| Show THE FIRST conviction THIRTEEN years ago 0 the congress otille of the united states enacted a law p punishing ul abing a second marriage while both parties to the former marriage were alive and known cnown to be so the first conviction under this law wag waa had today to day there were several peculiar features to this piece of ofle ofie legislation legisla gi gisla tien it was special legislation jn in effect directed specially and solely against 0 mail utah it was similarly directed against a particular body ests in utah it was similarly directed against a cardinal point of the faith and practice of that particular body of religionists it was wa known everywhere to be so specially and solely and intentionally directed and it was enacted for the known and avowed purpose of crushing that body of religionists 9 zionists lonis ionis ts of destroying that distine gilve religious characteristic hence one is compelled to the conclusion that it was enacted in a spirit of persecution pure and simple this is contrary to the genius of the american government which is 14 preeminently pre eminently one fostering civil i wd and religious liberty tho the law jaw itself is flatly contradictory to the constitution of the united states which expressly forbids to congress the power to make any law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer exercise elge thereof exercise means something more than mere belief exercise means practice under Und erthe ertho tho the constitution a man ia Is secure not only as to his faith is in his religion but also as to his free practice of his religion it is a puerile notion that religion consists of belief merely says the apostle show me thy faith without thy works und and I 1 will show thee my faith by my works again faith without works is dead and As the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also A religion therefore which consists of belief merely is a dead religion and a dead religion is equivalent to religion no nw at all to such a religion being no religion this his constitutional provision cannot apply there is no nothing ming in that to apply to the constitution in this p passage asage applies to a real le ie ligion a vital religion a living religion a religion of works of practice of exercises as well as of faith and freedom in these those works this practice practise tise tiFe these exercises lg ig is 13 the very identical thing which the constitution guarantees now do not all christians con isder marriage an all eminently religious matter mattei do not they give it their highest religious sanction and blessing do not the roman catholics consider marriage a holy sacrament Aren otrell 9 ious lous priests and ministers the chosen officials in administering in the ordinance of marriage Is it not celebrated in their churches and chapels chapel often with songs and prayer and preaching and other imposing religious ceremonies Is not mar ariage regarded as a most sacred rite are ae there not special religious forms for the performance of the marriage ceremony do not many religious people consider themselves not married until the ordinance thereof has been administered by a properly ordained minister if this ordinance has thus to be religiously attended to in the solemn conviction of christendom C is not marriage preeminently el y a religious platter ni atter an establishment of religion the free exercise se of which is positively protected i by the constitution con if so fire are not these marriage prosecutions in jn utah flagrant violations of the constitution positive persecutions of a religious people indications of infidelity and utterly unworthy of the country and the age in which we live profane Brooklyn people now ilow call P plymouth church the church of the holy slobber |
