The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-01-23

In fhe Firss rresbyterian Church
Of Bsaohiym. N. n, by Rev. Henry
y. Van Dyke.
1. let as many servants - ere under the yoke
count their masters rthy OF all honor hat the
name Of God and his doctrines be not hasphemed
@ And they that have believing masters let the n
not despisa them. because they ate hrs hrea; bni
iather do ihrm service, hecause they ere faithful
and beloved partakers OF the benefit These things
4 teach aud exhOrt.
| lfany man teach Otherwise and consent not TO
| VII lesame words, even the words oi our LORD Je'
sus hrisi. and 10 the doctrine which Is according
| TO gndiIncss;
! T. lie Is proud knowi lg nothing hut de'ins about
gu. stiors aud siries OF words whereof cos IN en-
| w, strife, rallihgs. evil 81 tmisng.,
| Perverse dispuii'ss Of men Of corrupt minds,
md destito e o the ruth, supfosing that gam "
Rudiness; from such Withdraw IN, seit.-tau's
First E stle 10 Timohy 6th chip; lst TO 5tn Verse
Ipropnse to di.cuss the character and infiu
ence OF abolitonsm. With this view, ] have
selected text frnm the Bible. and purpose to
adhere to the letter and spirit Of its teaching.
We acknowledge 10 this place but one standard
OF morals, bni one authoritative and in'aiiibie
rule OF faith and practice. For we are Christians
here; not Papsrs. TO how down 10 the dtctation
ofany man OF church; not heather philosophers,
to Crepe our way by the feeble glinmerings Of
the light af nature; not modern infiiels. 10 ap-
peal iram the written law of Gud to the cor
rupi and tickle tribunal oi r. ason and humanity;
but Christians. on whuse tanner is Inscribed
this sublime challenge: "ro the law and to the
tes mony--ii they speak no, according to tins
word it Is because there is no light in them" /"
Let tie direct your special attention TO the
language o our text. There il no dispute a.
moag cGmmenta nrs--there u M room or DIS
pu e--as to the meaning oi the express on "ser
wants under the yoke" Even Mr.. Barnes. who
Is himself distinguished aholitionia, and has
done more. perhaps. than any other man IN thus
cnuntry to propagate Hholit,on doctrines, admits
tina the addition ofthe phrase 'uader the y"ke''
shows undoubtedly that it g. e, the original
word dosios) is ta he understood here OF slavery.
Let me ON te anolIer testimony on this point
rum an eminent Sco'ch divine--I mean Dr. Nc
Knight Whose exposition OF the epistie is a
standard work in Great Britain and in this coun'
try, aud whose ass1ci ,ti0nS must exempt nun
from all suspc,,n oi pro slavery prejuiices tie
introduces his exposition OF this chapter With
the folowing explanatinn: "Because the law o'
Moses allowed no israelite TO he made slave
tor lite withon his own consent, the Juda Eng
teachers to allure slaves to their party, taught
that under the Gospel likewise involuntary sla
very is unlawful This doctrine the am>tie CON
demned h, re- nv in his other epistles, by enjnin
ing Chris Inn Saves to honor and obey their mas
ters, whether hey were believers or unbellevers,
and by assuring Timothy, that il any person
taught otherwise he oppo.ed the whoies"mr
precepts oi Je>u. Christ and he doctrine OF the
Gospel, which in all points Is c"niornahle h
gudliness nr snund morality, and was pulled up
with pride without possessing any true kn"wt
edge either OF the ,,wish or Christian rrvela
ton" Our learned SroIch TREND then goes on
/" expnund the passage IN he Glowing para
phrase, which We rom'nend to the p' ayer:ul at
tentiun Of all Whom il may concern:
Let w. a,eve, Christian slaves are under the
yoke unbrlIeverS pay their own masters a
RESI- ect ami ohed ence, hat the charactero G'Ti
whom We worship may not I've illuminated. and
The doctrine Of Il go pei may not le evil spoken
Of as ending 10 destroy the political rights OF
mankind. And lhnSe Christian slaves " no have
he lievins masters, let them hot despise them.
tancying tha, they are their eqnal> '~canse they
are lheir Irpthren IN Christ; or, though all
Chris ialls are equal as to reiigious privileges,
slaves Inferior to their masters in >taion.---
Wherefore, let them serve their masters more
diligently, hecau<e they who enjoy the berefit
"ftheir service are believers and beloved o. God.
These things teach. and exhort the brethren tt'
p'acli>e th"in.' any rnnn each differently hv
atfiI ming that under the gospel 81 ,veS are not
bound to serve their masters, but ought to he
made free, and does mt consent to the whole
some commandments which are our Lord .je-
suS Chri>t's, aud to the dncirne Of the 20 pei
which in all points rs cnniormable to true m"r
ali he is pntftd up with pride. and knoweih
ing either OF the Jewish or he Christian
reveai Ms, though he pref nis TO have grea'
knowledge OF both, but II diS,empered in his
mind about idle questions and detaie OF ~oidS,
which afford M ounla ion for such doctrine. hui
aie the stirce ot envy, corten'on,cvll speaking.
uni us suspicion that The truth Is not sincerely
ma,n'a aimed, keen dispuii e. carried on contrary
tn conscience by men wholly corrupted in 'her
mind> and des itu'e OF the tue doc'rIne OF the
Gospel, who reckon whatever produces most
money is he hest religion; frou, all s,r h mp'ouS
teachers withdraw thyselt and do not dispute
with hem"
The text, as thus expounded by an American
abuli,i"nst and = oich divit e, (who>e tes'i-
IN ny need not bc confirmed by quotations from
all the her c"mmentatorS.) i-a prophecy witt
ten tor these day and wonder u'l, applicable
to our present circumstances. II gives us a Ii e
like picture Of abnlitr nsm in its principle its
spir I, and its practice, and furnishes us with
plain instruction in regard To our duty in the
premises. Before entering up'n the discussion
Of the doctrine. let us define the terms employ
ed. BY ab"lhionistn We mean the principles
and measures Of an aboiiionist. And What Is
an aholIti"n st? lie is one who believes that
>lavaholding is sin, and ought therefore be a.
bolshed This is the fundamental. the chsrac
terstc, the essential prin' iple ofaholi ionism--
that slaveholding is sin: hat haliins men in H.
volnn,ary ser,iude is an infringement upon Ire
rights Of man. henious crime in the sight OF
God. A man may believe, on political or com
rnercial grounds, that slavery j. an undesirable
systetn,and that slave labor is moi the most pro
tilable; he may have various virws as to lhe
rights slavehnl lers under the G institution OF
the country; he may think this or that law up.
on the siatute books OF Southern States is
wrong; but this does not constitute him an ab
olitionist, unless he believes slaveh"ding is mo-
rally wrong The alleged sinfulness ol slavehol.
ding, a. it is the characteristic doctrine, So it il
The strength Of aholiIioni>n III in al OF ITS ramifrd
and various forms. IL is by this doctrine that
il lays hold upon the hearts and con>ciences OF
men, tha, it comes a. n disturbing iorce into our
ecclesiasi cal and civil institutions, and by excl
ting religious anmosity (Which all histor,
proves tu he the strongest Of human passlons)
iinp,ris peculiar intensity to even contest mo
which il enters. A d you will iceive !, is just
here thai ab,ItinniSn presents proper subject
tor scussion IN the pu plt--tor it is one g,pa'
purpose OF the Bible, and therefore one great
duty OF G d'> ministers IN It's exposition, 10
show wha, i in and what is not. rho.e who
hold the duotrine lha, slayeh"liing is sin, and
ought there ore 10 be abolishedd tier very much
il the ext n T. which they reduce tie theory
~ pr .ctice In s.iie tHIs aih s almost tn