Whole .V. r).
Tarborough, (Edgecombe County, JT. LJ Saturday, August 29, 1835.
Vol. XI JYo. 35,
Ft)!l TUB TAKJlOKO r K ESS.
'ltlC Mouse trying to gnaw out of the Catholic trap
Mr Ihti'irif: 1 send 01 another ir.es out oftlie black pot. Y'he
, Dr i lie North Carolinians will relish such a mess of wild
(r'js j know not, mr care not, as I am no office hunter nor gov
" riiMit profit seeker; hut a plain farmer, in the habit of driving i)e
vlrrapi"5' minks frogs, and claw fish, from their long sequestered
1 jcet'ul habitations in the swamps, ami taking away by hard labor
!j. ir native territories and making thousands of bushels of corn,
v lie.it, and cotton to grow therein, to the wealth and strength of my
native StJte.
' Willi these observations to ou, I now proceed, like an uneasy
police in lr:,P' to stl lo ,lawmg tne Catholic trap to pieces to get
t i Ami the tirst grip I make upon it, is from Acts of the Apos
ff! - hup- ()to verse: "And the disciples were called Christians
ji'i-itiu Antioch." Now 1 defy any man to prove that ever the name
Christian was mentioned in any hook or record in any nation under
j.clven, until it was given to the disciples in Antioch.
Second, remember to whom this name was first given; to the dis
ci?, tit? followers, the believers in Christ, as the long promised Jew-
lein!i; to tiie adherents of the doctrine of Christ and his apostles;
lithe first Christian Baptist church at Antioch; to those that hail
tenli,pieil in the name of Christ by immersion on the profession of
1'ieir tVitli, the people of this great city (Antioch) here called these
J iMtists, and followers, and adherents to the apostles who taught Christ
fir' salvation, a thing at that lime entirely new in this city. Here,
Hen, is the origin of the word Christian; and the origin then of
cjursc f tMe words Christian religion what say you to this?
Third, now. Sirs, as to religion, it means a system of faith a sys
tem of certain doctrines and practices a system of a certain creed
are
R they? Not the professors of Protestant religion, ye vourselve.
being judges; for ye have said by the alteration of the" Constitution,
that the Protestant religion is not the Christian religion. If it was,
why alter it? Then it is unavoidable, that the alteration shuts out
every Protestant sect in the State, and gives theofiices to the Roman
Catholics. This is the intrigue and management played, in my
opinion, in the alteration; and if the people ratify it, they will see, as
soon as proper cards can be played, this opinion verified.
And should you say you understood the old Constitution to mean
and admit Protestants into office, ant! shut Catholics out, surely you
must now understand it just the reverse to shut out Protestants and
admit Catholics into oflice, by your proposed new Constitution. For
I def y you from all the books and records under heaven, to make
the Catholic and Protestant religion the same. The Catholic reli
gion existed 1200 years before the Protestant religion was heard of.
Theu you must say, that by the word Christian, as changed in the
Constitution for Protestant, you meant the people your constituents
should understand that you meant by the Christian religion,
Catholics and all Protestant sects in North Carolina. Hut, Sirs,
you have left this matter as indefinite and void of settled meaning, as
a hen is of teeth. For what is the Christian religion? This matter is
undetermined by you, which should certainly have been defined m
the article to a settled point of your meaning, before it had been pro
posed to the people for ratification. For as it is, what is the Chris
tian religion? must be ihe enquiry of every man before he ratifies
your proceedings. Why, says one, it means the religion of the Bap
tists; another, the Methodists; another, the Quakers; another,
the Catholics; another, every body that professes religion of all sorts
and fashions, and all other men that do not deny the truth of'
the Christian religion. Well, Sir, I deny that the Boman religion j
is the Christian religion, and this all Protestants of every sect in this;
State will do. Anil then come forward ihp Catholics if iIipv m-i!
a:).l ceremonies. A certain manner of religions worship, w hether consistently, or act as they have done for 1500 years,' and assert'
that none ol the 1'rotestant sects is the Christian religion. And who t
is to settle this weighty point, that has drenched the fields of Eu
rope in blood, where it has been contested between Catholics and
Protestants with the sound of roaring cannon, waving sword;., and
bloody bayonets, and yet remains unsettled, even in this State?
If you say you altered the word Protestant for Christian, 1 ask you
the reason? If you say, to let the Catholics come in for office as well
as the Protestants, then I answer, you must prove that the Catholic
religion and the Protestant religion are the same; or they both, or
all ol them, are the Christian religion. This I know no man in nor
out of the Convention can do; for the Christian religion must have
a definite meaning, ami this
ruht ci wron-r, is what we generally understand by the word reli
poii. Then v. hen we speak of the Christian religion, we mean a
certain stein of faith, doctrine, ordinances and discipline, and Chris
tian practice, that was first published by Christ and his apostles, and
believed and practised by the first Christian church. This is what is
and must he called the Christian religion.
Fourth, then of course the Christian religion differs from all other
religions, as it has a different name, and is different in its founder,
i: rise, progress, doctrine, ordinances, discipline, and practice this
o'i won't deny.
Fifth, now all the religions that have ever been in the world, may
bp comprehended in about si different religions: 1st, the religion ot
you should have defined to mean
fiith, followed and proved by works; this was the religion of Abel, j the Catholic reliiiion, if vou had acted consistent with the alteration
n i l was ami is the only true religion in all ages ami all countries, I you propose; for the words Protestant religion and Christian religion
Mice tiie worlJ began to this day, and win remain trie on-y true re-j cannot mean the same, yourselves being judges.
I.Jon to the end of the world. i2dly, the re ligion of Cain, the reli-i Then if the words Christian religion take ir
pon of works without faith; this w as the religion of the Pharisees I gion, I contend all Protestants arc shut out of of
an ten thousand others, and will end in damnation, the scriptures be-
in the Catholic reli-
if offices when the mat
ter shall be tried at a future day and proof sought for. So then you
n ii i i .'ii. i i i r ...?! I I . ...
rigjiujge. oJiy, the religion ot idolatry, wmcn negau in Assyria, i nave lelt us in a terrible squabble by not defining what the words
or among the Chaldeans and Babylonians; for the scripture is the j Christian religion should mean; for you have left this momentous
most ancient history, and there is no account in that ot idolatry be- question undefined, and w ho is to settle it? You know that the Con
ine the flood Abraham was a Syrian, so was Laban, whose gods slitution is the fundamental law of the land, made by the people for
ins
in
ant
s daughter Kachel stole and hid, ke. hence Chaldea, the lirst of all officers of government to go by; then first the Legislature of this
lions and kingdoms, was the inventor ot the religion ot idolatry, j State in making all laws must be judges of this clause, what is the '
1 the cradle in which it was nursed forages, and from whence it j Christian reliuioo, lest they make a law to infringe on this article of
spread into all the nations, Judea not excepted. 4ihlv, Cod called the Constitution. The great and good book says, the natural man
Abraham from this country of idolatry, and in his posterity settled receiveth not the things of the spirit, neither indeed can he know
;! eJewih religion; which widely diffeied in its doctrines, practices, ; them, (and why?) because they are spiritually discerned. Js this
aty ceremonies from all the religious then existing, being a religion j true? If s-, then no Legislature is competent to legislate on religion;
,rl sh-idowg and godd things to come. 5thly, the religion of Maho- for religion is a matter between man and his Maker, and a matter
."It't, and heinc lhn Inst, or introduced after the reliiiion of Christ. I w ith w hich a f irislatnrp line mnliinc In dn- u :i inan' rdiKrinr
w perhaps as false an one as hell could invent and impose on man, , a right Cod has bestowed on him, and a right he cannot, dare not,
i-emg Miiteii to fit all his base sensual passions, and calculated tojand ought not to surrender to ciil society; and he who coerces it,
'ink a hdl on earth and a hell in heaven; as a man of sensual plea- ( tramples on it, or takes it away, is a tyrant and usurps the dominions
"n? is a man of pain, whether vou find that man in earth, hell, or i of Cod. Then see the dantrer you have left the people in. in not
t Leave:.; ttiis is a religion of the sword, and thus the religion of hell defining what you meant by the Christian religion; for the Legisla
ture may warp your meaning into Catholicism or Protestantism, just
as time may serve, but to comprehend both they cannot, nor never
AH'I mindly men, and commenced in the city of Mecca, on the Bed
1. hv Mahomet, about the year 022. and in the course of 1 00 years
pie 1 1 over Persia, Syria, Asia Minor, Arabia, Egypt, North Africa, j could, in England, France, Ireland, Spain, nor Portugal; and to
Spain this religion differs from all others, and in the Bevela-
'"' "S Mahomet is rightly styled the false prophet. Glhly, the reli-
m of Christ, or the Christian religion, as called in the 32d article
! the Constitution of this State, as now proposed by the Convention,
l'Jmes under review.
( Let ns have the article as it stands proposed by the Convention
ijr alteration:
"No peron who shall deny the being of a God, or the truth of the
rNti,Ul reiiiriun, or the divine authority of the Old or the New Testa
'l! (r who shall hold religious principles incompatible with the free-
r-r safety f.f the State, shall he capable of holding any office or place of
f'f piofit in the civil department within this State."
on, ve North Carolinians, the whole stress of the argument, as
r;'pfcts the alteration in this article rests only upon one point; and
l!Jls, u hat is the difference between the words "Protestant reli
JtV' inthe old Constitution, and the words in the new Constition
proposed, the "Christian religion?" If there is no difference be-
'1 the mpatiinrr tl.. ..,-,1-. U-. vc..n .ni;,.'.Mi and ihp words
nstiaii religion, you that have voted in favor of the change must
ave proposed a foolish alteration; and if you did understand that
- a uwierence, when you voted, you have entirely ten me
tllf
y , . i
t "pie it, tle
d the differ
-'"ttween what was meant by them, in the old Constitution, and
t!,r ' ' " "mv ,nean y tue proposed alteration. Then it is fair for
p - People, to draw this conclusion, that you did not understand the
jj j"1 religion to mean the same as the Christian religion; if you
io.'. Conrse 'ou were men of belter sense and judgment than
tl,(j .?e')ri.,i)(HfMl lu'J iteration from Protestant to Christian, for then
t!1(,ttratl0n w"ld have ben no alteration, if the two words mean
h',r'M9" S( llien 11 ,s l3Ut a J,lsl a,K fair conclusion for the people
tv,lfi W' l,lat -Vou d",a" not lmi,Ji lne Protestant religion to mean the
: pP( 35 J!,e(-Iristian religion; for if you did, you could not have
ii.to ll'P. a'iPal,OI, w,tM consistency. Choose either side the
fcCV' nimef,)r if you say the words Protestant and Christian
lj Samp' ,l,en ',,r alteration is no alteration; if you say the
ti, ''"tant don't mean the same as Christian, then you have
V ' 1 1 mtestanf cirtc in tliia Stofn .rl miran lio nfTil
rotestant sects in this State, and given the offices ol
l''ito the professors of the Christian religion. And who
prove which, there are as many evidences as hairs on my head. For
Catholics and Protestants, in all countries and in all nations, aro un
derstood not as branches of the Christian church, but that Protestants 1
protest she the Catholic church is not the Christian church, but the
church of anti-Christ, the whore of Babylon; and that her religion is J
not the Christian religion, but the religion of anti-Christ. Then there '
is as much difference between the Protestant religion and the Calho- j
lie religion, as there is between a whore and a virtuous bride, the)
Lamb's wile; or as there is between the wife of Christ and the wife of
anti-Christ, as between God aod devil so says old Mouse, and the
great book stands at his back.
So then, if you in this alteration intended to make the Christian
religion to mean and comprehend both the Catholic religion and the
Protestant religion, I say it cannot be done; nor can you bring any
proof from any book or record of history to prove that the Protest
ant religion is the Christian religion. The framers of the old Con
stitution left this clause defined, for the Protestant religion means
just what it says, and comprehends all sects hut the Catholics; who
have always denied that the Protestant religion was the Christian reli
gion, and burned their thousands on the claim that theirs alone was
the Christian relipion. This is truth, Sirs, but you have not, like the
framers of the old Constitution, given a definite meaning to the
words Christian religion, as they did to the Protestant religion; for
the words Christian religion is an ambiguous term, that admits of
more squabble and irgument than any other you could have chosen
in the whole vocabulary of the English language, and is still left un
defined. Had you set metes and bounds to it, why then the Legis
lature and the people would have been butted and bounded accord
ing to your proposition, if they ratified it; but instead of this, you
have left us to be driven into one isnl or into a thousand isms to make
out the Christian religion. And look and make it out as we can.
either in Judea, England or America, out of one sect or all sects put i
together without any proviso, here in my judgment you were
wrong. j
Lastly, on this part, is it not well known in all cases of doubt, whe
ther a law is constitutional or not, that the Judges of the Su
preme Court have the right to determine the meaning both of
the Constitution and the law. Then suppose these three Judges
should be Catholics, bow do yon suppose the game will go? whose
religion w ill be the christian religion then, in their judgment! T his
defect in the alteration, left for Protestants to fall into, 1 call not
much better than the pit of hell. So then, wake up, ye Protestant
sects, arise like Sampsons, and come forward every man of you and
all others to the ballot box, and trample tinder your feet with disdain
the proposition made by the Convention to alter the 32d article; as
I tell you it isa blossom of Roman Catholic influence, that will ripeu
into the fruit of dungeons, flames, fire and faggots, cruelty, widows
and orpans, in my opinion- don't be mad.
Now I come to the argument to show the difference between
the christian religion and the Protestant religion; and prove by facts
from history that there is a material difference, and that the one can
not be called the other, that they cannot be both blended together and
so mean united the christian religion; and that the Convention of this
State had no right, according to history nor the common acceptation
of words, to unite these religions together, in order to make them
mean the christian religion.
And first I have proved in the outset, that the name christian was
given to the disciples and followers of Christ and his apostles in the
city of Antioch this you w ill not deny. And secondly, that as the
disciples of Christ and his apostles began to multiply and increase,
and establish churches in contradistinction to all other religions, both
heathen and Jewish, the religion of these followers and believers
in Christ and adherents to apostolic doctrine was called the christian
religion this also you w ill not deny.
Admitting the above, you must follow me in a wild goose chase in
order to find out the distinction between the christian religion and
the Protestant religion; and if you w ill do so, I hope to clear up the
point to your satisfaction in as short a way as I can possibly d it, so
as to be understood.
if you have read the scriptures with attention, you must have seen
that Cod in his wisdom all along from creation set forth the coming
ol Christ by promise, by figurative persons, by the mouths of all the
prophets, especially Isaiah, who would rather seem to be an evange
list than a prophet and by the types and shadows, sacrifices and
temple worship, as well as Aaron's priesthood, he. &c. And when
he had in his wisdom sufficiently prepared the way by all those, he
immediately sent John the Baptist to announce his arrival and bear
witness he had come, and baptise him in Jordan, and cry aloud to
the wondering crowd on Jordan's banks and elsewhere, Behold (he
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. This was in the
29th year of Jestn' age. After his baptism and temptation in the
wilderness, he immediately entered on his public ministry, which
lasted about three and a half years to his death and crucifixion; in
which time he made some proselytes to believe he was the Christ of
God promised, and the Messiah that should come into the world.
Among the proselytes or disciples were the twelve apostles and the
seventy evangelists, all qualified and sent abroad to propagate this
new religion of Christ, in its doctrines, and practices, and ordinances.
Tl icy immediately commenced in the country and villages and cities
of Judea. and some proselytes were made by John the Baptist, Christ
and the apostles. The common name or title given them was John's
disciples, and the disciples of Christ for proof of which see the four
evangelists.
Thus the founder of the christian religion was a Jew, Jesus by
name at his birth, and Christ, as one anointed of God to be the Sa
viour of the world; who suffered death in the reign of Tiberius, un
der his procurator (or governor) Pontius Pilate. We must judge the
death ofchrist threw the eighty-two preachers i.i great confusion, as
to knowing what would be the end of their preaching; or as to what
they were to do, or what would follow his death. But immediately
on his resurrection they gained new courage and strength, and after
being qualified by the descent of the Holy Ghost and given their
Lord's commission and he ascended to heaven, they set out with
determined vigor and unremitted perseverance to propagate this new
religion, now called the christian religion, throughout all the cities
and villages of Judea. And a few days after his ascension, we find
an assembly ofdisciples at the great city of Jerusalem, to the num
ber of one hundred and twenty; which number must have been
believers in Christ, or else they would not have associated themselves
with the apostles after the death of the Saviour, and met in an upper
room for prayer and supplication, read Acts i. 13,15. Ten days
after this w as the day of Pentecost, on w hich day there was a signal
display of divine power and influence of God's spirit on the preach
ing of Peter the fisherman. On this preaching of Peter, 3000 are
pricked in the heart, and a voice is heard, Men and brethren what
shall we do? Then they that gladly received the word were baptised,
and the same day there were added unto them (the disciples) about
3000 souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And all
that believed were together,which proves what I asserted, that those
in the upper room with the apostles were believers, read 2d Acts.
And in the 4th of Acts there is proof, the4lh verse, that 5000 of those
in the temple that heard the word believed. And in the 5th chapter
of Acts, there is a fair and undeniable proof that the Christians about
Jerusalem did increas in number continually until the scattering
abroad by the persecution, b or in verse 14, we have the following:
"And the believers were the more added to the Lord, (that is the
Lord Christ,) multitudes both of men and women" no children
mentioned. And this increase of the christian church is further
proved by the first verse of the Gib chapter of Acts: "When the
number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose murmuring," &c.
And it is still more abundantly confirmed in the 7th verse of the
same chapter: "And the word of God increased, and the number of
the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company
of the priests were obedient to the faith." A wonder indeed: that
the Jewish priests should submit to the christian faith.
Now let us recapitulate before we forget, and remember that the
Acts of the Apostles is ihe firM history in all the world that was ever
written on the Christian religion and its progress in the woild; and
there you can learn alone the true meaning of the word christian,
and of the words the Christia.i religion, as made ue of in the 32d
article cf the proposed Constitution. Fr the Acts of the Apostles
contains the history of the Chriiian church for about thirly-one
years after the ascension of Christ deny ibis. Then the christian
religion and the christian church commenced under the ministry of
John the Baptist, as some of John's disciples became the disciples