The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-15
Character and influence OF
AbOlitiOnism.
SERMON


BROOKLYN. N. Y, SABBATH EVENING. DEcEM
Der NINTH, BY HENRY J. VAN DYKE, PASTOR.
/ Timothy w. Is.
]. Let as many servants as are under tn,
yoke count their own masters worthy of al
homer, that the name of God and his doctrine
be not blssphemed.
2. And they that have believing masters, lie,
them not despise them, because they arc
brethren; but rather do them service, because
they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the
benefit These things teach and exhort.
s. III any man teach otherwise, aud consent
not TO wholesome words, even the words of Oul
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which il
according to godlness;
4 He is proud. knowing nothing. but dotng
about questions and strife OF words, whereof
comelh envy, strife, ratings, evilsurmisings,
5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt
minds. and destitute Of the truth, supposng
that gain is goodness; from such Withdraw
thysef.
l propose to discuss the character and in.
f1uence of Abolitionism. With this view, ]
have selected text from the Bible, and pur-
pose to adhere to the letter and spirit of its
teaching. We acknowledge, in this place,
but one standard of morals-but one au-
thoritative and infallible rule of faith and
practice; for we are Christians here; not
blind devotees; not heather philosophers,
to grope our way by the feeble glimmerings
of the light of nature; not modern infidels,
to appeal from the written law of God to
the corrupt and tickle tribunal reason and
humanity; but Christians, ON whose banner
is inscribed this sublime challenger the
law and to the testimony; if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there
is no light in them"
Let Inc direct your special attention to the
language of my text. There is no dispute
among commentators, there is no room for
dispute. as to the meaning of the expires
sion, servants under the yoke" Even Mr..
Barnes, who is himself distinguished Abo-
litionist, and has done more, perhaps, than
any other man in this country to propagate
Abolition doctrines, admits that ''the addi.
ton of this phrase under the yoke shows
undoubtedly, that it Il. e., the original word
doulos) is TO be understood here of slavery"
(a) Let me quote another testimony on this
point from an eminent Scotch divine. l
mean DR.. Mcknight, whose Exposition of
the Epistles is standard work in Great
Britain and in this country, and whose asso-
Citations must exempt him from all suspicion
of pro slavery prejudices. He introduces
his exposition of this chapter with the fol
lowing explanation:-"Be the law of
Moses EXODUS xxi, p allowed no Israelite
to be made slave for life without his own
consent, the Judaizing teachers, to allure
slaves to their party, taught that under the
gospel, likewise, Involuntary slavery is un-
lawful. This doctrine the Apostle condemn
ed here, as in his other Epistles, q Cor. vii,
20; Col. iii, p; Eph, vi, So by enjOining
Christian slaves to honor and obey their
masters, whether they were believers or I'm
believers, and by assuring Timothy that if
any person taught otherwise, he opposed the
wholesome precepts of Jesus Christ, and the
doctrine of the Gospel, which in all points
is cOnformable to goodness or sound moral.
ity, and was pulled up with pride, without
possessing any true knowledge either Of the
Jewish or Christian revelation" Our learn
ed Scotch friend then goes on to expound
which we commend to the prayeriul atten-
ton of all whom it may conceIn:-
Let whatever Christian slaves are under
the yoke OF unbelievers pay their own mas
tiers all respect and obedience, that the c. ar
acter of God whom we worship may not be
illuminated, and the doctrine of the gospel
may not be evil spoken of, as tending to
destroy the political rights of mankind.
And those Christian slaves who have believ
ing masters, let them not dispise them, fam
cying that they are their equals because
they are their brethren in Christ; for,
though all Christians are equal as to religi-
GUS privileges. slaves are inferior to their
masters in station. Wherefore, let them
serve their masters more diligently, because
they who enjoy the benefit of their service
are believers and beloved of God. These
things teach, and exhort the brethren to
practice them. If any one teach differ
emily, by affirming that, under the gospel,
slaves are not bound to serve their masters,
but ought to be made free, and does not
10 bn xvhnlacon,a md onfc
which are our Lord Jesus Christ's, and to
the doctrine of the gospel, which in all
points is conformable to true morality, he
is pulled up with pride, and knOweth moth
ing either of the Jewish or Christian revela-
tons, though he pretends to have great
knowledge of both; but is distempered In
his mind about idle questions and debates
of words, which afford no foundation for
such doctrine, but are the source of envy,
contention, evil-speaking, unjust suspicion
that the truth is not sincerely maintained,
keen disputings carried on contrary to con-
science, by men wholly corrupted in their
minds and destitute of the true doctrine of
the gospel, who reckon whatever produces
most money is the best religion. From all
such impious teachers withdraw thyself, and
do not dispute with Them
The text, as thus expounded by an Ameri-
Call AUOlltlOulot t1lu d OCOlCu \WAAOoO
testimony need not be confirmed by quota
tions from all the other commentators,) is a
a prophecy written for these days. and won
deIfully applicable to our present circum-
stances 1t gives us a life like picture of
Abolitionism in its principles its spirit and
its practice, and furnishes us plain inStruc-
ton in regard to our duty in the premises.
Before entering upon the discussion of the
doctrine, let us define the terms employed.
BY Abolitionism, we mean the principles
and measures of Abolitionists. And what
is an Abolitionist? He is one who believes
that slaveholding is sin, and ought therefore
to be abolished. This is the fundamental,
the characteristic, the essential principle OF
AbolitiOnism-tha slaveholding is sin
that holding men in involuntary servitude
is an infringement upon the rights Of man,
a heinous crime in the sight of God. A
man may believe on political or commercial
grounds, that slavery is an undesirable sys.
TEN, and that slave labor is not the most
profitable; he may have various views as to
the rights of shareholders under the COnsti-
tuition of the country; he may think this OF
that law upon the statute books of Southern
States is wrong; but this does not constitute
him an Abolitionist; to be entitled to this
name, he must believe that sldUehoJding is NOR.
alLy aorong The alleged sinfullness of slave
holding, as it Is the characteristic doctrine,
SO it is the strength of Abolitionism in all
its ramied and various forms. 1t is by this
doctrine that it lays hold upon the heart:
and conscences of men, that it comes as &
disturbing force into our ecclesiastical and
civil institutions, and by exciting religious
luminosity, (Which all history proves to b
the strongest of human passions imparts {
peculiar intensity to every contest into which
it enters. And you will perceive it is just
here that Abolitionism presents proper
subject for discussion in the pulpit; for it ii
one great purpose of the Bible, and there