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

II.-ABOLITION LEADS, IN MULTITUDEs OF
CASES By A LOGICAL PROCESS, TO UTTER In
FIDELITY.
| On this point would not, and will not,
| be misunderstood. do not say that Abo.
litionism is infidelity. I speak only of the
tendencies of the system, as indicated in its
avOwed principles and demonstrated in its
practical fruits.
One of its avowed principles is, that il
does not try slavery by the Bible; but as
one Of its leading advocates has recently de-
clared, it tries the Bible by the principles Of
freedom. 1t insists that the word of God
must be made to support certain human
opinions, or forfeit all claims upon our faith.
That I may not be suspected of exaggera-
ton on this point, let me quote from the re-
cent work Of Mr.. Barnes, a passage which
may we'll arrest the attention of all think
ing men,
There are great principles in our nature,
as God has made us, which can never be set
aside by any authority of professed reve-
lation. If book claiming to be revela-
ton from God, by any fair Interpretation, de-
Tended slavery, or placed it ON the same
basis as the relation of husband and wife,
parent and child, guardian and ward, such
book could not, and would not, be receiv-
by the mass of mankind as a Divine reveal
ton. ''-Barnes ON Slavery and the Church, p.
1913.
This assumption, that men are capable of
judging beforehand what is to be expected
in Divine revelation, is the cockatrice's
egg, from which, in all ages, heresies have
been Matched. This is the spiders web
which men have spun out of their own
brains, and clinging to which, they have at
tempted to swing over the yawning abyss
OF inidelity.( ) Alas, how many have fall
en- in, and been dashed to pieces! When a
man sets up the great principles of our nature
(by which he always means his own precon-
celved Opinions,) as the supreme tribunal
before which even the law of God must be
tried-when a man says 'the Bible must
teach AbOlitionism or l will not receive it, -
he has already cut loose from the sheet
anchor of faith. True belief says, 'speak,
Lord, thy servant waits to hear" Aboll-
tionism says, 'speak Lord, but speak in &C
cordance with the principles of human ma
ture, or thy word cannot be received by the
great mass of mankind as a Divine revela-
ton The fruit of such principles is just
what we might expect. Wherever the
seed OF AbOlitiOnism has been sOwn broad
cast, plentiful crop of infidelity has sprung
up. In the communities where ant-slavery
excitement has been most prevalent, the
power of the gospel has invariably declined;
and when the tide of fanaticism begins to
subside, the wrecks of church order and of
Christian character have been scattered on
the shore. l mean no disrespect to New
England-tO the good men who there stand
by the ancient landmarks, and contend earn
estly for the truth-nor to the illustriOus
dead whose praise is in all the churches;
but who does not know that the States in
xuhi ho1 III:
signal triumphs. are at the same time the
great strongholds of infidelity in the land?
l have often thought that if some of those
old pilgrim fathers could come back, in the
spirit and power of Elias, to attend grand
celebration at Plymouth rock, they might
well preach on this text:-''If We were
Abraham's children, we would do the works
OF Abraham The effect of AbOlitiOCism
upon individuals is no less striking and
mOurnful than its influence upon comnuni-
ties. 1t is remarkable and instructive
fact, and one at which Christian men would
do we'll to pause and consider, that, in this
country, all the prominent leaders of Abo-
litionism, outside Of the ministry. have be-
come avowed infidels; and that all our no.
tOrious Abolition preachers have renowned
the great doctrines of grace as they are
taught in the standards of the reformed
churches resOrted to the most violent
processes of Interpretation to avoid the OBJ
vious meaning of plain Scriptural texts, and
ascribed to the Apostles of Christ principles
from which piety and moral courage in
stnctively revolt. They make that to be
sin which the Bible does not declare to be
sin. They denounce, in language, such as
the sternest prophets of the Law never en-
plOyed, relation which Jesus and his Apos.
ties recognized and regulated. They seek
to institute terms and tests of Christian COM
munion utterly at variance with the organic
law of the Church. as founded by its Divine
Head; and, attempting to justify this usur-
patton of Divine prerOgatives by an appeal
from Gods law to the dictates of fallen
human nature, they would set up spiritual
tyranny more odiOus and insutferable, be
cause more arbitrary and uncertain in its
decisions, than Popery itself. And as the
tree is, SO have its fruits been. 1t is not
theory, but demonstrated fact, that Abo-
itionism leads to intideiity. Such men as
Garrison, and Giddings, and Gerrit Smith,
have yielded to the current of their own
principles, and thrown the Bible overheard.
Thousands of humber men who listen to
Abolition preachers, will go and do likewise.
And whether it be the restraints of official
position, or the preventing grace of God,
that enables such preachers to row up the
stream and regard the authority of Scripture
in other matters, their influence upon this
one subject is all the more pernicious because
they prophecy in the name of Christ. In
this sincere and plain utterance of 10y deep
convictions, am only discharging my con-
science toward the flock over which am
set. When the shepherd seeth the wolf
coming he is bound to give warning.
rv-ApoIrr1ONISM Jc THE QUIET =. ,1sr or rryr
STRIFE THAT AGITATEs AND THE DANGER THAT
THREATEN OUR COUNTRY.
Here, as upon the preceding point, 1 will
not be misunderstood. l am not here as the
advocate or opponent of any political party;
and it is no more than simple Justice for me
to say plainly, that do not consider Repub-
lican and Abolitionist as necessarily synOnO-
nous terms. There are tens of thousands
of Christian men who voted with the sue
cessful party in the late election, who do not
sympathize with the principles or aims of
AbOlitiOnism. Among these are some be
loved members of my own flock, who will
not hesitate a moment to put the seal of
their appreciation upon the doctrine of this
discourse. And what is still more to the
point, there seems to be sufficient evidence
that the man who has just been chosen to
be the head of this nation is among the
more conservative and Bible loving men of
his party. We have no fears that if the
the new administration could be quietly in
augurated, it would or could Abolitionize
the government. There are honest people
enough in the Northern States to prevent
such result. But, then, while this is adj
mitted, as simple matter of truth and
Justice, it cannot be denied, on the other
hand, that AbOlitionism did enter with all
its characteristic bitterness into the recent
contest; that the result never could have
been accomplished without its assistance,
and that it now appropriates the victory in
words of ridicule and scorn that sting like
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