Year: 1863




vdHid.


Rev and Dear Sir IL beg leave 10 trou-


BILE you on = subject in VIII ;ch | as we'll a.


the whole community, are now deeply in


terested.


Your high personal character and Off
cial position assure me that you will re-
cieye what ! have to say in the same spi-
rit in which il is communicated. 1t shall
be said plainly, but with candor and sin
cerity.


have read carefully and attentively the
letter of John Henry Hopkins, Bishop of
the Diocese of Vermont, in which he sets
forth very ably the Bible view of slavery.
l have also read, with much surprise, your
protest against said letter, published n the
Public Ledger of the 26th inst. After read
ing your protest, the first question askt d
myself was-the said letter having been
published prior to the spring Of lS6l-
! why you did not, duritg all that time, an-
swer IT, instead of protesting against it at
this time This question is based upon
my honest judgment that your protest is
not only no answer TO said letter, but
states conclusions which cannot possibly
be drawn from anything stated by Bishop
Hopkins therein. You state that he at
tempts " TO apologize for slavery in the
abstract" You further state that his
letter is an effort TO sustain on Bible
principles, the States in rebellion against
the Government in the wicked attempt TO
establish by force of arms tyranny under
the name ofa Republic, whose cornerstone
shall be perpetual bondage OF the African"


With full knowledge that Bishop Hop
kins' letter was written prior TO the break
ing out OF The war, and without any refer
ence thereto, low can you, with any sim
cerity, say shat he attempted ito sustain,
on Bible principles, the States now in re-
belion :"


deem it my solemn duty to bring out
this misrepresentation into tho full light
of day, so that every man may read and
not be deceived.


The inevitable conclusion to be drawn
from th's letter by any one whose iudC-
ment is accessible to reason, is that slavery
Is Divine institution, which no man can
interfere with without at the same time
calling God Almighty TO judgment for Gre
sting it, Bishop Hopkins sets forth what
God says in His Holy Word on the subject
of slavery. The letter il God speaking
through Bishop Hopkins. Your protest
ia really protest against the Almighty
He created slavery aud not Bishop IIop-
kins. So long rs the Bible teaches that
slavery is q Divine institution, | shall
maintain that a. is. Upon the rock of ey-
erlastirg Scriptures will stand forever
No man can remove me therefrom. In
vinoicaton of the above conclusions
quote from the letter, in which the Bishop
says, "a physical evil it slavery may be. f"
but denies that il is a mrrdL evil, because
the Word of God saws it is not, and he
adds " from his Word there can be no
appeal"


No rebellion can be so strocious in Iii
sight as that which dares TO rise against
His government. No blssphemy can be
more objectionable than that which i'm
putes sin or moral evil to the DEGREES of
the Eternal Judge, who is alone perfect in
wisdom, in knowledge, and in love"


lie also proves conclusivcly bv abundant
authority, both sacred and profane, tha,
slavery is an institution that has been rec
ognised in all ages of the world. establish !
ed by positive law in the Old Testament,
and admitted ms an institution from God
by our Saviour and all the Apostles. 1t
has also been recognized during all this
length OF time as an institution by the
Church, and even your own 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 philanthropists in
which they invent out of it New sin. ."


Your protest further states that it is not
your province to mix in any political can
vass." Will you allow me to ask YOU in oil
candor, why you publish your Protest lust
on the eve OF the next very important cleo |
tion, when you have had full oppor,uni- |
ty Tor over two years. not only TO protest
against, but TO answer fully the Letter of
Bishop Hopkins? Permit me further to /
ask, in the same candid spirit, why did you
with many of the Clergy OF your Church, |
while assembled in this city in Convention,
visit in your Official capacity the Union |
League Club House of Philadelphia, and /
thereby identify yourself with a polit-
cal party? | inquire in the same spirit, |
why did you sign public call inviting thu
notorious blaspEemer and ribald stump
orator Parson Brownlow, to deliver one of I.
his filthy, political harrangues in the Acad-
emy of Music in this city 4; not only that, |
but sanctify by your presence during the
entire exhibition ms outpouring OF vulgar
dec 'amation, even when many respectable
citizens were forced TO leave the audience,
disgusted with the obscenity and bias
phemy


deem il just to you to state that there
are many persons in this community, and
members OF your own church, who hon
estly believe that because of your disease of
the brain you have retired from the active
duties OF your high otfics as Bishop of this
Diocese and entered the dirty pool OF pol
'Ies, IN winch you are using both your
personal and official influence in favor of
,he Abolition party, and in sustaining all
Their insane theories and uuholy schemes
lfthis opinion of the community is correct
It would have been we'll for you if after
having given up the proper functions of |
your high Office in consequence Of this aE.
lection OF the brain, you had had sufficient
Judgment left to have kept you from ac-
tive participation iu politics. which will
provo more rscking TO an enfeeblec brain