| OCR Text |
Show 112 NARRATIYJC or the New Testament. The first occurs in · Christ's parable of the unjust steward. 'rherc the steward is commended for making an arrangement by which he secured his permanent interest by adroitly subtracting from what was clue his Lord by his debtors. lie had acted unjustly in the office of steward, being bound by honor to fulfil its duties and his obligations to his employer, but so soon as his obligations to his em· player ceased on being ordered out of the steward· ship, and Lis very living cut off, then it wns no longer unjust, but commendable to do that which before would have beeu fraud or robbery. "The other case is that of our blessed Lord himself. lie sent his disciples to take away from the place where they were tied an ass and her colt; and be told them bow to eseape should they be caught at it, by saying: 'The Lord bath need of them.' Now, when we take away the property of others, we may rq.ly to those who question us, 'The Lord bath need of them,' for every good pirate will endeavor so to use what he obtains as to promote the be"t interests of religion, and to glorify our blessed ReueCI•ler. "And now, my dear young sister, what more need I say to establish the point tkt p~racy is not essen· ALBERT AND MARY. llS tially sinful-that it is not malum in se? Indeed, it stands upon the same footing that slavery does, anu is vindicated by the same process of reasoning. Tho argument for slavery is identically the same in principle as for piracy. And you know it is upon the ground that slavery is not under all circumstances a sin, that Christians in the Northern States bold com· munion with you of the South. And I admire that charitable spirit which induces them to believe that Southern Christians do not uphold the barbarous fen.· turcs w hicb wicked and cruel masters impress upon the system of slavery. They give you, therefore, very properly, the right band of Christian fellowship, which they could not do if slaveholding were sin in itself. And I doubt not they would as readily com· mune with Christian pirates, since it is evident that piracy is not, any more than slavery, malum in se." Mary made no reply, but sat musing with a coun· tcnance overwhelmed with sadness. Mr. Gracelius looked as though he bad accom· plished a decided victory; and Captain Templeton smiled with approbation. Albert after a short silence exclaimed "\\'itb great emphasis: "I thank God my Bible is my reason, my |
