Slavery is portrayed as a divinely ordered social structure in a historical debate that spans sermons, speeches, and correspondence.
This edition gathers Frederick Augustus Ross’s arguments that slavery, under certain conditions, is part of government ordained by God and can be understood through Scripture and providence. The book presents actual speeches and letters written to illuminate a controversial view aimed at maintaining national harmony in a divided era.
In addition to long-form prefaces, you’ll encounter key speeches delivered before church assemblies and a series of letters debating the Bible’s stance on master and slave relations. The material is framed as a unified demonstration intended to explain a contested social order, its perceived benefits, and the conditions under which it might endure.
What you will experience:
- Primary speeches from the Buffalo and New York assemblies, exploring how slavery is viewed within religious and national contexts.
- Letters that confront abolitionist arguments and discuss biblical interpretations and moral duties.
- A historical look at the debate over slavery, providence, and civil unity in mid-19th century America.
- Reflections on how scripture and tradition were used to argue for or against slaveholding in the public sphere.
Ideal for readers of history, religious studies, and 19th‑century political debates who want to understand how scripture and public policy intersected in this period. This edition provides a window into a polemical argument that sought to influence both church and nation.