IV.

The line drawn

BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE.

THIS SUBJECT OF church and state we shall introduce, with a relation of some of the effects of their combination; which is a little of the experience of Timothy Waterous, sen'r., and which the reader may have from his own pen.

"In the fore part of my life, the principal religion of the country was strongly defended by the civil power; and many articles of the established worship were in opposition to the gospel of Christ. --Therefore, I could not conform to them with a clear conscience; so I became a sufferer. I endured many sore imprisonments, and cruel whippings. Once I received forty stripes, save one, which an instrument made of prim; consisting of ten rods about three and a half feet long, with snags near an inch long to tear the flesh. Once I was taken, and my head and face covered with warm pitch, which filled my eyes and put me in great torment. And in that situation I was turned out in the night, and had two miles to go without the assistance of any person, and but little help of my eyes. And many other things I have suffered; as spoiling of goods, mockings, &c. --But I do not pretend to relate in particular what I have suffered, for it would take a large book to contain it. But in these afflictions I have seen the hand of God, in holding me up; and have had a particular love for my persecutors, at times; which so convicted them, that they confessed that I was assisted by the spirit of Christ. But although I had so tender a feeling for them, that I could freely do them all the good in my power; yet the truth of my cause would not suffer me to conform to their worship, or flinch at their cruelty, one jot, though my life was at stake; for many times they threatened to kill me. But, through the mercy of God, I have been kept alive to this day, and am 70 years of age; and I am as strong in defense of the truth, as I was when I suffered. But my persecutors are all dead; there is not one of them left."

We give the above, as being the experience of one of the authors of this book. But what is this in comparison to what has been done in other parts of New-England; in the towns of Boston and New-London. George Bishop, in his book, speaking of the sufferings of the Quakers in Boston, says: "In about seven years, they suffered more than one hundred and sixty whippings, most of them very cruelly executed"; besides those that suffered death and otherwise. All this has been done in New-England, by a church which is a dissenter from the church of England; and whose religion has not been established by law so long as two centuries. But what is this, in comparison to what has been done by the whole system of the christian religion, since she first (through priest-craft,) joined in union with the secular power; which has shed such rivers of blood, by persecution and vexatious wars, that the very name of "christian," in many countries, sounds worse than that of a Turk. And although she is called the christian church, yet she is no more than an image of the christian religion; which, holding the bible in one hand, to deceive and flatter; and the weapons of the secular power in the other, to scourge and compel all people to bow to said image. And the tragedy that has followed, has put the world into such consternation, that there is no country where there is not the appearance of party spirit. So that it is high time to examine the state of both church and secular power; by which the mystery of priest-craft is upheld; and to cut the strings that hold them together, and to restore them back to their proper places; that each one may stand on the frame of her own constitution; which God hath pitched for her, and not man. And that it may be done in its true light; we shall summon the ecclesiastical system and the secular power, before the world; and defend each one's cause in her own name; under the titles of church and state.

State. --I perceive, since our union, which took place at the end of the fourth century, there hath been rivers of human blood shed for religion.

Church. --Very true; and it was all done by your own hands; and you not only took the lives of thousands of innocent people, but you tortured them in a shocking manner; every way that human beings could invent.

State. --I shall not deny your accusation; but since you are so bled, I shall venture to say that you are the author of all the blood shed for religion since our union.

Church. --How dare you so abuse my character, to cast such a scandalous report upon the innocent. I desire that you would prove your assertion.

State. --That I shall readily do. When you first came to me, to enter into covenant with you; you came in disguise, with the appearance of a lamb-like spirit; and you said you were a blessed people; and that your prayers would be beneficial to the performance of my secular business. And your father the pope said he was Christ's viceregent on earth; that Christ had sent him to my court, as an agent for his little flock. And your mother appeared with her golden cup in her hand, full of her abomination and filthiness of her fornication. And after she had enticed me to drink of her cup; (vengeance on her) I say, after I had drank till I was intoxicated, she bewitched me with her whoredoms; so I entered into covenant with you. And after you had taken me in, you obtained such influence, that you took my power from me. And your father, the pope, became so arbitrary, that he would set his foot on the necks of my emperors. And your bishops put themselves in my judgment seats, to sit and condemn innocent people. And my secular officers became your servants to shed their blood. And you laid all your burdens upon me, to uphold your church-officers in idleness and all kinds of debauchery; so I became as a beast to carry you. As it is written, Rev. 17.9. "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast." That woman was your old mother, which had her name written on her forehead, "Mystery Babylon the great." And I obtained my scarlet color by being stained with the blood of the martyrs; whom I slew in your service, thinking I was doing God service. As it is written, "Whosoever killeth you, shall think he doeth God service."

Church. --Peace, peace, you are beside yourself; let me tell you that it was satan that so bewitched you.

State. --Truly, satan was the original cause; for he beguiled you, who became his whore; by which means your obtained influence to deceive me, and I became your beast.

Church. --I am not confined to the church of Rome, which you speak of; for I discovered her abominations and dissented from her, and now retain many members.

State. --If you are not confined to her, she is your mother, and you have followed her example; for every one of you that have obtained an admittance into my courts, (to have your religion established by law) have caused my judges to condemn, as malefactors, good inhabitants, who had in no point transgresses the true law of justice and equity. And after I began to suspect you, and to see my government much shaken with you base conduct; and endeavored to exclude you from my presence, your friars and priests would swarm about at my conventions, and general courts, (in their black apparel, with gracious faces,) like locusts that are snatching at the last green leaves; that I might still uphold them in pride, idleness and luxury. So you prove yourself a deceiver.

Church. --But some of us are Congregationalists, Separates, Baptists, Methodists, &c., whose priests have never exalted themselves at the seat of your government to obtain influence; but still they are ever busy in offering their prayers to God for your welfare.

State. --You are as harmless as your old mother, who first deceived me; who exalted herself no faster than she could obtain power by flattery; for I perceive there are none of you but what are fond of preferment in my secular business; and you may all pray for my welfare, while your honor is protected by my hand. But I purpose to dissolve my union with you, and then if you will be pleased to pray for your enemies, as you profess, you will deceive no man.

Church. --But some of us are Quakers, and the like, who are the Lord's people, and to only profess to love our enemies, but our practice proves us to be true; for we will fight no man.

State. --If you are the Lord's people, may the Lord protect you. You are as fond of property as others, and to have it protected. So, while you are loving your enemies, you are heaping together property, and depending on me to keep your enemies at a distance, that you may have no occasion to hate them. And by your intrigue, all manner of ways, you have made a pack-horse of me, more than a thousand years. And I shall exclude you from taking a part in my government.

Church. --If you exclude my members from your judgment seat, you will reject the righteous, which is the salt of the earth, and the only cause of its existence -- and receive into your tribunals publicans and sinners, who are the only cause of the earth's destruction.

State. --What righteousness, and what salt is this you speak of?

Church. --It is the righteousness of the second Adam, the great fountain of light, which causes me to be the light of the world.

State. --And are you the sole possessor of all that light? Why then is it written, John 1. 9. "That was the true light, that lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

Church. --Because the apostle was then speaking of that creating word; which gave to all men the light of nature; but I am not only possessed of that light of the moral law of nature, but I have received that redeeming spirit of Christ, so that I now posses the law of mercy and forgiveness.

State. --Then it is the law of mercy and forgiveness, you go by?

Church. --Truly it is; and in obedience to our king, we forgive all men their trespasses, because he hath said, "If you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive yours."

State. --And will you now engage yourselves in my law, and swear by the ever living God, to judge, condemn and punish sinners, for those same trespasses that you are under obligation to forgive?

Church. --These things are mysteries, that you have no right to enquire into; are not all our preaching, prayers, singing, fasting, &c. sufficient to cover all such mysteries?

State. --I do not care a fig for all your noises of religion; the moral conduct is my object. Turn your eyes upon the characters that are now and have been engaged in my secular business; some of whom you call infidels, and some saints. Which of them is most in favor of the laboring class of people, who are the nature support of the earth? Those that you call saints are ever fixing burdens for them, "which they themselves will nor move with one of their fingers, but those you call infidels, have no burdens of religion to lay upon poor men's shoulders; neither have they any cloak to hide themselves under.

It is enough to convince every intelligent man, only to look back on the effects of the conduct of secular officers, while acting under the influence of some religion; that it is impossible for a man, in this case, faithfully to serve two masters. And as you say you have engaged yourself in the gospel of Christ, to serve God, and now come to me, and offer to take a sacred oath to serve mammon, or this world; you are proved guilty of perjury, and I shall therefore dissolve my union with you; and in confirmation thereof, I issue to the world the following

PROCLAMATION,

Of the dissolution of the Union of Church & State.

I, knowing myself to be the true seed and offspring of the first Adam, unto whom God gave the government of the world; and that he hath given me everything necessary to do the work, without going to the church for any further revelation or inspiration; I now separate myself from her impostures, and cleave unto God's earth, from whence I was taken, and from whose soil I receive my support, even all the good things of this life; and unto whose glory, honor and government I bow my knee; and in whose defense, I pledge my life and property. And upon these considerations, I issue forth this my proclamation against said church.

First, I expel all her ministers from my courts.

Secondly, I shake off all her enormous burdens, which I have been groaning under for more than a thousand years.

Thirdly, I pronounce detestation against all her counsel, prayers, &c. they being useless in my service.

Fourthly, My system of government being true in its nature, as a plumb hangs down; and lest it should be waved by any false wind of religion, I therefore refuse to receive into office, (either civil or military,) any church member, of any sect whatever; unless he shall first abandon his religion, and convince me that he does not lean towards any one sect more than another.

Fifthly, I expel and abolish out of my realm all mongrel law books; being composed of part law and part gospel.

Sixthly, I exclaim against all spiritual weapons; as the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the sword of the spirit, &c., they being useless in defense of my interest against flesh and blood. And being thus independent of the church, it follows that no article of religious worship, from henceforth, that exists, or ever shall exist under heaven -- shall any more be protected by my power.

Seventhly, And having thus far discharged my duty, I now seal this my proclamation, as a bar against the intrigues of said church; never more to enter into any treaty of alliance with her, to the world's end; according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, that alter not.

Given forth at the convention of human reason, from the hearts of the children of this world.

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And now, having drawn the line between church and state, where it must finally come; we shall now discover the true church primitively restored. And although a great part of the world are halting between two opinions; by professing religion, while they hang to the honor of this world; yet the time is near, when all such turn-coats shall be compelled, openly, to take their side.

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