ments of mental and moral creations whose places in history, marked red with blood and tears, are awfully sublime.

Genius is wanting nowhere, when needed. Every great time begets its great men, every great cause its inspired apostles. They rise, as it were, from the atmosphere of the generation which requires their ener gies. When the oppression of the Hebrews in Egypt had reached an intolerable degree, Moses was a man already, prepared to redeem them. In a wonderful manner, none can account for it, the eighteenth century brought forth a mighty phalanx of brilliant geniuses, warriors, statesmen, poets, authors, composers, philosophers, scientists, and an unconscious passion for freedom and progression seized upon multitudes, to open widely the flood-gates of intelligence, to pour in its currents upon the nineteenth century, the age of radical revolution, where the lowest rapidly becomes the highest, and the highest sinks down lowest, to rejuvenate the human family.

And now reason comes in and asks, by whom is this marvellous and harmonious arrangement made? In the case of genius, we have evidently before us the same universal law which governs the organic world. Plenty of geniuses are perpetually born, and all are at work somehow and somewhere, so that, all destructive agencies otherwise necessary taken into consideration, there must appear the right man in the right place, where the Logos of History wants him, to shine forth in his pristine glory, and do the preordained work. The other men. of genius, like the superfluous fish-egg, also perform a task; it takes many hands to build a city. Here we have before us an extra-human.

agency.

The law of history is progressive, and man not only remains in quality always the same, but the vast majority is conservative and opposed to every progressive step.-Yet history preserves all that is good, true, and useful, continually increases its stock, spreads, utilizes, and promulgates it, contrary to the will of the masses, and in spite of all egotism and prevailing stupidity. Again, in spite of all, whatever is false, erroneous, wicked, nugatory, or useless, is overcome in history, by the very errors and blunders of great men and great nations; by the indomitable and irresistible Nemesis with all her mysterious furies, making war upon all corruption and degradation, and hurling continually the nugatory element and its creatures into oblivion. In spite, I repeat, in spite of all conservatism and egotism, genius rises always and everywhere, to be on hand at the proper time and place, to beget the grand wealth of new truths, to press onward and forward the inert bulk of humanity, tears or smiles, love or hatred, lakes of blood or streams of milk and honey, triumph or defeat, praise or scorn, crowns or gallows, it matters not to genius, it sacrifices itself against its own will, that then, from its very

blood, armed and buckled champions of the new ideas rise, to grasp the banner trodden in the dust, and unfurl it again for victory and progression; but onward, always onward, is the watchword.

406

"You are the foe," she answer sent,

"To maidens such as I;

I'll face you with a dauntless heart,
And conquer you, or die.

A token of the sure result

The vaulted skies display;
For there above is Federal blue,
Below, Confederate gray."

Sharp-shooting on each flank began,
And 'mid manœuvres free
The rattle of the small-talk with

Big guns of repartee,

Mixed with the deadly glance of eyes

Amid the proud array,

There met in arms the Federal blue
And the Confederate gray.

Exhausted by the fight at length
They called a truce to rest;
When lo! another force appeared
Upon a mountain's crest.

And as it came the mountain down
Amid the trumpet's bray,
Uncertain stood the Federal blue
And the Confederate gray.

A corps of stout free lances these
Who poured upon the field,
Field-Marshal Cupid in command,
Who swore they both must yield;
That both should conquer; both divide
The honors of the day;

And proudly with the Federal blue

March the Confederate gray.

His troops were fresh, and theirs were worn;

What could they but agree

That both should be the conquerors,

And both should captives be?

So they presented arms, because

Dan Cupid held the sway,

And joined in peace the Federal blue
With the Confederate gray.

Twelve years have fled. I passed to-day

The fort they built, and saw

A sight to strike a bachelor
With spirit-thrilling awe.
Deployed a corps of infantry,

But less for drill than play;

And some had eyes of Federal blue,

And some Confederate gray.

WH

Philip Schall.

BORN in Coire, Switzerland, 1819.

THE AMERICAN IDEA OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

[Church and State in the United States. 1888.]

HAT is the distinctive character of American Christianity in its organized social aspect and its relation to the national life, as compared with the Christianity of Europe?

It is a free church in a free state, or a self-supporting and self-governing Christianity in independent but friendly relation to the civil government.

This relationship of church and state marks an epoch. It is a new chapter in the history of Christianity, and the most important one which America has so far contributed. It lies at the base of our religious institutions and operations, and they cannot be understood without it.

The relationship of church and state in the United States secures full liberty of religious thought, speech, and action, within the limits of the public peace and order. It makes persecution impossible.

Religion and liberty are inseparable.

not and ought not to be forced.

Religion is voluntary, and can

This is a fundamental article of the American creed, without distinction of sect or party. Liberty, both civil and religious, is an American instinct. All natives suck it in with the mother's milk; all immigrants accept it as a happy boon, especially those who flee from oppression and persecution abroad. Even those who reject the modern theory of liberty enjoy the practice, and would defend it in their own interest against any attempt to overthrow it.

Such liberty is impossible on the basis of a union of church and state, where the one of necessity restricts or controls the other. It requires a friendly separation, where each power is entirely independent in its own sphere. The church, as such, has nothing to do with the state except to obey its laws and to strengthen its moral foundations; the state has nothing to do with the church except to protect her in her property and liberty; and the state must be equally just to all forms of belief and unbelief which do not endanger the public safety.

The family, the church, and the state are divine institutions demand. ing alike our obedience, in their proper sphere of jurisdiction. The family is the oldest institution, and the source of church and state. The patriarchs were priests and kings of their households. Church and state are equally necessary, and as inseparable as soul and body, and yet as

distinct as soul and body. The church is instituted for the religious interests and eternal welfare of man; the state for his secular interests and temporal welfare. The one looks to heaven as the final home of immortal spirits, the other upon our mother earth. The church is the reign of love; the state is the reign of justice. The former is governed by the gospel, the latter by the law. The church exhorts, and uses moral suasion; the state commands, and enforces obedience. The church punishes by rebuke, suspension, and excommunication; the state by fines, imprisonment, and death. Both meet on questions of public morals, and both together constitute civilized human society and ensure its prosperity.

The root of this theory we find in the New Testament.

In the ancient world religion and politics were blended. Among the Jews religion ruled the state, which was a theocracy. Among the heathen the state ruled religion; the Roman emperor was the supreme pontiff (pontifex maximus), the gods were national, and the priests were servants of the state.

Christianity had at first no official connection with the state.

For three hundred years the Christian church kept aloof from politics, and, while obeying the civil laws and paying tribute, maintained at the same time the higher law of conscience in refusing to comply with idolatrous customs and in professing the faith in the face of death. The early Apologists-Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Lactantius-boldly claimed the freedom of religion as a natural right.

THE AMERICAN SYSTEM COMPARED WITH OTHER SYSTEMS.

The American relationship of church and state differs from all previous relationships in Europe and in the colonial period of our history; and yet it rests upon them and reaps the benefit of them all. For history is an organic unit, and American history has its roots in Europe.

1. The American system differs from the ante-Nicene or pre-Constantinian separation of church and state, when the church was indeed, as with us, self-supporting and self-governing, and so far free within, but under persecution from without, being treated as a forbidden religion by the then heathen state. In America the government protects the church in her property and rights without interfering with her internal affairs. By the power of truth and the moral heroism of martyrdom the church converted the Roman Empire and became the mother of Christian states.

2. The American system differs from the hierarchical control of the church over the state, or from priest government, which prevailed in the Middle Ages down to the Reformation, and reached its culmination