Page images
PDF
EPUB

motto, "Liberty, Holiness, and Love," should be foremost in opposing this system. More than others we have contended for three great principles, — individual liberty, perfect righteousness, and human brotherhood. All of these are grossly violated by the system of Slavery. We contend for mental freedom; shall we not denounce the system which fetters both mind and body? We have declared righteousness to be the essence of Christianity; shall we not oppose that system which is the sum of all wrong? We claim for all men the right of brotherhood before a universal Father; ought we not to testify against that which tramples so many of our brethren under foot?

These reasons would lead us to speak individually and separately. But our combined voices may be heard more widely and be more regarded; and we therefore speak in company. As we do not, as a denomination, combine in subscribing creeds and fixing systems of theology, the more should we be ready to unite in practical endeavors to remove moral evils. As our principles of religious liberty do not permit us to exclude our brethren who are Slaveholders from our Christian fellowship, the more should we testify against the Slave system itself. Some individuals may think they hold Slaves for the good of their bondmen, in order to give them their liberty under more favorable circumstances. We cannot regard such Slaveholders as we do those who hold their fellow-beings as property for the sake of gain or personal convenience. Leaving to God to decide on the comparative guilt or innocence of individual Slaveholders, we pronounce the system unchristian and inhuman.

And more especially do we feel bound to lift up our voices at the present time, when the South has succeeded in compromising the nation to the support of Slavery; when it has been made a great national interest, defended in our national diplomacy, and to be upheld by our national arms; when the nation has, by a new measure, solemnly assumed the guilt and responsibility of its continuance; when free Northern citizens, without any alleged crime, are thrown into Southern prisons and sold to perpetual bondage: when our attempts to appeal respectfully to the Federal Courts are treated with contumely, so that the question is no longer whether Slavery shall continue in the Southern States, but whether Freedom shall continue in any of the States. Now, therefore, when our reliance on political measures has failed, it is time to trust more fully in the power of Truth. To the schemes of party leaders, to political majorities, to the united treasures, arms, domains and interests of the nation, pledged to the extension and perpetuation of the system, let us now oppose the simple majesty and omnipotence of Truth. "For who knows not that Truth is strong, next the Almighty?”

We, therefore, ministers of the Gospel of Truth and Love, in the name of God the universal Father, in the name of Christ the Redeemer, in the name of Humanity and Human Brotherhood, do solemnly protest against the system of Slavery as unchristian and inhuman,— Because it is a violation of the law of Right, being the sum of all unrighteousness which man can do to man, depriving him not only of his possessions but of himself. And, as in the possession of one's self are included all other possessions, and in the right to one's self are included all other rights, he who makes a man a slave commits the greatest possible robbery and the greatest possible wrong.

1846.]

Religious Intelligence.

159

Because it violates the law of Love, which says, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them."

Because it degrades man, the image of God, into a thing; changes persons into property; and, by violating the dignity of the human soul, is a constant sacrilege against that soul which the Sciptures declare to be the "temple of the Holy Ghost."

Because it necessarily tends to pollute the soul of the Slave, — producing all vices, and fostering habits of indolence, sensuality, falsehood, treachery, theft, moral stupor and perpetual childhood, by taking away hope, which God has appointed as the lightener of toil, the spur of exertion, and the seed of progress, and by destroying the sense of responsibility, which is the bond that connects the soul with God.

Because it tends to defile the soul of the master, as unlimited power must generally produce self-indulgence, licentiousness, cruelty, arrogance and a domineering spirit,- qualities utterly opposed to the humility, meekness and self-denial of Christ. We cheerfully admit that soine, both of the Slaveholders and Slaves, have nobly resisted these influences and shown us virtues which we should be proud to imitate. But we know that the prevailing tendency of the system is nevertheless evil, and that it must always offer manifold temptations and inevitable occasions to sin.

Because this system, as the indispensable condition of its continuance, must restrict education, keep the Bible from the Slave, make life insecure in the hands of irresponsible power, deprive female innocence of protection, sanction adultery, tear children from parents and husbands from wives, violate the divine institution of families, and by hard and hopeless toil make existence a burden.

Because Slavery, as all history testifies, eats out the heart of nations, and tends every year more and more to sear the popular conscience and impair the virtue of the people. It neutralizes the influence which we ought to exert on the world as a nation whose mission it is to extend the principles of political freedom. It degrades our national character, making us appear before mankind as solemn hypocrites, who declare "that all men are equal," and yet persist in holding a portion of them as slaves, who declare that "all are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and yet take these rights from a sixth part of their own community. Constantly to profess one thing and constantly to practise another must destroy the sinews of national virtue.

In pure obedience to these principles, which no circumstances can obscure and no time can change, we protest against any attempt to defend this system on the ground that the Slaves are often treated kindly. It is not a question of treatment, but of right; and the greatest kindness would be no compensation for the rights which are withheld.

We protest against any attempt to defend the system from the letter of the Scriptures or from practices recorded in the Old Testament, as a libel on God and Christ, which would tend, so far as the attempt succeeded, to destroy our confidence in the Bible. If this system was not prohibited among ancient nations by positive law, it was not for the reason that it was right, but that, like polygamy and other evil practices, "it was suffered for a time because of the hardness of their hearts." And if, from the imperfect knowledge under

the old dispensation, "the times of this ignorance God winked at," yet now in the light of the Gospel, "he commands all men everywhere to repent."

Finally, while we prescribe no man's course of action, we earnestly implore all to put forth their full energy, and in the most efficient modes, to show decidedly their sympathy with the Slave, and their abhorrence of the system of oppression of which he is made the victim.

We implore our brethren at the South, especially those who hold the same faith as ourselves, to show their faith by their works; to come out from all participation in this sin, and, in the way they deem best, "to undo the heavy burden and let the oppressed go free."

We implore our brethren at the North, who may go to reside in Slaveholding regions, to go determined to make every sacrifice of profit or convenience rather than become abettors of this inhuman institution.

We implore all Christians and Christian preachers to unite in unceasing prayer to God for aid against this system, to lose no opportunity of speaking the truth and spreading light on this subject, in faith that the truth is strong enough to break every yoke. We pray them to remember those whose hearts were in this cause, who have ascended on high. If Channing, Follen, Worcester and Ware are still mindful of what is passing below, they must be looking to us to take their places and do their work. Wherefore seeing we are compassed by such witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and do the work of him who sent us, while it is day.

And we, on our part, do hereby pledge ourselves before God and our brethren, never to be weary of laboring in the cause of human rights and freedom, till Slavery be abolished and every Slave made free.

NOTICE.

We have determined, for the present year at least, to enlarge the size of our journal, that we may give a greater variety of contents, and may the sooner publish articles which accumulate upon our hands. Each number of the present and the next volumes will therefore contain one hundred and fifty-six, instead of one hundred and fortyfour pages, by which we shall make an addition of seventytwo pages to each volume. The price remains the same as before. We shall therefore feel ourselves at liberty to return to our former number of pages after this year, unless our subscription list should justify a continuance of the larger size. Our present number, it will be perceived, contains a still farther addition of four pages - 160 in all -which we have given for the sake of including notices that we were unwilling to defer.

Article

Studies in Religion,-Cartee's Questions,-Teach-
er's New Year's Present,

Page

304

Tuthill's Onward! Right Onward! - The Boy of
Spirit,-Abbot's Lost Wheelbarrow and other
Stories,

[ocr errors]

Pierce's Funeral Address,-Hall's Sermon on
Doing Justly,-Furness's Christmas Discourse,
-Huntington's Sermon on Peace,-Parker's
Discourse on a Christian Church,-Harring-
ton's Discourse on Foreign and Domestic Mis-
sions, — Putnam's Election Sermon,- Flint's
Farewell and Dedication Discourses,—Lieber's
Lecture on Civilization,—Phillips's Address on
Annexation and Slavery,-Bigelow's Address
on Medical Science and Art,-Harvard College
and its Benefactors,-Letter to J. Pierpont and
Reply,-Letter to Boston Churches,-Letter
from Hollis Street Society,

INTELLIGENCE.

Religious Intelligence.-Ecclesiastical Record,-Con-
dition of Unitarianism,―Missionary Subscrip-
tion,-Unitarianism in England,—Ministry at
Large, Ordinations and Installations,-Dedi-
cations,

[blocks in formation]

305

306

310

318

« PreviousContinue »