176 THE UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY.
stitution of the authority of God, and the supremacy of
his law as revealed in the Seri
Testaments.” e Scriptures of the Old and New
The course of the Examiner and Chron:
leading Baptist journal of our country, is NAW
case In point. When the movement for the religious
amendment of the Constitution was inaugurated
this paper, alluding thereto, said: — ®
“We have wondered at the magical effects ascribed
to the sacraments according to high-church theolo
But turning a nation of atheists to Christians by a for
strokes of the pen, by a vote in Congress, and ratifying
votes in three-fourths of the State Legislatures, is equally
miraculous and incomprehensible. This agitation for »
national religion, officially professed, has for its logical
outcome persecution—that, and nothing more or Jess
It is a movement backward to the era of Constantine ;
as far below the spirituality of the New Testament as it
is below the freedom of Republican America.”
But in 1879 the same paper, in an article on “The
Day of Rest,” changed its tone in reference to na-
tional action on this question, as follows: —
o“ By these and other considerations, therefore, we are
Justified in holding that the spirit of the fourth com-
mandment, with all its divine sanctions and sacred priv-
ileges, applies in full force to the Christian day of fest
To preserve it from profanation, to maintain its inesti.
mable privileges, to secure to all the sanitary, moral, fam-
ily, and civic benefits of which M. Proudhon Wrote as
well as the undisturbed enjoyment of religious service
on that day, is a duty which Christians owe at once to
their country and their God. And in this work gov-
ernments should aid, within their sphere, in the interest
of public morals, and the general well-being of society.”
Again: the Universalist of Oct. 6, 1877 i
. 6, , published
in Boston, Mass., contained a report of “The Massa
THE BEGINNING OF THE END. 177
chusetts Convention of Universalists,” held in Wor-
cester, Mass, Sept. 25, 1877. In that Convention
a resolution “heartily sympathizing with the aims
of the National Reform Association in seeking a
legal recognition of God and his government,” was
introduced. The committee to whom it was referred
recommended its adoption. In the discussion which
followed, Mr. H. Kimball said, “ We may initiate a
religious war, of all wars the most bitter.” Dr.
Flanders said, « There is danger in the resolution.”
Rev. Mr. Chambré said, “It is a reactionary move-
ment, hostile to the religious liberty whereof Uni-
versalists have been the special champions.” Rev.
G. W. Haskell said that “the Association which
“secks the change in the Constitution only keeps its
Calvinism in abeyance. That will come in due
time if its gets encouragement.”
After all these plain utterances, a motion for in-
definite postponement was lost. A motion to strike
it out was lost. The motion to adopt was then car-
ried by a vote of 61 to 47.
This strange action on the part of the Univers-
alists may be attributed largely to the course of the
«Liberal League” in calling for the abolition of all
recognition of God and religion in State instruments
and operations, and making the government wholly
secular; for this is alarming the fears of all classes
of professed Christians, and arousing them to repel
what they consider the danger. Nothing can tend
more strongly to precipitate the conflict on the
Amendment question.
The tendency of religious opinion is still further
shown in the position taken by the Christian In-
stiuetor the present year. Judge Black of Pennsyl-
vania, having argued before the House Judiciary
Committee at Washington, Jan. 30, 1883, against
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