servance of the Christian religion, rather than to stay among their own class, and share the unutterable calamities and degradation which are universal and indispensable accompaniments of their religion, let them come. So long as their actions and words did not militate against the Christian religion, and thereby endanger our political institutions, their persons and property would be protected. And by conforming to our wholesome laws, they might become as one of us.

The laws and the Constitution of this country never contemplated that a Mohammed, a Voltaire, or a Nero, might come among us and insist on his right to a change in our laws, to meet his case, nor that we are bound to conform to them in opinion and practice, and thereby introduce a poison into our bosoms, which would inevitably produce national as well as moral death.

Now we say that those infidels, or others of like sentiment, who caused human blood in torrents to flow through the streets of France, have no right to come among us and do the deeds which infidels perpetrated there; because such acts would unavoidably produce the same results in this hitherto happy nation. Such sentiments and conduct would destroy us. It is time this people knew, that as certainly as we give the infidel and the deist the things for which they have long been contending, and which they loudly claim as their right, we shall soon become an infidel nation-worship the infidel's god, and share the infidel's "glory."

They now boldly say, 66 we have a right to profane your Sabbaths, because we do not believe in a Sabbath-and the atheist has a right to testify in your courts of justice, without swearing by your God, because he does not believe in any God—the laws of your country to the contrary notwithstanding." We deny the position taken by these men. They have no right so to act. God never gave them that right; nor should they have it, because, by the observance of the Christian Sabbath and the Christian religion, our prosperity and our government are to be perpetuated, and they cannot be by any other means. Their conduct, in corrupting the nation and bringing the God of the Bible into contempt, is against all divine, and should be against all human law. The framers of our Constitution and of our laws

would never have allowed such conduct. Then away with the notion that Jews, Mohammedans, pagans, infidels, deists, and atheists have a right to come among us and do the things (though agreeable to their religion,) which will assuredly, if allowed, overthrow this government! Those who hold such notions are not only enemies to the Christian religion, but to every civil government under heaven. They are the enemies of the human race; and it is much to be feared, that they are nearly prepared to act over in this country the scenes so shocking to humanity, which transpired in France not many years

since.

These men have already made such advances, that they often declare there ought to be no law regulating moral conduct. "If a man's religion," say they, "would allow of polygamy, or promiscuous sexual intercourse, there should be no law forbidding it, at any time, or under any circumstances. Or, if a man chooses to throw his children into the Ganges-bury his parents alive-see wives burn on the funeral pile-worship devils, or 330,000,000 of gods, he should enjoy the privilege." But we deny the claim which is here made. For by such a course they not only destroy themselves, but multitudes of others.

"And as certainly as a nation turns aside from the path, and causes the Holy One of Israel to cease from before them; and as certainly as atheism, licentious morals, and the contempt of the Sabbath and of the gospel pervade the land, so certainly will the same sanguinary scenes be acted over again, which have desolated other nations that would not obey God." There is but one alternative before us: we must either give up our infidelity and deism, and acknowledge the Christian's God as the God of this nation, and give him that place which he claims, or he will dash us in pieces, "like a potter's vessel."

RELIGION RECOGNIZED BY THE CONSTITUTION.

Was the Christian religion common in this country in the days when our government was formed? Let Dr. Franklin answer the inquiry, as he did in 1751, when he was holding the office of Deputy Postmaster-General, and wrote for the information of those across the Atlantic, who had asked for it. He says:

"Serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown— infidelity rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age, in this country, without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an atheist or an infidel."

No one, it is presumed, will pretend to question the competency or the correctness of this witness. He must have known the extent of infidelity, certainly, if one himself, (as our objector claims,) and he doubtless spoke the truth.

In 1787, the National Convention "reported a Constitution for a general Government. This Constitution made a regard for the existence and attributes of God indispensable in every individual whom it entrusted with an office: for it bound them by the sanctity of an oath, or solemn affirmation, and assumed as its national designation of time, the era of a Being whom it was pleased to honor as 'Our Lord;' and moreover provided a Sabbath for the conscience of the President." The Constitution then recognized one Supreme Being, Jésus Christ, and the Christian Sabbath. What will the infidel, deist, atheist, Jew, Mohammedan, or pagan say to this?"Ah! that Constitution will never do-it does not sufficiently recognize my religious rights. Though it acknowledges a religion, it does not acknowledge our religion, but one which we hate with perfect hatred. It will not do." But the Constitution, the remonstrances of these men to the contrary notwithstanding, was adopted.

Let us see further what religion this nation adopted and cherished when in her infancy.

"The Christian religion is founded on, and cherished by, the sacred volume, called the Old and New Testaments. Oaths, too, were then necessary, and the religious faith of the nation is their only bond. Bibles were wanted the commerce with Great Britain was cut off-and they must be procured from some other source. Accordingly a committee of Congress was appointed, in 1777, to confer with the printers, with the view of striking off an edition of 30,000, at the expense of Congress. The committee finding the difficulty of obtaining types and paper so great, recommended Congress (the use of the Bible being so universal, and its importance so great) to direct the commit

tee of commerce to import, at the expense of Congress 20,000 English Bibles, from Holland, Scotland, or elsewhere, into the different States of the Union;' and the Congress ordered the importation. In 1780, when it was found, from the circumstances of the wars, an English Bible could not be imported, and no opinion could be formed how long the obstruction might continue, the Congress again resumed the consideration of printing the Bible, and the matter was referred to a committee of three. An individual was found who would undertake the work, and in 1782, Congress appointed a committee of three to attend to the edition contemplated by Robert Aikin, of Philadelphia. The committee' having attended to the progress of the work, and engaged the assistance of the chaplains of Congress,'-whereupon it was 'Resolved, That the United States, in Congress assembled, highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking, as subservient to the interests of religion, [not Mohammedan, Jewish, infidel, deist, or pagan, but the Christian Religion,] and being satisfied of the care and accuracy in the execution of the work, recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States.' What intolerance thus to aid in diffusing the Bible, instead of the Koran, or the Shaster, and grieving the consciences of [infidels,] deists, and atheists."

What do objectors now think about a majority of the framers of the Constitution being anti-christian?

We know this is not the same body which framed the Constitution; but many of the members of this body were members of the Convention. Both bodies possessed a similar spirit. Who can now doubt that this nation recognized the Christian religion as its religion; and that those men who framed the Constitution, as well as those who helped to administer it for many years, believed in and cherished the Christian religion?

FASTS.

In 1776, we find the late Governor Livingston obtaining leave and presenting a resolution to Congress for a national fast, which is in the following words: "That it becomes," &c. "Congress, therefore, desirous to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God's superintending provi

dence, and of their duty devoutly to rely, in all their lawful enterprises, on his aid and protection, do earnestly recommend that Friday, the 17th day of May next, be observed by the said Colonies, as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain his pardon: and if our unnatural enemies, continuing deaf to the voice of reason and humanity, are inflexibly bent on war, it may please the Lord of hosts, the God of armies, to animate our officers and soldiers; earnestly beseeching him to bless our civil rulers and the représentatives of the people, preserve and strengthen their union,” &c.

"The citizens respectfully received this official communication. The Divine Being heard, and, as they thought, blessed the government and nation on said day. Congress adjourned, and joined in the solemnities."

In the same year, Congress recommended another day of fasting and prayer, in the following words:

"Whereas, the war is likely to be carried to the greatest extremity; and whereas it becomes all public bodies, as well as private persons, to reverence the providence of God, and look up to him as the Supreme Disposer of all events, and the Arbiter of the fate of nations," &c.—at the same time "Resolved, That Congress be opened every morning at ten o'clock, Sundays excepted."

Surely a nation has nothing to fear from such "anti-christian” men as formed these two Congresses.

In February, 1778, another committee was appointed by Congress to prepare a recommendation to the people of the United States, to set apart a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer: April 22d was set apart for that purpose. The proclamation was more fully and humbly expressed than the former, but breathed the same spirit. Congress joined in it.

Another fast was observed by Congress, on the first Thurday of May, 1779, and bore the signature of "John Jay, at that time President of Congress." A part of it is as follows:

"The States are recommended to apply themselves to prayer, that God would be pleased to avert impending calamities, that