this matter may in would continue to prevail and flourish
terest some if not all our readers. On l»v its own native excellence............ There-
June 12. 1M76. the Virginia colony in it-» fore we ask no ecclesiastical establish-
I louse of Burgesses adopted a Declaration meats for ourselves; neither can we ap
of Rights, which was a very liberal do prove of them w hen granted to others.”
The Quakers and Baptists at once sent
cument indeed. The last, or 16th section
i a similar petition, but the Episcopalians
i s as follows:
It will neremembered the Episcopalian
“That religion, or the duty which
owe to our Creator, and the manner of . was the established church of Virginia,)
discharging it, can be directed only by . ami the Methodists sent up a counter pe
___
reason _ and _ conviction,
_
not _ by * * force or I 1 tition couched in language intolerent e-
violence, ami tberef>re all men are equally nough to have suited old Calvin himself.
But Jefferson was in that assembly and
entitled to the free exercise of religion,
according to the dictates of conscience: championed the cause of liberty. “It
ami that it is the mutual duty of all to I ' was i*” he says, “the severest contest in
practice Christian forbearance, love and v
which _ I _______
was ever engaged ” But the state
_...... .. .......................
j were beaten and the
charity towards each other.” There is ' church
advocates
evidence that Thomas Jefferson had a assembly, in December of that yeir, re
good deal to do with that» docrument for pealed all laws which compelled contri
every one of the sixteen sections, in sub I butions to the Episcopal church, and
stance, found a place in the Declaration discontinued state support of the Episco
of Indeucndence ami National Constitu I pal clergy. An attempt was then made
tion. Immediately after the Declaration to pass a law* taxing the whole colony
of Independence was passed and publish for the support of all religious denomina
ed to the world, the Presbytery of Vir tions, but the Presbyterians, Baptist* and
ginia addressed a memorial to the Vir Quakers were on hand and finally defeat
ginia General A■nembly, eulogizing the ed the bill which took about three years
Declaration and recognizing the new na to accomplish. The state-church party,
tion, also praying th it all laws then in however, couldn’t rest easy, and after the
force in tiic commonwealth of Virginia ■ war 17S I made another attempt to re
favoring icligious domination bespe lily establish the union of church and state.
Strange as it may seem, Patrick Henry
rejrca led
We wish we had space for tho whole of was the leading light in this truly un
that remarkable* docrument. for it would patriotic movement. But the irrepressi
inter«->ting reading about this time ble Jefferson was there, bravely assisted
when there in such a persistent struggle by James Madison, and after a long seige
going on to have the Christian religi« n not only defeated that bill but succeedid
t
’7