Antislavery movements -- United States; Slavery -- United States
"But you say we not only rob but murder. But as all appropriations of
others' possessions are not essentially robbery, so all killing is not
essentially murder. If you will look into the Book of Judges, xiv. 19,
you will find that the taking of spoil even by violence and bloodshed,
is not necessarily a crime--is not necessarily robbery and murder. It
is the case of Samson when he had to give thirty changes of raiment to
those who had expounded his riddle. It is said: "And the Spirit of the
Lord came upon him, and he went down to Askelon and slew thirty men of
them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them
which expounded the riddle." Now, notice this particularly, that
Samson did all this under the influence of God's Spirit. And you will
remember that Paul in Hebrews mentions Samson with special
commendation.
"Now, if Samson, and David, and Jacob did such things, we feel
justified in proceeding accordingly.
"But as I have not time to go into very minute detail, I pass at once
to two very important points in the New Testament. The first occurs
in Christ's parable of the unjust steward. There the steward is
commended for making an arrangement by which he secured his permanent
interest by adroitly subtracting from what was due his Lord by his
debtors. He 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 employer ceased on being ordered out
of the stewardship, and his very living cut off, then it was no longer
unjust, but commendable to do that which before would have been fraud
or robbery.
"The other case is that of our blessed Lord himself. He sent his
disciples to take away from the place where they were tied an ass and
her colt; and he told them how to escape should they be caught at it,
by saying: 'The Lord hath need of them.' Now, when we take away the
property of others, we may reply to those who question us, 'The Lord
hath need of them,' for every good pirate will endeavor so to use what
he obtains as to promote the best interests of religion, and to
glorify our blessed Redeemer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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