The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-02-09
THE GATE CITY.
KEOKUK.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY ..
"A POLITICAL sEnMON -


We find in the columns Of the Fairfield
Ledger a sermon dslivssed IN that town
some weeks ago by Rev. Robert Mo.
Guigan of the Old School Presbyterian
Church. 1t gives . most unmistakable
symptom that even the Old School Pres
bytsfian Church is breaking loose from
its conservative moorings. Even the
"Puritanical and Methodistical Abolition
Preachers" do not preach "politics" in .
style more offensive to conservative
chaps" than that Of this Old School
Presbyterian, who has the sudaciiy to
appeal to the Scriptures and the records
of the church in support Of bis Hpestilsnt
and incendiary fnlminations :"
Another national sin is Slavery. God
created all men free and equal. He
formed them all after the same model,
cast them, SO to speak, in the same Divine
mould. $50 God created man after his
own image, in the image of God created
he him. Zen. /: 81. And the Apostle
atirms the same great principle when he
declares, "God hath made Of one blood
all nations of men for to dwell on all the
face Of the earth. Acts II: rs. All
men having the same common origin
must have the same natural rights and
he who would rob the colored race of this
God-given right strikes also at the liberty
of the white man through him, and if he
is not now. will soon be regarded as the
common enemy of the human race. 1t is
true there was form of slavery which
existed under the old dispensation, but it
was voluntary, typical. benevolent, and a
temporary institution. And where it was
involuntary, it was the exception to the
general rule, and was permitted only as a
punishment for crime; but even that
passed away with the nationality of the
Jewish people. When the Apostle
preached the Gospel to the Gentle ma
tions. he discovered among them q sys-
tenn Of slavery more cruel and revolving
in its character than that among the
Jews. But when Christianity obtained a
firm footing, and leavened the masses of
the population with it's benevolent spirit,
it created new form of civilization pc
culiar to itself-a new moral sentiment
inconsistent with it and contrary to it;
and thus, under the dissolving power Of
the principles of our holy religion, slavery
declined and gradually became extinct
And when the same Gospel was preached
in the West, slavery which was intro
duced into the Colonies by force or by
fraud, was tolerated after the Revolution,
and the fathers Of the Church, as we'll as
those of the Republic, believed that tina.
Gospel had lost none of its primitive
spirit or power, but, on the contrary, were
persuaded when it should be brought ID
bear upon American slavery in all its in.
trnsic excellence and moral force, il m us
yield to it's claims, and ultimately pass
away. Hence the o. S. Presbyterian
Church, as a body never approved o.
slavery, but always condemned it, as tn.
actien Of the Church in 1918. confirmed
by late meetings of the General Assem-
bly,, abuedantly show. And, what i.
more, both North and South concurred in
it until the present troubles began.
Let me now quote few passages from
1t to show what even the Church South
thought of slavery:
eve consider the involuntary euslaviuf
of part of the human race, by another
as gross violation of the most precious
and sacred rights of human nature. in
consistent with the law of God which re
qu'res us 10 love our neighbor as our
selves; and as totally irreconcilable will
the principles and spirit OF the Gospel o
Christ, which enjoios that all things what
soever We would that men should do unit,
you, do you even so to them
Let US now take another passage, an,
We shall see what they supposed were it
natural fruits
Slavery" say they, "creates para
dox in the moral system; it exhibits ra
tional, accountable and Immortal being
In such circumstances as scarcely leave
them the power of moral action it ex
hibits them as dependent upon the will O
others, whether they shall receive reii
gious instruction or not whether the,
shall know aud worship the true God
whether they shall enjoy the ordinance
of the Gospel or not; whether they shall
perform the duties and cherish the en-.
dearments of husband and wife, parent
and children, neighbors and friends
whether they shall preserve their chasti
~ and purity, or regard the dictates o
justice and humanity"
Let US now refer you to the duty of tb
Church, which they recommend in viev
of these facts:
ut is manifestly the duty of all Chris
tians, Who enjoy the light Of the prese n
day, when the Inconsistency of slavery
both with the dictates of humanity an
religion-bas been demonstrated, and
generally seen and acknowledged, to us
their earnest endeavors to correct the er
rofs of former times, and as speedily q
possible to efface this blot on our bol
religion. and to obtain the complete abe
h'lon ct slavery throughout christendou
and, II possible. throughout the world
Now have they done this? Nay, hay
they.not done the very reverse? The
stand convicted upon their own shown
OF the sin of slavery Therefore ont {
their own mouths have Wa conaemna