Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1863-10-16

We gave few days ago the PROTEST OF
Bishop Potter and a large number of the
Episcopal Clergy of Pennsylvania against the
pro-slavery, pro-right-to-secede letter OF
Bishop Hopkins, published the fore part OF
1861, and lately republished by the Pennsyl-
vania copperbeads as an electioneering doc
umcnt. We expressed our own views about
the doctrines and arguments of the letter SUI
fciently at the time, and might not have al
luded to it again, beyond the brief remarks
with with which we introduced the Protest
aforesaid. But We see that the Sentinel is a
good deal moved at the condemnation be-
slowed upon the letter by the professors and
some of the newspapers; and by way OF en-
couragement to the Sentinel we give place to
the following glowing eulogium of Bishop
Hopkins production from Rev. Mr.. Van SAINT,
IN a rebuke of Bishop Potter. 1t might
not otherwise meet the Sentiners eye.
Mr.. Van SAINT says;
"The inevitable conclusion to be drawn from
inls lDlsuup y iettei " any Olc nhoee JuHb-
ment is accessible 10 reason, is that Slavery is
Divine institution, which no man can interfere
with without at the same time calling God Al
mighty to Judgment for creating it. Bishop
Hopkins sets forth what God says il His Holy
Word on the subject of Slavery. The letter is
God speaking through Bishop Hopkins Your
protest is really protest against the Almighty.
lie created Slavery, and not Bishop Hopkins.
So long as the Bible teaches that Slavery Is "A
Divine institution, shall maintain that it is.
Upon the rock of the everlasting Scriptures !
will stand forever. No man can remove me
therefrom. In vindication of the above conclu-
sions, quote from the letter, in which the
Bishop says:
90 A phgsicGl evil it Slavery may be, but
denies that it is moral evil, because the Word
of God says it is not, and he adds, from HIS
Word, there can be no appeal
"'No rebellion can be so atrocious in His
sight as that which dares 10 rise against His
Government. No blasphemy can be more I'M
pardonable than that which imputes sin or mo-
ral evil to the DEGREES of the Eternal Judge, who
is alone perfect in wisdom, in knowledge, and
in love
"He also proves conclusively by abundant au-
thority, both sacred and profane that Slavery
is an institution that has been recognized in all
ages of the World, established by positive law in
the Old Testament, and admitted as an institu-
ton from God by our Savior and all the Apos-
tells 1t has also been recognized during all this
length of time as an institution by the church.
have no doubt it would still be recognized as a
Just and Divine institution, had it not been for
the false theories, as think, of mistaken New
England philanthrophists, in which they invent
out of it New Sim
Great is Van SAINT He evidently believes
that the day of direct inspiration is not
passed, and that special pro-slavery dispen-
sation is about to begin. He accepts the
opinions of Bishop Hopkins, as direct re
violation from God, and is shocked with the
thought that those who doubt them are
fighting against the Almighty The Rev.
Mr.. Van SAINT must be akin to the Rev DR..
of apadjacent State, who wrote TO one of
our Vermont Senators, warning him against
thwarting the plans of Divine Providence,
by aiding in the emancipation of the slaves.
The shrewd reply of the Senator was that he
felt quite easy in his mind about thwarting
any of the plans of Divine providence. Mr.
Van SAINT, as well as DR.. L., must comfort
himself with the reflection that if Slavery
is such Divine affair as they assume it to
be, no harm can possibly come to 1t to by all
that man can do.