Hebrew and American Slavery: A Discourse (Classic Reprint) (Paperback) | Released: 08 Feb 2019

Excerpt from Hebrew and American Slavery: A Discourse

Slavery is the great question of the day, of the nation, of the age; ought not every man to study it? It enters into almost every subject with which we have to do ought we not to inform ourselves of its merits, its nature, and its workings? It has become, it is true, a political question or has been - it is now more a national question, a. E. A ques tion of national existence but it is still a moral, a religious question, and proper for religious investigation. The fact that every man is required to act on it, makes it doubly im portant that every man should study it and be thoroughly acquainted with it. Politics are never so noble. As when they grapple with some great moral subject, for then if men will be studious and honest, the national intellect will be enlarged and the national heart made better. But it will not do to say, a moral or a religious subject shall not be dis cussed in the pulpit when it becomes a political subject, The minister's duty is then the more imperious.

Two years and a half ago I found a paper lying on the desk, requesting me to comment on this text. I was at the time preaching a series of sermons on the sacred feasts and fasts of the Old Testament, and other institutions of the Mosaic law. I regarded it at the time a challenge to con trovert, if I could, the doctrine of Slavery as here taught. Ilaid the paper aside, intending at a future time to preach from the text. It was then the summer before the election of President, and the question of Slavery entered very largely into the contest, and I judged that preaching on it at that time might and would be construed as a design on my part to meddle with politics. The position of things are changed. It has brought a civil war upon us, and it is not so much a question of politics as of national existence. It has brought the war upon us and has been hitherto the great sustaining power of the war against the Government. Every man is called on to judge whether it is right or wrong, whether our Government is acting right or wrong in resist ing its demands, and in the blows it is dealing against it. Some say it is a Divine institution and we are fighting against God in defending ourselves against it. Secession preaches this doctrine, politicians preach it, the friends of Secession in the North preach it, ministers South and North preach it and if Slavery is right they have a right to, and they ought to. I find no fault with any one advocating it if he sincerely and prayerfullg/ believe it right. But I do object to men professing to be honest in advocating, some for preaching it in the pulpit and denouncing others for say ing a word against it. I protest against such a spirit as this - it is tyranny. I protest against such men's claims to con sistency. I protest against any such claiming that it is right, for nothing that is right requires darkness, or hinder ing the honest expression of Opinions. If it be right for Mr. Vandyke or Palmer to preach on the subject, where is the right of closing the mouths of other ministers, who by the Constitution and laws are guarantied equal rights? Men who do this virtually admit the unsoundn'ess of the doctrines they hold and expose the tyranny they would exercise over the consciences of men. And these are the men who as a general thing are the most noisy against our Government for doing it in extreme cases.

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