LECTURE V.

THE PHILOSOPHY, AND THE POLICY, AND THE MERCY WITH WHICH OUR SAVIOUR AND HIS APOSTLES TREATED THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY.

JOHN xvi. 12.

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."

In all the Bible there is no direct and specific enactment against slaveholding. That it is contrary to the gospel and to the principles of eternal equity, is matter of inference. But inferential truth is not seen simultaneously and equally by all men in all places, and under all circumstances. Such truth makes its way slowly among men, and requires time to assert its perfect and uncontroled dominion over the human heart. On account of the peculiar circumstances in which we have been placed, a certain moral truth may be perfectly clear to us, while

others, who have been placed in circumstances altogether different, may have no distinct apprehension of it. They may be just as conscientious and devoutly honest in rejecting that truth as we have been in receiving it. Thus, it may be perfectly clear to us that the doctrine of witchcraft is altogether the creature of imagination, and that it is morally wrong to put persons to death on account of it; but our Puritan fathers believed in the existence of witches, and executed many of those whom they supposed to be such. Evidently, it is not owing to any superior acumen in us, nor any greater love to God or love to man, nor yet to any deeper spirit of piety in us, that we have views on this subject so different from theirs, but simply to the more favorable circumstances in regard to light in which we have been placed. It may be perfectly clear to us that it is morally wrong to hold a fellow man under bond-service, yet our Father Abraham, whose piety and faith, and acceptance with God we dare not call in question, held a large number of men in bondage. May it not be possible that many at the present day, on account of their peculiar circumstances, are

quite as far behind us in point of moral illumination on this subject as our Father Abraham was? They may not be convinced that it is morally wrong to hold men under bondservice and shall we make our light a rule of action for them? This would be presuming on our part to legislate over their consciences, and to make our individual views of duty the rule of their moral action—a species of usurpation unspeakably more enormous than that of holding men under civil bondage. First cast the beam out of thine own eye, says the great Law-giver, then shalt thou see clearly to cast the moat out of thy brother's eye.

That the human mind receives truth by a gradual process of advancement, is taught by our Saviour when he says to his disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." This is also in correspondence with all the laws of mind, and with all the developments of mediatorial rule. Yet our Saviour did not denounce his disciples, nor withdraw his love from them, because they had not the whole field of moral truth perfectly and distinctly within their vision. And throughout the

New Testament it is admitted that men may be amazingly deficient in their views of truth and yet be good men-yet be the children. of God. Hence we hear the Apostle to the Corinthians using the following language: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ; I have fed you with milk and not with meat—for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able." Similar language he uses towards the Hebrew Christians. From all of which it is plain that neither our Saviour nor his Apostles made their own views of truth the rule of duty to their disciples, but communicated truth to them as they were able to bear it; which truth, when communicated, was to them the law of moral action. These remarks may aid us in contemplating the philosophy, and the policy, and the mercy with which our Saviour and his Apostles treated the subject of slavery.

1. As to the philosophy of their procedure -whether was it true or false? Such is the constitution of the human mind, that on all moral subjects it will not endure compulsion. Here all its action must be voluntary.

The mind must be enlightened-must be convinced-must be brought under the influence of truth, before a man is prepared to act morally right. Moreover, the field of truth is so immense that none but the mind of God can adequately comprehend it in all the compass of it; and the moral vision of men is limited, yet capable of enlargement, though its expansion be unequal in different individuals in circumstances which are different. The light of truth developes itself gradually in all minds-in some more rapidly, in others less. Especially is this the case with inferential truth. There are some great preliminary truths which all intelligent minds seem prepared immediately to receive and appreciate. Other truths there are, which flow from these as a necessary consequence, that are not immediately seen and apprehended by all minds at the same time. A thousand things may be in operation upon some minds which constitutes their inability to receive the truth, while with others nothing may intervene to prevent its immediate reception. Any effort to coerce the mind in relation to truth, is not only vain but not unfrequently wakens up in the bosom