The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-23 00:00:00

The Duke of Argyll on Slavery and the Bible.

The Duke of Argyll spoke on Tuesday at a meeting of
the National Bible Society of Scotland. Remarking on the
principles which guided that society, the issue of the Bible
without note or comment, believing that in the Bible there ,
is a voice addressing, not any organisation of men in churches
merely, but the individual heart and the individual con-
science, he was led to speak of a case in which a body of
clergymen had lately been putting a peculiar interpretation
on the Bible. He alluded to the recent meeting of bishops
of the Episcopal Church in the Confederate States.
This great assembly of an important Church goes on to
declare, not that negro slavery is an evil of which it is
difficult to get rid—for in that I could heartily sympsehise
with them—but that negro slavery is a system on which
they are to plant their national life. Nor is that all. They
go on to declare that the opinion which seeks for an ultimate
abolition of slavery is not only a hateful opinion, but an
infidel opinion. Now, that is the deliberate verdict of a
great Christian Church, with all the advantages of know-
ledge and of light derived from the Bible, and of what we
should call a liberal organisation, upon that which is a
great crime, the great curse of their country and of their
time, and the efficient cause of all the calamities which
are now afflicting it. (Applause.) I really believe that it
would be very difficult indeed to exaggerate the evil and
the mischief of such enunciations of opinion as this
coming from any Christian Church. We must remember
that the light of Christianity has spread beyond itself.
There are thousands of men in the United States who have
a keen sense of the moral iniquity of the slave system, and
whose opinions and views on what they call humanity and
natural justice are views which are really founded, although
they know it not, on the principles which Christianity has
laid down, on the precepts which Christianity has made
known, and on the spirit which Christianity has spread even
over the world that lies beyond it. What opinion are those
men likely to have of the Bible, unless they go to it for
their own instruction, when they see its appointed guardians
announcing that to doubt the divine institution of negro I
slavery, with all its social injustice and iniquity, is an in-
fidel opinion in the view of a great Christian Church P We
hear a great deal just now of discussion in this country—
discussions involving the application of some rules of arith-
metic to the numbers and the figures in the Pentateuck—
and there is great alarm felt by some as to the effect which
these speculations will have on the cause of Christianity.
1 venture to say that the evil effects of such opinions as
these to which I have referred, as coming from a Christian
Church, is infinitely greater than any evil that oyuld pos-
sibly arise, although Dr. Colenso was to publish a similar
book to that he has lately published every year of his life,
and though he were to live to the age of Methuselah.
(Cheers and laughter.) I am afraid it is calculated to spread
a doubt as to the efficiency of the Bible itself, in respect to
the light it holds up to the eyes of men, and in respect to
such questions of social and political :economy. But all I
can say is that the answer of this society is—Spread the
Bible; let it speak for itself. (Hear, hear.) That is our
answer. We will not enter into any controversy with men
in that frame of mind. Wo say we are confident of what
the principles of the Bible are. It is our desire to spread it,
a-ad to let it speak for itself. We cannot doubt that when
the light of the Gospel has been fully spread—when its pre-
cepts have been thoroughly understood—that an under-
standing of its bearings on those questions will follow also.
People are very apt to forget that the Bible is not a mere
code of laws—thou shalt do this, and thou shalt not do
the other—but it is a great system of spiritual truths
and of moral principles underlying every possibility of
the individual, political, and social improvement. It is
"the old, old story." It is "the light shining in the
dark place, and the darkness comprehending it not."
(t.;heers.)

MARKETS—This Day.

MARK-LANE.

The supply of home-grown wheat on sale here, to-day,
was very moderate. Good and fine qualities were in steady
request, and prices ruled firm ; but inferior produce com-
manded very little attention.
The market was well supplied with granaried samples of
foreign wheat. Most descriptions were in fair average de-
mand, and the quotations were steadily supported.
Floating cargoes of grain moved off steadily, at full
currencies.

Malting barley was very firm, at extreme rates. Grind-
ing and distilling sorts, however, changed hands slowly, at
late rates.

In malt, a moderate business was transacted, at previous
currencies.

For oats—the supply of which was very moderate—there
was a steady demand, and prices ruled firm.
Beans and peas were without change in value from Mon-
day, but the inquiry for them was much restricted.
The flour trade was steady, at full quotations.
ARRIVALS THIS WEEK.
Wheat. Barley. Malt. Oats. Flour.
English.— 750 720 820 10 460 sack
Irish.. — 1 700
Foreign.— 2,670 3,710 I 1,380 i 200 brls