New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-13
SLAVERY.
AN FPIsCOPALIAN's VIEWS


To he Editor Of IN. ~ Y T,I6uns
Sir: There has been IL constant attempt IN ali ages
os the world 10 Justify systems Of wickedness by the
ulea of divine sanction although, perhaps In no III
sapce has sny such attempt been so extensively or vg
orously made in the plea OF DIVINE sanction 0r TIC
ex;s,snce and perpeuation Of the system OF MODERN
Slavery But few year, ago, ana the sisVenooers Oh
F,gsnd and of the British Wet Indian Colonies,
alarmed for the divine honor, were vehement and I'M
tiug in their aborious zeal for the maintenance and
consolidation Of the system; and now, IN our own
country similar state Of things is found to prevail
only the zeal and labor far excited and reso
ua IA the conc IN for the honor Of God is vast deal
more iptepse and influential The sanction of the
Almighty for the system o Slavery has, 1t must be con-
fssed very considerable latitude in with It's
different advocates and notwithstanding indeed, there
are exceedingly few who go the length Of openly man'
tanning that il is positive divine institution, et some
how or other on all hands the system is attempted TO
be fastened upon the Bible and the blame OF 1t, any
there can be- under such circumstances made TO re-
vert upon the ever-bessed God 30 that al who are
Identified with it In any way ARE innocent ana cannot
by possibility DO otherwise. tbs not the intention Oh
the author Of these remarks however, to enter upon
any exposition of the Scripture references TO Slavery
AS the means either Of proving OF disproying
the sanction of the Bible for its existence.
There are quite enough, and far too many,
of such writers on the subject, inasmuoh az none
of them seem to have recognized the Prhce on which
the Scripture refer ~ II were originally MADE IL
will be our endeavOr, on the contrary, III what we
have TO SAY about tie matter, To place the system Ne
far Ms we may be atle 10 do 90 III ls true position,
with manv oiber similar states OF thngs Us M object
OF the Divine POvIdential control and govern MELT
snd, unoer such view, therefore, We would remark,
in the hrst place that the fact OF there beng auy re-
coe1ition Of Slavery iu the Bible, or ay directions
aud rules for lis manag enient and regulation, Is 10
proof whatever either oil is original III lie institution
or OF the approval of the Almighty OF Its eAlsence anu
perpetuation.
found that in number Of stances, the iecogniIion Of
wicked states Of things IL there, either directly or l.
directly made by The Almighty; and yet 10 one ever
DIRE ms on that account, Of their being rehlly ana
properly attributable to HIN, as The effects OF Lis I'M
iueaiate and primary casualty aud eftcience. The
truth s indeed that having spared our aPostdte ano
guilty race, Gd not destroyed hem II Whs unsvOld.
able but that He NUT admit, uDder his government all
the systems Of wlckedness thai de PRAYED and eiDi men
might al any time, bring into eAisence and, IN con-
nectou With those systems, indeed, be actually con-
ducts the administration Of the wolC, and works ont
the accomplishment OF bis deeigns by cou pebg them
into entire subserv ency to the utable purposes
OF HE will. IL Ia preposerous In tie extreme,
theI etOre take up any such recognition ci slavery
In the Bible aud because there may be found Ler- aud
there certaiu directions and rules for lite management
aud regulation 10 argue that il is not only not q
wicked systen iu Itsslf but that il is positively
good Oh the contrary, ss being virtually 1t least,
RECOMMENDED by tie Bible system which
ought 10 be maintained ard peri etuEted. For, as well
light the system OF PtrSa' COMMENCED ior' VII
all tie attendant abonnAIobs AID horrois-nhy, IN
eeskAhly So ia iBct II It's simple recognition ty
tie Bible and the inspired cneotons and rules for lie
aud regulation are To he admitted ds con-
rtftalt
" ilh thr sysiem that OF Slavery bas mauies,ly, 10
recognition by tie Bible at all nor, IL comparison with
those who were identified Will It, bad Slavery III truth,
any existence Whatsoever. We should quite ~ sooD
think OF arguing, from tue known character OF me M
ughty's Common US and our own mott absolute
endence lie therefore, the author OF tln,
ar 10 argue from the recognition Of Slavery by the bi-
ble that therefore, it inhlly OF Divine ttit1-
tiOu, or that IN lie establishment ana perpttualoh'
was, under such circumstances, the mater oil lie
approval For certain IL 10, that nothing can possibly
have futurlion existence, apart fom LIE eIeacious
pe ruis ion and actual agency willie such If our pecu-
liar relation 10 HIM, hs ceatuTes, th not o.Iy IN Tie
very iCea Of such relation If mOst complete deIen.
dem inse perably AID essentially aud may incud
ed but all things whatsoever ale, IN certain ssnse,
usly and properly attributable 10 Biz cautality and
efcience since apart from 1t, in the very nature OF
things, they would necessarily remain IN condition
merely OF simple possibili y.
But, il even il could bD proved, we would observe
sgiin that the Jewish Oise1saiOn, any sysieIn
Oh Human Slavery clearly 81 Divine ins,iuiiOu,
IL would vet uiOId not the slightest Indication that any
such BY binding in lie continuance under any
circumstances, in connection with the GVepel. For
" hat have We 10 do, as Christians with the civil
or social Of things among the ancient Jews any
more have do with the civil social staIes
Of things among the ancient Genties which equally
referred 10 III the BUle bs matters uLder the prot
deutial Government OF God Nay, what have We 70
DO indeed with tie system Of slavery established
among the ancient Jews any more than with th,ir
= lie.
under the civil and so4l state OF things il the band II
Egypt Or rather, what have We 70 mu1h 10 do
with IL with their own more ancient state OF
bondage since that condition Of bondage, by the actual
appOI tment Of God, was the npr srlye wye and re-
pres eaton Of the moral cot dJn OF all meb, under
tie tbraldom Of tin and SATAN willie the state Of
Slavery existing among themselves was TYPICAL ard
representative, absolutely, OF nothing beyond itse,
exceIt indeed, VI q cir extraordinary ODduricy and
wickedness in deriri z the establishment OF such h
system among them, after 30 long and crush.
ing an experience Of II, aud SO great and
deliveraDce. In all such mat
tiers the references and directions OF the Old
Testament Scriptures are lao more alI hcable 10, or
binding upon, thhn Ia matters which concern the
affairs Of their meats and drinks any OF similar
peculiarues in connection with the Levitical ceIenO-
hal For, If even It could be subsaDtiated and made
good, as we have Observed-wlich mOsi assureoiy II
will be-ihat Slavery, under tie Old
Testament Dispensation positively originated ind
enjOiued by God, u PalriarC hal aLd jewish nstilu
lOh, IL WoLlo YET III no Sense or deet AFTER or Affect
the as lar ourselves arc concerned With it
unless at The tine IL coulI be shown tbet with
edus p0siiiveDets il had been establirhed and en-
Joined by God as a Christian Institution under
the Oispensation of the GOSPEL Nothing less indeed
tLan sucn positive divine establishments Of it coul
ever be sufficient for its exietence or toera.
tiou ia connection with the Christian system; and
even under suca circumstance although we should
have been compelled, in reyereninl sence, to have
neekly acquese0 in il, teing able TO understand
in any way bow its apparently disagreeing and repug
ual nature could he adjusted 10 or reeonced with
the genius and character OF the Gospel it would It'll
avail nothing whatsoever authority for the per-