Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-05-09
For ne EnYl!trer.
Tue MORAL CHARACTER OF SLAVERY.

Fs by which 0nt!sIaycry men att.mr parry the urc
:cry. 7 - " = -
onc o; their avoe p5eexs s to say that slavery no
-!ttden 10 the Testament, because the plan
&c - 20 give us rule o.! morals no, by Special rn
'F every case but BY cenerai principle Of morals
zen IS oHr duiy 10 Apply to sper cases they arise
49, mas mol specifically condemned every possible
IA "!'t!l might arise in tic hounGess variety Of human
vS; bat II has given Il SET OF moral PRINCIPLES OF easy
;"d pain application, which will enable us TO distinguish
49,! iss'"i" Sin rs II may occur Hence it is argued We
uIa nv, % INA. ,'e specific sin OF slavery will be sin
;I "a. t'inush that God has given US the general pn-
.tI Mhci II iary applied, w! show its immortality
5s chief rea son why God has adopted this mode OF
morals by general principles instead of specific
p'"iloons is that since the events and nc,s that arise in
m varied course Of ages infinitely diversified and innu-
Taoi DOCK pacuarizing euch one OF those acrs would
be So vastly voumnous that the very nurnnsn Of od If
oIs would DC lost Nobody would have time TO read it
anu any one read at ALL it would be impossible 10 re-
shocr u. And moreover if any arose in the infinite
variety nl possible sins, which omitted in mi. col. of
tc AVS las multitude must be- unless the code were
.nnn'tty as%el hc Iransgrcssor would caim iron the
oimSs!o!, luii privilege TO commit the sin.
mere Is certain degree Of truth in this statement ths
upu; IN giving code Of morals, must necessarily rive Pc
iesn moral principles and leave it 10 apply inep TO
Use multitude OF transactions and The rqht re,,n, IL
assigned for this statement But il is also true Thai Rave
aoh leaches morals 10 great by Specific rues IN
81 an extent that there is not single prevalent
e SIN o mat age, which is singled Out BY name and
expressly condemned. And that the passing over
hr failure 10 specify thing widespread SO open as do.
nestle slavery then was If slavery had been sin would
have been great anomaly when we observe how distinctly
all other common and manifest sins singled out and con-
denncd But why does Revelation 10 specify multitude
OF Things and content itself with condemnng them by
general principle For the lack of ROOM Ii would have
Itlde The Bible too big. But ask would not good dea
OF room nave nccn sarcd with regard the subject of sa-
very by just specifying it, and telling U.s. in one word
was SIM 1t is queer way 10 save room to take IN
Specific SUBJECT limit it, define large relrench It's worst
abuses modify H. and then provide By general principles
o us entire prohibition; when three plain words would have
by simply fnrbidding il
But further; we grant the statement tina, multitude of
new cases arise whose moral God requires us TO set
tie by the fair application Of general PRINCIPLES OF morps
given us in the Bible Now what rules ought to guide an
upright Conscience In the examination of such spec cascs1
Would not the humble and honest mind reason that since
there IS always probability Of in all the operations OF
mans tloe understanding moral subjects specific in
st'ucon o inspiration is far preferable 10 human ap
Pcation OF general principle possibly misapped Would
nc not say: In every where have specific nsruc-
tion must follow that in preference TO- and even in appa
rent contradiction my laundering applications of general
principles Well! then ii God Intended slavery 10 be con-
LEANED by the application Of general moral principles
mast ulucky that he said any thing specific about it, with
OUT specifically Conforming il. For that specification of
lie subject must necessarily lead his suppose
tis II Is not proper subject for the application OF general
principles God has already given us something Better on
Inc subject than generaes, which must apply And
humility pety reason tell follow The special instruc
on and not the supposed teaching Of general principles and
Inc apparent teachings OF these principles, human be-
nS apply then seem 10 contradict the special teachings
the SUBJECT we must follow the special instructions must
take Tor granted tat have misunderstood and msap
~ - not proper 10 be decided by general pnc
tls because God has spoaen specifically it, Ii God had
mol alluded to il at all then there would be room iu
the p.la.
II argued again. by aJoitionis, that a!,houg, Christ
iij his apostles thought slavery SIN they efraned from
corc"hhng IL, out Of rise rrpcditncy; contenng them
sv"cA merely VITA lay down moral rules which would in
tine work It's extinction. They that IL entwn.d
Win Tie wnoit framework OF Roman society," and with the
prcudlccs OF all people, they feared that open attack
il would the rejection of their whole gospel and as
nj thpy
could and said nothing of the sin of the thing itself leaving
TO the law OF love they taught 10 remove it in tmc Such
the Jsutism which an-savGry prejudice dares charge
upon our Divine Saviour and his holy apostles Such the
cordrdy prudence charged upon wo every one died
martyrs 10 their heros in the of They
out lno degraded and sinful world protesting tenc
rhr way Of savaon and yet they totally silent
universal sin, knowing that any sin is damnng they
preaching The gospel OF repentance from all SIM the sole
condition ri eternal life and yet told their hearers Of
The Tln OF one general practice lest orsooh they should
RAISE" storm OF prejudice against their SYSTEM And this
".counts, ::2 a. in fall 'lsw Of The
INTO them tie couascof GAR" (Acts 21) This oil
who every where assast and utterly condemned the
djairy Of Greece and Rome, established by law entwned
with every feeling, and defended 81 The might oi imperial
tjnl This OF who stcrnly reprobated the universal
lberuisn OF tho Heather world practised by sases ane
statesmen and every where held to be lawful ndusence
hs OF Saviour who boldly exposed all The hyp1csies o
liz Jewish Rusrs when he knew that the price OF his truth
Gas wuGd be his bloodl The foul plea reutes Itself
c iaroe instance cited to illustrate this supposed eSpe
srncy tina. oil unjust and yrlnnca Roman govern
nn They argue that Christ and his apostles say nothing
n the orrssions and monstrnus cuees Of this wicked
power and command all christians obey, containing them
with teaching those abstract truths the sin OF nus
;!ce ard cruelty which would ultimately correct oppressive
r..crnmen,. affirm otherwise The apostles plainly i'm.
ply that an absolute governments not natu per Sc s
be 5used and far from being silent concern
in1 the wrongs Of the Roman Nomination. they expressly
teach duties of Rulers and put into the hands OF men,
~ an inspired rule of fr the Old Testament which ecms
with enuncatons against oppression Therels none OF e
pretended eXpedicncy here.
There are many, more rational ansavery men, of whom
may cite the Rev. Moses Stuart example, VINO nave
much for the Scriptures To assert mat they
ch s.yeolding DO NAHUM per And yet OUT OF long
mnIs,w still moral evil True, the Bible does not con-
an sin: bu, yet tho principles Of gospel and owe are
.uing abolish it, some day must confess that canno
SIC the minute line which these fsncenen stand III
s!.yehodng is not maun per Sc, as have think. proved
rom the Scriptures; and il it is not nahum protibi'um, as
M dispuiuble absence of all precepts against it shows
VIVA, Imaginable shade Of moral evil has it2 Why cannot
:icsa genilmen up to the simple the only consistent
,nnI that right just plainly, simply literally right
t hcy ask Must the spread OF the and lovely
PRINCIPLES OF the gospel ultimately cxtingush slavery Yes,
nope il will not by making masters too good 10 gully Of
ng SareS but by SO correcting the ignorance ndolcncc
I hriitiessncss OF la6ogng people, that The institution OF
slavery will be longer needed And so, hope the s"read
u the gospel will abolish pentcntiarics; but this does not
mpy that 10 put rogue into penlcntary not an act
@ as the purest angel in heaven might perform without
l!ying his holiness This moderate class oil antsiaVerv
men while they fully concede 10 US that immediate elnanci-
zion is duty, aud sayeholding is not nahum per
yet very fond of quoting such passages as these DO
,ao others ye would Others should do unto you Love
ny ncghbor thy SELF as being Incompatible with the ui
innate existence of slavery As these lovely principles pre-
y" ;hey say slavery will vanish" have only TO remark
srs any anagonism rtoterer bstrssn these benign
lars and saretOiding en slarslodtng Is is day. NAHUM
per For these rules not law which is hereafter to be
imposed men, when they shall have become better; they
are binding on US nou. Any thing less than they de-
nand is sin, sin for God does not require OF US any
thing except that which, If lett nndone wonld imply actual
SIN And if savehong is essentially mGtunl per Sc then
God authorised his chosen people, the Jews TO commit SIM
md commanded share in the wages of iniquiy 10 DC con-
.rrrated 10 his holy service Then the pure ana ho
nsnp admitted unreormed sinners to lis communion ana
degraded itself regulate the modes for maintaining wcsco
'''''f' CHoREPlSCoPUS.
In Baltimore recently the Rev. John NJ Duncan OF the
PRESBYTERIAN Church. died Washington correspondent OIL
the Baltimore Sun narraes curious incident, as follows
The decease Of the Rev. John NJ Duncan 10 your
city, revives the relation OF interesting incident IN ms
" life On her passage from Ireland the vessel IN whicn
young John and his family passengers was cas-.
For some time all on board Threatened win aea ny
famine At length lots for human victim I" ap-
pe.se the plngs of hunger The lot fell upon e Seheaoc
.loI Airs