The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-16


10th. Others, again, perverting the design Of
Scripture say We must be subject to the
powers that be" What they mean by this man.
gled quotation from Rom xiii, |, is that the laws
of the land have sanctioned slavery, and we
Christians must not oppose these laws, but let the
relation of master and slave alone until legislators
shall choose to repeal the existing laws This OBJ
lection Is often raised in our land. We reply:
l. The laws of Kentucky require no man to
buy slaves; nor do they prevent him from eman-
cipating those he now owns nor do they forbid
liberty Of speech and Of the press to non-slave-
holders and others in opposing slavery but guar
anty to all liberty Of speech and the press In the
most explicit terms. See present Constitution,
article x, section 7.
2. The text, correctly quoted, was never
designed TO teach that we should refrain from
religious duty because human governments may
oppose On the other hand, the Scriptures
plainly teach that we are not to obey human
governments when they conflict with conscience
when they require acts either impious or immor-
al. Thus the three Hebrew children refused TO
bow down to Nebucbadnezzar's golden image,
though commanded 80 to do by the laws Of the
land. The Hebrew midwves refused 10 put TO
death the male children, though the King had
commanded II. And when the Sanhedrim--" the
powers that be n--commanded Peter and John TO
"Whether IL be right In the sight Of God TO
hearken unto you more than unto God, judgeyen
Acts iv, 10. The text, then, construed 20 as TO
harmonic with other Scriptures, means only that
we are to be obedlent TO human governments
when they coincide with Divine government
do not interfere with religious or moral duties
To this the context agrees, when II declares that
rulers are to be terror to epl doors, and that
they are TO be the ministers Of good to those
who do right See verses 30 and 4th.
The question TO be settled by the Apostle was
not whether We should In all cases obey rulers,
even when they stood opposed 10 religious duty
This point had been settled. But Judaixing
teachers having taught that Christians, being In
allegiance TO God, ought not 20 obey heather or
idolatrous governments in any thing this err
ror the Apostle corrected, by enjoining the gen.
eral principle Of obedience, declaring that gor-
enmaa is OF Divine appointment; and ruling 10
their appropriate sphere, rulers are TO be obeyed
But this obedience TO government Ia not, from
what we have seen, to be 10 construed M TO him
der us from doing duty to God or TO man
g. These directors do not suppose that their
obedience |" 10 the powers that be- Ii 10 be so
construed ss to prevent them from acting In the
temperance cause and other questions Of reform.
Though dramselling Is sanctioned by the laws Of
the land, yet they feel that neither individual
Chrlst1RnB nor cnurcnes snouin snnctfon sno PRIV
tice We should be careful that In our eagerncss
TO find excuses totrse US from action and respon-
sbility, We do not steal the livery Of Heaven TO
serve the devil inn
18th. Others say, slavery Is political matter,
and M such Christians have nothing to do with
tn We ask
/. Have not Christians political rights and
political duties a. well A. other people And II
So is II not right 10 talk, write, and reAd, about
these rights and duties, 30 that We may act intel
ligsntly and right
.. Slavery Is one Of those subjects which
involves both political and moral or religious
question. II IL political because IL involves
fundamental principle In human government
personal liberty; and because governments have
iegisIated upon II. II also involves . moral o.
religious question, because II takes away from
man his dearest right-his right TO persona