Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1857-02-10

/ Itwas our god fdrt6ns some veek.
ago to listen 10 Two Of a. ablest and
| mos. learned ssr,nons, By the Rev. pr.
Brown. sof this Place, we ever, heard on
the subject Of slavery, as i existed in the
times Of tho Old and New Testament.
and as Il was recognized and regulated
by the King Of Kings in.the sacred SCRIP
lures. The application Of the subject %
the existing sta,e ofthings in our coun-
try, was admirable. being at once bold,
tpointed and conclusive, solemn. earnest
and impressire.N The imperative obliga-
tons Of both masters and slaves TO ful6l
/ tbe correlative duties growing ont Of their
respective conditions, were set forth and
pressed home upon the minds and con-
sciences Of the people with great power
and plainness, which so much character
i've that distinguished and eminent di7
irvine. He did not shrink from the great
issue which abolition offers, " that sla.
very in itself is sin, nsr did he, as
many do, dodgeithe question, but met it
fairly. And planting himself upon the
teachings Of Holy Writ, armed with the
thunders Of Sinai and clothed with the
panopry Of the Cross, he showed that the
sin of. men was not in the institu-
ton Of slavery, but ia the conduct Of men
in failing to discharge the high and re,
sponsible duties growing out Of it. He
showed the presumptuous folly of those
who. mora righteous than their Lord, ar,
loud to condemn, where He was silent
fierce to. destroy, whore. He recognised
and rcgulated-and, who deny and repu-
diatee obligations and duties which He
prescribed. j.: II . -
The Doctor showed that masters had
duties, and that slaves had duties in the
faithful discharge Of which, BY each, God
viii be glori6ed and mankind benefited i;
and in the disregard Of which, evils Of
fearful magnitude, both temporal and
eternal, were as sure 10 follow as darkness
follows when the sun disappears.
Nor did he stop here. He pointed out
the duties Of masters and slaves with
great plainness, and enforced them with
an eloquence and power only equaled by
the magnitude and importance of the sub.
jet, tho interests involved, and the awful
responsibilities Of mortals whu must an
swer at the Judgment bar for the thoughts
of the heart, the words Of the mouth, and
the actions of lite. = r. ..5:, ; .
Under the influence Of such preach
ing We could not but feel that If the mo-
rality of slavery, its duties and obliga-
tons, as connected with christianity,
were universally expounded and impress
ed upon the minds and consciences of
men, fanaticism would fail for want of
food, and peace and harmony soon reign
in the land. IN. MI ...,-. ~
As important events generally start ST.
multaneously in different parts Of the
world, we have been not q little struck
with the circumstance of coincidence
that about the time that Dr.. Brown was
engaged with the subject, as y, nave but
very briefly alluded to, the Rev. Dr..
Smith, Of Randolph Macon College, and
tne Rev. DR.. Bledsoe, of the Virginia
University. had taken similar: grounds,
and expressed similar views upon this
very important subject--too long. but
little understood, or not understood, or
misunderstood by . great many honest
people and what is still worse, too long
and almost exclusively committed to the
hands Of irreligious men, who, having
regarded it only il the light Of a political
institution. to be weighed in the balances
Of dollars and cents, without reference at
all TO its social, moral and religious bear
ings. with all its strong and sacred ties
and delicate duties, and correlative obi
cations. s5.t
1t would seem that new era was be-
ginning to dawn on this vital question.
Let each lend his aid till the last error is
rooted out and every prejudice removed.