Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-07-14
From the friend O! Man.
MIR OLIVER JOHNSON, Ger. Sec. Of Atj
djSa1 Ca 4 g SOr;ftu

NV dear sir-G GU would have me sug-
gest few thoughts on the peculiar re-
sponsibilities of ministers of the gospel in
collation. to slavery Will you receive
" hat may have to say, in the form Of 4
letter to an aged minister of the gospel,
who. not very long ago, asserted in SER
mon that to preach against slavery was no
part Of his du;y2
Re- 0n} dear lir-Wnh nc YOU have
long been an bi,ct Ct reverence and love.
| can never forget with what profit and de-
light listened to you many years ago,
when you published the glad tidincs Of
sal> a,ion The impressions made upon
my mind had, l am sure, powerful and
abiding effect upon my character reck-
on you among the benefactors, who have
contributed to my usefulness, if | have
been at all useful to my fellow men. Nav
you never cease to feel the sustaining and
conSoIing influence of those "grac;ous
words which used to "proceed from your
lips
1t is with pain that | have lately heard
tina; YOU refuse to preach on the subject of
American Slavery, On the ground that it
is 10 part ofvour duty, as minister Of
the gospel. The love | bear you makes
me confident that You will be patient with
me, while | briefly hut at some of the
things, which make me feel, that as a
Christian minister am under sacred
bonds to dwell on the subject, which YOU
exclude from your pulpit. III am wrong
will YOU increase nv former obligation
to you, under God, by putting me right?
l. In tie instrlcfions I2ftr to my ftL
l"tc men, | d7re not separate the FIRST
tro3 Tic SECOND great c~mm"ndnc7t AT
Tie L~n Such a separation a thousand
hands IN every age have tried to bring l.
bott T. he love Of God thew have q
bounded IN professions. They have Civ
EN- him high titles and offered him long
PRAYERS. But they have confined their
benevolent regard to small portion Of the
human family Their avorite circle the
have had. And this was all the world to
them. This has absorbed th, ir synpa-
thics, engroSSed their hearts, monopoiiztd
their kin1ne>s. The rest Of mankind
however situated, they have shut out from
their tenetcent regard. Thus it was wiki
the Jews. whom our Saviour 50 often and
50 pointediy rebuk,d. They claimed to
be warm WIKI tie love of God They
were net wanting in kindness to their
ne ghbor, as they uHdersioo the ;roId-
1t did not with them include any S0mari-
tan II, was no bitter than d dog, and as
dog they treated him. Nor was he their
neighbor whom they found in trouble
What could they make ofhim. Thieves
had wounded and stripped him, and left
him half dead and they regarded ii as no
part Of their duty, priests and Levites tho
they might he, to leave their religious la
bors 10 bind up his crushed and bleeding
frame. And SO they passed by as we
are informed By one whose eve was on
them. On the other side. All, my dear
brother, these men were very zealous-fall
ofmiss;onary notwithstanding in long
prayers-PromPtt TO pay W batever their re-
! ligion exacted. What allied them! They
passed by 'Judgme~t mercy, and tie lore
Of God" would DO, be like them
would no: Separate the second from the
first great PrecePt, Edape not restrict.
moreover, the meaningofthe word neigh