Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/410

 374 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

nearly eight editorial columns, well worth the perusal of any who would under- stand the history and the temper of those turbulent times.

Most of the leading abolitionists, including Mr. Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and others in Massachusetts, doubted tlie wisdom of Mr. Foster's course in thus entertaining the Sunday congregations, where only the stated minister was expected to speak. But none who knew him intimately ever doubted for a moment his entire honesty, indeed deep, solemn conviction of religious duty, in what he did, and in all that he did. The clergy were not behind the most depraved politicians in their determination to prevent the people, both in and outside the churches, from learning the truth on a problem which every aboli- tionist knew full well involved the national preservation or destruction, accord- ingly as it might be solved. The whole nation came to understand it rightly, at last ; but not till its eyesight had been washed and clarified in blood and tears. Mr. Foster, having adopted and proved the great utility of hi? new method, persisted in it until it was demonstrated that no other had ever subserved so good a purpose in arousing the whole nation to its duty and danger. Nothing like or unlike it, before or afterward, so stirred the whole people, until John Brown, with his twenty heroes, marched on Harper's Ferry and challenged the supporters of slavery to mortal combat.

To-day, neither John Brown nor Stephen Symonds Foster, needs apology or defence. Though their mortal bodies lie moldering in the dust, their spirits march on in glory and victory for evermore.

One reason that Foster often gave for his extreme action, as well as utterance, was, that ends sometimes justified any means. He would say, " should I see your house on fire, and yourselves and families in danger of instant death in the flames, must I go and gently knock and wait till you come and unlock the door before notifying you of your peril?" Or, "suppose I saw a church full of worshipers, with the roof all ablaze, would they be likely to drag me out, should I rush in, unbidden, and shout fire, fire, at the top of my voice?" And then he would say, " your whole country is in extremest peril. Your whole country is on fire. Every one of you should tremble, like Thomas Jefferson, ' remembering that God is just and that his justice can not sleep for ever! But as we now know, he was not believed ; though his words could not have been more true, had they been in very deed inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Another argument he often urged, with great pertinency and force, based on Christian Scripture, too, and the practice of the Apostolic church :

The great apostle, Paul, gave direction for conducting worship ; and at this time, neither Paul nor Jesus had devouter disciple than was Foster ; nor the Congregational church a more holy, conscientious, and consistent member. The apostolic injunction simply was, that order be preserved, though every one, having psalm, doctrine, interpretation, or revelation, should be heard each in turn. And then to close is added, " for ye may all prophesy one by one ; that all may learn and all be comforted." So, too, the example and practice of Jesus Christ in the Jewish synagogues, he would cite, with much point and power. " True," he would say, " the people sometimes dragged him out, as you do me. But it was not because he spoke ; it was for what he said. B'or that, they finally killed him, as possibly you may me." It was always his claim, as with both Christ and Paul, that, " where the spirit of the Lord is, there is lib- erty," — and liberty of speech, prei^minently.

When the people came to his meetings he never went to theirs. If the ministry kept away, and, as they generally did in those days, endeavored to keep the people away, he went to them as frequently as possible, at whatever cost. If imprisoned, as many times he was, he comforted himself that he not only " remembered them that were in bonds as bound with them," but that he

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