A Letter to the Clergy of Various Denominations: And to the Slave-Holding Planters, in the Southern Parts of the United States of America (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Excerpt from A Letter to the Clergy of Various Denominations: And to the Slave-Holding Planters, in the Southern Parts of the United States of America

Sliders, For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame, Hebrews vi. 4, 5, 6. Is it not well known to you also, that St. Peter (2 Epistle ii. 20, 21) speaks nearly to the same effect, con cerning the same persons, for if, after they escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning, for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandments delivered unto them. But not only is your sin greater, and your repentance and turning again to God more difficult, but the punishment of the sin will be in proportion to your former knowledge of the Divine will. Our Saviour says this in language so plain, as not to be misunderstood. Woe unto thee Chorazin, woe unto thee Bethsaida, for if the mighty works which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes; but I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day ofjudgment, than for you, Matt. Xi. 21. Bethsaida and Chorazin had ~had the gospel preached to them by our Lord himself, but Tyre and Sidon had no such advantage, and were then heathens; and as I have had occasion to mention Tyre, I cannot help saying to you who live in a slave-holding country, (though as ministers of the gospel, you cannot be ignorant of the fact,) that this great city, the greatest in the then known.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A Letter to the Clergy of Various Denominations: And to the Slave-Holding Planters, in the Southern Parts of the United States of America

Gentlemen, Ministers of the Gospel of Christ!

I address myself to you, first, because you are the professed teachers of the people among whom you live, - because they, the people, look up to you as lights set upon a hill for religious instruction and example - and because your opinions and conduct, must have great weight in giving a tone to morals in the different congregations over which you preside. I must now inform you, that for fifty-six years I have entertained an unceasing hostility against slavery, and that I have acted accordingly, and this in the most public manner. It may be supposed, therefore, that in thus addressing myself to you, I should not use the most courteous language; but be assured, that though I shall speak to you with a becoming boldness, I shall studiously avoid, as far as I can, everything which would hurt your feelings; and if I should be betrayed into the use of words, apparently harsh on this occasion, through an excessive warmth of feeling on the subject, I do not intend to be unkind to individuals themselves, but to express my abhorrence of the opinions which they hold.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.