Lay Sermon: Number II

When King Ahab met Elijah the prophet, he pounced upon him with the accusatior of being the troubler of, Israel- "Oh thou that troublest Israel." The peculiarity of this incident is, that m when Ahab's and IsraePssins had brought trouble upon them, and the Rrophet of the Lord sought its removal by the removal of its cause, Ahab and his people, unwilling to put away their sins, cornplained of his courseas unkind and obtrusive. So they banished him from the land, anc the ghost of Ahab, though famous in the thii'd chiliad of time, has intruded himself into every reformation since.and now, though 3,000 years old,seems in full prime and well improved by experience. Such is the character of the opposition that the anti-slavery cause meets now, and such I deern to be the true character of the Philippic from your correápondent,S. Y E. And here, vhere a Volume is needed I must skip all, and consider whether the American Churches are the Bulwarks of Slavery. (A majority ahvays determining it, the mijjority being the exception.) As when Israel was called an Idolatrous people, more than 7000 were the exceptions. ABulwarkis for defense,' and in this sense, the Church isa Bulwark to deíend the character of members that are in fellowship. The American -Church.es have in their embrace Slaveholders, anc inMhsir ecclesiastical bodies thcy have slavelwflfiing oííicers: their Ministers are Sfelaveholders, and northern Churches fel lowship Ecclesiastical bodies that are composed principally of Slaveholders. - So hereare the North & South in Chui'ch fellowship wtih slaveholders, and by the rules of the Church are bound to defend them. Again, they do overtly dofend them, as facts lold and retold prove. On this point there is too much information to neod any statements of excisión and proscription. Again, American Churches do more they wage, as a body, open war upon an ti-slavery men. Weheartoo much cannonading from theso forts and see to wel where the aim is,to doubt the character of the contest. Bui, sir. the most opposition that we meet is from pretended ñ-iends. Antislavery men attack slavery; the slaveholder writhes, complains of interference appealsto the moderate forsympathyjand he gets his fill íind more too, unasked. - Thousands condole his case, and deride his accuserstill the slaveholder is himself ashamed of them. Friend S. E. Y., who is chargable for the evils and ultraisms of many of the Abolitionists? Read Christ's comment in such a case.JJe says that ofiences must come, (and by olfencos ybu know is meantstumbling blocks - things that cause men to err), and who does hedenounce most- the man that falls, ov the , man that places tliese slumbling Hoeks? Read and the see. "Wo to Mm by whom the offence cometh!" - Do you not think that when Abolitionists werc mobèed, stoned and tvíuudered, and that by the sanction and help of proféssng Christians, tbat a pret f y lar ge stumbling block was laid down ? Ohj sir, when rofessing Christians meet, and oppose, rvitate andvilify reformers, and drive them to excesses, it don't sound well for such Christians to come up, Ahab íke, and charge tlie wrong to the reformers. But, sir. you fellowsliip slaveholders; vou are connected with an ecclesiastical jody that is composed in part of slaveholders who are held as good brethren.- Now, sir, your Masler found men in the Jewish Temple who there bought and sold Doves,andchanged money. Hesaid that they had made the Temple a den of nieves. Your church has in its fellowship men -who buy and sell their fellow men, and you cali them good Christians, and whatever eircumstances you may suppose to-calliatefor slave dealing, quite as Dlausible may be supposed for selling Doves iü íhe Temple. If siaveholders can be in fellowsliip in Christian churches, what men cannot be? When inquisition is made for sin, who will venture to defend the slaveholder? The church is important - membersliip imperative - but the church is yet answerable to the King of Kings, and while if you keep the Laws, membership is of much avail, when you keep not the Law, your membership amounts to virtual expul sion. The church is not above attack, andthoughyou laugh at these blasts of truth, and, like the men of Jericho say that the more you batter thüs, the more they don't come down, I fancy that, like Jericho, you will soon see the wall prostrate. A slaveholding Church can't stand long. Capitúlate, then while' you can, for you may not be so favored as that part of the wall where you stand shall remain unshaken. Antislavery men wish to light up the church, and not destroy it. For this we ask admiitance. All is darkness.and if the light of the church be darkness,how great, how gloomy is the darkness! Let us have these chandeliers of the Lord to light up pur land, and all lands, till slavery shall be no more - till cvery yoke shall be broken.