The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-04-29
CONFLICT OF OBLIGATION.
the Editor of the National Era ..


Though the women of the present day seem
more inclined to dabble in politics than diyin-
ity, yet would wish to say few words in re-
ply to "A Correspondent respecting Con
tiict of Obligation He says I'VE are among
those who believe in the divine origin of gov
eminent, and consequently in the religious OBJ
legation of obedience to law
Now, without stopping at present to examine
his position, or the Scripture he has brought
forward | premise that if the powers that be
are ordained of God so then of course the
powers that pere-that haze been--were or.
daned of God To illustrate the principle
would refer, in the first place, to laws estab
lished under the Jewish economy; and refer
ences to this source would be almost as numer-
Gus as the pages of Holy Writ. There was a
law established by Darius, King of the Chalde-
ans that whatsoever should ask petition of
any god or man, for thirty days, save Of this
same lawgiver, he should be cast into the den
of lions. How easily might many Of us, pro-
fessed Christians Of the present day, have
sOothed our cOnscences down rs quiet az a
sleeping babe, and said: Why, in this matter
| can obey my rulers, and yet retain the full
assurance of Gods favor Can not offer my
prayers without the cognizance of any eye save
the All-seeingl Can not as often as please,
lift the silent aspirations of my heart heaven
ward, with only Him to note who hears our
thinking ' Yea, doubtless such would be
the reasoning of many of us, whose professions
amount to as much as did Daniels. If the
Lord had condemned Daniel for his proceeding
in this thing, He might have looked down from
the throne Of His Holiness, and exclaimed,
Foolish Daniel did you not know that there
is no Power but of Me! The powers that be
are ordained by me: whoever, therefore, re-
sisteth the power, ressteth my ordinance
lnasmuch, therefore, as we have resisted the
power, you have resisted and offended me-
But tho very reverse of this we know to be the
fact. BY disobeying the direct mandate of his
King he obtained, and very signaly too, the
favor of Heaven.
Then look, again, near by in the sacred
oracles, at law OF Nebuchadnezzar's enact
ing. After the image was set up the decree
went forth, that "Whoso falleth not down and
worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into
the midst of burning fiery furnace" But
what saith it, They those three Jewish cap
tives) openly, in the face of the whole realm,
disobeyed 1t amounted to nothing less than
barefaced rebellion against Government. BE
it known unto thee OH King. that we ioiH not
respond TO the spirit of Southern despotism y
Said this ilustri0us monarch, odd we not
cast three men bound into the midst of the
fire ~ "Lo, see four men loose, walking in
the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt
and the form of the fourth is like the Son of
God!p Oh my brother, was not this great,
very great, complication Of Gods favor to-
wards these rebels against human government
~ for ai1py IN Utti m,
we should subject ourselves to fine and impris-
onment, (which to US would be indeed fur
mace, if not of fire, of aflction,) if in such
case we could secure to ourselves the presence
of one like unto the Son of God" think you
He or our consciences would upbraid us for
being unsubjective to the powers that be! No,
no let us never fear TO obey God rather than
man.
But for fear your correspondent may think
that the forms of "buman government TO
which ! refer are too far-fetched, we will come
down nearer TO our own times Take the case
Of Peter and John, ~ recorded in the fourth
chapter of Acts. After having been command
cd by the rulers OF the people, yea, and by the
elders, too, Of Israel, mot to speak at ALL nor
teach in the name Of Jesus, what answer gave
they? Whether it be right in tho sight of
God to hearken unto you more than unto God,
judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard"
We're these men mistaken in their notions
Of right' or did they incur the Divine displeas
ure by pursuing the course they did
Again when Herod the King had appre-
hended Peter, and put him in prison, think
he was not very scrupulous about human
government" when the angel of the Lord
walked him and Knocked off his letters, and
badc him 20. Indeed, ] think he here distinctly
recognised higher law 4" than that Of Herod,
though he were a king
II Nero or Robespierre and his satellites
(who, in their time, sure, were powers that |
be-" were now our unrestrained rulers, why, |
my humble head would most surely roll in the |
basket for penning this article and If an unre.
polling submission TO Southern tyranny should
take possession of the universal mass Of mind
throughout these broad United States, how
long would it be before the gullotine, the
halter, and the gibbet would be called into
requisition to silence the daring rebel who
should dare 10 speak or write against their
usages or enactmentsi
II We are obliged to obey human laws when
their dictates run counter 10 the laws OF God,
then there can be no such thing as right and
wrong; for human laws are shifting ever, just