Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-12-28
THE PULPIT.

OF the doctrines OF the BlOle among OeheNeiHs n"S
of late years been converted in our country in
to secular and political engine. We know what
the pulpit is in the hands of the Parkers and Beech
ers Of the present day. We also know what it was
in the first and pprest ages of the Church, and
what it still is in all the world, except in the mar
row circle where anti-s.ayery sentiments reign su-
preme. The founder and first preachers of Chris
tanity steadily abstaned from all interference with
civil government The Saviour declared that His
kingdom was not of t is world, and directed His
disciples to render unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars. Under despotsm as absolute as any OF
modern times, Christians were enjointed to fear God
and honor the King, and surrounded by the most
oppressive system of slavery that the world has
witnessed, servants were enoined to be obedi-
ent to their masters and to be only solicous about
spiritual freedom, and of the chief of the
Apostles returned fugitive slave to his MASTER
The mission of Christ, as repeatedly explained by
himself and expounded by his Apostles, was
purely spiritual mission. 1t the office OF the
Pulpit to preach Peace and Good Will among men,
Faith, Repentance, Purity, Forgiveness Honesty,
Humility, Contehtment For eighteen hundred
years such was its recognized mission. For eigh-
teen hundred years no one had imagined that slave
ry was a sin. Read the Gospels, and Epistles, read
the eloquent sermons of the carly Christian Fathers,
read all the sermons and commentaries that have
ever been spoken and written for eighteen hundred
wears after the establishment of Christianity, and
not one word to be found in them all condemning
directly or indirectly the institution of slavery.
Now is it not most wonderful, that, after such
lapse of ages it should be reserved for the nine
teenth century to discover that slavery is sin, viz
Il violation of the revealed will of God? Where is
the will revealed that it violates? Where the law
that it breaks? If it exists strange that it has
never been found out till now, and that it cannot be
pointed out by those who have discovered it. 1t
exists nowhere, except in their own fevered and
E,natcal brains. deluson OF their own imagina-
tons, which they seek to impose upon mankind as
a lava higher law than all human legislation, the
law of God delivered privately and exclusively to
the discoveries of new cod religion and NOR .i.
In keeping with the novel of this abolition in
venton in Christian ethics, is the tone and temper
with which it is enforced by its preachers Even in
rpproving acknowledged iniqutieS even in denoun-
eng sins and crimes ofhe most shocking character the
Founder of the Christian Religion and His Apostles
used only the influence of reason and persuasion,
only the weapons of charity, forbearance and love-
In the midst of their hatred of the sin, they were
ever socitous to exhibit their pity and compassion
for the sinner. One of the Apostles, warning the
early Christians against those "who dcspise domin-
ion and spea> evil of dignities," said. Yet Mi
chael the Archangel, when contending with the
Devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, burst
not bring against him railing accusation but said
the Lord rebuke thee" Now, compare this with
dominion and speak evil of dgnitieS continually
hurting at the South from Northern pulpits Com
pare the love and forgiveness to their btterest
mics which fell from the Saviour upon the cross,
and the apostles at the stake, with the following
scene which occurred in the North Church, of New
Haven, Conn. at meeting called in March 1856, to
provide relief for bleeding Kansas
After the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher had de-
nounced the Constitution of the United States as
he ntan fat Of ,ltS hp
ed sort of auction and invited bids of rifles for
the Kansas campaign-he acting as the crier. 1t
then that the venerable Professor Slliman after
Mr.. Beecher's dennnciation of the United States
Constitution, first rose:
He said he desired to head the list for the procur
ing of a number of weapons of defence for the par
ty setting ont, and that therefore, Mr. Lines might
put down on the paper-B Silliman, one Sharpe's
rifle. The price of a rifle was S25)
Mr. Russell and Rev. Mr.. button both rose at
once Mr.. Russell speaks firSt-Put me down for
Rev. Mr.. DuttOn, pastor of the Church-One of
the deacons of this church, Mr.. Harvey Hall, is 60
ing out with the company, and |, as his pastor,
desire to present to HIM Bible and Sharpe's rife.
Great applause.
F. r. Pie will give one.
Stephen d. Pardec-I will give one for myself
and one for my wife,
Mr. Beecher-I like to see that; it is a stroke
right and left Great laughter.
Charles Ives-Put me down for three.
Thomas r. Trowbridge-Put me down for four.
DR.. j. j. Howe-I will subscribe for one.
gentleman said that Miss Mary Dutton would
give one.
Mr. Stephen G. Hubbard-One.
Mr. Beecher here stated that if % could be raised
on the spot he would pledge % from Ply
mouth Church-fitty being sufficient number for
the whole supply. LClappng Of hands all over the
house,
Professor Silliman now left Mr. Beecher to speak
for the bid and sat down to enjoy the occasion.
Mr.. k,am-l give one.
Mr. that's significant name
in connection with Sharpe's rife. [Laughter.]
Prot. W. o. Norton-One for me-
Mr.. Vinng-Another for me-
Mr. Moses Tyler will pledge one Sharpe's rifle
from the JUNIOR class of Yale College. [Great ap-
plause ..
Prof Sman rising in his seat, and sweeping
the galleries with his eye-7here are four elusses in
Iale College. Immense sensation.
Henry Trowbridge-One.
John G. North-One
Mr.. Beccer-I think Kansas will now know there
is North!
Wn. KingSley-One for me-
Luc,s L. OmStead-Une
Mr. Dunlap will pledge one for the Senior
class of Yale College.
1t was now ascertained that instead of 25 taen-
tyseren rifles had been subscribed, the cost of
which, together with the amount received at the
door for admission fees made the collection for Kan
sas, in the North Church, one thousand dollars
The meeting then adjourned"
1t under such pulpit ministrations, and posi-
bly, with one of these very weapons of death, that
John Brown performed his bloody work in Kansas
1t was under the pulpit teachings of such men
Beecher, Dutton, &C., that he trained to regard
it his duty to excite servile war in Virginia. Speak
evil of government hate your countrymen, slav
your brethren who have not discovered with YOU
that slavery is sin-thuse the doctrines of the
new gospel-horse-thiev and murderers its mis-
sionares, and pixies bayonets and revovers its ar
guments. One would think that such exhibitions
as this would startle the religious community of the
North; that it would see and shudder at thesight
that its pulpits filled by men who have "stoen
the livery of the Court of Heaven to serve the Devil