Excerpt from Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Abraham Lincoln
The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but
woe to that man by whom the offense cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in
the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and
that he gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern
therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope
--fervently do we pray-that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the
wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn
by the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
What is the meaning of the word offenses as used in the first line of the fifth paragraph?
A)
breaking the law
attack or assault
causing injury, causing harm or hurt
sin; wrongdoing against someone else