The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-03
sPEECH or MIR. KErTT,
or socril CAROLINA ;

Mr. CuAsx,S II Is peculiar tendency oi so,e ninds
TO accept facts, fegone coneusions which otherwise
de6ned by the OF things frequently de-
lude us with the vasnirh OF truth Among those
acts Of faith which, The mind is SO prone to perform
may we'll lee allowed to include the general belief that
tc direct mission Of Christianity beyond the
enption OF souls and that breaking the feers Of bond
ace IL intended 10 elevate the slave To equality
which derives its possibilities ifon the brains only of
modern fanatcs, skilhdly eggcd by political kna
very IT. sir ast psczsors, and In The marks which
have dcemed II proper to makc in defence of the inst
tuition OF slavery ia the that it violates law of
Christ and involves commission of SIM have not gone
astay frons the lawful scope Of those remarks mis-
taken the teachings Of the Gospel then may boldly
sctt that Christianity copde,nb ,'cher did
il abolish slavery, through tc appNshvnt enforcement
of any binding, canon law of the Churoh.
The church, SIR, whatever You deem that to be,
Ia its agencies on the body polite institution out
side OF the gencNi laws, which control society IL
iis boast the contrary, that il could fifty ha,,nonizo
ih the Of social interests, which Il found in exit
encc when it organixd The proclamation Of Chris
siany therefore, cnlcd for abolition, by virtue of
any superior right of the forms of governments did
il produce any sudden reyulsios in the established order
Of things If, according to the teachings of Sc. Paul 10
the Galatansa doctrine which, tI,iuk, have strictly
esplainec-shcrc be equality a,nnng men, that equal
y does not extend to tho c-ordnations OF human
cety Its level sir, Is outside of the measurements Of
earth 1t d.awn IN the eye of God, who has said "My
Kingdom n not Of this earth and il mai ks the equality
spiritual one ustifyug the declanton that He is
40 icspecter OF persons as components CT body OF
human society.
In ORDER sir That there might be no doubt on this sub
jcc the Apostle, training the Corinthians who,
Greeks the of slaves and who neophy ytes
might have harborcd some scruples the Apostle
say, training them to the knowledge oil spiritual gifts,
herls, it wcsc his teachings the Galatians by the
declaration to the Corinthians that BY enc Spirit are they
all baptized unto body, whether they be jews
tientiles- whether they lr tvhd free The very
illustration which he TO euioco his teaching and its
meaning foteays tbs ground which have occupied ir
sepeling the sophisms of Christianity co,sdpmnng
slavery into SIN The teaching ef the Apostle sir is that
the influence of the spirit OF faith reduces all the disccp
ant elements into body for the reception and
else OF spiritual gifts; but the determinations between the
various members Of the body clearly retained and
the necessity Of their relative elegantly enforced 1t
is the wisdom Of the pagan Agrippa, made holy by the
breath ot Divine nspirgon speaking through the lips
OF tho Apostle Patti.
ciorc Cod therefore, and him only, according to the
earliest Christian doctrine, equal and in him
are found the sources OF freedom not human the spirit
ud freedom which Pan defines the liberty of the
sons Of God. Thus, then, Christianity deferred to the
arrangements of the social orgnnism which it found exist
ing on its advent Society then it is now, great
body each member of which has its special and
assignment an organization in which each orc n com
nandcd, by the Master himself 10 uochpy his station
and perform his task. la that Organizations among the
other integral ccments the Apostle found the slave
but neither in the of his Divine Master, by
virtue of his mission OF truth did he withdraw the slave
from the obligations of the general social scheme The
inequality Of the aas remained 1t stood before the
promngatoh OF the soul-saying law whilst equality
merely was proclaimed in the right to- and in the parti-
cpaNn Of those spiritual gifts which arc assurances
the salvation of souls, whether they live ais believe and
pray in the body of the master OF the slave whether
the slave was one OF our wn race, as he then existed
WIZ; the superior organization, which we claim and vim
dicae whether he be, now, the black barbarian,
redeemed from the slvagsm OF Atiici and through the
novicesp of domestic slavery nducted into the human
zng arts Of life and trained to the very knowledge Of
spiritual things which leads to the salvation Of souls
Now in tho act of making its proclamation, Christiani
ty as have already shown, neither assailed repudated
nor condemned any of the distinctions which society had
eccn fit to establish and, by Inference whatever it may
have established but the contrary its voice, al
orda ,yran, down to the present day, commands obed
cncc TO the order of things and cnjos tribute to whom
tribute is due custom to whom custom fer to whom
fear and honor to whom honor This take il, sir is
The real spirit in which The original Christian faith pre-
scrb s rules o conduct for man. long social disnc
tops that is, long society itself shall continue
TO exist. IL may, and free and bold enough
to declare it Il does bring the master and the slave
up TO tho Maker on footing Of equality when At
comes 20 the scrutinies of the soul. But, far from
ccodefnning the lawful distinction and Tire collsc
Grated right as between the master and che slave il does
in the OF that Maker, sanction the distinction
recognise the right aud demand kindness from the one,
and from the other obcdenco This sir, is the whole
and defined extent Of the apostolic teachings this sub
lrct OF slavery Beyond that the Gospel which those
apostles commissioned teach dcxpound far from
ebndcmning slavery, supplies for IL, the contrary,
prop aud stay institution OF society, not rcpud
nCt,aliy ndmttcu ttc Scnttnc
the salvation Of mankind sclf-consstent Christian
unless he be in tue bonds of ignorance has no right,
therefore to condemn slavery something rcprehensble
IN the religious point Of view lie cannot declare 1t Mt war
with the mandate of God without declaring himself ip~
o wiser and holier than the God who instituted it by
the revelations OF the primitive law, and sanctioned IL by
The silence, Mt least OF the New Testament which Is the
record of that law fulfilled in its essence
Hence there is teaching of the Apostles, there
tecision Of the Church which they rcarcdI mean, sir,
the Church which existed when tlc,c other
that could pretend to dccilcwich has declared the
tenure of slaves to be sinful whether PER in relation
TO the nttcranccs OF Gods law Unless mistake, Mr.
Chairman, the normal rule Of the Church has been
I'm necssssris u,,ds dis srtas omnibus chortas.
A magnificent rule, sir, which should be glad TO
applied to the welding of political trust But,
whether or not applied by u.s. that unity yon find among
the Apostles you find it in those who followed them,
and you find that it has not been departed from Ear
slavery is concerned On the contrary, | have amply,
and trust victoiioisly, shown how it treated and
understood 10y those who were Immediately sent by the
Saviour rs heralds Of his law and of his creed.
But, Mr.. Chairman whatever may be the divcrses
and dssdcncrs Of the day maintain that the Truth OF
the di,iBe OF Christianity is and essential
ITS application in the origin and in the OF tme
and essential twill therefore I've mine, in the pursuit
OF my Object 10 endcayor to show what held in refer
encc to slavery by the earliest expounders and defenders OF
the Christian faith Should you follow sir the application
aud sequel of that doctrine during the ages which wit
messed the establishment of the Church should You
anime its uagcs and practice you will find them all
convcrging into testimony against the innovations OF
times, Inquire into The teachings of The successive rus-
tees OF The fiith, when it bad ceased to ur in theark
corners, or had emerged from The cypts and The qnies