Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-16

REV. DR.. CHEEvER.--In our notice of DR..
Cheever's lecture on John Brown and the af-
fair at Harper's Ferry, it was said that he
maintained 'the right and the duty of others
to fight for the delivery of the oppressed with
such instruments as God might put at their
command" This is incorrect. We have re-
ceived from him communication in which
he fully explains his views. We print that
communication here as follows =
at was my object to present the two great
agencies at our command against slavery,
namely, our own Constitution, and the Word
of God, faithfully interpreted and applied. |
said that if man had been faithful with these
agencies especially, if the church and minis
try had taken Gods Word, and driven its ar
guments and denunciations against the sin of
slaveholding, as they ought to have done,
there would have been no need Of John Browns
martial heroism, nor would he have been found
at Harper's Ferry with mere carnal weapons,
but, more likely, would have been heard of
still farther SOUTH and in greater danger, car
ryng Gods messages against shareholders and
their sin, personally and individually, to thei
own hearts and consciences. Our blessed
Lord has said, They that take the sword shall
perish with the sword but even these words
cannot be applied in all cases-and literally: for
Washington took the sword, but did not perish
with the sword and most persons have been
in the habit of assuming that Washington had
the sanction and the blessing of the Almighty.
even in taking up the sword against the enc
mics of liberty. No man can define the point
where Washlngton's conduct in taking the
sword would have passed from the category of
duty, into that of imprudence or of crime.
Knit this certain that If ha
istry do not apply Gods Word for the con-
quest Of oppression and of tyranny Gods Word
i'll behalf of the enslaved and for the abolition
of slavery, Gods Word against those sinners
who hold, buy and sell human beings as their
property, men out of the church as well as in
it will resort to force, and war and bloodshed
will be inevitable, and God will let it come
in very retribution.
If his church and ministry will not use the
moral means God has put in their power, will
not oppose the sin Of slavery with the denun-
Citations and penalties pronounced against it in
his Word, man will put those means into the
shape OF bullets, and will fight it out and God
will let them. If they whose duty it is to
take the sword of the spirit, and fight against
this sin, will not do it, then they themselves
and their own liberties, will perish by the
sword. This was Gods dealing with the peo-
pie OF old. Ie have not hearkened unto me.
In proclalmlng liberty, every man to his broth.
er, and every man to his neighbor, therefore [
proclaim liberty for you, saith the Lord. to
the sword, the famine, and the pestiIence.
And so it will be again, if we do not repent of
our sin, and in every just way in our power
remember those that are in bonds, as bound
also with them.
The representation Of my lecture. MS main.
tanning not only the right of men to achieve
their own freedom, but the right and the duty
OF Others to fight for the delivery of the op.
pressed, with such instruments as God might
put at their command, is therefore to be quail.
fled, and distinctly qualified it, by the word
Just-such Just Instruments including, as [
definitely stated, all the legal constitutional,
moral, and religious instrumentalities God has
given us to fight with, but especially HIS
WORD including also the duty of the state to
protect its citizens in speaking and acting in
behalf of the enslayed the duty of passing a
personal liberty bill, on purpose that private
citizens might be able to oppose the wicked
fugitive slave bill, not only from imperative
Christian obligation to succor and defend the
fugitive, but under their own state laws, by
command Of their own sovereign state govern
ment. II only few OF the free states will
wheel into line with Vermont and Wisconsin,
and immediately construct such breakwater
against tyranny, such legal constitutional
and Christian array of just against unjust law,
and of state rights and Gods rights against