Untitled article by Editor

Untitled article

Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · February 25, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 8

WE are sorry that a Christian At Work should hold that Christianity is not a part of the common law of the land. Fie! Fie! Change your name or your position.—Presbyterian Journal, Philadelphia.

“Fie, fie” may carry the strength of an argument with our neighbor to the south, but not with the Christian at Work. But passing that, we have just this to say on the subject, and in the briefest manner. Christianity is part of the common law of some States, but not of the Nation, and so is not part of the common law of the land. It is part of the common law of the States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, but even here only in a very limited sense, as when the privileges of others are assailed, or there is a tendency to disturb the peace. On the other hand, the Supreme Court of Ohio has expressly declared that “neither Christianity nor any other system of religion is a part of the law of the State.” This decision was reaffirmed afterwards; and still later the same Court said, “If Christianity is a law of the State, like every law it must have a sanction; adequate penalties must be provided. . . . No one seriously contends for any such doctrine in this country, or I might almost say, in this age of the world.” 23 Ohio State Reports. And other States have reached like decisions. Obviously that can not pertain to the common law of the land which is expressly repudiated by a part. And when we come to the Federal Constitution we find no mention of God in it—not even in the oath. Furthermore, the eleventh article of the treaty with Tripoli contains the declaration—“As the Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion . . . it has no enmity against Mussulmans,” etc. As we have said, we are a Christian people; we are not a Christian Nation with Christianity inwrought in its common law. So we return the Presbyterian Journal’s “fie, fie” for use elsewhere, and concluding with the Journal’s permission to retain our name and maintain our position, we wish it a very good morning.—Christian at Work.