Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-27
For tho National Era.
SENATOR DOUGLAS ON THEOLOGY.


For tho National Era.
SENATOR DOUGLAS ON THEOLOGY.
The Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, amid his
multifarious duties as propagandist OF the new
gospel of Democracy, and godfather Of the bill
that opens the gate Of the American Eden to
the ingress of the American Satan, that here,
as in the Eden Of old, the people may choose
their own domestic institutions, has found time
to apply his mind to Theology. The lucid re-
suits OF this investigation were made manifest
on the occasion of the presentation of petit
ton by more than 5000 clergymen of Now
England against the repetition Of an expert
ment that wrought such direful results six
thousand years ago The 3 900 ministers who
signed that remonstrance may consider them
selves remanded to the benches of Theology
cal Seminary, to be lectured by q volunteer
corps Of professors. John Robinson said right
! w. that Luther and Calvin had not penetrated
into the whole counsels of God Other proph-
cts have lived and died since his day yet even
they were but the streak Of light sent up to
hail this dayspring Of Young American The
ology, when Douglas and Petit shall sit in
Professors chairs, and the 1000 descendants Of
John Robinson meekly listen to the Evangel Of
the new time.
| Our new prophets are not gentle in their
dealing with us. Was it-quite humane for the
Theologian from Illinois to mar the effect of
his Testimony" by talking as If he were only
addressing an American Senate? Should he
| not have looked up" the courteous side of
his dictionary, that has of late fallen into such
melancholy dsuse in his speeches, wherein he
has enriched the language by calling to life
regiment of adjectiyes that had long ago
retired from good society on I" half psys" But
q new position is not at once gracefully filled !;
henceforth the "Giantp of Theology will
doubtless profit by the benevolent spiritual ad
vice of the " Rev. Mr.. Slicer,n and the late
missionary to Nebraska, snd learn to stoop to
our infrmities, and gently teach us bis flock,
to ale down in the green pastures" and
"lead US by the still waters" of Young Amer
loan Theology Much may also be hoped
from Mr.. Douglass zeal in the attendance on
public worship; and provided the lnfidel Abo-
litionists Of the Senate hereafter refrain from
rufiling his spirit by speeches on Liberty, or
blowing his moral indignation to>a devouring
| flame by wicked circulars written on the Sab
bath day, We may hope our next Lecture
will be pastoral waning to misguided men,
rather than thunderbolt hurled against ob.
stinate heretics.
Our new spiritual leader should bethink
himself that he is now dealing with oongre-
CATION Of Ignorant" preachers; and If he viii
recall some Of bis own New England expert
ences, he may understand better the depth Of
that ignorance, and see how far we yet remain
from the Kingdom - for we, in New Eng
land, have been taught by our mothers, our
Sunday school teachers, and the preachers Of
a past generation, that " God is no respecter of
PERSONS We are actually, o Stephen, in that
lamentable state Of Ignorance that we sup
| pose even aniggersD were made in the image
Of the Almighty We suppose Frederick and
Stephen Douglas were made by the same God
This is one article of our faith. Then we have
anothcr-that God desires that every soul shall
grow into bis own image forever, and has
placed every soul 10 this world to begin that
growth. One more point we cherish-that
an Constitution which fatty denies both these
facts, and declares that man is q ehattel, and
no more, and that bis @chicf end is to servo
master who has robbed him Of manhood, is
the workmanship of the deyil and, like its
parent, is hated by God, and should be hated
by men ordained TO preach the will Of God
And yet one more "artcle"is N our creed !:
that whoever does wrong TO one Of these "littlc
ones"--the weak, the Ignorant the oppressed
dit were better for him that . mill stone were
4
drowned in tho depths Of the sea-" And to
these articles Of fifth w9 AID another That
when politician, in the Senate, assuLass the
responsibility to present, defend and carry
through n bill which even dsturbs the mortar
on one stone of that wall Of Freedom that now
surrounds Nebraska, and entails upon his
country the possibility that in this new Eden
God shall be blasphemed by nsking q chattel
Of one man, such politician, however gigan-
tic he may seem TO many, who, like the father
Of Slavery, ego upon THAR belly and howev.
or fit to be tho President Of America after she
has done such deed, Is nevertheless a subject
for church discipline, man for every minister
of God to rebuke before the people, until he
repents and turns to Him whose handiwork no
dares yilify, and whose ministers he assumes
TO INSTRUCT in speecbes conceived in Bedlam,
and brought forth in hillinRsgatc,
We anxiously look TO Mr.. Douglas and his
friend, the Rev. Mr.. Slioer, for the further do
velopment of this now Young American Theol-
ogy. We suppose therein will be Mt least cleared
up the mystery Of the aLowcr Law and the
1000 New England clergymen be convinced
that the commandment, " Thou shalt have no
other gods before me, was, with other old com
pacts, repealed by the Eompromise measures
Of is50,v and in its place the following lew
established: "Thou shalt obey man, and not
God.D We shall also know that the declara
ton, He hath made Of one blood all the ma
tons Of men, was also modified BY these
2 CcmprQmises,o and, under the auspices Of
Drs Douglas ana Pettjt placed on Demo
cratic basis, by the addition OF H,s Words,
"eropt niggsrsr We may also learn what
becomes OF men who in 1854 enlist ~ v0lun-
teer champions Of AmericS Slavery VIII
not Mr. Douglas request the Rev Mr. Slicer
to preach sesmop' o. the "New Heaven
that shall receive HYcung America after il
has made aNew Earth ~ Verify, the clouds
are opening the "New Jerusalem hangs