The Sun.
London, England, 1829-11-09 00:00:00

ferocious in their actions. This is evident if we
consider many of their Institution's, beginning
with the magnificence of their sacrifices corn-
p.4ed with the humility of ours, in which what
pomp there is is rather delicate than magnificent,
while there is no ferocious or bold action. For-
merly, there was wanting neither pomp nor mag•
nifieence to the ceremonies, but there was, in
addition, the action of sacrifice full of blood and
ferocity, multitudes of animals being then
slaughtered : the aspect of which being terrible,
rendered men similar to it. The ancient reli-
gion, besides, canonized men only full of worldly
glory, such as leaders of armies, and the chief
men in republics. Our religion, on the
other hand, has glorified rather humble
and contemplative, than active men. It has
besides placed the chief good in humility,
abjectness in the disparagement of human things ;
whereas the other placed it in grandeur of mind,
in strength of body, and in all other circum-
stances calculated to give the utmost bravery and
fortitude to men. And if our religion even re-
quires that we should poisess fortitude, it is a
fortitude in suffering, rather than in doing what
is great. It appears, then, that this mode of
living has rendered the world feeble, and given
it a prey to wicked men (nomini scellerati), who
can safely manage it as they will, seeing how
the universality of men, in order to find their
way into Paradise, are more anxious to bear
with the blows they receive than to avenge them."
The Rev. Edward Irving thinks that the world
is not as it should be, if there are not in it " ves-
sels to honour, and vessels to dishonour, some
standing in the .favour of their master, and some
obnoxious to his punishment ; elect ones and
reprobate ones ; some adopted into sonship,
some freed men, and some bondmen, under the
lash ;" and as a slave-owner hath bought his
slave with his own money, he no doubt deems
it a strong declension towards republican infi-
delity that we have deprived the owner of the
power over his slave to life and death, which
Abraham had. There can be no doubt that the
lash and torture, as Mr. Irving observes, give
exercise to the Christian virtues of patience and
long suffering. To endeavour to secure men
by laws and institutions from being oppressed
by each other, and to place the means of com-
fortable existence within the reach of all, is, ac-
cording to Mr. Irving, rank infidelity ; for the
greater the misery on earth, the nearer will the
sufferer be to Christ hereafter. Hence the bitter
complaints of Mr. Irving against the Saints,
and more especially the Dissentinc, ministers, for
their wishing to deprive the blacks of the com-
fort they at present derive from " the reflection
that they are not by their being called to be
slaves thereby dishonoured of God in Christ,
but brought into the close fellowship of Christ's
condition," and the sweet consolation which they
now have, under a the torture," of looking upon
themselves as brought most near to Christ, and
in the way of the " highest exaltation." " Alt V'
exclaims our holy man, " how, for want of light
in these twitters, (loth society groan, and its
wickedness abound." When our friend Mr.
Richard Marti❑ exerted himself so strenuously
to secure the hides of qvadrupeds from dispro-
portionately severe blows, he was consistent, be-
cause asses are not Christians as blacks may be,
and therefore cruelty is quite thrown away
on them, affording exercise for no virtue which
may afterwards benefit them. But the same be-
nevolent roan who may protect a beast, will be
cautious .how, by his ill-judged interference, he
deprives his fellow creature of the advantage of
that torture, which may be of such inestimable
benefit to him hereafter. Nay, a benevolent man
ought not himself to be too scrupulous of his
blows, when he considers that he is benefiting
others at his own expence.