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10G [ A u g u s t 2, 1 8 5 6. 'con^ciontiousTy\tnink th a t n o th in g b u t inveterate prejudice could induce t h e ch a rg e th u s groundlessly m a d e , t h a t m y opin ions, oriyiriatiuy ax described, could be th e resu lt o f prejudice. W h e n a record lias in an y one instance represented th a t to b e true, w h ich th e h e a r t and th e head o f a read e r b o th repel as m a n ifestly false, doubtless th e r e will bo a g r e a t e r readiness to com e to a sim ilar conclusion in o t h e r cases; ju s t as w h e n a m a n h a s show n him s e lf u n tr u thfu l, we are m o re ready to b e lieve him g u ilty of falsehood. W h e n a book h a s in an y case appeared to rep r e s e n t G o d as counten a n c in g w ickedness, I am m o r e ready to believe it to have m isrepresented h im in o th e r instances. H o w can im p ressions th u s form e d , after conscien tio u s reflection, be ju s tly ascribed to prejudice o r prejudgm e n t, w h ich im p lies t h a t im p ressions w e re form e d beforehand w ith o u t careful reflection ? H u t can any one w h o has been from h is infancy accustom e d to h e a r a book spoken of as th e H o ly 13 bio and been ta u g h t to consider it im p ious to question its divine inspiration, expect to be free from prejudice in its favor I can assert th e affirm a tive from m y own experience, t h a t it w a s n o t w ith o u t hesitation an d conscientious scruples th a t I cam e to th e conclusions w h ich are now tre a ted as originating in prejudice o f an opposite tendency. E d u c a ’ion had its prc ju d ’cial influence, a n d caused m y opinions to be accom p anied by an u n p leasan t s e n s a tion, until th e ir long endurance w ithout any ad e q u a te objections, rem o v ed tl.is false consciousness and created a dee]) r e g r e t t h a t such a foe to m o r a lity and religious tru t h should be cherished, n o t to say idolized, as th e w o rd of th e M ost H igh. In reply to th e groun d less ch a rg e of prejudice, I hurl back upon F. J. B. th a t o f Bible id o latry and a blind cred u lity . created in his infancy by his nurse, p a r e n t1', school m a s ter and priest. To m e it seem s idiotic to suppose t h a t th e God o f a hun d red m illions of suns, a n d pro'b ib'y n o t less th a n a billion of planets, h a s ever bestow ed especial favor on any c e p la n e t; still less is i t credible t h a t such a G o d should display th a t favor by au th o r izin g an y people to defraud kind red, p r o s titu te wives, ta k e co n c u j^flp j^x p o sing them w ith th e ir offspring subsequently to star* v io n ; or t h a t he should au thorize t h e people th u s .pa tronized to a s 'a s d n a fe th e ir neig h b o r s for conscience1 s a k e ; or plunder, m a ssacre, o r extirp a te them for idolatrous w o rship. OX A B R A H A M S SUBMISSION' O F H IS W IF E TO T I I E PL E A S U R E O F TW O KOTOS. “ And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into E g y p t,' that he s a d unto Sarah his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair W o m a n to look upon ; “ Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see th e e ,! they shall say, This is his wife : and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. “ Say, T pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well witb cm for thy sake ; and my soul shall live b cause of thee. “ And it came to pass, that when Abram was come into Egypt, tbe Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. “ The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh : and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. “ And he ent eated Abram well for her sake: a d he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asscs, and men-servants and maid servants, and she- asses, and camels. “ And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarah, Abram’s wife. “ And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, W hat is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? “ Why saidst thou, she is my sister? so I n r g h t have taken her to me to wife : now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.” , —Gev. : 12 : 1-19. A s respects A b raham , wc are told a t th e head of t h e c h a p ter. G enesis 12 : “ h e a r m a k e th him feign his wife to be his sis te r ,” an<l, as subsequently s’atcd. induces him to let h e r go to P h a r a o h s pa1 ac e ; w h ile, a s a recom p e n se, he is furn ’s h e d w ith sheep, oxen, asses and m en and m a id servants. B u t th e n God interferes an d punishes P h a r a o h for receiving S a r a h . N o w if S a r a h h a d been m e rely received, for an honorable purpose, w h e re had been th e m o tive for th r e a ten in g P h a r a o h ? B u t th is h e a then seem s to h a v e been m o re m o ral th a n D avid was in after tunes, since he ca'ls A b raham to account for h a v ing deceived him into th e d a n g e r of com m ittin g ad u ltery . “ W h y said s t thou sh e is m y siste r ; now. therefore, behold th y wife, ta k e h e r and go th y w a y .’ H o w few am o n g th e priests or k in g s of C h ristendom h a d displayed th is m o rality ? See *• End of th e C o n troversy,” hy B ishop H o p k ins (p 205 ;) o r m y w o rk (1307.) Ik e tw o g r e a t objects of religion are m o rals and f th e eacc, th a n th a t we are t o im ita te th e fow ls of th e air in tru s tin g to n a t u r e for food or ra ’incnt. O u r learned co m m e n tato r alleges t h a t tl.e la n g u a g e of ( h r 's t , w h e n properly trai slated, w o u ld be th e s e w o r d s : “ B e n o t over P h a r a o h w o u ld hav e ta k e n S a r a h as an o t h e r i ife b u t n o t as anxious.” B u t o f irhat possible u ti . b e t o tell a p r r - an a d u lteress; y e t A b rah a m took £1 a g a r as a concubine, and son n o t to b e over anxious ? I oes n o t every per. o n o f sound we have th e au t h o r ity of som e one, of w h o m we arc u tterly [m ind know th i s w ith o u t bein g told ? O f coil s< no oi.e, w h e - igno r a n t. for t h e allegation th a t th e sam e G o d san c t'o n e d th i s j 1 h e r wise or foolish, w o u ld be over anxious, ( o u ld it be aaoioed. f g a i n s t th e d ivine a u th o r ity of th e P e n ta te u c h upon these! faith in im m o r tality : n e ith e r of these ■■seemed to have b een at- no essity grounds be the effect of a p r e ju d g m e n t o r p r e ju d ice? I m o s tj tained u n d e r th e Jew ish code. T h e elder C y rus, a Fagan, dies com forting h is child r e n th a t his soul will s u rvive to an eternal existence. im m o rality then, w h o now w o u ld condem n it as nefarious, adul terous fornication. B u t t h e difficu’tv is to know w h e n h e is in ih e objoetionab’o sta t e o f over-anx:ety. and w h e n inform e d o f it, to a b a te th e T h e circum s tances o f th e subm ission of A b r a h a m ’s wife to 'e m o t i o n . rl h s is one am o n g m a n y instan c e s in w h ich God, Abxmelech are perfectly analogous to those of th e course p u r i h a v ing by t h e inevitable eflect of his n il eyed om n ipotencv and sued in th e instance o f th a t m a d e to l ’h a t a o h I p resei.-nce, m a d e ns w h a t we are. enjoins ns to b e w h a t we are ' ol. W e are m a d e en t n ja ib l e o f anxiety , ex /o x id to cre a m - w> ken a n x iety , a n d th e n advised n o t to OX A B R A H A M ’S EX P U L S IO N' O F H A G t R A 'D IIF.R C I I I L I ) . And Abraham rose up early in the m orning, and took bread and stance* o f a n a ture to < ^ a bottle of w a t.r, and gave it unto Flagar (putting it on her shoulder) be w h a t wc a re so constituted and situ a ted as to >c m ev t.. > \. and the child, and sent her away : and she d eparted, and wand -red in M anifestly, anx iety w ere b e l te r avoided a to g e th e r since due care would accom p lish as m u c h w ith o u t an x iety as w h e n asso ciated th e r e w ith . I t is stran g e t l i a t any person believing C h r is t to be th e vicc- __________ ? ______ _ g o r e n t o f th e D e ity should rep r e s e n t him as reso r tin g to an child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and adm o n ition so useless as th a t contained in t h e W 0 1 G S , I.o i.o t wept.”— G e n . 21 : 1 4 -1 6 . over anxious ’ It is b e g g ing th e question, to allege t h a t God sanctioned th e expulsion of H a g a r w ith h e r child to starve in th e w ilderness. the wilderness o f Beersheba. “ And the wafer was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. “ And she went, and sat her down over against him. a good way off, as it we e a bow-shot: for she said, Let me not see Ihe death of the In - te d o f perceiving it to be injudicious to u vg e t h a t m e n w h o w o u ld perish unless th e y pro v ide food and d o b i n g should It is in opposiii >n to all th e rules prescribed by co rts of jus- ; b e governed by tb e exam p le o f fowls for w h ich clo th in g an d lice for th e adm ission of evidence, t) a t th e testim o n y of th e ac- food are by n a t u r e provided or by t h e exam p le of flow ers w h ich cused should be ta k e n in excu'pation. T h r o w in g his crim e i d e r ive n o u r is h m e n t from th e ea rt h and air, ai d w o u ld p e iish upon his M aker, is, as I th in k , sup e raddin g blasphem y 1o his jf c lothed, F. J . B. proceeds as if one e r r o r could be cured by u n n a tu r a l, unprincipled cruelty. Is it n o t extrem e ly in c o n s i s - . s u g g e s tin g an o th e r . In o r d e r to p u t m y strictu r e s in th e re a r te n t th a t those w h o arc so incredulous of th e alleged com m u - 0f those of a b r o th e r believer, ce r tain ca n tin g rem a r k s of th e nion of t h e ir con tem p o r a r ies w ith th e S p irits of th e ir deceased la t t e r are quoted. fellow -creatures, should be so r< a d y to conceive th a t a D e ity j rjh e Sp,-cial care w h ich th e D e ity is g r a tu ito u s ’y alleged to ru lin g over hu n d r e d s o f m illions of solar system s, should in 1 ta k e of th e lily, is assum e d as a reason w h y e a h m a n should this planet, w h ich to th e universe is b u t as a glob u le of w a te r expect a like carc to be ta k e n of h i m ; y e t, w e have h ig h au to t h e ocean, seek a few h u m a n anim a lcules in o r d e r to sane-1 th o r i ty for d r a w ing t h e opposite conclusion. A g r e e a b ly to th e (ion such inhu m a n ity as t h a t o f w h ich t h e consequences are by j b u r ial service o f th e Episcopal C h u rch , “ M an eo m e 'h u p and th e B ible described as above cited ? | js Cu t dow n I k e a f lo w e r ; h e fleeth as i t w e re a s h a d o w ” I loro Is th e testim o n y o f A b r a h a m to l e accredited w h e n h e th u s ! w e bave t h e real t r u t h , t h a t no special care is ta k e n of e t h e r ].leads th e sanction of h is God. for ruthlessly tu r n i n g h is son t ]10 ]j]v o r 0 f man> in d i v id u a l ly. N o toriously a flow e r m a y he and h is son’s m o t h e r o w - $ f do o is to find starv a tio n in th e w il- d e s troyed by bein g eaten or tro d d e n on, by d r o u g h t, by rain , derness, or w h in th a t C c d is m a d e to av.tl onze 1 m to extir- w ind and o ilier contingencies. Y e t in t h e q u o tation vain tin g ly p a t e neiglil on’r g tribes, only t : k i g c a ie r e t to desire y th e m 'm a d e to th r o w m ine in th e shad e , th e a u t h o r d r a w s th e in f e r ence t h a t since beautiful flow ers are crea ted , each flow e r m u s t be th e object of ih e */»c ul ca re of t h e D e ity, arid so m u c h care h a v in g been lavished in form ing and p r e s e r v ing a flower, less can n o t hav e been ta k e n in form in g and preserv in g th e m a k e r of th is p'ou s sen tim e n tal com m e n tary . B u t how com e s it 1 hat. one o f th e O rtho d o x can th u s draw from th e case of th e flow er, th e id e a of divine care and super intend e n c e , w h e n as above suggested we h a v e in th e bm ial service of th e orthodox E p iscopal C h u r c h a n o:al of a directly opposite d r if t “ l i e co m e th up and is cu t dow n like a flower.” O f course acco r d in g to th is m o re co r r e c t view of th e case, the existence of floral b e a u ty and th r if t, is n o t such an object of th e especial care w ith th e D e ity, as th a t it should encourage us to ho p e for a h ig h e r degree of consideration th a n we should expect if u n in s t:u c te d by its fate. It m a y be inferred from th e follow ing lan g u a g e o f M att. 30 : 0. t h a t how e v e r lilies are individually th e o b ject o f G od’s special providence, i t is otherw ise w ith g r a s s : “ Wherefore if God so clo:lie the grass of the field, wh'ch to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, 0 ye of little faith?” O u r pious friend w ill h a r d ly build h is h o p e s of G o d ’s espe cial care to p a y his ta ilo r 's bills, upon th e fate o f th e grass, w h a tev e r hopes m a y be founded on th a t of flow ers In p o in t of fact, as above stated , th e existence o f tlu* flower is eph e m e ral and precarious, liable a t any m o m e n t to be tiod- dcn dow n , eaten, cu t by tb e scythe, o r torn u p by th e tem p e s t N a r r o w e d by th e i r Jew ish affiliations, C h r is tian s forg e t the vastness of th e universe that, th e r e are a h u n d r e d m illions of solar system s , t h a t t h e in h a b ita n ts and p la n e ts m u s t be alm o st infinite in num b e r, so t h a t to suppose t h a t each individual is a so fast as to cause a w ilderness to be created fpr w ild beasts to roam in ? S o m e com m e n ts w h ich I hav e m a d e on th e follow ing verses, a r e by F . J . B . ascribed to m y prejudices. “ Behold the fowls of the air ; for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father fctdoth tLcm. Are ye not much better than they? “ And why take ye thought for raim ent? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow ; they toil ro t, neither do tin y spin ; “ And yet I say unto you, that even .'dem o n , in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.” M a t t . G : 26, 28, 29. T h e lily, in com m o n w ith all o th e r vegetables, is d e p e n d e n t for its existence on th e access of th e solar ray s and of th e air w h ich yields th e carbon , indispensable to vegetab le life. O f course nakedness bein g inseparably associated w ith every flow er, if a com p a rison w e re m a d e betw e e n f o r 1 b e a u ty and th a t of m a n , should n o t a b e a u tiful n a k e d h u m a n figuie b e selected ? Is it in its clo thing th a t th e lily excels th e glorious a t t i i e of Solom o n , o r is i t t h a t, alth o u g h unad o r n e d , i t excels t h a t attire in b e a u ty ? W o u ld n o t th e lesson to b e derived from th e fact th a t th e fow ls of th e air live w ith o u t s e w ing or spinning, be as follows? G o d has given to fowls a n a t u r a l cloihing. and lias furnished them w ith w ings to fly over a w ide reg ’on in p u r s u it of food, and beak s w h e rew ith to secure i t ; b u t to m a n k ind h e h a s given a skin destitu te of feathers, and insufficiently provided with h a ir o r any o th e r c l o th in g ; a t th e sam e tim e h e h a s given to m e n h a n d s and in g e n u ity ; so t h a t if th e y do n o t use th e s e ad v a n tag e s th e y m a y perish from th e inclem e n c y of th e w e a th e r or th e w a n t of food ? Is i t n o t plain t h a t th e exam p le of th e feathered creation can only be referred to for th e purpose o f show ing th a t m a n m u s t use his h a n d s and ingenuity in one w ay, w h ile th e y em p loy j special ob ject of atten tio n to th e D eity, is unreasonable. Ac- th e i r w ings and beaks in ano h e r ? M o re wisely, m a y n o t m a n j c o rd in g to th e h ig h e r S p irits. G o d acts o n ly by y m e i n l In n s ; be told to look to th e exam p le of t h e bee, th e a n t or t h e , a n d ou r experience is, it seem s to me, en tirely in favor of th a t beaver? G o to th e ant, thou sluggard ; c o n s ider its w a y s and j im p ression. O f species, and still m o re of pet,era. g r e a t care is be wise.” S u rely th is injunction is m o re consistent w ith th e ta k e n th r o u g h th e s e la w s ; b u t of individuals no n e is taken
