Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-13

5enssIv crowded with highly Intelligent congre-
cation. who listened with MARKED interest," anu AZ
tenton to discourse from lneir Pss, ~ -
I van DYKE on the Character ana innuence oI Ap-
oi;t;nn;sro from a Scriptural point OF view In ms
; s,nnlication the reverend gentleman pray
"a that Providence would bless our southern Dresh-
van and restrain the passion OF tne eVl among them
.s+ che master might be made Chrlsts servant, and
.,.ss 49, fshrst's freeman, and so both sit togeth-
ee in Christian love, in that church founded
80 f,lrst and His Apostles, in which there is neither
E.olr nor Jew male nor female, bond nor free, but
ali are one in Christ Jesus. He also prayed that
Cod would bless the people of the Northern States,
sstrain the violence of fanatical men, provide for
those who by the agitation Of the times, nave been
thrown out of employment, keep the speaker him
self from teaching anything which was not in ac-'
cordance with the Divine viii. and disabnse the
minds of his hearers of all prejudice and passion,
SO that they might be willing to be convinced Of the
truth.
His text was chosen from St. Paul's First Epistle
to Timothy, sixth chapter, from the first to the fifth
verse, inclusive
l. ssLet as many servants as are under the yoke
count their own masters worthy of all honor, that
the name of God and his doctrine be not blaspheln
ed.
2. sand they that have believing masters let them
not despise them, because they are brethren; but
rather do them service, because they are faithful
and beloved partakers of the benefit. These things
teach and exhort
g. eIf any man teach otherwise, and consent not
to wholesome words, even the words Of Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to
gOdliness;
4. ale is proud, knowing nothing but dotirg
about questions and strife OF words whereof cometh
envy, strife, ratings, evil surmisings
5 "Perverse disputing men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth surprising that gain is godi-
ness: from such withdraw myself
PROPOSE he said, TO discuss the character and in
fuence of abolitionism. With this view have Sc
lected text from the Bible and purpose TO adhere to
the letter and spirit of its teaching We acknowl-
edge in this place but one authoritative and infsi-
Bile rule of faith and practice. For christ
ians here not Papsts to bow down to the dictation
of any man church; not heather philosophers, to
grope our way by the feeble glimmerings of the
light of nature; not modern infides, to appeal from
the written law of God to the corrupt and tickle trl-
bunal of reason and humanity; but christians, on
whose banner is inscribed this sublime challenge
ITO the law and to the testimony-lf they speak not
according to this word it is because there is no
| light IN them.n
Let me direct your special attention to the lam
guage of our text. There is no dispute among COM
mentators, there is no room for dispute as TO the
| meaning of the expression servants under the
| yokem Even Mr.. Barnes who is himself a distIn-
| cuished abolitionst, and has done more perhaps,
1 than any other man in this country to propagate
abolition doctrines admits that the edition of the
phrase under the yoke'D shows undoubtedly that it
L. E. the original word doldoS) is to be understood
| here of slavery. Let me Qpote spother testimony
on this point from eminent Scotch divine, mean
DR.. Mcknight, whose exposition OF the epstle Is
standard work in Great Britain and in this country
and whose associations must exempt him from all
suspicion of pro-slavery prejud.ces. lie introduces
his exposition of this chapter with the following ex
PLANTATION because the law of Moses allowed no
eraelite 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 unlawful This doctrine the
apostle condemned heFe, &c in his other epstles by
enjoinng Christian slaves to honor ana obey their
| masters whether they were believers or ulbeliey'
ers, and by assuring Timothy that if any person
taught otherwise, he opposed the wholesome pre-
ceptS of Jesus Christ and the doctrine OF the Cos
pel which in oil points is eonformable to godness
or sorna morality, and was pulled up with PRIDE
without possessing any true knowledge eiheT Of tle
Jewish or Christian revelation" OHr learned Seotpt
friend then goes on to expound the passage in the
following paraphPase, which we commend to the
prayerful attention of all whom it may concern
aLes whatever Christian slaves are under
the woke of unbelievers pay their own mas
tiers all respect and obedience, that the char
acter of God whom we worship may not bt
calumniated and the doctrine of the gospel may
not be evil spoken of as tending to destroy ths
| politicel rights Of mankind. And those Christian
slaves who haye BELIEVING masters let tism net DE
spise them, faneyng that they are their equals he
cause they their brethren in Christi for though
all Christians are equal to religious privileges
slaves are inferior TO their masters in station
| Wherefore, let them serve their masters more dill
gently because they who enjoy the benefit OF theil
| service are believers and beloved of God ThesI
things teach, and exhort the brethren to practic,
| them. If any one teach differently by affirming
that pnder the gospel slaves are not bound to serv
their masters, but ought TO be made free, and doe
not consent to the Wholesome commandments Whipi
are our Lord Jesus Chrisfs and to the decFtine q
the gospel which in all points is conformahe to tru
morality, he is pulled up with pride, and knoweti
nothing either of the Jewish or the Christian reve
lations, though he pretendsto have great knowledg
| both. But is distempered in his mind about idl
questions and debate of words which afford nj
| foundation for such doctrine, but are the source
Of envy contention, evil speaking unjust suspicion
that the truth is Eot sincerely malntslAed, keen dls
putngs carried on contrary ~ competence IL me-
wholly corrupted In their minds and destitute 0
the true doctrine of the gospel, who reckon whate
yer produces most money Is the best religion; from
all such impious teachers withdraw myself, and d
not dispute with them"
The text as thus expounded by an American abe
litonists and Scotch divine, (whose teshmon.
need not be confirmed by quotations from all tn
other eommeptators,l is 2 prophecy written TO
these days, and wonderfully applicable to olr pres
| ent circumstances. Il gives us lfe-ik pietqr
of abolitonism in ITS principles, its spirit and il
practice, and furnishes US plain instruction IN re
gard to our daty in the premises Before enterin
upon the discussion of the doctrine, let Us define tn
terms employed. By abosionism we mean tn
, principles and measures of aboitionists, And whn
| Is an a0OIuOQlstS. lie IL one WHO DelItFcS bud
slaveholdng is q sin, and ought therefore TO be abo
ished This is the fundamental the characteristic tn
essential principle of abolitionsm-tliat saveholC
ing is sih-thgS holding man In inyoluntary's erT
tude is infringement upoa tie rights Of man,
heinous crime in the sight Of God. man may bf
ieve on political or commercial grounds that slayt
W is an undesirable system, and that slave labor
| not the most profitable. he may have various view
to the rights of SHAREHOLDERS under the Constitr
ton Of the country he may think this or that laN
upon the statute books of Southern States, is wrong
but this does not constitute him an abolitonist, VI
less he believes that slavehoding ia morally wronE
The alleged snfulness of slaveholding, as 1t is til
characteristic doctrine it the strength OF abol
tionism in all its ramified and various forms. 1t
| by this doctrine that it lays hold upon the heart
and conscences of men, that it comes as disturb
ing force INTO ecclesiastical and civil institutions
4 and by exciting religious luminosity (which al hi
tory proves to be the strongest OF AuW4n Pc!
; sions,) imparts a peculiar intensity to ever
4 contest into which it enters And you will peFeeiy
it is Just here that abolitionsm presents prope
subject for discussion in the p4lBit-for IS is Sn
great purpose of the Bible, and therefore one gFea
duty Of Gods ministers in its exposition to sloV
s what is sin and what is not Those who hold tn
doctrine that saveholding Is sin, and ought ther'
fore to be abolished differ very much In the exten
to which they reduce their theory TO practice /
: some this faith is almost without works They cor
tent themselves with only voting IN such way
in their Judgment will best promote the ultimate tn
4mFh Of tbeiF views. Others stand off at VIII,
they suppose Q safe distance, as Shimei die whe
he stood on sn opposite hill to egFse ktlg BsFif
: and rebuke the sin and denoupce divine judgment
t upon the sinner Others more practical, if nc
prudent 80 into the very midst OF the allege
wickedness and teach "ssrYa1ts under the YOKE
| that they ought not to count their pWH niasteE
worthy of all honor-that liberty is their ina
ienable right-which they should maintain:
necessary, even by the shedding of blood
: Now, it is not for me to decide who OF a.
+ these sFp the truest to their own principles. J
y is not for me t6 decide whether the man VIII
. breaches this doctrine in brave words, amid az
plaudng multituds in TIE city Of Brooklyn, er n
one who in the stiffness of the night and in fac
of the laws terrors, goes to practice the preachin
81 Harpers Ferry, isthe most consistent abolitioni
and the Most herec man. 1t is not for me to decid
. which is the most important part Of tree; and
the tree be poisonous, whichia the MOST in;qrioq
e the root, or the branches, or the fruit Bot | 81
e here tonight irr Gods name, and by His help,
show thaE this tPee of abotIonsm is evil and oni
evil root and braneh, dover and leaf and fruit; ths
it springs from and is nourisheq by an utter reje
tim of the Scrintures that il nEoduces real 6el