Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-16
THE FREE MAN.
Discourse on the Death Of Rev, Charles
I. TOrrey.
BY REV. E, H. sAYLEs, East Berkshire.


ST. MATT VII 2-As We would that men should do to YOU do
We even 50 to them, for this is the law and the Prophets
We propose to devote the present discourse to
consideration of the of the Rev. Charles T. Tor
rey, formerly of Massachusetts, who lately died in the
penitentary of Baltimore, for the offence of assisting
slaves to obtain their liberties The facts In this
are simply these:-Mr. Torrey was man of warm
and expansive benevoence he regarded slavery with
the utmost adherence, as a violation of the laws of
God the dictates of humanity and every prn-
ciple of civil intercourse. He regarded the slaves
deprived of their natural civil and moral rights, and as
groanng in the prison.house of bondage. By the pre-
ceps of the Holy Scriptures he felt himself bound to
visit them in their bondage, and to do what he could
extend to them the "inaIenable rights of liberty and
the pursuit of happiness" In obedience to these hui
name and benevolent dictates, he engages in the en-
tepse of aiding and assisting slaves into the Province
of Canada where the chains and manacles OF the slave
fall off and he breathes the pure air of Liberty and
Freedom. He well aware that this was directly
contrary to the laws of the slave States, and punished
by confinement in prison to hard labor, for term Of
years.
Notwithstanding his knowledge of the existence Of
]
ing no doubt to feel the penalty of the law. if detect
ed and taken. He supposed that the laws of humanity
and Of God had stronger claim upon him than these
slave laws, and thus his conscience told him to obey
the former and disregard the latter. In process of
time he is detected, tried and condemned to hard la
Dor in the penentary for a long number Of years
He is taken sick in prison, petitions sent in to have
him released during his sickness; and although the
physician Of the prison had declared that lis
hopeless, still the Governor refused to interpose the
pardonng power and obliged the slaves friend to die
within the gloomy walls of prison.
These, then the facts in the case and these facts
involve great and important principles in respect to
which there are various and conflicting opinions.
The first point we shall notice, is, the comparative
binding force of divine and human laws.
Those who believe in the reality of Revelation, be-
eve that the Scriptures of the Old and New Tesla
ments contain revelation of Gods will to man. They
believe, ALSO that these books contain system or code
of laws and of morality which are binding upon the
human family The divine Being, having created the
universe, and all things upon and within it, has right
to frame laws for its regulation and governments and
these laws, coming MS they do from God, are para
mount to all others in their claims to obedience They
came from an Al-wse and perfect Being, and must be
perfect themselves and perfectly adapted to accom-
pish the end designed. Thus these divine laws and
principles never change and are not repealed. The
ceremonial and ritual law of Moses has been rejected
and is not binding upon us; but the moral law, con-
tained in the ten commandments, and other portions OF
sacred writ has not been changed abrogated, but is
now in full force, and will remain till the end of
time God is the final source Of all authority and
power, All authority comes from Him and centres in
Him, Hence the commands and laws of the SUI
preme Governor of the universe must have an impor-
tancc and binding force aboUc all others. The apostle
informs us that "the laws that be ordained OF God"
If them all human governments are ordained of God,
and have existence because He has wiIled their
existence it follows of course that His laws supe-
rior to theirs, and much stronger their binding obi
CATION. God has furnished laws for the whole uni
verse; and every part of it moves i'll exact accordance
with these laws Nor is there any other power in the
universe capable Of governing nature Of abrogatng
the laws of nature. IT, then, God governs the sun, the
moon and all the starry worlds and the universal realm
of natures walks, why should lie not govern the hui
mong men superior to that of God and stronger in its
binding obligation? As all human authority exists
through the pleasure of God, & accordingt his decree,
1t follows of course that it must be welded or used in
accordance with his will. And when human law comes
in direct collision with Gods law, the former must yield
to the latter 1t would be singular ground to take, that
every absolute monarch, parliament and legislature,
had an absolute right to pass just such laws as they
please, without any regmd to the laws of God, the
principles of justice and equity. There must be some
higher authority, some superior tribunal some bounds
and landmarks, to operate checks, guards and re-
strains There is something DEEPER broader and higher
than mere statute law, principles ctena1, ammdabte
pfincipes on which all law should be based, and to
which it shouldco And these principles have been
created and ratified by the God of heaven, and human
enacments must correspond with them and be founded
: upon them. Writers on physical and mathematical
laws do not make those laws; they only explain, Illus
trate and apply them to practical use So human leg
7atye bodies do not, and have not, made justice equ
ty, and other fundamental principles, but these
established by the councils of heaven from all eternity
and the business of earthly tribunals to conform to
aud not to Uolaie them. 1t being established there
fore, that Gods laws are superior 10 mems ana
have paramount claims upon obedience, we shall
in the next place speak of some divine laws bearing
on the case before us.
Our text is one Of these. GAS ye would" sc. That
s-in all circumstances we arc bound to do to others
lust as we would that they should do to us When a
casualty or sickness has taken away strength we
need and we wish for the kind Offices of others, and
we must be equally willing to render them ourselves.
If tempest should cast upon the inhospitabe
shores of Turkey Arabia, where they buy and sell
christian dogs, and should drink the bitter cup Of
d servile bondage should undoubtedly desire that
others should their best endeayors to restore us to
our liberty ana friends We should regard it as per
fecty right and proper for any one to disregard Turk
sh ard Arabian laws in the matter of freeing US from
/ oppression. And we should regard it as exceedingly
If hard if any christian having power to do should re