d Religion

AMENT AN

ld to search in order to find any thing favorable to oppression; and oppressors have usually preferred to "burrow amid the types and shadows of the ancient economy." An effort has been made, however, to wrest a sanction for the ab

to prove that it is the duty of some men to

ng that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him." Eph. 6: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God." Col. 3: 22. "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; b

, the law requiring them to do so, should be written in the plainest possible manner. If any one should claim me and my family as slaves, upon a pretense that God had authorized our enslavement, I would deman

the last three hundred years, by hypocritical preachers and slaveholders, as if heaven were chiefly interested and delighted in the perpetuation of an institution which degrades millions of men to a point as low as manhood can possibly descend. The whole

means precisely what our English word servants means, as that word is understood in free countries. "Our English word servant," says a good authority, "is an exact translation of the Greek word doulos. And to translate it into the definite word slave is a gross violation of the original. Our translators of

ed interchangeably without violating the sense. "Paul and Timotheus the slaves of Jesus Christ." "These are the slaves of the Most High God which do show unto us the way of salvation." "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God all ye his slaves, and ye that fear him small and great." "I am thy fellow slave." We might extend these

asphemed. The word "yoke" does not necessarily imply slavery. Our Savior said "take my yoke upon you," but certainly he did not invite any one to become a slave. The word yoke is used in the scriptures to represent the ceremonial law; "dominion of Jacob over Esau, in the matter of his father's blessing;" politic

ence toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully." 1st Pet. 2: 18, 19. In this passage doulos does not occur, but oiketes, which some suppose, means slave. But of this evidence is wanting. The same word is used four times only in the New Testament, an

s the servants of men, but of God. Again, they are advised not to "DESPISE" their masters. Such directions have no pertinence, if addressed to human chattels. To whom then were they addressed? We answer, to voluntary laborers or servants who received a compensation for their work. The relations of servant and master or laborer and employer are necessary, legitimate and honorable relations. All men have not the skill to acquire or manage capital, and capital is essential to the accomplishment of great enterprises, to the march of improvement, and the progress of civilization. Capital invested in railroads, canals, machinery, factories, ships, merchandise, etc., requires many laborers to manage it; and the directions we are considering

ty and they have a right to you and all you can earn, because you are property," then the matter would have been settled. Then we should admit that some men ought to be slaves, but upon the heels of thi

nchains the understanding. God cannot be pleased with the ignorance, stupor, injustice and servile wretchedness which are necessary to the very existence of slavery, and hence he can not make it the duty of any man to be a slave, for this would be the same as to make it his duty to be stupid, ignora

places in the New Testament in which the duties of masters are pointed out. Permit us to repeat those duties. "And ye masters do the same things unto them, forbearing

take their wages without compensation; drive them in chain-gangs from state to state, and whip, beat, and abuse them until they perish from the earth? Yes, it is possible. This has been done. "Was there ever," said Dr. Wayland, "s

this term is only once found in the apostolic writings.[12] It is found in the following text: "Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the u

g, and hence it is impossible, in the very nature of the case, for his owner to give him a just compensation for his labor. And the slave has a just right to himself to liberty and the very first honest and enlightened effort of a slaveholder to give to his slave that which is just a

o longer be considered as a person, but deemed, sold, taken,

ple of the system, the following

hold property of any kind, under

t a legal marriage, or claim any woman in

s children, either to protect, restr

be ABSOLUTE, without any possibility of appeal

hall not be able to enter suit in an

testimony in any court where any whit

us, cruel, and excessive beating of his s

a guardian, shall a slave obtain redress for ill-treatment. (Do

ies inflicted by his master, but shall have no redress for those inflicted by

t is distinctly a

naccompanied by any circumstances of cruelty, or an intent to kill and murder. The peace

master kill his slave by torture, no white witnesses being present

who shall release the servant of another from the to

n who shall torture him with red-hot irons, cut out his tongue,

who teaches him to write as to him w

lly in a country where every book and every newspaper are full of dissertations on the rights of man, they theref

under pretence of divine worship, shall assemble themselves; and that every slave found at such meetings shall be immediately corrected without tr

theless in his ignorance he is punished more severe

t that he shall not labor more than five hours lon

seer, not the slave, shall decide when

the slave, desires to better it, the law takes

withstanding his master's promise to the contrary; thus

n use, it shall be lawful for any man to take them away,

ee, he shall be taken up and

not return, any two justices of the peace may declare them outlawed, and give permission to

ey, pp

h is just and equal, because the greatest injustice and inequality enters into the very nature of the relation of slaveholder. Could a man be a just robber or an honest thief? No, because injustice and dishonesty enter necessarily int

Testament relating to masters and servants, that those masters

e regulated. That which is essentially and eternally wrong has nothing in it on which the claim of morality can rest. Morality requires its destruction, not its regulation."[13] The law of God does not point out the duties of liars, adulterers and thieves, because as such, they can have no duties. So God did

ciences as a healing unction when dogging down the fugitive slave. In their blindness they assume that Ph

not a SLAVEHOLDER. The assumption that the one was a slave

did not arrest him, and send him in chains to P

owed the service of his whole life. But Onesimus was no slave. Had he been a slave Paul would have said, "Receive him not as a slave (andrapodon) but above a slave," instead of saying, "not as a servant (doulos) but above a servant." Onesimus was a relative of Philemon, probably a natural brother,-brother "in the flesh;" as may be inferred from

cast upon that book and its authors. Look at that awful despotism, that you may understand what a savage, scaly, bloody-mouth

hority was founded in absolute property; and the bondman was viewed less as a human being subject t

slaves for any or no offence; he might forc

ves were formed and dissolved at his command; fa

property but by the suf

re generally chained, and had a broad wooden

amputation of a foot, or by being sent to fight as a gladiator with wild beasts; b

when his slaves might possibly have aided him, all his househol

apostles gave their sanction

rinciples of revealed rel

ystem of superlative partiality: hence God is opposed to slavery. God is love,-and love wills the highest happiness of the intelligent universe, and the removal of every obstruction to the progress of men to that happiness. But slavery obstructs that progress. It is a barbarizing system, necessarily involving millions of men in igno

ghts of a man. All men are brothers, born into the world on a common level. Hence one man cannot claim his brother and his brother's family without committing an outrageous insult. If the right to claim belongs to any, it belongs to all, and now whose right shall hold? We say if the right to enslave belongs to any it belongs to all, and how is it to be determined who will sink from the right to own slaves to the condition of a SLAVE? Must the strong reduce to

a priceless offering; and hence the claims of Christ are paramount to all other claims, and no one can rightfully become the owner of a fellow-being, unless Christ as Creator and Redeemer first relinquish his claim. A system which should attempt

r pursue? Would he not wish him to grant a deed of immediate manumission to all his family and to himself? Would he not urge the matter as one of immense importance? Is it possible that he could desire to be deprived of liberty, education, permanent family connections, and of the proceeds of his toil? Could any sane man wish to have his sons and daughters grow up in the stupor, ignorance, and m

e plantation, refuse to be examined by any white person, such white person may seize and chastise him; and if the slave shall strike such person, he may be lawfully killed."-"Thou shalt not commit adultery." But female slaves are compelled to commit adultery. The law places them wholly within the power of their masters and overseers, and they dare not, they cannot resist their demands. "Thou shalt not steal." But slavery exists by theft. Every slave is a stolen man. Every slaveholder is a man-stealer. The slave was stolen from Africa, or stolen from his rightful owner, himself, in America. No sophistry can make it plausible that the African slave trade is piracy, and that the perpetuation of slavery is an innocent business. It is theft as clearly to go to the negro hut in Virginia a

s the law of God respecting the family and society. It obstructs the progress of education and religion. It is condemned by the whole spirit of revealed religion. Only a devil could pray for its perpetuation and extension. It is not only a sin, but a combination of stupendous