The Limitations of Human Responsibility

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D. Appleton, 1838 - Duty - 196 pages
 

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Page 33 - Raca, shall be in danger of the council : but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Page 182 - States, in full and absolute right, and exclusive jurisdiction, as well of soil as of persons residing or to reside thereon, pursuant to the tenor and effect of the eighth section of the first article of the constitution of the government of the United States...
Page 114 - ... account of opinions, to the propagation of truth, to voluntary and ecclesiastical associations and to slavery. In respect to voluntary associations, he thinks that the following limitations should be observed. The object, for which men should associate should be capable of so exact and palpable definition, that it may be always clearly distinguished from every other that might from time to time be amalgamated with it. The mode of operation should be accurately set forth. The object itself and...
Page 182 - That nothing herein contained shall be so construed to vest in the United States any right of property in the soil as to affect the rights of individuals therein, otherwise than the same shall or may be transferred by such individuals to the United States...
Page 170 - States have, in this respect, no power over the minority ; for the minority has never conceded to them this power. Should all the States in the Union but one, and that one the very smallest, abolish slavery, should the majority of one hundred to one of the people of the United States be in favor of its abolition, still it would not alter the case. That one State would be as free to abolish it or not to abolish it, as it is now. This is a question which has never been submitted to the majority of...
Page 174 - ... in the matter, without the violation of a solemn compact. In this respect, therefore, the Providence of God, and our own solemn obligations to each other, have precluded any action whatever. But I go still further. I hold that a compact is binding, in its spirit as well as in its letter. The spirit of the compact, I suppose, imposes upon me the obligation not to do any thing for the purpose of changing the relation of master and slave, except with the consent of the master. I have no right to...
Page 110 - It is not difficult, for the sake of doing so muck good, to negotiate such a coalition. — Hence, it has not unfrequently happened, that the votes of whole masses of men have been bought and sold in the political shambles at a discount. At other times, the spirit of the association can be kept up in no other manner, than by advancing from innocent to questionable measures, in order thus to arouse opposition, and bring small men and small things into prominent and distinct notoriety. In this manner,...
Page 153 - ... enriched by thee with all utterance, and with all knowledge ; may we be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment : may we be perfect, may we be of good comfort, may we live in peace ; May the God of love and peace be with us. Help us to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free...
Page 190 - I apprehend, in all our efforts on this subject, most scrupulously to avoid all measures which could justly be construed into an attempt to infringe the rights of the South. We have a right to attempt to change southern opinions on this question, and to show the master, by argument, that it is for his interest, and that it is his duty, to liberate his slave. But we have no right to take any measures of which the natural tendency is to excite the slaves to insubordination and civil war. We have a...
Page 17 - ... against infringement; whilst the individual takes the power of society into his own hands, and whilst society punishes him for the transgression. It seems to be frequently taken for granted, that all duties belong to all men ; that matters of right recognize no distinction either of age, or sex, of civil office, or ecclesiastical function ; that all men, and all women, and all children, are equally responsible for all possible things; that there is no peculiar and special duty assigned to a magistrate...

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