Page:The negro's origin.djvu/27

Rh 22 And Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father: and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

26 And he said, Blessed be the of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Here we have the Alpha and Omega of this whole affair. He must grope in the dark, who is not satisfied with the light here offered. At the very commencement of our argument we say, and from our heart, would that all prejudice pro and con were laid aside, and that all minds were susceptible of arriving at the truth. Who was cursed, Ham or Canaan? We say CANAAN. The proof we offer will be divided into Direct and Indirect.

Direct Proof.

(a.) The Scriptures say, CANAAN, in three distinct places. Ver. 25: "And he said Cursed be CANAAN." Verses 26 and 27 speak with the same precision—"And CANAAN shall be his servant."

By reason of this cursing Canaan must be 3