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Nevertheless, our learned doctor of divinity, like many of the same class in our day, was equal to the emergency. He was able to satisfy all important parties to the problem, except the Negro, and him it did not seem necessary to Satisfy.
The doctor was a skilled dialectician. He could not only divide the word with skill, but he could divide the Negro into two parts. Hle argued that the Negro hada soul as well as a body, and insisted that while his body rightfully belonged to his master on earth, his soul belonged to his Master in heaven. By this convenient arrangement, somewhat metaphysical, to be sure, but entirely evangelical and logical, the preblem of Negro baptism was solved.
But with the Negro in the case, as I have said, the argument was not entirely satisfactory. The operation was much like that by which the white man got the turkey and the Jndian got the crow. When the Negro looked for his body, that belonged to his earthly master; when he looked around for his soul, that had beca appropriated by his heavenly Master; and when he looked around for something that really belonged to himself, he found nothing but his shadow, and that vanished into the air, when he might most want it.
One thing, however, is to be noticed with satisfaction ; it is this: something was gained to the cause of righteous- ness by this argument. lt was a contribution to the cause of liberty, It was largely in favour of the Negro. It was a plain recognition of his manhood, and was calculated to set men to thinking that the Negro might have some other important rights, no less than the religious right to baptism.
Thus, with all its faults, we are compelled to give the pulpit the credit of furnishing the first important argument in favour of the religious character and man- hood rights of the Negro.
Dr. Godwin was undoubtedly a good man. He wrote at a ume of much moral darkness, and when property in man was nearly everywhere recognised as a rightful institution. He saw only a part of the truth. He saw that the Negro had a right to be baptized, but he could not all at once see that he had a primary and paramount right to himself,
Gut this was not the only problem slavery had in store for the Negro. Time and events brought another and it
