Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-10-15

i Un1te0 bt0tog.
To THE RIoHr Rev. ALoNz, PorrER. OF rHI
DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA, AND THE SFcEDrNt
CLERGY OF PHILADELPHIA:
have seen with great amazement, protest
against my letter on the Bible View of Slave
~" signed by you and long list Of your clergy
In which you condemn 10 as unworthy OF anJ
servant OF jesus Christ" % "an effort to sus-
tain, on Bible principles, the States In rebellion
against the Government In the wicked attempt
to establish, by force of arms, tyranny in The
nanne Of Republic, whose cornerstone shall
be the perpetual bondage OF the African" and
as such You say that II challenges your "indig.
nant reprobation' E4T.- :. =
Now my Right Reverend Brother, I am sor.
~ to be obliged to charge you, not only With a
gross insult against your senior, but With the
more sefious offence OF false accusation. MY
letter was first published In January, 1861, more
than three months before the war began, at a
time when no one could anticipate the form Of
government which the Southern States should
adopt, o. the course which Congress might
take In reference to their secession. And
when consented to it's publication, l did not
suppose that It would be used In the service of
any POLITICAL party, although / had 70 right TO
complain, II ID were go used, because the letter.
once published, became public property. But
In its present form there is Eoihing whatever In
II which bearB on the question Of Wrebellion. ;,
or the perpetual bondage Of the African" or
OF tyranny under the name Of a Republic" !" of
which slavery should be the corner stone, ~
On the contrary, referred, on the last page,
to my book called "The American Citizen ),
pnbliehed In New York In 1857. where " | set
forth the same views on the subject of slavery.
aooipgs however, o plan for Its gradual atoii-
tiop, whenever the South should consent, and
the whole strength of the Governments could aid
10 its accomplishment" nSooner or later. ),
l added, believe :hst some measure of tha,
Character must be adopted. But It belongs To
the Slave Stetes themselves to take the lead In
such movemert. And meanwhile their legal
rights and their natrrsl feelings must be re.
opeeted, II we would hope for uuity and peace, !"
win these ftcts before your eyes, am to.
tally at q loss to imagine how even the extray-
agance OF party zeal could frame against me 40
bitter denunciation, The whole object OF INV
letter WAS to prove, from the Bible, that in the
lslAuon OF master and slave there was necesaa,
fily no sin whatever. The sin, IL there were
any, lay in the treatment OF the slave, and mt
ln the relation itself. OF course, it was liable
TO abuse, as all human relations must be. But
while 10 was certain that thousands of our
Christian brethren who held slaves were treat.
ing them With kindness and Justice, according
70 the Apostles' rule, and earnestly laboriup to
improve the comforts and ameliorate the hard.
snips OF the institution, held it to be cruel
ana aDeurd charge to accuse them as sinnera
against the Divine law, when they Wera onlv
doing what the Word OF God allowed unde,
the Constitution and established code Of tbejr
country.
do not know whether your band of iudie.
nans reprobationists ever eaW INV book. nnb.
lished 10 1857, but you read it, because sent
you copy, and have your ieitor Of acknoNl.
edgement, in which, while You dissented from
some of my conclusions, you did il with the
courtesy Of o Christian gentleman. In tbe let.
ter there is nothing said about my opinions be-
Ing unworthy OF any servant of Jesus Christ, -
and nothingGot Indignant reprobs stion %
Bat teMpora matsntar, ct noe n,utamur in
lille.
Yes! the times are indeed sadly changed, -,
and you have changed accordingly. For many
years you have met in brotherly council with
these southern slaveholders. You Invited them
TO the inequalities OF your house, and paid
them especial Difference. The new light of
Eastern Abolitionism had not yet risen within
our Church, and If you then thought as Won
nov think, you took excellent care that no man
amongst your Southern friends should know n.
Moreover, your favorite Theological Seminary. .
only three years ago, was the Virginia school
at Alexandria, raised to great prosperity by
Bishop Meade-a slaveholder--and am yery
sure that nothing Of variance with nv Bible
view OF slavery was ever taught In that institu,
tion. Yes! We may we'll say of you, as of
many Others, qudnfum mutatus ab lilo! How
changed 10 the Bishop Of Pennsylvania In three
| years from his former course of conservatism.
peace and Scriptural consistency!
But the Word Of God has not changed. tho
doctrine of the Apostles has not changed. ths
Constitution of our country has not changed.
the great standards of religious and real eIyIs
loyalty remain just as they we're; and | Pa.
main along with them, notwitbstand this
bitter and unjust assault from you and your
clergy. I do not intend TO initiate your late
style Of vituperation, for trust that have
learned, even when | am rsviled, not to reyile
again. l respect the good opinion of your
clergy, and am not aware that l have done any
thing 10 forfeit IL. respect your office, your
talents, your personal character, and The wis.
dom and success with which, for many years.
yopr Eplscopate has been conducted. But 1 do
not respect your departure from the old and we'll
settled rule Of the Church, and from the pos.
tolic law Of Christian fairness and courtesy. L
do mot believe In the modern discovery of East
ern philanthropists who deny The divinity of our
Redeemer, and attach no Importance to the
Bible except % 10 may suit themselves L do
not believe that the venerated founders of our
American Church we're Ignorant Of the Scrip
tpres and blind to the lrinolples Of Gospel mo.
fality. do not believe that W ashington and
bis compatriots, who framed our Constitution
with such express provisions for the rights of
shareholders, were tyrants and despots, sinners
against the law of God and the feelings OF hu.
mainly. But do believe In the teachings OF
the inspired Apostles, and In the Holy Catholic
Tor IIiversaD Church which youo and yous
clergy also profess TO believe, know that the
doctrine of that Church was clear and unsnim.
ous on the lawfulness Of slavery for eighteen
centuries together; ard on that point I regard
your "protest" and "iudignant feprobasion" as
the idle wind that passes by. a7aza a vs.
Il wish you, therefore, to be advertised that +
shall publish, within o few months, II gracious
Providence should spare my life and faculties, q
full demonstration, of the truth = wherein l
stand" And / ahall prove In that book, by the
must uhquestionable authorities, thit slayes and
Islavsholoes were In the Church from the be-
inning; thht slavery wab held 10 be consistent
with Chsistian principle by the Fathers and
Councils, andby all Protestant diyines and com
mehtatofs, up to the very close Of the last cen.
tuary, and that this fact was universal among
all Churches and sects throug Christian
| wofld. shall contend that our Church, which
maintains the primitive rule Of catholic con-