Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-10-25

Me Fud congregational OnidFidH CNiHch
in Philadelphia, by w. II. FuRNEss.
MATrH XIV. S-6-why do ye also transgress
tho commandment of God by your tradition
For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father
and mother, and He that curseth father or
mother, let him die the death. But yo say,
Whosoevcr shall say to his father or his mother,
II is gift, by whatsoever thou mightcst be pro-
fitted by me; and honor not his father or his
mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made
the commandment of God Of none effect by your
tradition.
Alter narrating the facts of jewish histo-
ry, connected with their attachment to the
tempe, and their disregard Of the principles
of righteousness for the support of which
the temple was founded. Mr.. Furness gives
similar sketch of our political history, and
proceeds as follows:
The parallel which thus plainly appears
hetween the blind reverence with which the
Jews regarded their religious temple, aud the
homage we pay our civil fabric, is of most
serious and startling import aud may well
urrest the awakened attention of every
thoughtful man. We are putting ourselves
in peril of most fearful doom. We are 10
imminent danger Of incurring evils that shall
strike home upon MS TO our dearest interests,
bringing along with them we know not what
scenes Of ruin and desolation. What with
this insane idontry Of our civil Temple, in
docing us quietly TO acquiesce in legalizing
the direct violation of the laws of Humanity,
the commandments of God-see how wide
and how hot is the pursuit of gain, what un-
bridled license is given TO the lust of the eye
aud the pride of life, see how wealth is ac-
cumulated aud how it is spent in show aud
for appearance. Add TO this, bow has our
vanity, aud our pride been Hattered by the
recent iriumphs OF our skill abroad What
is to take the seli:conceit out ofus-the pride
that always goes before fall? Does not all
History testify that il is at snch periods of
unexampled prosperity that the seeds of sin
and death are most thickly sown? And
when scenes Of bloodshed aud misery have
arisen, and the private homes of men have
been laid waste, and innocent women and
helpless children have suffered the heaviest
woes-is not all this evil truceable back to
Just such times as these? Are we so base
that we can consent to live on, blind aud un-
thinking, never rousing ourselves from our
insensibllity, because, indeed, we can flatter
and comfort ourselves with the idea that,
whatever evils may come, they probably
W. Hos NSh'S ~ Oui we ohoh SoSuPS
them?
My hearers, il does not give me any plea
sure to say these things say them with
pain and in heaviness of heart. As heaven
is my witness, remind you Of the deadly
perils which lie hid, like venom0ris serpents,
under the glare of our prosperity, for dis
tinct purpose, because do most sacredly be-
lieve that there is plain duty, though diff
ficult one, for us to discharge, and which we
can postpone only at our peril, and at the
peril of all that we hold dear now and here
after. And that duty is TO he instant and re-
solute and faithful, in asserting the despised
dictates of Humanity, the violated command
ment of the living God. We must throw off
our selfish indifference and declare, each for
himself, that, while he renounces all resort
TO force, he will not assist for any political
consideration whatever, in making of none
effect the righteous law of Heaven. We
must let it be known that, though we be
threatened with all sorts of annoyances, with
the loss of all our comforts in life, we dare
not incur the awful condemnation which
Christ pronounced upon those who trans
gressed the commandment of God by their
traditions.
BE entreated, my hearers, 10 give attention
this day TO this plain and most sacred duty
you may put it off, and put it off, but we
must meet II sooner or later, or reliDqush
one after another, all our dearly-won liber-
ties and our manhood. ! say, this day, for
now is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation. Ispeak to you now with compar-
alive freedom. But heaven only knows how
long Or any one will be allowed to speak
freely. Have you not just read in the daily
prints how in Virginia man, Lave owner,
has been seized and tied TO n tree and whip
ped, for what? for any overt act of violence
or wrong? No! But to compel him to alb
jure his abolition sentnents-to give up his
free thoughts! And he escaped further in
jury only by imploring mercy and promising
| TO renounce his faith, TO sell all that he had,
and quit the State. Let no one comfort him
| self with saying: Ali, but that WINS in Slave
State! 1t becomes us rather TO lose no time
in considering, how long it will be before ST.
milar Outrages are committed here. Area
| dy il is as much as a mans standing is worth,
TO venture TO breathe word in condemna-
| tion Of inhuman and unchristian laws. Al
ready has the accursed thing, Slavery, ex-
tended anew its deadly power over us, bind
| ing us by the authority of law 10 be the hun
ters Of its wretched victims; and thousands,
| blinded by reverence for human traditions
as idoatrous as that with which the Jews
looked upon the Temple, are saying, we
must obey the law of man, though il so plain
y requires what the commandments of God
forbids. If we have been brought thus
speedily to acquesce in making of none ef-
feet the sacred dictates of Justice and of
Mercy, the commandments of God, how long
will i be before we acquiesce in the surren-
der of our free thoughts and free speech,
under the same plea, namely, for the sake of
our edifce? You may rely upon it, the
doctrine Is coming it will not be tradition,
handed down from our fathers, for they
thought far otherwise. 1t will be the inven-
| ton of these daYs; the doctrine. that the