Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-01-24

Judging beforehand what is to be expected
in Divine revelation, is the cockatrce' s
egg from which in all ages hercsics have
been hatchcd. This is the spiders web
which men have spun out of their own brains,
and clinging to which they have attempted
to swing over the yawning abyss of infideli-
ty. Alas! how many have fallen in and
beef dashed to picccs When man sets
up tae great principles of our nature (by
whirll he always means his own preconceiv-
ed epinions) as the supreme tribunal before
which even the law of God must be tried
whcl man says, ''the Bible must teach
olltionism or 1 will not receive it" he has
alrcady cut loose from the shcet-anchor of
faita. True belief says, ''Spcak, Lord, thy
seg-5nt waits to hear" Abolitionism says,
Speak, Lord, but speak in accordance with
the principles of human nature, or they can
not'b received by the great mass of man.
kin,. as Divine revelation" The fruit of
sucs principles isjust what we might expect
y herevcr the seed of abolitionism has
bett sown broadcast, plentiful crop of in
fiddity has sprung up. In the communities
where anti-slavery excitement has been most
prevalent, the power of the Gospel has in
variably declined and when the tide of fa-
nadcism begins to subsilc, the wrecks of
chutch order and of Christian character hav e
been scattered on the shore. [ mean no
diaespect to New England to the good
mon who there stand by the ancient land
marks and contend earnestly for the truth
nor 70 the illustrious dead whose praise is in
all the churches; but who does not know
that the States in which abolitionism has
achieved its most signal triumphs are at the
same time the great strongholds of infdeli-
tyin the land? [ have often thought that
if some Of those old pilgrim fathers could
Gene la;k, in the spirit and power of Elias,
toattend grand celebration at Plymouth
Rick, they might we'll preach on this text:
'af ye were .Abraham's children ye would
do the works of Abraham" The effect of
ablitionism upon individuals is no less
stiking and mournful than its influence
uIon communities.
1t is remarkable and instructive fact,
a,h one at which Christian men would do
wtl to pause and consider, that in this
country all the prominent leaders of aboli-
tialis.n, outside of the ministry, have be-
cone avowed infdels; and that all our no.
trions abolition preachers have renounced
| tlp great doctrines of grace as they are
tslsssstzin the. standards of the reformed
isshss as-have sresorted to the most violent
/ processes of Interpretation to avoid the obyl-
sus meaning of plain Scriptural texts, and
| 4scribed to the apostles Of Christ principles
rom which piety and moral courage instinc-
lively revolt. They make that to be sin
Which the Bible does not declare to be sin.
they denounce, in language such as the
sernest prophets Of the Law never employ
d, relation which Jesus and his apostles
recognized and regulated They seek to in
situte terms and texts of Christian commu-
lion utterly at variance with the organic
aw of the church, as founded by it's Divine
Head; and, attempting to justify this usur-
patton of Divine prerogatlyes by an appeal
rom Gods law to the dictates Of fallen hu-
nan nature, would set up a spiritual tyran-
" more odious and insuffcrable, because
More arbitrary and uncertain in its decisions,
han Popery itself And as the tree is, SO
ave it's fruits been 1t is not a theory,
sut demonstrated fact, that abolitionism
eads to infdelity. Such men as Garrison,
ind Giddngs, and Gerrit Smith, have yield
ID to the current Of their own principles and
brown the Bible overheard Thousands OF
sumblcr men who listen to abolition preach
RS will go and do likewise. And whether :,
se the restraints Of official position, or the
preventing grace of God, that enables such
preachers to row up the stream and regard
th authority of Scripture in other matters,
tleir influence upon this one subject is all
tie more pcrnlcious because they prophesy
inthe name of Christ In this sincere and
plln utterance of my deep convictions, an
oily discharging my conscience toward thl
Ack over which am set When the shcp
hard seeth the wolf coming he is bound te
give warning.
A'OLIT1oNIsA IS THE CHIEF CAUSE OF THl
esTRIFE THAT AGITATEs AND THE DANGE1
THAT THREATENS OUR COUNTRY.
Hero, as upon the preceding point, l vii
Tot be misunderstood I am not here al
tc advocate or opponent of any politica
mrty; and it is no more than simple justice
for ME to say plainly, that [ do not conside
Lepublican and Abolitionist as nccessaril,
Synonymous terms. There are tens of thou
s,nds of Christian men who voted with tn,
successful party in the late election, who d,
rot sympathize with the principles or aim
Of abolitionism Among these are som,
teloved members of my own flock, who viii
not hesitate moment to put the seal O
tteir appreciation upon the doctrine of thi
Discourse. And what is still more to th
pint. there seems to be sufficient evidenc,
that the man who has just been chosen tt
be the head Of this nation, is among tn,
more conservative and Bible-loving men o
his party. We have no fears that if th'
new administration could be quietly inaugu
rated, it would or could aboltionize the gov
eminent. There arc honest people enough
in the Northern States to prevent such a re-
suit. But, then, while this is admitted al
a simple matter Of truth and justice, it can
not be denied. on the other hand, that abo