This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1854 edition. Excerpt: .to death. Surely he knew, and could practise upon the Christian precept of forbearance.

Said he to the court, after its inhuman and every way unjustifiable sentence: " More have I not to say, my Lords, but that, as St. Paul held the clothes of those who stoned Stephen to death, and as they are now, both saints in heaven, and shall continue there friends for ever; so I verily trust, and shall right heartily pray, that, though your Lordships have here on earth been judges to my condemnation, we may nevertheless, hereafter, cheerfully meet in heaven, in everlasting salvation." We have reason to deplore the want of this virtue of forbearance in the political controversies of our country. Religion does not indeed suffer from the acrimony of these disputes, as she does from the bitterness of sectarian strife; because the disputants in this latter are, almost without exception, recognized teachers of Christian morals, and professed disciples of the Lord of love. But even political controversy ought in some measure to reflect the Christian civilization, from the midst of which it springs. A sin of our country is, its want of Christian forbearance. In the midst of so much enterprise, so much personal activity, where every individual feels his freedom, his power; where his Words have weight in the forming of public sentiment, and his acts still greater weight in the direction of public action, --where self-hood, so to speak, becomes conscious, and proud, and domineering, --in a community like this (and a community in this country means the government, as well as the people), there is danger that forbearance, public, as well as private, will be among the feeblest of its virtues. The patriot may well tremble at the prophecy which such a fact utters for.