THE SACRIFICE OF CONTINUAL PRAISE. 23 There is, however, yet another source of gain in this direction. Our free population has also been largely augmented by Emancipation. The yoke has been broken; chains have fallen from human limbs, and men, made in the divine image accountable, have been ushered from Slavery to Freedom. Thank God for this! I stand not here, at this late day, tr» discuss the right or wrong of American slavery. I would not so insult intelligence and piety. Discussion implies doubt. The question has long since passed out ofthe region of discussion. 1 should as soon think of constructing a labored argument to prove that adultery, and theft, and murder, were crimes against God. The voice of universal christendom condemns the accursed system. The conscience, the religion of the world, is on record against it. Every denomination. of christians in this broad land (I think without exception * ) has, through its highest judicature, or Assembly, declared for Liberty and against Slavery. Our own church has, in this way, clearly spoken more than once. Its last utterance, gi ven in June of the current year, was the most decided. The world moves ; God is teaching us, by terrible instrumentalities, lessons that should have been intuitions, if we are christians. I read from the five hundred and fourth page of the printed Minutes for 1864,—it is a resolution embodied in the report of the Committee on the state of the Country:—“ In times past the General Synod has not deemed it necessary to give forth a judgment, in regard to American slavery, inasmuch as itexisted in regions beyond the bounds of our Church [yet in * If there is any exception, it is the Episcopal Church.
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