Who were the bold advocates of religious liberty in this country in her first struggles, and who have been her stanch friends every where ever since? Says the "New Englander," (not a Baptist magazine,) " Among them, in the providence of God, American Baptists seem to have been called to lead the In the report on the subject of European missions, which was adopted at the last meeting of the general convention in Philadelphia, American Baptists have put this testimony on record:

van.

to

"In Greece, the great practical value of our principle, recognize no national church, but to build up churches of spiritual Christians that shall be independent of the state, and independent of each other, has been early and signally manifested. To attempt to reform, by fraternization, the corrupt national churches of the East, is, we believe, a FRUITLESS We act on another principle. A church, composed only of hopeful converts, independent, and, as far as man governs it, self-governed, is our view of the New Testament polity,

EFFORT.

AND OUR SCHEME FOR MODERN MISSIONS.'

“That is the American Baptists' stand. Be it theirs to maintain it every where, in good faith and entire. In doing so, let them, by prayer, sympathy, and succor, stand by their persecuted brethren in Germany and Denmark; let them encourage and uphold their suffering brethren in France, and if 'Protestant evangelists and colporteurs,' sustained, perchance, by American funds, make common cause with high-church 'Nationals,' in multiplying their afflictions and upholding the doctrine of state alliance and control, let them tell the story, as in the last report of their Board of Missions, to all the churches, and they will see that American Christians of other names will not send funds across the Atlantic, to help the vengeful bond woman to beget abortions, or to strangle at the birth the free babes of the free woman; just when her Lord, too, is saying, 'Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not; for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband.' Let

them, in the same spirit, bid their brethren in Greece be of good courage and fear not, both to preach and to baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus; and if those good brethren dare not do so, let American Baptists unite with the weak, and timid, and prudent of other faiths, and call home all Protestant missionaries from the East, to stay in Jericho till their beards be grown,' or other men are found, who, like Paul, will carry the gospel there, and bear themselves, in its propagation, in respect to civil relations and authorities, worthily of the gospel of Christ; or, like Christ, will be ready to obey unto death in the maintenance therein of his supremacy over all authorities, whether of heaven, earth, or hell.”

This was published in July, 1845; and since then what has the same denomination done for civil and religious liberty in Asia, Africa, and Europe, especially in those grand fields of modern civilization France and Germany?

We believe that nobler conflicts are yet to be fought, and ampler trophies won. Heaven has evidently predestined the Christian heroes of this age "to fight the battles of the future now," and woe be to him who is too imbecile or cowardly for the strife. The era has come when, as a redeeming and controlling agent, the days of expediency, priestly cunning, and aristocratic compulsion, are numbered, and henceforth not power, nor conventional morality, nor parasitical talent, but truth, simple, unshackled, and sublime, is the untaxed dowry of every Christian soul, and the only crowned monarch of all mankind. There is a luminary risen fairer and more extended than all other lights—even the word that was in the beginning; the all-blessing effulgence of the highest Heaven, of which solar beams are but the Shechinah and cloudy tabernacle; the blessed word that shines for all, and giveth eternal life to as many as seek to be transformed by his influence. He has offered himself, a divine atonement for the sins of the whole world, thus abolishing all lesser sacrifices, and destroying the functions of all other priests. He has taught us to call no man master, and in no way to create in others or ourselves the

degradation of a slave. He has planted on earth a sacred association of members every way equal to each other, and mutually esteemed; and this perfect model of republicanism, given to the world eighteen hundred years ago, Christ carefully isolated from kings and popes, bishops and priests; and that these four classes of tyrants may ever be deprived of their chief support, he would most zealously banish from the holy brotherhood every aristocrat.

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PART III.

THE REPUBLICAN INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.

"Though all the winds of doctrine were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength. Let her and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter? Her confuting is the best and surest suppressing. . . . For who knows not that Truth is strong next to Almighty? She needs no policies, nor stratagems, nor licensings, to make her victorious; those are the shifts and the defences that Error uses against her power. Give her but room, and do not bind her when she sleeps." - Milton's Areopagitica.

...

"If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union, or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated, where reason is left free to combat it."-Jefferson's Inaugural Address.

"Croyez-vous que le lâche, qui traîne en tout lieu la chaîne de l'esclave, soit moins chargé que l'homme de courage qui porte les fers du prisonnier?"-Paroles d'un Croyant.

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." "And there shall be one fold and one shepherd." - Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER I.

CHRISTIANITY THE SOLACE OF THE
OBSCURE.

IN parts first and second of this work on Republican Christianity, we have portrayed the progressive character of Christ, and the spirit of the primitive church. It remains to discuss the republican influence of Christian doctrine; and our first duty I will be to show that it is Heaven's best solace to hidden minds.

Under this general head, three points are to be discussed, as follows: Christianity arose in the deepest gloom; is designed to mitigate the keenest pangs; and pour solace upon the obscurest children of mankind.

First, it was in the deepest gloom that our holy religion arose to diffuse its light and blessedness all over earth. This is "the dayspring from on high, which has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." From the darkest night, the Sun of righteousness burst on our world with healing on his wings, light and joy for all. Christianity is not the religion of a sect or section, the tool of kings, popes, councils, hierarchies, synods, or creed-makers, but Heaven's own system of infallible truth and free salvation, with few doctrines necessary to be believed, and many duties necessary to be performed.

Human society is a natural condition, the state necessary for man; since without sociality man could neither reproduce nor preserve himself. Hence religion, without which social institutions cannot exist, is necessary as society itself, and cannot be a mere human invention. If our existence is