The Constitution and Religious Liberty
The above is a letter written by him to a committee of a Baptist society in Virginia in reply to questions as to the design of the constitution. Although the administrators of our government, the rulers of this people, like the princes and rulers of Israel in days of old, neglect, and fail to execute the justice, judgment, truth, and mercy which this constitutional government require; and although Jeshurun has here again waxen fat and kicked; and has so far departed from the righteous principles of the Constitution as to speak by their enactments of unrighteous laws, "as a dragon," and in their own degenerate course, resolve themselves into an image of Papal government, from under whose cruel and galling yoke we were but as yesterday delivered; and although our rulers yet exercise all the unrighteous power of the Papal hierarchy by the establishment of religious observances by law with the annexation of unrighteous penalties of a deprivation of the right of buying and selling, and of death itself; and though this people so far degenerate from the principles of uprightness as to perform their wonders and miracles of deception, and constitute themselves the false prophet of these last days, to be taken in connection with the Papal beast and cast alive into the lake burning with fire and brimstone, as clearly predicted in Rev. xiii, 11–17; xix, 20; yet notwithstanding this sad departure from the righteous principles of our CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, the Constitution itself in its unmutilated form, breathes the lamb-like principles of a heaven-ordained government, which was established by divine appointment. It is called the mountain, i. e., government of the Lord, [Micah iv, 2.] and regards man in the same light as does Revelation and the moral government of God. It is just such a government as is predicted by the prophets, and as might be expected that God would establish when the SET TIME to favor Zion had come; when he would arise and have mercy upon Zion, by setting his hand again the second time and recovering the remnant of his people from under Gentile rule, by bringing them into an asylum of civil and religious liberty, where they could be protected in the right of worshiping him according to the dictates of their own conscience, with none to make them afraid. The establishment, increase and growth of this government is strikingly set forth in few words. Ps. lxxii, 16, compared with Micah iv, 1, 2. "There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS; the fruit thereof shall shake LIKE LEBANON: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth." The parable of the grain of mustard seed, [Matt. xiii, 31, 32.] bears a very striking resemblance of the planting and growth of our own government. Compare together Eze. xxiii 22–24; Ps. lxxii, 16; Micah iv, 1, 2; Matt. xiii, 31, 32. It is here that the parable [Matt. xxv, 1–10] has had its principal fulfillment. That the SCATTERING of the POWER of the holy people was accomplished and ended and that the GATHERING dispensation of the fulness of times was ushered in, in the year 1798; and that God did then set his hand again the second time to recover the REMNANT of his people from the land of their captivity, and GATHER them out of the countries wherein they had been scattered, we have clearly demonstrated in the former part of this article. And there is none other country that will answer the specifications of prophecy respecting the location and description of the country into which they are gathered, but this American land. But some may object to this and say that they were to be gathered into the land which God gave unto their fathers and affirm that that is none other than the ancient land of Canaan and quote to sustain this objection. Jer. xxx, 3; xvi, 15; Eze. xx, 28, and other like predictions. But I do not understand these scriptures to refer exclusively to the ancient land of Canaan; for the land which God gave unto the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and their seed is the whole earth made new, the kingdom under the whole heaven. Please read Gen. xiii, 14, 15; Acts vii, 5; Heb. xi, 8–10, 39, 40; Dan. vii, 27. Abraham and his seed were made heirs of the world. Rom. iv, 13. The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell therein for ever. Ps. xxxvii, 29. We freely admit that God will finally gather Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the true seed, the WHOLE house of Israel, even ALL of it into the land which he gave by promise unto the fathers, which will be the whole earth made new. But we here wish one important point distinctly understood, and borne in mind, viz., that there is a clear distinction between the final gathering of the WHOLE house of Israel; and the recovery or gathering of the REMNANT of Israel from the land of their captivity and out of the countries wherein they were scattered. Please read Isa. xi, 11, 12; x, 20–22; Jer. xxx, 10; Eze. xxxiv, 11–13. This recovery and gathering of the REMNANT is prior and PREPARATORY to the final gathering into the land of Israel given by promise unto the fathers. In like manner as when God set his hand the first time to recover his people from their Egyptian bondage, he gathered them out of Egypt the land of their captivity into the wilderness to prove and test their loyalty to him by the requirement of obedience to the righteous rules of his moral government as a CONDITION and necessary PREPARATION to enter in and possess the land of Canaan. See Deut. viii, 1, 2; vi, 17, 18; iv, 1. So also in like manner when he set his hand again the second time to recover the REMNANT of his people, he gathers them out of the land of their captivity, the countries wherein they were scattered and brings them into the WILDERNESS, where they are again the second time tried, and their loyalty proved by the requirement of faithful obedience to the same righteous rules of his moral government, as the CONDITION and necessary PREPARATION before they can enter the land of Israel, the whole earth made new, given by promise unto the fathers. Accordingly we find it written, [Eze. xx, 33–38.] "As I live saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: (that is to say, during the 2520 years captivity after which) 'I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, (as in the French revolution,) and I will bring you into the WILDERNESS of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. LIKE as I pleaded with your fathers in the WILDERNESS of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the BOND of the COVENANT: and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they SHALL NOT enter into the land of Israel, (the earth made new,) and ye shall know that I am the Lord.'" Again, [Micah vii, 14–16.] "Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the WOOD, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. ACCORDING to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might," &c. "And they shall dwell safely in the WILDERNESS and sleep in the WOODS." Eze. xxxiv, 25. Also Hosea ii, 14, 15. "Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the WILDERNESS, and speak COMFORTABLY unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Once more we read Isa. xl, 1–10. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye COMFORTABLY to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her appointed time (margin) is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the WILDERNESS, PREPARE ye the way of the Lord, make strait in the DESERT a highway for our God." O Zion that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain: O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength: lift it up, be not afraid: say unto the cities of Judah, behold your God! Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before him." Verses 9, 10.