Christian Doctrine

THE
CHEISTIAI DOCTEIIE
SLAVERY.
GEO. D. ARMSTRONG,
D.D.,
PASTOR OP THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORFOLK, VA.
" Wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrina
which
is
according to godliness."
^1
Tim. VI.
3.
NEW YORK:
CHARLES SCRIBNER,
311
1857.
&
3l9
BROADWAY.
(/
"
Enterkd
according to Act of Congress, in the year KST, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of
TINdON, KTIKKOTYI-BK,
-S:?
CZNTKK
T.
B.
New York.
CRAlGHHAn, rUINTKE.
P E E F A C E.
With
the hope of doing something toward bringing God's people,
North and South, to "see eye to eye" on the much vexed question
of Slavery, this
little
book has been
written,
and
is
now given
to the
public.
Throughout, the author has kept these two ends in view
Christ
and
his Apostles.
tionally omitted.
No
topic which they omitted
has been introduced.

meaning of the
true
by
Nothing which they taught, has been inten-
to a full discussion of Slavery as a civil
be
A faithful exhibition of the doctrine respecting Slavery taught
1.
As
text, the
however
essential
and poUtical question,
the simplest
it
may
method of exhibting the
author has given a paraphrase of each
passage of Scripture particularly examined, and in connection with

his
own, the paraphrases of Whitby, McKnight, and Doddridge, ex-
positors of established reputation both for piety
reader
is
may have
at
and learning, that the
hand the means of determining whether or not he
putting forth novelties in the interpretation of God's
Word
to-
gether with such notes as seemed needful to illustrate and establish

the paraphrase.
2.
An
examination of the
^^
false
glosses,''^
as the author thinks them^
IV
PREFACE.
which Dr. Barnes has put upon
tJccse
passages in his
Barnes' Notes are the only exposition of Scripture, in

lation in our country, in
tically,
^'-
account, they are thus singled out for examination.
made from
Dr. B.'s
*'
Scriptural
would develop the doctrine
"God's word
world.
is
laid
down
and on
this
Occasionally,
Views of Slavery," and
his " Church and Slavery," for the purpose of showing

self
Dr.
circu-
which the attempt has been made, systema-
to " wrest the Scriptures " respecting Slavery
quotations are
Notes^
common
how he him-
in his Notes.
truth," and, as truth, will ere
long govern the
COE^TEI^TS.
CHAPTER
I.
PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE.
PA03
1.
Preliminary Statements.
Slave-holding not in
" Offences " given us in the

2,
These Catalogues
3.
New Testament
4.
Nature of Slavery in
Sins or
Testament,
and minute,
full
New
any Catalogue of
written in Slave-holding States,
5. Often referred to
10
11
Christ's day,
by Christ and
13
his Apostles,
CHAPTER
II.
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
.18
6.
DocLOS,
7.
Slave-holders received
8.
Case of Onesimus.Phil. 10-19,
IV. 1
1 Tim. VI. 2
and retained
Phil.
in the Church.
Eph.
VI. 9
Col.
21
I. 2.,
88
CHAPTER
III.
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
9. Duties of
Masters and Slaves taught as Christian Duties.Eph. VI. 5-9
Col. III. 22-25, IV. 1
10.
1 Tim. VI.
1,
The Doctrine of Christ.1 Tim. VI.
11. Slavery a Matter of Little

Ill,
Titus II.
9,
10; 1 Pet.
II. 18, 19,
Moment. Gal.
50
CI
3,
III.
2S
1 Cor. XII, 13
Col.
05
11; 1 Cor. VII. 20,21,
"
CONTENTS.
VI
CHAPTER
IV.
APOSTOLIC INJCNCTIOK.
PARB
Church. 1 Tim. TI.
12. Doctrine to be taught in the
4,
Titus
II. 9, 10, 15,
18. "Blasphemies,"
75
82
14. "Logomachies."!.
"Mere Property."
" Unrequited Labor."
4.
"Theft."
5.
CHAPTER
2.
"A
Chattel, a Thing."
8.
" Exclusion from the Pulpit.
86
V.
NATCRK AND ORIGIN OF SLAVKBT.

15. Paul's Definition of Slavery.
102
16. Bible Theory of the Origin of Slavery,
110
17. Counter-arguments,
114
CHAPTER
VI.
RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO SLAVERY.

18.
The
19.
The Teaching of the Church,
122
20.
Church and
124
Discipline of the Church,
State,
117
CONCLUSION.
God's
Work
in God's
Way,
181
THE
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
CHAPTEE
I.
Preliminary Statements.
1.
"^The Church
cute his wilL
is
as a
lias
which he
"The power
Bible alone,
Lord Jesus
bound
to exe-
given from God.
is
Its discipline
Church accordingly,
The
Bible,
only-
is
and the
her rule of faith and practice.
prohibit
by
which
as a king has ordained."
of the
can announce what
testimonies
his servants,
and declarative.
ministerial
of the
Its doctrines are his teachings,
prophet
his law,
mands
kingdom
the
Its officers are
Christ.
he
is
it
what
teaches
it
enjoin
condemns
spiritual sanctions.
what
it
She
com-
and enforce her
Beyond
the Bible
she can never rightfully go, and apart from the Bible
T

THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
she can never rightfully speak.

the testimony,' and to
appeal
them
and when they are
put her hand upon her
'
To the law and
to
must always
alone, she
her duty to
silent, it is
Synod of South Caro-
lips."
lina, 1848.
What do
by him
Christ and his Aposties
organization of his Church
and the
relation in
institution
We
commissioned
and perfect the
to complete the sacred canon,
teach respecting slavery,
which the Church stands
reply
^They teach
that slave-holding
sin in the sight of God, and

"offence-''
to that
by
distinction
his Church.
is
is
Having a regard
to the
between slavery and the incidental
which may attach
to it in
itself;
evils
any particular country or
age, as fundamental to their doctrine
defining slavery
not a
not to be accounted an
and care^dly
they direct that the Church,
both by her teaching and her discipline, shall labor
remove the incidental
to
which they
this,
by
evil
distinctly point out
and
the whole subject shall be
this
And,
left to
in a
that,
way
beyond
be regulated
the State, as other civil institutions are, under the
wholesome influence of God's providence, and
his
gospel truth faithfully exhibited by the Church.
The evidence
Word
reader.
of God,
that this answer
we now proceed
is
to
according: to the
set
before the
PKESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE.
Presumpt ive Evidence.

Slave-holding does not appear in any Catalogue
OF Sins or Disciplinable Offences given us in
THE ]ÊW Testament.
This
fact,
which none
will call in question,
is
pre-
sumptive proof that neither Christ nor his Apostles

regarded slave-holding as a sin or an " offence."
That we may give to

weight,
we must
presumption
this
proper
its
take account of such facts as the
following
First.
2.
The
Gcutalogues
of Sins and Discip-
linable Offences^ given us in the

ment., are
extended
numerous^ and
Testa-
some instances,
and minute.
In illustration of
such as these
i7i
New
this statement, let the reader take
" Being
filled
with
all
unrighteous-
ness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, malicious-
ness;
full
of envy, murder, debate, deceit,
malig-
nity
whisperers, backbiters, haters of God,
despite-
ful
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobe-
dient
to
parents, without
understanding, covenant
breakers, without natural affection, implacable, un-
merciful."Eom.
I.
29-31.
1^-
"JN'ow the works of
THE CHKISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
10
the flesh are manifest, which are these
adultery, for-
nication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idohitry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedi-
envjings, murders, drunkenness, re-
tions, heresies,
and such
vellings,
Matt.
XY.
19; Mark.
10
Eph. Y. 5
YI.
9,
10
2 Tim. III.
3. Second.
Gal. Y.
like."
2, 3,
YIL
10-21.
21, 22;
Tim.
11,
Col. III. 8, 9
Eev. XXI. 8 XXII. 15.
All the hooks of
the
were written in slave- holding
in slaveholding states
to
Y.
Philemon
is
I.
9,
N'ew Testament
and were
and churches
states^
origincdly addressed to j)ersons
tle
See also
1 Cor.
One of them
addressed
the
to
epis-
slave-
holder.
Christ and his Apostles lived, and labored, and
founded the Christian Church, in the midst of slaveholding communities.

itself,
This,
the
Xew
Testament
as well as the concurrent testimony of
tory, places
all his-
beyond reasonable question.
Slavery was expressly authorized by Moses' Law.

'*
Both thy hond-men and thy hond-maids^ which thou
shalt have, shall
about you
maids.
of
be of the heathen that are round
them
shall
ye buy hond-men and
ho7id-
Moreover, of the children of the strangers
that do sojourn
among
you, of them shall ye buy, and

PKESDMPTIVE EVIDENCE.
of
in
(i.
tlieir
families tnat are with you,
your land
and they
"
your property.)
e.j
an inheritance f
07'
shall
And
11
which they begat
be your
possessions^''
ye shall take them
your children after you^
them
for a possession, they shall he
everJ^
Lev.
XXY.
to inherit
your londmen for-
The number of
44-46.
and
in Judea, in the days of Clirist
as
slaves
his Apostles,
we
have no means of determining with certainty.

I?i Greece.
" When Demetrius the Phalerian was
governor of Attica, the number of citizens in

state was 21 thousand; the
thousand
I.
9.
of slaves in the
of Claudius
Lord
at
Vol.
I.,
tliat
of foreigners, 10
and the number of slaves, 400 tliousand."
Potter^s Gr. Ant.
number
number
the
no
less
And Gibbon estimates the

Koman Empire, in the days
emperor contemporary with our

than 60 million.
Gibbori's
Rome^
p. 26.
The condition of slaves in Judea^ in our

Lord'^s day^ was no better than it now is in our
4. Third.
Southern
it
was
In Judea.
states^ lohilst
in all other countries
greatly worse.
" Both the food and clothing of slaves
were of the poorest description.
went
to their masters.
All their earnings
The maid-servants were em-
ployed in domestic concerns, though not unfrequently
THE CHEISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
12
tliej
were compelled
from
"
to
nature, were
tlieir
engage in those duties wliich,
more
befitting the other sex."
They commonly had the consent
to marry, or rather, to
woman
in that
way
connect themselves with a
wliich
is
law term, contiihernium/^

ceeded from
of their masters
denominated by a Latin
The children that
this sort of marriages,
pto-
were the property

Jahi's
not of the parents, but of their owners."

ArchcBology^ pp. ISO, 181.
In Borne.
punishment
" For
;
slaves, the lash
was the common
but for certain crimes they used to be
branded in the forehead, and sometimes were forced

to carry a piece of
they went.
wood round
"When
their necks,
wherever
slaves were beaten, they used to
be suspended with a weight tied
to their feet, that
move them. When punished capitally, they were commonly crucified.

If a master of
a family was slain in his own house, and the murderer
they might not
not discovered,
be put
all his
domestic slaves were liable to
to death."
" There
Tlie seller
was a continual market
was bound
his slaves,
and not
to
for slaves at
Rome.
promise for the soundness of
to conceal their faults.
Hence
* " Contuhernium was the matrimony of slaves, a permitted cohabitation

tract."
not partaking of lawful marriage, which they could not conCooper's Justinian^ p. 420.

13
they were commonly exposed to sale naked; and

a scroll hanging at their necks, on which
tliey carried
and
good
their
Rom.
Adaim^s
In
Greece.
bad
"The
5.
were specified."
condition of slaves in Greece
much
appears to have been

Potter's Gr.
qualities
Ant.^ pp. 48, 51.
Ant,
I.
the
same
as at
Rome."
10.^
Fourth. Slavery, and the relations which
it
establishes are freciiiently sjpoken of,
and
yet
more frequently referred
and
his
treat
of
to
hy Christ
Apostles.
The passages
which they expressly
in
slavery will be examined hereafter.
the incidental reference to
it,
As
instances of
on the part of Christ,
* As Rome, in our Lord's day, had extended her dominion over
known workl, her law was
the then
in
the supreme law in every country
which the Apostles preached and planted a Christian
Under the Roman

tuis
pro quadrupedibus
cattle whatsoever.
register
nay, were in a
They had no head
take by purchase or descent

will
nullis
j!??'o
much worse
in the state,
they were not capable of being injured
make no
"slaves were held
civil law,
state than
no name,
:
chlirch.
pro mor-
they had no heirs, and therefore could
they were not entitled to the rights and considerations
were they proper objects of cognation or

;
or
nor could they
of matrimony, and therefore had no relief in case of adultery
tion only
any
title,
affinity,
nor
but of quasi-cogna-
they could be sold, transferred, or pawned, as goods or
14
we may
cite
Luke XVII. 7-10, the
parable of the
improfitable servant {doulos, see G)
Luke !^X.
9-18, the parable of the wicked husbandmen,

maltreat,
his sou
Jno. VIII.
31:,
35, "
who
and then
their lord's servant {doulos)
Whosoever committeth
the servant of sin, and the servant {doulos)
is
gill,
first
abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth
ever
;''"
Jno.
i^crvaiits, for
XV.
15,
''
Henceforth I
the servant {doulos)
call
you not
knoweth not what
have called you friends."
his lord doeth, but I
Evident reference to slavery on the part of the
Apostles we have in 1 Cor.
VL
20,
VIL
22.
''
St.
Paul, in reference to the custom of purchasing slaves,
on whose head a price was then
fixed, just as
upon
any other commodity, and who, when bought, were
personal estate, for goods they were, and as such they were esteemed
they might be tortured for evidence, punished at the discretion of

tlieir lord,
and even put
many'other
civil incapacities
by
to death
which
his authority
together with
have not room to enumerate."
Taylor's Elm. of Civil Law, quoted in Cooper's Justinian, p. 411.
"Here we have an
mon
life.
family
The
illustration
slave has
drawn from what
with the servants of sin,
who may,
at
in the
same
the liberty of sons of
God
will
Thus
family.
it is
any time, be excluded from
God's house and favor, into outer darkness
T.
usual in com-
but may, at the pleasure of his owner, be sold unto another.
Not so the son; he cannot be alienated from the
N.
is
no claim to remain continually
abide in
it
whereas, those
for ever."
who have
Bloowfeld's
tile
15
property of the pnrcliaser, by a very beautiful
and
similitude, represents Christians as
ex23i'essive
And
the servants (douloi) of Christ.
YI. 17,
in Gal.
alluding to the signatures with which slaves in those
days were branded, writes
man
''
From henceforth
of the Lord Jesus.' "
my
metrics
Ilovneh Introduction.
With
the Apostles the word servant [douloi)
word
no
let
body the
trouble me, for I bear in
is
a favorite
for setting forth the relation Vvhich they sus-
tained to
Christ,
persons entirely and for
as
life
devoted to his service, and bound to implicit obedi(See
ence.'
Rom.
But the most
I.
2 Pet.
''
Knowing
Jude,
this,
tliat
signi-
now under examination
that contained in 1 Tim.
is
1.)
significant allusion to slavery
ficant in so far as the point
concerned
I.
the law
is
not
I. 9,
10
made
is
for a
" righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient,

" for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and
"
2:)rofane, for
murderers of fathers and murderers of
" mothers, for

"
them
man-slayers, for whoremongers, for

,
that defile themselves with
" STEALERS
(cindrcijoodistais)^ for
" persons, and
if
mankind,
liars,
for
men-
for perjured
there be any other thing that
is
con-
" trary to sound doctrine."
On
the
word andrajwdistcds Bloomfield remarks
" Expositors are agreed that the Vvôrd
means kidnap-
ping free persons to be sold as slaves, a crime uni-
"
16
versally regarded as of the deepest dye, and always
the countries adjacent to that in which
when Paul wrote
this epistle to
is
one always made, in so far as
the laws of slave-holding states.
quoted
in 3,) whilst
"
capital crime.
And
selleth him, or if
'
See also Deut.
XXIY.
to
7.
death."
ment was not written
to
be
Ex.
"The
for the
this distinction
1.
10.
the
16.
Old
New Testa;
must
and when
of the deepest dye, whilst in the
same
Thessalians, according to Aristophanes, were notorious for
But
if
and education, and
selling
them
any person was convicted of having betrayed a
freeman, he was severely punished by Solon's laws."
Ant.
XXL
him, and, in giving a catalogue of
stealing persons of ingenuous birth

as slaves.
e.
(i.
Patrick^
condemned, mentions " man-stealing
among crimes
*
Bj).
in Timothy's childhood
have been familiar with
sins
'
Timothy, who " from a
Testament Scriptures, of course,
to
man and
he be found in his hand,
had known the Holy Scriptures,"
Paul writes
XXY.
kidnapping was made a
he that stealeth a
he shall surely be put
in
Under Moses' law
though he had not actually sold him
child
we know,
was expressly authorized, (Lev.
slave-holding
44-J:G,
express
^^
between slave-holding and kid-
distinction
napping
in
Timothy was
him we have
testimony that kidnapping prevailed.
The
And
BloonifielcVs iV. T.
punished with death."
Potter's Gr.
PRESUMPTIVE EVroENCE.
epistle lie requires
him
masters, and this the
17
to teach slaves to
more
heartily
when
obey
their
the masters
are Christian men, and to withdraw himself from
any who should
teach a different
1 Tim. YI. 1-5,) the idea
ably that the distinction
doctrine,
would be suggested
made
(see
inevit-
in Moses' law con-
tinued under the Gospel dispensation.
CHAPTER
11.
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
"Brethren, be
followers
"
mark them which walk
"
example." Phil.
together of me,
jou have us
so as
and
for
an
III. IT.
DouLos.
6.
There are several Greek words used by the sacred

writers which, in our English version of the IsTew
One
Testament, are alike translated servant.
them, the word Doulos,
it
will
of
be necessary to
examine, as preparatory to an intelligent decision of

the
question.
What do
teach respecting slavery
" Doulos
Christ
and
his
Apostles
A 'bondman^
slave, servant, pr.
by birth.
In a family, the clotdos was one bound to serve

slave
and was the property of
his master,
possession,' as Aristotle calls him.

fore,
was never a hired

18
The
'
a living
doulos, there-
servant, the latter
being
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
and
called misthios
See Potter's
q. v.
Adam's Eom. Ant., Dictionary
Gr. Ant.
servus^
art.
Qnisthotos^
19
BohinsoTi's
" Doulos^ from deo^ to bind, means a
from a
slave^ as distinguished
and
called misthios
VI.
And
5.
Dr.
of Ant.,
iT. T. Lexicon.
/wV<?c^
hondman
servant,
Hodge
adds "
misthotosy
Hodge
It
or
who was
on Eph.
is
evident,
both from the meaning of the terms here used and
from the known historical

throughout the
Roman
age, that this
e.
of the
"
(i.
Eph. YI. 5-9) and other passages
New Testament
The word
perly an
fact that slavery prevailed
empire during the apostolic
refer to that institution."
doidos, contracted for deolos,
adjective,
was pro-
but,
used
denotes a 'bond-servant^ usually for
substantively,
liiQ^Bloomfield's iT. T.,
For the
hound;
signifying
distinction
Eom.
I. 1.
between the word doulos and
several other words, also translated servant in our
English version, the reader can consult " Trench''
Synonyms of the
doulos
is
New Testament.^''
His
definition of
" one in a permanent relation of servitude
to another.
^'^
Dr. Barnes
is
one among the few writers
called this definition of djoulos in question

little
show.
is
reason an examination of his
The
case, as stated
" The word {doulos)
own
who have
with how
authority will
by himself in his " ITotes,"
is
that
which
is
commonly
20
applied to a slave^ but
it is
so extensive in
any
cation as to be applicable to
There
whether voluntary or involuntary.
in the word itself which essentially
Examine Matt. XIII.
slavery.
X. 41; Luke,
Eev.
VI.
I. 1,
Rom.
to
it
Mark,
15; Acts,
2 Cor. lY. 5
zyBarnes'
20, YII.
II.
27
II.
18,
Jude, 1
mtes,
Tim.
1.
Of
these fourteen instances thus quoted
six viz.. Acts, lY.

lY. 5
is
1.
nothing
is
limits
XX.
27,
XY.
29; Jno.
II.
lY. 29, XYI. 17
its signifi-
species of servitude,
Jude, 1
XYI. 17; Eom.
29,
Rev.
1.
by Barnes,
1.
2 Cor.
are instances in which
it
used figuratively, and applied to the Apostles,
by themselves or
either
others, for the
setting forth the fact that they

life
devoted to God's service, (see
beauty of the figure
is
purpose of
were entirely and
destroyed
if
5,)
and the chief
we
give the word
doulos any other than what Dr. B. admits to be
''common"
it is
meanins:.
Four are instances
applied in the same
Luke, IL 29
Acts, IL
way
18
to
;
for
in
God's people
Rev.
II.
its
which
viz.,
20, YII. 3.
Matt. XIII. 27, in the parable of the tares, the mean-
ing of the word doulos

slave
in the
On
is
positively determined to be
by the use of the corresponding term despotas

same sentence.
Matt.
among
XX.
27
you, let
"
For Jno. XY.
But whosoever
him be your
15, see 5.
will
be great
minister {diakonos)
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
and whosoever
will
be chief among yon,
joiir servant" {doulos).
record
'parallel
remarks
of
And
the
Mark, X.
same words.
" Dlakonosdoulos.
difference
21
between these terms
let liim
4-i,
be
the
is
Bloomlield
There
is
properly a
the former si^nifv-
ing a servant like owy footman or valet^ and nsiially a
freeman
slaved
the latter, a servant for
For an
all
work, and also a
illustration of this difference in the
meaning of the two words,
as beautifully illustrated
in the parable of the marriage-supper, the reader
consult
" Treiicli's Syn. of iY.
stances cited
Z"
can
All these
by Dr. Barnes, when examined,
in-
instead
of setting aside, do but establish the meaning assigned

to the
word doulos by
all
our lexicographers and
commentators of reputation.
1.
II.
The Apostles Received Slave-Holdeks into

THE ChpJSTIAN ChURCH, AND CONTINUED THEM
THEREIN, WÎTHOUT GIVING
ANT INTIMATION EITHER
AT THE TIME OF THEIR RECEPTION, OR AFTERWARDS, THAT Slave-Holding was a Sin before
God, or to be accounted an offence by the
Church.
Proof. J5?A.
Philemon
I. 2.
VL
9,
Col.
IV.
1,
Tim. VI.
2,

22
YI.
Epii.
"
1
'
And ye
do the same things unto them,
inastors,
" forbearing threatening

" also
in
is
heaven
9.
knowing
neither
is
that yom- master
there respect of persons
" with him."
Paraphrase.
And ye masters^ who are saints and
faithful in Christ Jesus

slaves {douloi^
which
Y.
have enjoined
(')
5) in the
it
upon them
you, forbearing threatening

ter also
is
in
heaven
{See I.
1.,)
treat
same Christian
neither
knowing
is
your
spirit in
that they treat

that your mas-
there respect of per-
son* with him.*
Masters who are saints and faithful in
]^0TEs.(')
Christ Jesus.
The
titles,
Agioi, saints, and Pistoi^
faithfuls or believers, are the titles
by which the mem-
bers of the Christian Church were
nated in the Apostle's days.
commonly
The name
generally used in later times, had not then
common
New
*
designation
Testament.
To avoid
it is
Some
desig-
Christian, so
become a
used but three times in the
of the epistles are addressed
distracting the reader's attention,
we
shall give a para-
phrase of the passages of Scripture quoted in proof, in so far only as

they bear upon the point under examination at the time they are
quoted.
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
to
^'
the chiiTclies^''
others to
'^
e.
g.
23
Gal. and 1 and 2 Thess.
the saints ^^^ ov 'Hhe saints
or lelievers^^
e.
g.
Eom.
and faithful^
and 2 Cor., and
this
epistle to the Ephesians.
The propriety of the para-
phrase will appear,
From
epistle
will of
to
" Paul,
God,
(1)
the address of the
an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the
to the saints
which are
the faithful in Christ Jesus^''
I.
at Ephesus,
1
Erom
(2)
motive with whicli Paul enforces obedience

injunction:
"knowing that ye
heaven neither
;
is
also
and
the
to his
have a master in
there respect of persons with him
:"
a motive w^hich might be urged wdth. great effect in
addressing a Christian master
but whicli
would be
it
folly to present to a heathen.
Col. IY.
1.
" Masters, give unto your servants that whicli
is
"just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master

" in heaven."
Paraphrase.
Ye
masters (who
are
faithful brethren in Christ at Colosse,
your slaves {douloi) that which
knowing that ye
also
1.
"And
is
saints
I. 2),
just
and
give unto
and equal;
have a master in heaven.
Tim. YI.
2.
they that have believing masters,
let
them'
24
" not despise them, because tliey are brethren
but
" rather do them service, because they are faithful and
" beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach

" and exliort."
Paraphrase.
V. 1) tliat
And
they
(i.
e.
such slaves, douloi^
have believing {pistons) masters,
not despise them, because they are
who
let
them
hrethren
(')
but the rather do them service,
{adeljyhoi) in Christ,
because they
tlieir
are partakers in the benefits of their
and heloved Q) {agapatoi)
labor, are faithful {pistoi)
These things teach in the Church, and
of God.
exliort Christian slaves to observe
some words, even the words
of the
them, as " whole-
Lord Jesus Christ,"
V. 3.*
IToTEs.(')
"The
loved, sons of
* "
And
titles,
God,
hrethren, saints, elect, he-
have ever been applied
etc.,
they that have believing masters, let them not despise
them, because they are advanced to be brethren, and
them
in Christ
are faithful
(i.
but rather,
e.,
And
let
them do them
so,
equal to
service, because they
of the household of faith) and beloved of God, par-
takers of the benefit.
"
as
These things teach and exhort."
those Christian slaves
who have beUeving
Wldthy.
masters, let thera
not despise them, fancying that they are their equals, because they
are their brethren in Christ
for
though
all
Christians are equal as to
religious privileges, slaves are inferior to their masters in station.
Wherefore,
let
them serve
their masters
more
diligently,
because they
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
the special prerogative
Christians."
Cole7na7i's
25
of believers, or professing
Ancient Christianity^
Philemon,
p. 110.
2.
I.
" Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our
"brother, unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and

" fellow-laborer
and
our beloved Apphia, and
to
" Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the Church in

" thy house."
Paraphrase.
Paul, a
prisoner for the cause of
Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto our

dearly beloved Philemon, ou7' fellow-minister {simergos)
the
Church;
and Archippus our

who
and
to
our beloved Apphia,
and
to the
Church
enjoy the benefit of their service, are believers, and beloved of
God.
These things teach
and exhort the brethren
And
as for those servants
masters, let
who
practise
are so happy as to have believing
them not presume upon
because they
ai'e
much
that account to despise
them
brethren, and with respect to sacred privileges
equal in Christ their conimon Lord
with so
to
McKnight.
them."
"
(')
fellow-soldier,
but
let
them rather serve them
the greater care, tenderness, and respect, because they
are faithful and beloved,
and partakers with them of the great and
glorious benefit which the Gospel brings to
of whatever rank or profession in
been mentioning, take care,
life.
all its faithful
professors,
These things which
have
Timothy, to teach and exhort thine
hearers always to maintain a due regard to them."
Doddridge.
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY."
26
which statedly assembles for GotVs worship in thy

*
house.
(^)
Our fellow-minister
KoTES-O
Church.
'''
In
helper.
Smiergos.
IST.
T.
JS^.
co-worker,
fellow-laborer,
spoken only of a co-worker, helper
in the Christian work,

JRoMnso7i''s
{swiergos) in the
i.
of Christian teachers."
e.
" Literally, helper, (in
T. Lexicon.
the cause of the Gospel,) whether as a Deacon, or
Preacher
to the congregation
uncertain."
is
assembling in his house,
BloomfieWs N. T.
* " Paul, a prisoner of Jesus
Clirist,
"Archippus,
and Timothy our brother, write
unto Philemon, our dearly beloved and fellow-laborer; and to our
beloved Apphia, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the
church
in thy
house." IFAiîy,
"Paul, confined with a chain for preaching Christ Jesus to the

Gentiles,
and Timothy, our
lirothcr-ministcr, to
Philemon the beloved
of us both, and our fellow-laborer in the Gospel, and to Apphia, the
beloved of
to that
all
part
who know
her,
and
Archippus our fellow-soldier, and
to
of Jhe Church at Colosse which
is
in
thy hûse."
McKnight.
"Paul, a well-known prisoner in the cause of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, a brother, not
unknown, join
in their salutations to
Philemon
our beloved friend, and pious fellow-laborer in the work of the Gospel of our blessed
Church
and
Redecmor, and one of the Pastors of the Colossian
and we also address thorn
to
Apphia, his pious consort,
to his associate in the ministry, Archippus, our fellow-soldier in
that holy warfare in which

Christians
tliat is in
we
are engaged
thine liouse.*'
and the
Doddridge.
little
church of
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
27
appears from Col. lY. IT, to have been a Pastor of
The
the Church of Colosse.
given Philemon, makes
it
probable that he was his
He
colleague in the ministry.

hints given in the Epistle, to
distinction
of fellow-laborer,
title
seems from several
have been a person of
particularly from the mention
the Church in his house, (ver.
2,)
and
made
of
his liberal con-
tribution to the relief of the saints, (ver.
5,
;)
and
the general strain of the letter shows, that the Apostle
held
as
him
in
very high esteem, and looked upon him
one of the great supports of religion in that
society."
(")
in thy house.
wo/'shij?
XYI.
Doddridge^ Int.
The Ckurch which
5,
Dr.
church that
many
mean
of the
their
to
On
a similar phrase in
Hodge remarks
is
Phil.
statedly assemhlesfor God's
" These
Rom.
words,
'
the
in their house^ are understood by
Greek and modern commentators,

Christian faraily
Koppe, Tholuck, &c.

ral interpretation
is,
'
so
Calvin,
to
Flatt,
The most common and natuthe church which
"
to assemble in their house.'
is
accustomed
Hodge on Bomans.
Remabks.
First.
In
these
several
passages
wê
find
inspired Apostle, giving to slave-holders the
an
titles,
" Saints^ Faithfid in Christ Jesus, Believers, Breth-
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRIXE OF SLAVERY.
28
ren^ Beloved,
members
Dearly Beloved^^
of the
which
as
it
titles
by which
and enjoining npon them
by
masters
Christian
And
motives
in
their
motives
folly to
have addressed to
in the case of
Philemon, addres-
Deacon
or Pastor in the
would have been
heathen men.
the
Church were commonly designated
the Apostles' day

duties
call
sing a slave-holder as a
Christian Church, and along with his salutation to
him, sending like salvation "
to the
Church
in his
house."
Could we have clearer evidence than
this that the
Apostles received slave-holders into the Church, and
continued them therein, seeing in their slave-holding
nothing inconsistent with " having a good conscience

before
God" and
Second.
writes
"
good standing" in the Church
In his Xotcs on 1 Tim. VI.
" Nor
is
it
foirly to
2,
Dr. Barnes
be inferred from
this
passage that he (Paul) meant to teach that they

(masters)
might continue
yet be entitled to
to the Christian
all tlie
this
(i.
slave-holding)
and
name, or be regarded as maintaining
a good standing in the Church.

true on these
e.
respect and confidence due
points,
Whatever may be
the passage before us only
man who was
slave-holder might be converted, and be sj)oken of
as
proves that Paul considered that a
'
Many have been concircumstances, as many have in the
believer,' or a Christian.
verted in similar
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
29
What was
practice of all other kinds of iniquity.

their
duty after their conversion was another ques-
And
tion."
in the
summary
of the truth taught in
the whole passage, (ver. 1-5,) he adds
not teach that a
man
that point.
It
"
It
does
can be a Christian and continue
hold others in bondage, whatever
to
may
be true on
does not teach that he ought to be
considered as maintaining a 'good standing' in the
Church
if
he continues
The
to
be a slave-holder."
The
quotations are Dr. B.'s own.
italics in these
insinuation, or rather the clear implication
contained in these paragraphs

masters," here spoken
of,
is
that the " believing
were slave-holders only
at
the time of their conversion, and were required to

free their slaves before they could
be permitted "
to
maintain a good standing in the Church."
What
are the facts in this case,
and those of the
passages similar in import in the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians,
self
1.
Ill the case
church
at
to
Philemon, Dr. Barnes
hijpa-
and that " the
* "
of 1 Tim. VI.
2.
Paul
founds a
Ephesus, a.d. 55, (see Barnes' Int. to 1 Tim.,)

full
there," ^ that this
full
and
being our witness-in-chief?
The Apostle,
power of the Gospel should be
may be
tried
a model Church, he spends
therefore, seems to liave been anxious that
power of the Gospel should be
tried there,
tlie
and that Ephosus
?>0
years with
tliree wliole
from house
this
time he
them"
is
who
Timothy,
keeping back nothing that was
to house,
profitable to
" teaching publicly and
it,
(Acts,
driven
XX.
20).
away from Ephesus. but
this, (a.d.
68 or 59
Three years then, at the

is
leaves
II. 22),
in charge.
Barnes,) he writes
Timothy, yet laboring in Ephesus.
his First Epistle to
Church
the end of
" as a son with the father, has served
with him in the Gospel," (Phil.

Shortly after
At
least,
model
after this
founded by Paul, there are slave-holders in
known
and in writing
it,
and
to
Timothy, their pastor, Paul speaks of them as
this fact, is well
to Paul,
" helievers, hrethren^ faithful^ and helomdP

far
And
he from intimating that they ought
is
to
so
be
excluded from the Chnrch, or that they were not

" entitled to
all
the respect and confidence due to the
Christian name," he requires Timothy to teach their

slaves, also
se^'ve
them
members
(i.
e.
of the
same Church, that they
their " believing masters") the
more
faithfully, and treat them with the more respect,
because they are their

2.
In
the case of
''
^beloved of God."
From four seven
brethren
Eph. VI.
9.
to
years after, Paul wrote his First Epistle to Timothy,
sliould
become
world as
it
Epheaians.
as important as a centre of influence in the Christian
had been
in
paganism and
civil affairs."
Barnes^ Int.
to
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
he writes an
it
31
epistle to tlie Churcli at
Ephesus, writes
during his second imj^risonment at Rome, and
shortly before his martyrdom.
Eph.)
Slave-holders are
and Paul
still
cognizant of this
is
(See Barnes' Int. to

in this
intimating that they ought not to
model Church,
But instead of
fact.
''
be regarded as
maintaining a good standing in the Church," he

specially addresses masters and slaves, as classes of
Church members, along with husbands and wives,

parents and children, giving them the
titles
and Faithful in Christ Jesus," and repeats
''
Saints
to Christ-
ian slaves the
same
their conduct
which he had before given by Timothy.
3.
Ill the case
of
direction, in substance, resjêcting
Col.
IV.
1.
Paul, in conjunction
with Silas and Timothy, found a Church at Colosse,

A.D. 52, 53.
he writes an
to Col.)
In
" saints
and
Some
ten to thirteen years afterwards,
epistle to this
this epistle
Church.
(See Barnes' Int.
he addresses slave-holders as
faithful brethren in Christ,"
and carefully
prescribes the relative duties of masters and slaves as
Christian men, and enforces these his directions
Christian motives;
by
but says not one word about
emancipation.
4.
Ii
the case of Phil. I. 2.
which Paul writes
At the same time
his epistle to the
and by the same person,
Church at
at
Colosse,
(see Barnes' Int. to Col.,)
he
addresses an epistle to Philemon, his " dearly be-
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTJRINE OF SLAVERY.
32
loved sunergos^^
deacon or
(''
Bloomfield^
'
preacliei*-
Dod-
" one of the pastors of the chnrch at Colosse"

dridge)^ sendhig
back
him Onesimus,
to
a slave,
who
had some time before run away from him, and who,
Home, had been hopefully
whilst a fugitive in
verted through Paul's instrumentality.
we
own
him
his freedom,
will not affect the case, in so far as the point
that
is
concerned.
ten years, at the
least,
Colosse wâs founded by Paul
not as worthy
members
deacon or pastor
(ver. 19),
also,
in
and even that Paul
desire,
did reguest his master to grant
under examination
con-
admit,
Onesimus was sent back
as Dr. B. contends, that
accordance with his
If
It
had
only, but
now
clear, then,
the
after
it
is
it
Church
at
slave-holders,
a slave-holding
one of Paul's
own
converts
and one of such standing in the Church
that a part of that
Church was accustomed
for divine worship in his house.
and he writes
to this
Paul knows
Philemon an
to
meet
all this,
epistle of wdiich
slave-holding furnishes the occasion, not only without
any intimation that
his slave-holding
was inconsistent
with his "good standing" in the Church, but he

writes in terms which, as an honest
man, he could
not have used had he thought Pliilemon an unworth}^

office-bearer in the Church.
Is
all this
reconcilable with the idea that a slave-
holder, though " ho
might be converted
as
many
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
have been in the practice of

quity
yet
Church
8.
other kinds of ini-
maintain a good standing " in
conlcl not
the Christian
all
33
in the Ajôstles'
day
Paul sent back a Fugitive Slave, aftek the

Slave's hopeful Conversion, to his Christian
Master again, and
assigns as his reason for
so DOING THAT MaSTEr's RIGHT TO THE SERVICES
OF HIS Slave.
Proof.
Philemon, 10-19.
"I beseech thee
for
my
" have begotten in
my
bonds
" was to thee unprofitable, but

" and to
me whom
;
" fore receive him, that
which
now
in times past
profitable to thee
have sent again
thou there-
mine own bowels
is
whom
son Onesimus,
whom
" would have retained with me, that in thy stead he

" might have ministered unto
''
Gospel.
me
in the
But without thy mind would
" that thy benefit should not be as

"
sity,
but willingly.
it
bonds of the
I
do nothing,
were of neces-
For perhaps he therefore
" departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive

"
him
''
seivant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but
"
how much more
for ever
not
now
as a servant,
but above a
unto thee both in the flesh and in
2-
34:
"
tlie
Lord
" receive
If
him
tlioii
count
me
therefore a partner,
If he hath
as myself.
wronged
thee,
" or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account

" Paul, have written
" repay
it
albeit,
" owest unto
me
Paraphrase."
it
with mine own
do not say
even thine own
to
I,
hand, I will
thee
how thou
self besides."
I Paul, beseech thee (Philemon) for
my son in the faith, Onesimus, whom I have begotten

in my bonds.
In time past, though called Onesimus,
he has been an unprofitable slave to
{profitable ^)
thee
but
believe, I
now
that he has
been truly converted,
deavor to serve thee
''
not with eye service, but in
singleness of heart," (Eph. YI. 5, 6,) doing

ily," (Col.
version.{^)
in. 23,) as
As
lie
I have sent
I entreat thee to receive
Had
hath served
his sjîritual father
Christian duty^
bowels.
as I
have confidence in him, that he will en-
him
him
as
regarded mine
it
"heart-
me
since his con-
and
instructor in
hach to thee
one that
own
is
; (^)
and
mine own
wishes, and not
thy rights, I would have kept him with me, that in
thy stead he might have rendered
mine imprisonment which
me
that service in
know thou wouldst most

Pome. But
cheerfully have done hadst thou been in

that I
I
might not even seem
had a right
to
compel thee, even where
to expect assistance
from thee, 1 would
do nothing of the kind loithout thine
expiêss consent.(^)
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
Who
35
but that, in God's providence, Onesi-
shall say
mns escaped from thee for a season, that thou

shouldst have him again for Ufe.i^) Eeceive him
back
into thy family again, I beseech thee, not as a
fugitive slave {do2dos),Q) to be regarded with suspicion and treated with severity
but, even, as one
better than an ordinary slave, {doulos,) a brother,
become
especially dear to me, and, I doubt not, to
even more dear to thee, as a member of thy family,
and of the Church worshipping in thy house.

count
me
him
therefore a partner, receive
taking into account his former unprofitableness to
If,
thee, along
with his diligent and willing service for
the future, thou yet thinkest that he hath

thee in
to thee, put that to
Paul have written

repay
it
this
* "
e.
past
own
with mine
my
account.
own hand, I will

God made me
not to say to thee, that as
the instrument in thine
thine
wronged
running awayî^) or in any way he hath be-
come indebted
i.
If thou
as myself.
self to
own
conversion, thou owest
me.*
beseech thee for ray son Onesimus,
converted to the faith
when
was
in
whom I have begotten

my bonds which in time
:
was to thee an unprofitable servant, but now,
profitable to thee,
and
if
sent back, to
me
Whom
if
received, will be
have sent again
unto thee, he being in duty thine, and not to be employed by others,

or detained without thy leave.
sav
that
is,
Thou therefore
receive
him him,
mine own bowels, he being as dear to me as
if
he had
00
As he hath served me since his conversion.
JSToTES-C)
This
is
McKiiiglit's paraphrase of ''profitable to
me," and
we can
only sense which
tlie
is
proceeded from mine own bowels
wliom
assign to
would willingly have
retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto
me
1
nature
this
who
received from him

it
But without thy mind would
being in the bonds of the Gospel.
do nothing of
that thy benefit (or the advantage I
thy servant) should not be, on thy part, as
is
were a matter of necessity, because thou couldst not have him
own
returned to |hee, but willingly, by thine
For perhaps he
grant.
therefore departed from thee for a season, that thou shouldst receive
him
for ever
him,
I say,
i.
not
e.,
to serve thee for
now
That thou shouldst receive
life.
as a servant only, but above a servant, as being
also in Christ a brother beloved, specially (or, particularly) to me, but
how much more unto
thee, both in the flesh
being of thy family and of ihy
foith.
and
in the Lord,
If thou count
me
If he have
partner in thy friendship, receive him as myself.
wronged
thee in anything, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account
Paul have written
it
with mine
a solemn obligation that

i.
e.,
insist
upon
it,
repay
it
albeit I
so have entered into
do not say to thee,
how thou owest unto me, by whom thou wast
converted, even thine

sides."
I will
own hand, and
as
e.,
i.
therefore a
own
self,
or the well-being of thy soul, be-
Whitby.
these considerations I beseech thee for my son, whom I

my bonds, and who on that account is very dear to me, even
Onesimus, whom I acknowledge, formerly was to thee an unprofit-
"
By
all
begat iu
able slave, but now' having

ful,
been to me since
his
embraced the Gospel, he
will,
by
his faith
affectionate services, be very profitable to thee, even as he has
own
is to
desire.
say, receive
his conversion.
Do thou
one who
Him
therefore receive
is
have sent back to thee by
him
mine own bowels,
into thy family
my
that
son, a part of me.
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
37
the expression, without giving to the same

ferent senses, as
parts of the
" to thee," and
offices to
me
But, whatever
me
title I
had to
bonds of
thou hadst
if
on account
his services,
as an Apostle of Christ suflFering for
knowing thy mind, whose
Gospel, without
me."
to
in these
the Gospel, which thou thyself wouldst have performed
been at Rome.
'^
wish to detain him with myself, that, in thy
might have performed those
of what thou owest to
dif-
stands connected with different
it
same sentence
Being so useful to me,

stead, he
word
nothing to encourage him to stay with
slave he
me
is,
that thy
he
would do
good deed
in
pardoning him might not be as extorted, but as proceeding from thine
own good
To mitigate thy resentment,
will.
also for this reason he
thou mightest have him thy slave for

but above a slave
who know
mê
services.
by
who
affection,
life
little
while, that
no longer as a slave only
even a beloved Christian brother
and have been indebted
his worth,
How much more
religion,
and
consider, that perhaps
was separated from thee for a
to
especially to
him
thee with more understanding,
will serve
If thou then hold
than before?
me
for his
by nation and
to thee, as a brother, both
fidelity,
as a partaker of
thy affection, give him the same reception which thou wouldst give
And
to myself.
if
he hath injured thee anything by running away,
or oweth thee in the
And
own
way of borrowing,
place
it
all
to
to entitle thee to payment, I Paul have written
hand, I
will
repay thee
thee to pardon Onesimus I

thine
own
self besides."
my
not say to thee, thou owest
me even
McKnight.
"I entreat thee concerning

begotten to Christ in
account.
with mine
This I have done, that in urging
all.
may
my
it
a certain son of mine,
bonds
and
that account, be inclined to favor,
whom
whom
hope thou
wilt,
have
upon
knowing how dear he must be
me, considered as a soul which God hath given
me
at such a
to
sea-
THE CHRISTIAIi DOCTKENE OF SLAVERY.
38
As
(')
Christian duty^
I have sent
him hack
instructor in
Of
to thee.
the
anapempo, here rendered " sent again," Robin-"
word
son as
this.
indeed,
if I
it,"
and
his spiritual father^
And
may
it
is
no other than thy servant Onesimus
who
so allude to his name, did not formerly answer to
(Onesimus, signifies profit.
Note.) " for he was once unprofitable
to thee, negligent of thy business, and so conscious of thy displeasure

that he fled from
But he now
it.
is,
and
I trust will be, profitable
both to thee and to me, so as daily to give increasing satisfaction to

us both
to
me
whom, how agreeable and
here,
him with readiness and

receive, as
love, that
it
useful soever he
have sent back to thee again
were,
he may seem, as
it
with him wherever he goes.
bowels
might have been
do thou therefore receive
Receive him did
affection.
my own
a person
say ? nay rather
whom
I so
tenderly
were, to carry the heart of Paul along
Whom
indeed
was desirous to have
kept neir me, that he might have officiated for thee, and in thy stead
attended upon
me
in the
bonds
I suffer for
the sake of the Gospel
Philemon, the justice to believe, thou wouldst have
for I do thee,
found a pious pleasure in every ministration of

near me.
But
would do nothing
this kind, if
consent, that thy benefit might not seem extorted
appear a voluntary
opportunity
act.
therefore return
for perhaps he
thou wert
in this affair without thy express
him
by
necessity, but
by the
to thee
was separated from thee
first
for a while,
by
the permission of Providence to this very end, that thou mightest

receive
him and enjoy him
and useful
whose
to the
for ever
ear, is as
it
Hebrew custom, Ex. XXI.
all
that he might not only be dear

life,
as a servant,
were, bored to the door of thine house, (to allude

6,)
source of eternal delight to thee,
where
to thee, during all the remainder of his
distinctions
but that he might indeed be a

in
that infinitely better world,
between masters and their slaves
shall cea&e,
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
son gives this definition
"
11."
As
belonged
Luke
XXIII. 11
I*liilemon
that he (Jesus)
Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him
to
you
I (Pilate) sent
nothing worthy of death
lo,
knew
soon as he (Pilate)
For
Herod.
again.
To send up before a
Luke XXIII. 7, 15. 2.
''1.
higlier tribunal, to remit.
To send lack
39
to
is
him (Herod)
to
and
done unto him."
even that world of complete liberty and everlasting friendship.
mean
the
time, receive
him not now
frowned upon, and kept at a distance, for his former
him merely
as a
common
brother, especially to me, as having been for

ful
attendant upon
whom
thee, to
hast so long
more
me
in
my
afflictions
he belongs both in the
known
particularly
nor treat
but
flesh
relation, a
beloved
some time a very
how much more
and
use-
so to
in the Lord, as thou
him, and wilt have the pleasure of discerning
how happy
temper and character
faults
servant, but as above a servant, as standing
much more dear and honorable
in another, a
In
as a fugitive slave, to be long
a change Christianity hath
If therefore, thou esteem
me
made
in his
as a friend
and
a companion in Christ, I beseech thee to receive him as thou wouldst

myself, if I could have the satisfaction of
to thee in
far as
it
written
hope,
has been the case, charge
it
with
my own
legal security for
it.
to
my
pay
Not
it
is
indebted
foUies, (of
truly sensible,) as
account.
hand, and do hereby, as
I will
substance will go.
it
made him
it
Paul have
were, give thee
again upon demand, as far as
to say to thee thus, as I
me."
Doddridge.
my
was the happy
instrument of thy conversion to Christ, thou owest even thine

self to
per
visit in
consequence of any former extravagances and
which divine grace hath, now,
little
making thee a
If he have injured thee in any pecuniary matter, or
son.
own
40
Luke XXIII.
again
(Herod) sent him (Jesus)
New
Pilate." Luke XXIII. 11.
to
ment usage,
Testa-
then, requires us to understand Paul,
sajs, " I
when he
And
"
7, 15.
have sent again," to mean, that he
had used some authority in returning Onesimus

his master.
And as an Apostle
idea of acting
''
as a
Lord
in God's heritage," the
only consistent interpretation of the expression

presented in the paraphrase, "
and instructor
(')
As
is
that
his spiritual father
in Christian duty."
I would
do nothing of the kind without thine
When
express consent.
writes, "
Paul
thy min-d would I do nothing,"
him
to
indignantly repels the
But without
we must understand
what he has written in the verse
as referring to
preceding.
(*)
Shoiddest receive
him again for
use of the expression {aionios) ''for

to slaves, see Sep. Ex.
XXI.
5,
vant shall plainly say, I love
and
my
children
I will not
life.
For this
ever^"' as
applied
if
the ser-
" And
my
my
master,
go out free
master shall bring him unto the judges
then his
he shall also
bring him unto the door, or unto the door-post

his master shall bore his ear
and he
XT.
(^)
ir
shall serve
;
Lev.
Not
and
through with an awl
him for ever^
XXY.
wife,
See also Deut.
46.
as a fugitive slave.
phrases the clause, and
we
So Doddridge para-
think, correctly;
since
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
Paul
here speaking immediately of Onesimus'
is
by
reception
his master,
that the treatment

fugitives
was very
Hath
and not of
And we know,
relation to him.
(')
41
his subsequent
from other sources,
commonly received by returned
severe.
"
loronged thee in rimning away.
Many
are of opinion that Onesimus robbed his master before
he ran
we
off.
But of
no evidence
this there is
think the expression, ver. 18,
thee in
But the Apostle might mean, injured
The words will
pretation.
Why
unless
If he have injured
anything^ contain an insinuation of
of his services.
thee
this sort.
by the
loss
fairly bear this inter-
then, as Lardner observes, impute
men without proof?" M^KnigMs Int. to

" From these words, many infer that Onesi-
crimes to
Phil.
mus had been
guilty of robbery as well as desertion.
But the recent commentators seem
right in thinking
that the terms will scarcely authorize us to suppose

this.
Adikase
may
apply to the having wronged his
master by depriving him of his services during his

absence, or perhaps
fieWs N.
T.
by
idleness
before."
Bloom-
42
REMARKS.
In his preface to
M'Knight writes " What
this Epistle to
First.
Philemon on
notice
tliis
occasion
Apostle wrote to
the
is
Philemon,
highly worthy of our
namely, that although he had great need of
an affectionate and honest servant to minister to
him
Onesimus was, who had
in his bonds, such as
expressed a great inclination to stay with
although
if
him
and
Onesimus had remained with him, he
would only have discharged the duty which Phile-
mon
himself
owed
to his spiritual father, yet the
Apostle will by no means detain Onesimus without
Philemon's leave,
of his own slave in

also the
belonged to
'because it
the
way
him
to
dispose
he thought proper.
{See
Paraphrases of Whitby and Doddridge on
this point.)
Such was the
Ap(?Stle's regard to justice
and the rights of mankind."
And
subsequently,
when setting
made
of this epistle,
makes no
alteration in
he writes
men's
forth the uses to be
" Christianity
political state.
Onesimus, the slave, did not
become a freeman by embracing

was
still
Christianity, but
obliged to be Philemon's slave for ever,
unless his master gave
him
his
freedom.
Slaves
should not be taken^ nor detained from their masters^
without their
inaster'^s consent.'^'^
Whitby and Doddridge on
{See
Paraphrases of
this point also.)

APOSTOLIC P^XAMPLK.
Second.
"whom
Dr. Barnes,
we
remarks, to which
on the expression,
in his notes
have sent again,"
43
makes
(ver. 12,)
/<9?;r
will briefly turn the reader's
attention.
"There
1.
not the slightest evidence that he
is
(Paul) compelled
him (Onesimus),
The language
to go.
him
or even urged
would have
just such as
is
been used on the supposition either that he requested
him
to
mus
desired to go, and that Paul sent
go and bear a
Comp.
to his request.
posed
it
letter to Colosse, or that Onesi-
necessary
to
send
'
my
All
state shall
'Yet I sup-
my
you Epaphroditus,
to
brother and companion in labor.'
is
him agreeably
Phil. 11. 25.
Col.
lY.
7,
Tychicus declare unto you,
8.
who
a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and
fellow-servant in the Lord
whom
have sent unto
But Epa]3hroditus and Tychicus were not
you.'
against their
own
to think that
Onesimus was."
]ôt to dwell
will,
nor
upon the
sent
there any more reason
is
Barnes^ Notes.
fact that the
ti-anslated sent in Phil. II. 25,
Greek words
and Col. lY.
7, are
not
the same with that used in Philemon, 12, and therefore cannot properly
that
word
ditus
be appealed
We remark,
in these instances, Epaphro-
and Tychicus were
sent
by Paul,
the one to
in virtue of
his
Apos-
commentators are agreed.
Not
Philippi, the other to Colosse

tolic authority, as all
to in interpreting

44
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTKINE OF SLAVERY.
against their will,

ministers, taught
they were' worthy Christian
if
of the
Spirit
of
God
submit
to
themselves to one set over them in the Lord

not,
on that account, the
less
sent
yet
by Paul the
Apostle, in virtue of that authority which Christ
had
conferred upon
him
calling
in
him
the
to
Apostleship.
2.
" Paul
had no power
he chose
his master, unless
authority
to
send Onesimus back to

to go.
He had
could intrust him to no sheriff to convey

place to place, and he had no
him,
if
he chose
He
Colosse.
no
civil
he had no guard to accompany him
to
go
to
means of
ing he had no
How
him from
controlling
any other place than
could indeed have sent him
himself," (qy. 1st,
he
away from
could he have sent him, see-
civil authority,
guard or
sheriff,
to
convey him? 2d, Could he not have sent him
to
Colosse in the same way?) " he could have told

to
go
to Colosse
but there his power ended.
simus then could have gone where he pleased.

there
is
no evidence that Paul even told him
Colosse against his
own
have sent him away

requested
it."
inclination, or that
at all, unless
evident as to need no
" There
But
go
to
he would
he had himself
Barnes' Notes.
The quibble involved
3.
to
him
One-
in this note of Dr. B. is so
comment from
us.
may have been many
reasons
why

APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
Onesimus desired
can prove that
and that
lie
and no one
to return to Colosse,
did not express that desire to Paul,
him was not
his sending
He may
such request.
45
ger in Kome, and
in consequence of
have been poor and a
may have been
stran-
greatly disap-
pointed in what he had expected to find there
he
left
Philemon, and
may have
when
desired to return to
the comparative comforts of his former condition."

Barnes'' Notes.
If this reason for
Onesimus' return be admitted to
be the true one, we remark, the whole transaction

does very
little
that of a
credit either to
The
Christian men.
man who,
him
or to Paul as
case, as Dr. B. presents
it,
is
before his conversion, has over-
reached himself in attempting to over-reach a Christian brother;
and who,
after his
conversion, takes
advantage of his Christian profession to throw the
bad bargain upon the hands of the Christian brother
whom
he had attempted to wrong.
may
Dr. B.
believe this of an Apostle of Jesus, if he can

ourselves,
we have
much respect
memory both of Paul and
far too
stronger term) for the
(to
for
use no
his
convert Onesimus to admit any such explanation of

their conduct as this.
4.
'^
It
may
be added, therefore, that
should not be adduced

over a
run-away
to justify
slave to induce
any
him
this
sort
to
passage
of influence
return
to his

46
There
former master.
is
not the least evidence that
this occurred in the case before us.

is
ever appealed
to,
If this instance
should be to justify what
it
and, nothing elaePBarnes^ Notes.
Paul did
If Paul did not " use any sort of influence over

Onesimus to induce him to return to his former
mean by writing ''whom I

Even giving the word the most
master," what does he
have sent again?"

limited
possible,
signification
imply the use of some
it
occasionally has fugitive slaves
" Scriptural
Yiews
come
Dr. B.
to him,
any
sort of influence to
Dr.
him
would
induce
Barnes sends
to his master every fugitive slave that
back
(see
Supposing
to return to their former masters."
I should publish the statement
to
certainly
of Slavery," p. 324), and of late
years, he never " uses
them
would
sort of influence.
not Dr. B. cry out npon
comes
me
as a
slanderer ?
But, writes Dr. B.

that
" There
is
no certain evidence
Onesimus was ever a slave
ver. 16.
" All that
is
stated of
at all."
him
Notes on
in this epistle,
would be met by the supposition that he was hound

to
Philemon, either by his parents or guardians.
is
perhaps quite as
away, as
We
it is
common
for slaves^''
for apprentices to
Barnes'' Int.
are surprised that Dr. B., having
pregnant discovery as
this,
makes
to
It
run
Philemon.
made such
so little use of
a
it
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
in his after labors
to
XYIIL
Acts
upon
47
Had he
this epistle.
he might have
3,
because he (Paul) was of the same
read
craft,
turned
"And
he abode
with them (Priscilla and Aquila) and wrought, for
by their occupation they were tent-makers.^'' Now,

Philemon " maif^ have been a tent-maker also. ^^ No
one can prove that he was
addresses
1,
him
business.
And when he
his
"iTc? one
can prove that he was
apprentice,
that he
bound by
And
^^
any thing
to infer
Should Dr. B.
we would
1. It
is
business.
And
One-
been a mere
one can jprove
then: the whole transaction
have a right
pretation, with
not^''
No
new
from
tent-
his father or guardian to Phile-
appears in an entirely
fugitive slaves,
the
he " may " have
may " have
Paul, tent-makers.
was notP
at
tent-making
partner in the
simus, as Dr. B. suggests, "
mon and
when he
speaks of himself
as Philemon's " partner," ver. 17,
meant
Paul,
have meant fellow-worker
'^may^''
making
And
not.^^
as his " fellow-worker {sunergos)^^^ ver.
light.
this epistle to
And
no one will
at all respecting
Philemon.
feel inclined to consider this inter-
an eye
to a future edition of his Notes,
suggest
more ingenious
not
to say
ingenuous
than the remark that Paul could not have sent One-
simus
to
Colosse,
because
sheriff" at his disposal.
he had "no guard or

48
ter,
derogatory to the Christian charac-
It is far less
2.
both of Paul and of Onesimus, than the reason
Dr. B. assigns in his note 3d for Onesimus' return to

Lis master.
3.
can be supported throughout bj Dr. B.'s two
It
favorite
arguments
can prove that
it
" It
was
homogeneous part of
which seems
'heen^'^
and
his JSTotes
"
No
one
fonn a
so, will
on Philemon.
to
swarm
of minor
have stung Dr. B. to temporary
But enough of such notes
blindness.
ingenuous
^'whom
have
springing up from every part of this epis-
difficulties,
An
not so "
once, of the whole
4. It disposes, at
tle,
may
I have
interpretation
sent again^'' will
as these.
Paul's words,
of
make them convey
the idea, that Onesimus, after his conversion under
Paul's teaching, " becomes sensible of his fault in
running away from his master, and wishes

the injury
by returning
to
him."
to repair
McKnight.
And
Paul, taking this same view of his past conduct and

present duty, directs
him
to return.
We do
not sup-
pose that Onesimus returned against
his will^
more than Zaccheus, on
made
tion of
restitu-
what he had before taken wrongfully,
Luke XIX.
alike, the
repair
his conversion,
against his will.
8,)
Holy
Spirit
made
any
(see
In both instances
the convert willing to
any and every wrong done before conversion.
APOSTOLIC EXAMPLE.
But
that Paul, as
liis
instructor in Christian truth
and duty, directed Onesimus

master,
is
to return to his
clearly implied in his
have sent again."
former
words " whom
CHAPTER
III.
APOSTOLIC PKECEPT.
"
When
"guide you
9.
he, tlie
Spirit of Trutli, is come, lie will
XYI.
into all trutli." Jno.
13.
The Apostles kepeatedlt enjoin the relative

Duties of Masters and Slaves, and enforce
THEIR Injunctions upon both alike, as Chris-
tian Men, by Christian Motives; ûniformly
treating the Evils which they sought to correct AS incidental Evils, and not part and
parcel of Slavery
Proof. ^>A. VI. 5-9

1
Tim.
FZ
1,
Titus
itself.
II
Ool. III. 22-25,

9,
10
1 I'et.
IV.
II
18, 19.
Eph. YI. 5-9.

" Servants {douloi) be olDedicnt to those that are
" your masters according to the flesh, -with fear and
" trembling, in
50
singleness
of your
heart,
as
unto
APOSTOLIC PEECEPT.
" Christ
51
not with eje-service, as men-pleasers, but
" as the servants {douloi) of Christ, doing the will of

"
God from
the heart
with good-will doing service,
" as to the Lord, and not to
men knowing that whatman doeth, the same shall
" soever good thing any
" he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or

" free."
"
And
ye masters, do the same things nnto them,
" forbearing threatening

*'
also is in
heaven
knowing
neither
that your master
there respect of per-
is
" sons with him."
CoL. IIL 22-25
" Servants {douloi) obey in

" according to the flesh
" men-pleasers
"
God
all
lY.
things your masters
not with eye-service, as
but in singleness of heart, fearing
and whatsoever ye do, do
1.
men
" the Lord, and not unto
it
heartily, as to
knowing
that of the
" Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance
" for ye serve the Lord Christ.
But he
that doeth
" wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath

" done
and there
is
no respect of persons."
" Masters, give unto your servants {douloi) that

"
which
is
just
and equal
" a master in heaven."
knowing that ye
also
have
;;
52
"Let
many
as
name
" let
" ren
of
And
" phemed.
2.
1,
servants {douloi) as are under the
" yoke count their

" that the
Tm. YI.
own masters worthy of all honor,

God and his doctrine be not blas-
they that have believing masters,
them not despise them, because they are

;
breth-
but rather do them service, because they are
" faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit."
Titus
II. 9, 10.
" Exhort servants {douloi) to be obedient to their

"
own
masters, and to please
them well
in all things
" not answering again, not purloining, but showing

" good fidelity
"
God
our Saviour in
"Servants
{oilcetaif'
all fear
* " Oiketas.
"
be subject
for this is
an inmate of one's house
meyiiaiy
to
your masters
thankworthy,
In the N. T. a domestic, a servant.
Rom. XIV. VEobinsoji's iV
Strictly,
slave,
II. 18, 19.
not only to the good and gentle, but
" also to the froward
Acts X. 7
all
doctrine of
things."
all
Peter
" with
may adorn the
that they
LiJfkll and
Scott.
if
Luke XVI. 13
T. Lexicoyi.
but most usually, a Iwuse-
APOSTOLIC PKECEPT.
"
man for
God endure
conscience toward
" ing wrongfully."
53
grief, suffer-
^^^.
Instead of giving the reader a paraphrase of these

several passages
and
bears upon the point
their meaning, in so far as
now under
consideration,
obvious as to render a paraphrase unnecessary
summary
give an admirable
contain, in the
is
it
so
we
of the instruction they
words of Bishop Wilson
" If the deepest student of Christian morals were

to
endeavor
to point
out the especial dangers to which
servants are exposed, he could mention none so pro-
minent
as those
experience of
Eye-servcmts
named by our inspired
The
ages agrees upon these matters.
all
who watch
the absence of their masters
for indolence or negligence
vants,
Apostle.
who answer
;'
pert and froward ser-
disrespectfully
when rebuked
dishonest servants, who, instead of guarding their

master's house, food, provisions, stores, gardens, furniture, property,
'
with
all
good
fidelity,'
'
purloin,'
and give away to their companions whatever they

ill-instructed religious servants,
can
ties
with their masters,
persons
if
take liber-
they are pious and devout
lastly, hypocritical
who abuse
who
and disputatious servants,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
dote about abstruse
questions,
which they cannot
understand, and which do not concern their prac-
54:
tical duties
allowed by
tliese are
all to
be the most
unprofitable and disgrac^l to the Gospel they proof
fess,
"
all
How
kinds of persons in stations of dependence.
precisely adapted to the dangers to
which
masters are exposed in the performance of their

are the
duties to their inferiors,"
" Tliey are to give to their servants
dressed to them.
or slaves
'
which
that
instructions ad-
is
and equal
just
that measure
;'
of support and recompense for their labors, which
them
their contract with
require
that care of
in old age
nary
or the natural laws of
them
in sickness
God
that provision
that proportional reward for extraordi-
fidelity
and exertions
them
word,
would wish
they, in like circumstances,

to
in a
that con-
all
and affectionate attention, which
siderate, reasonable,
to render
'
;
their servants
forbearing threatening,' and
remembering that they also have a master in heaven

and exercising,
their authority with hu-
therefore,
manity and gentleness, not only without

rigorous punishment, as
ters to do,
it
inflicting
was too common
for
mas-
but also forbearing to menace and terrify
their servants, or to express
them even when
anger
at
law of
man might
any haughty or excessive

faulty.
wêre accountable to the great

for their use of
it
For though the
give them great power, yet they
who would
Lord and Master of

deal with
all
them accord-
ing to their conduct to their inferiors, as well
as
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
others
and who expects
ample of
"
his
own
divine
55
his people to
mercj and
copy the
The wisdom of the inspired Apostle
directions
stractedly
is
He
most observable.
upon the subject of
ex-
leniency.
these
in
enters not
slavery, in
ab-
existing
tlije
state of the world, but requires implicit obedience
from servants
same
their masters
to
time, on the masters equity
enjoining, at
and mildness, and
not the absolute manumission of their slaves.
by working
in
this
unobtrusive
way
It
in
eigns
good magistrates, good
that Christianity
was
to
dous effects." ^j?. Wilso}i on
rulers,
was
making
good husbands, good wives, good children, good

servants,
the
ser-
good sover-
produce
stupen-
its
Col., pp. 340, 343.
REMARKS.
First.
sians,
In
Paul
his Epistles to the
Ephesians and Colos-
treats of the relative duties of
master and
slave in immediate connection with those of
and wife, parent and child

in very
much
the
And
Peter treats of these
connection with those of husbands and
duties
in
wdves,
rulers
and
subjects.
remark, that in form, at

all in
in his Epistle to Titus,
same connection, with the addition
of rulers and subjects.
them
husband
least,
the sarn<^ way.
And
let
the
reader
Paul and Peter
treat

THE CHKISTIAN DOCTEINE OF 6LAVEEY.
56
In the Apostles' days,
The
greatly abused.
these relations were
all
government under which
civil
they lived, and labored, and preached, and wrote,
was a despotic government, and in
and often exceedingly corrupt.
nistration oppressive,
Nero was emperor throughout

Paul's
and
ministry,
actual admi-
its
many
the greater part of
of
his
epistles
were
written from a Itoman prison, into which he had
been unrighteously
Roman
Throughout the
cast.
empire, the wife, the child, and the slave were, in
law
on very nearly the same
as well as in fact,
The Apostles found incidental

attaching to
all
evils,
those relations of
level.*
many and
life,
great,
and these were
sanctioned by law.
* The condition of the Child.
had the power of
life
" A father, under
and death over
the Koraan law
He
his children.
could not only
expose them when infants, which cruel custom prevailed at
many
grown
ages, as
among
other nations, but even
them
to death
The condition of a son was
of a slave.
None
their father
and grandfather."
by any punishment he pleased."
in
the Wife.
his peculium., as that of a
some respects harder than that
of them became their
The condition of
own masters
Adam's Rom. Ant.
to the
husband
till
the death of
p. 60.
" A daughter by marriage passed from
the power of her father under that of her husband.
was
for
were
could acquire no property but with the father's consent;
and what he did thus acquire was called

slave.
Rome
his children
he might imprison, scourge,. send them bound into the
up,
country, and also put
"A sou
when
in the place of a daughter,
father."^lc/am' Rom. Ant., pp. 60, 441.
" The woman
and he
to her as a
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
57
Calledj in such circumstances, to preacli the Gospel,
and to teach mankind righteousness, they did
not shut their eyes to the abuses of these several

institutions
slavery
civil
government, marriage, the family,
nor do they affect an ignorance of them, but
carefully distinguishing between the institutions themselves
and the abuses which had become attached
to
them, they set themselves to work with zeal and

faithfulness
faithfulness
once to
at
God and
to
man
to correct the abuses.
With
civil
government, marriage, the family, and
slavery they dealt in the

sinful,
same way.
All that Tvas
contrary to the laws of God, in each, as then
actually
existing,
condemn
they clearly and
unequivocally
and within the pale of the Church, by
their
authority as Apostles, and in the wôrld at
large,
through the influence of their teaching and
example, they labored
to
But they touch not
remove.
the institutions themselves.
They require
subjects
" to submit themselves to every ordinance of
the Lord's sake
whether
it
be
man
for
to tlie king, as su-
preme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent
by him
for the
praise of
them
punishment of evil-doers and

that do wêll."
themselves to their
for the
" Wives to submit
own husbands,
as
unto the Lord,''
and hiislands " to love their wives, even as Chi-ist

loved the Church and gave himself for
3*
it."
Children
58
" to obey their parents," and parents " to bring np

their children in the nurture
and admonition of the
who were
Slaves " to be obedient to tliose
Lord."
their masters according to the flesh, in singleness of

heart, as unto Christ,"
their servants that
which was
ing that they also had
they sought to
and masters "

just
to give
and equal, know-
Thus
a master in heaven."
make good
subjects,
unto
good wives, good
husbands, good children, good parents, good slaves,
good masters
that
good
is,
good, in the Bible sense of the
discharging
the
all
out of their several relations as
growing
duties
men and
word
as Christ-
ians.
The condition
land
is
not
of the wife in this our Cliristian
now what
it
was throughout the
civilized
world, both in law and in fact, at the time Christianity
was
be easy
life
to
in the
wrought
first
preached among men.
show
way
this
in
And
it
that Christianity, applied to
which the Apostles applied
change.
evils attaching to
would
human
it,
has
That there are yet incidental
the marriage relation
that the
husband often abuses the authority which belongs
him
as a husband,
tioned
by
property,
deu}^.
and that these abuses are sanc-
the laws of the land

for
to
example
no
the laws
one,
respecting
we presume,
will
Tliat the industrious, pains-taking wife should
be turned out of " house and home," and stripped

APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
69
even of that which she has herself earned, to pay the
by a
debts contracted
unknown event
profligate husband,
any of our
in
God-fearing man, in
denounce the marriage
But
States.
senses,
liis
relation,
on
this
not an
is
will
any
account,
and advocate the
doctrine of the " Free-lovers ?"
The condition
of the child, in the United States,
is
change.
Eome and
And yet, in
this Christian land, in spite of all the
guards which
very different from what

Christianity has
wrought
it
was
this
the law has thrown around
childhood," and
and
indirect,
all
''
in old
the helplessness of
the influence of the Gospel, direct
the authority of the
greatly abused.
From
father
time to time
often
is
we read
in the
papers of fathers cruelly beating, starving, and even
murdering their own children

part of the land.
Shall
we
and
this in
every
therefore abolish the
authority of the father, and introduce socialism, mak-
ing children the immediate care of the community
Can any
man believe that, in so doing, he

either God or humanity a service ?
Christian
would be doing
The condition of the

different
from what
it
empire in Paul's day.
slave, in
our country,
is
very
was throughout the Eoman
And
this
change
also is
one
of the trophies of our heaven-descended Christianity.
That there are incidental

institution,
evils yet attaching to the
both in law and in
fact, all will
admit
60
evils
which
working
Christianity,
in God's appointed
way, will ere long remove, we firmly believe.

done a mighty work in
worked
Ly-gone
da3^s
All that has ever been done for the
well.
slave has been done through

perfectly willing to trust
do, that the time will yet
see
and acknowledge that
" the foolishness of
God
Referring
addressed to slaves,
and we arc
come when
all
wiser than man."

the Scriptural injunctions
to
and quoted
:
at the
" But
think, because a pious slave
nor
let
this
not a master
let
shows
head of
this spirit, that
therefore the slave feels that the master
withholding his freedom
men will
in this, as in other matters,
is
Barnes writes
section. Dr.
agency
its
for the future, believing, as
it
we
Second.
has
has always
it
It
is
right in
him suppose,
be-
cause religion requires the slave to be submissive and

obedient, that therefore
ter does.
It
it
approves of what the mas-
does this no more than
it
sanctions the
conduct of Kero and Mary, because religion required

the martyrs to be unresisting, and to allow themselves
to
be led to the stake.
A conscientious
find happiness in submitting to

will,
this
just
a conscientious
as
does not
slave-owner
Eph. VI.
or
God
the
persecutor."
may
and doing his
martyr
sanction the wrong,
slave
But
may.
either
Barnes^
of
the
N'otes,
71.
Supposing
we admit
the correctness of this view
61
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
of
tlie
injunctions addressed to slaves,
we must
then
interpret the corresponding injunctions addressed to
upon
masters, in immediate connection with these,

the
same
Col. lY.
" Saintly
principles.
1,
And
would read somewhat
and faithful"
the wild beasts,
but see to
Paul's words, in
it,
you
if
as
and equal" in
''
this
Mary, kindle the
please, the disciples of Jesus
God
to
for
give unto them that which
whole matter.
fires
9,
way:
this
lêro, impale, crucify, cast to
you must answer
conduct, that you
in
Eph. YI.
And
your
is
just
you. Bloody
of Smithfield anew, and send
your brethren in Jesus
to the stake
of God," burn these holy
men
but, " beloved
with the same meek-
ness and single-eye for God's glory with which they
submit to be burned.
10.
Paul declares that
his
Doctrine respecting
THE Duties of Slaves and Masters
is
whole-
some DOCTRINE, ACCORDINa TO GoDLINESS
AND
THE Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Proof. 1 Tim, VI.

" Let as
"
*'
many
yoke count
that the
servants {douloi) as are under the
their
name
1-3.
of
own masters worthy of all honor,

God and of his doctrine be not
62
And they that have believing masters.
" blasphemed.
*'
let
them not
" thren
"are
despise them, because they are bre-
but rather do them service, because they
faithful
and beloved,
partakei's of the benefit.
" These things teach and exhort."

3.
" If any
man
teach otherwise, and consent not
" to wholesome words, even the words of the Lord

" Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which
" ing to godliness, he
is
proud,"
Paraphrase of Yer.
3.
If
is
accord-
etc.
any man teach that
slaves ought not to count even unbelieving masters
worthy of
ters
all
honor, and to render to believing mas-
the more cheerful and hearty service because
they are believers, he teaches what
with the doctrine which
wholesome words, even
is
is
at variance
according to godliness and
the expressed will
of the Lord
Jesus Christ. i^Y
* " If
any man
tcacli
otherwise, and consent not to
words, even the words of our

that woukl be
of
all
first
among
Lord Jesus
yon, let
Christ, (Matt.
him be your
Mark, X. 44,) and to the doctrine which
is
wholesome
XX.
sei'vant, or
27,
He
servant
according to godli-
ness." Whithif.
"If any one teach

slaves are not
bound
differently,
by affirming
that,
to serve their masters, but
and docs not consent
to the
under the
Grosiicl,
ought to be set
free,
wholesome commandments which arc
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
The expressed will of
N'oTE.(')
is
Lord Jesus
the
" All the precepts which the Apostles de-
Christ.
livered
63
by
inspiration being precepts of Christ, there
no occasion
suppose that he referred to some
to
precepts concerning slaves, which Christ, while on
and which, thougli
earth, delivered to his Apostles,
made known
not recorded by the Evangelists, were
Paul by revelation
to
;"
or,
understand him as
to
referring to such precepts as are actually recorded in
the Gospels, but which do not directly refer to the

case
under
consideration,
Whitby has
as
done.
Commissioned, as the Apostles were,
to jêrfect the
organization, of the Christian Church,
and complete
by "
the Spirit of
the sacred cannon, and guided
Jesus"
into all truth,
what they taught may, with
strictest propriety,
be spoken of as " the words of the
our Lord Jesus
and
all
points
*'
is
Christ's,
to the doctrine of the Gospel,
conformable to true morality, he
These things which I have been mentioning, take care,
thy, to teach
which
in
McKniglit.
is," etc.
Timo-
and exhort thine hearers always to maintain a due
And
regard to them.
if
any one teach otherwise,
if
he attempt to
broach principles contrary to these great maxims, and attend not to

such sound and wholesome words, even to those of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
may
these
as
with
express the doctrine that
is
strict
cause of practical godliness, which

G-ospel to
promote
humility he
may
in the world,
affect,
he
is
propriety be
called,
and which
agreeable and subservient to the great

it
is
whatever
the declared design of

fair
show of
certainly proud," etc.
simplicity
Doddridge.
tlie
and
64
Lord Jesus Christ."
This,
Paul distinctly
his first epistle to the Corinthians
" If
himself to be a prophet, or spiritual,
asserts in
any man think
let
him acknow-
ledge that the things that I write unto you are the
commandments
of the Lord."
1 Cor. XIY.
37.
Remarks.
Paul's declaration in the passage under examination, refers expressly to
such as should teach
doctrine respecting the duties of slaves alone.
upon
fair principles
of interpretation,
understood to include those
also, if
it
The " doctrine which
correlative
is
according
to godliness," teaches the slave to serve his
with singleness of heart;"
Yet,
must be
such there were,
as taught false doctrine respecting the
duties of masters.
false
and just
as
master
distinctly
teaches the master to give unto the slave " that which
is
just
and equal."
Master and slave are alike the
creatures of God, the objects of his care, the subjects
of his government
and alike responsible
to
him
for
the discharge of the duties belonging to their several

stations.
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
11.
Paul treats the
65
Diste^-ctions wnicii
Slavery
CREATES AS MatTERS OF VERY LITTLE IMPORTANCE

in so
far as the interests of the christian
Life are concerned.
Proof. 6'Z.
11
VII
1 Cor.
III. 2S
is
neither
III. 28.
Jew nor Greek,
there
" bond {doulos) nor free {eleuthereos)^ there

" male nor female
for
1.
" For
by one
" body, whether

" be
bond
"^
made
all
Col. III.
20, 21.
Gal.
" There
XII. 13
1 Cor.
ye are
all
is
neither
is
neither
one in Christ Jesus."
Cor. XII. 13.
we all baptized into one

we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we
Spirit are
{douloi) or free {eleutheroi)

to drink into
one
and have been
spirit."
Col. III. 11.
"
*'
Where
there
is
neither Greek nor Jew, circum-
cision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian,
" {doidos) nor free {eleuthereos)

" in
all."
but Christ
bond
is all
and
66
The common sentiment

ture
well expressed
is
phrase of the
of these passages of Scrip-
by Doddridge,
quoted
last
"
become genuine members

where there
is
in his para-
Thus you
will indeed
of that blessed society
no distinction between
men
of differ-
ent rations, education, or rank in life; where neither

is
any man rejected
merely
for
for
being a Greek, nof accepted
Jew
being a
a society where he can
claim nothing by virtue of circumcision, nor lose anything by uncircumcision
where no Barbarians, or
even Scythians, are treated with contempt for that
want of learning and
most remote nations
in the
upon
unworthy of
as
which
politeness
;
or
is
to
be found
any slave trampled
notice, since
he shares with
others in the possession of that inestimable treasure,
an immortal soul, and
Eedeemer
a part in the great
a freeman chiefly esteemed
upon account
of his boasted liberty, but
of souls
or regarded
may have
is
nor
rather in proportion to his subjugation to our divine
master
them
for this is the great
all,
bond of union among
the matter of their boasting and their joy,
that they are related to Christ,

to
be
all
dwells in
that
all
is
who
is
acknowledged
amiable and excellent, and
who
true believers, without any difference on
any of these accounts."
II
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
67
1 CoE. VII. 20, 21.
" IT. But as
God
liatli
distributed to every
" as the Lord hath called every one, so let
And so ordain I
" man called being
"
" uncircumcised.
him not be
''let
in all the churches.
circumcised
Is
circumcised.
" nothing, and uncircumcision
" keeping of the

" every
man
pel
is
it
but
is
nothing, but the

of God.
20.
thou raayest be made
20, 21.
Since
not of this world," (Jno.
makes no
Let
free,
that Christian
men remain
XYIIL
36,) his
Gos-
I ordain in all tlie churches

in the
as these are concerned,(^) in
finds them.
Christ's " king-
alteration in a man's civil relations or
and hence
far
19. Circumcision is
thou called being a servant

if
ôliticcil state^
so
him not become
rather."
Pakaphease of ver.
dom
any
in uncircumcision
commandments
2L Art
" care not for

it
him walk.
18. Is
abide in the same calling wherein he
" was called.
" use
let
any called
man,
same condition, in
which the Gospel
Art thou called of God, being a slave
{doidos\ care not for
it,
as
though
it
could affect
thine acceptance with God, or thine acceptable service of him.
Yet
if
they can lawfully be
made
free,
as a general ruleî^) slaves had better accept their
68
freedom
own
its
condition^
man
abide
still
i,
<?.,
The word
relations or political state.
* " Let every
in the
same
be
the
wherein he was
by
to quit his call-
it
it
but
if
thou
Whitby.
rather."
it
civil
hlaseis^ is here,
Art thou called being a servant, care not for

free, use
same
calling
called to the faith, not thinking himself obliged
mayest lawfully be made
to
account.*
The same
!N'oTES.(^)
ing.
one
for a condition of slavery is not
desired on
" Since the Gospel makes no alteration in men's political
state, let
every Christian remain in the same political state in which he was

called.
Agreeably to
this
rule,
wast thou called being a bondman,
be not thou solicitous to be made
free,
fancying that a
Yet
God's favor than a freeman.
less the object of
if
bondman
is
thou canst even
be made free by any lawful method, rather obtain thy freedom."
McKnight.
"As
for other matters, be not excessively concerned about
but in whatever calling, that
is,
of you was called, in that let
them:
profession or circumstances, any one
him continue
aflFcct
not to change
without the clear and evident leadings of Providence, as there
is
generally greater reason to expect comfort and usefulness in such a
And
calling than in another.
may
rent employments, but relations in
Christ, being in the
life
it,
uneasy
be made
but
free,
diffe-
as well as diversity in reli-
Art thou, for instance, called into the Church of
gious professions.
slave? do not so
apply this not only to the

life,
low rank, not only of a hired servant, but of a
much regard
if
it
as ui)ou that account to
make thy
thou canst, without any sinful method of obtaining
choose
it
rather, as
what
is
no doubt
in itself eligible,
yet not absolutely necessary to the happiness of a good )nan."
Doddridge.

APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
69
evidently, not used in the sense of "calling," as
we
understand that word at the present day, and as
Doddridge seems to have understood

specifications
under the general term
and uncircumcised, bond and

give this definition^"
kaleseis, are the
rives there from."
Paul uses
it
II.
Roman
here
This
;
is
free.
in
(^)
it,
since Paul's
circumcised
Liddell and Scott
Dion H. Uaseis and
classes^
which word he de-
doubtless the sense in which
and as we have no one English
word which corresponds exactly

phrased
it
are,
to
it,
we have
As a
general rule.
here, to give anything
That Paul does not mean
more than general
evident from the language he uses, " use

as well as
are
many
become
him
para-
" civil relations or jpolitical stateP
advice,
it
rather,"
from the whole tenor of the context.

cases in
free
where
his freedom,
which the advice

his master
is
There
to a slave to
would willingly grant
would be neither kind nor
wise.
Indeed, the greatest practical difiiculties which the
enlightened Christian citizen encounters in attempting to solve the problem of emancipation, are such as
grow out of the obligation
to act
with a righteous
regard to the subsequent wêll-being of the slave.
THE CHEISTIAN DOCTTRIXE OF SLAVERY.
70
Remarks.
First.
In
the passage under examination, Paul
must be understood
as
speaking in his character of a
religious teacher, an Apostle of Christ
when he
treats the relation of master
matter of very
little
importance,
him to mean, of very

and
duties
little
and
lience,
and slave
as a
we must understand
importance in so far as the
interests of the Cliristian life are concerned.
In other words
man
can be as good a Christian,
and can as acceptably serve God,
as a slave, if in
God's providence the Gospel finds him a slave, as he

could had
only not
it
tJie
pediment
found him a free man.
way
it
1.
in the case of
although there
is
of incidental evil attaching to slavery as
among
exists
not
of the spread of the Gospel.
A practical proof of this is afibrded

little
is
great impediment, but not a great im-
in the
the slaves in our Southern states,
not a
Slavery
us,
in
such
A larger proportion
facts as these, viz.
of the laboring classes be-
long to the Christian Church in the Southern than in

the Northern states of the Union.
2.
is
be
as alleged and we believe that
that the piety of the Christian slaves the
If
true
South
it
true,
it
at
is
of a lower, less intelligent grade than that
of the laborers of the North,
we have
at the
South, as
AVOHTOLUi
an
U)
ollricit
[JiiivdrHaliHrn,
many
loriiiH
their
an altnoHt
l.liiri,
uM\(>UjS
remov(Ml
lower grade of piety prevailing

Hlav<tn, to n-.tiK-iiiln-.v tliat tlioso
many
of them, but a very few generations
and
hintory
all
Ixicfi
debarting,
inowt
its
tefltlfi<;fl
that a
going on through ages
oidy gra<lually overcome.
Hnmnd.
made
in
h<;ath(;nirtm
fronj
degradation vvhieh ban

b(.-
in
tlifi
degrading form
(!an
laboring
fair, too,
('hriritian
ar:r:ourit of*
HJavcH an;,
\\i(i
initiibcr
tlio
fiecmg but
It
jjoin
.'likI
wlilcli
by thouHand.H atnorig
diH(;ij)lcfl
oiii*
MormoiiiHin,
lnli<l<;llt,y,
l)a[)l,Iz<:<l
claHHOB in tlio Free StatcH.
taking
<;X(;tn|)lioii
(tiillni
Spirit.iJJiliHin,
oi'
71
I'ltWJlJl.
When
U'('m^
une
it
I'aid writes,
rather,"
"
If
thou rnayeat be
we munt underntand him
an givirig thin direr^tion wifli enpeelal ref(*rene(i to the
of thingH (ixihting
Htato
wrol<;
l.hJH
in
epihih; to the ('hnrcli
a H<jund i'ul;of Inter[>n;l:ation in

(thp<;elally fiuggehted In
find
Ih
tho
eontexf.
boufid fo a
In
wifo'i?
iooHadfronfh a
ver.
H(:(;k
'impt f
27
not
n.
<
'oilnl.h,
all (vxm-a
tin;
b(3
of
'llii.-i
tiiin
''Art
Alt
looiftd.
mife.^''
No
h<j
irt
kind,
eane before nn
writ<*fl
h;
not to
H(utk
at.
time
at the
(ir(;<-<!e
by
ihoii
l/i.ofi
ingcnmuiH
interpreter ban ever urnlerrfood Paul an here intond-
ing to diMf,<jiint(inaneo marriage, or an in a/iy
eonlradieling
for
man
to
\\\(\
bo
H<;nt dirttrehH,"
<llvifie
aloiu.-."
1.
e.
dcelarati'nj, "
It
liability
waw
to
in
it
in
way
not good
view of " iho pro
porhoeutlot) for their
72
religion's sake,
Paul gives the advice he does respect-
ing marriage.
So in the words " if thou

it rather ^^
if
we wonld
may est
he
made free^
fairly interpret
them
use
for the
purpose of applying the truth they teach in our

country, and at the present day,
we must
take into
account,
1.
^^
In Rome, and in Greece
jpro quadrujpedibus^^
might torture
3,)
our Southern States

the law, as
is
and the master
as cattle,
even put them to death, at
tliem, or
(See
his will.
e.
i.
In contrast with
is
were held
also, slaves
as truly a
the master.
this,
man,
A master
a slave in
in the eye of
will
be hung as
quickly for the murder of his slave as he would for

that of a freeman.
in his
In
comments on
this
view of the
this
passage, writes
case, Calvin,
:
" This
admonition was very necessary at that time, when

slaves
were driven by threats and
fear of death, to
stripes,
and even
obey every kind of command with-
out selection or exception, so that they reckoned the
procuring of prostitutes, and other crimes of that

nature, to be duties belonging to slaves, equally with
honorable employments."
2.
Most of the
in Greece,
slaves in Paul's day, especially those
were of nations so closely
allied to that of
the master that they could freely intermingle

free,
and
in the course of a
few generations
all
if set
trace
73
APOSTOLIC PRECEPT.
of
of
condition would disappear.
tlieir servile
tlie
We
slaves in our Southern States
fully
human
one blood
nations of
all
face of the earth."
not
no trace of
all
And
very
different.
and firmly believe in the doctrine of the
" unity of the
find
is
The case
race
;" that "
men
Even
if
for to dwell
body
this unity in the
Adam," has branded
its
has
made
on
all
He
common
mark
the
The body
has a soul
first
of our unity just as
deeply and indelibly upon the soul of the negro, as
And
ration of the Christian negro, the
Holy
God
Adam."
master and slave
and
And
sit
it
in the regeneSpirit brings
a brighter
of that same' unity, in his union with Christ,
second
is
also.
parent, " the
has on that of the Anglo-Saxon.
out a second, and, blessed be
of
the physiologist could
of man, black or white.
the fatal sin of our
God
mark
^'
the
every time that the Christian
side
by
side at the Lord's table
in a ministry of twenty years at the South I
never recollect to have sat at the Lord's table when

there were not slaves at the
same
table
we make a
public profession of our faith on this point.
But that the negro cannot mingle with the Anglo-
Saxon
in our country,
purpose
why
this
matters not for our present
it
be so
we need no
than that afforded in the facts

States,
^1.
clearer proof
Tliat in the free
where the number of negroes
is
very small,
they never have been admitted upon equal footing
74
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
TFIE
with the whites
and
2.
Whenever
the
number
of
negroes has seemed likely to increase to any great

extent, in
any of those
been passed
to
States,
immediately laws have
prevent their immigration, as in
Ohio.
There are impediments then in the way of a slave's

attaining to the rank of a genuine freeman, even
where
his legal
freedom has been granted him,
exist-
ing in our country, and at the present day, which

did not exist in Corinth at the time Paul wrote this
epistle to the
ness,
these
Church
in that city.
must be taken
And
into account,
in all fair-
in inter-
preting Paul's words with reference to our country
and our day.
CHAPTEK
lY.
APOSTOLIC INJUNCTION.
" Yerily I say unto yon, whatsoever ye shall bind
" on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever

" ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Matt.
XYHL
18.
12. Paul directs the Chkistian Minister to teach

THIS
Doctrine respecting the Duties of Slaves
AND Masters
in the Church,
and prohibits
the teaching of any Doctrine at variance
WITH
it
under most SOLEMN SANCTIONS.
Pkoof. 1 Tim.
VL
3-5; Titus, 11.
9,
10, 15.
1 Tim. YI. 3-5.
many servants as are under the yoke

count their own masters worthy of all honor, that
the name of God and his doctrine be not blas" Let as
"
"
75
THE CnRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
76
" phemed.
"
2.
are
but rather do them service, because
and beloved partakers of the
faithful
" benefit.
''
they that have believing mas-
them not despise them, because they are
ters, let
" brethren
" they
And
These things teach and exhort.
any man teach otherwise, and consent not
" some words, even the words of the

" Christ, and to the doctrine
*'
godliness,
He
4.
is
which
is
3.
to
If
whole-
Lord Jesus
according to
proud, knowing nothing, but
" doting about questions and strifes of words, where" of Cometh envy,
"
5.
strife,
evil
railings,
men
Perverse disputings of
surmisings,
of corrupt minds,
" and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain

" godliness
Paraphrase of ver.
the
he
4, 5.
^These
Church and exhort thy hearers
them. (Yer.
is
If
2.)
pride
heed to
(ver. 4,)
though he knoweth
having a morhid fondness for so-called
2>hilosoj[)hical questions
Cometh envy,
strife,
and logomachies ^{^) whence
hlasphemiesî^)
cions, perverse disputings of
and
things teach in
to take
any man teach otherwise,
puffed up with
nothing,
is
from such withdraw thyself."
men
wicked suspi-
of corrupt minds
destitute of the true doctrine of Christ Jesus,
reckoning whatever produces most

religion.
From
all
money is
the best
such teachers publicly withdraw
thyself (^) and acknowledge
them not
as the ministers
of Christ, that all
men may
not the countenance of thy

* " If any
man
YT
see that this doctrine has
name and
teach otherwise, he
authority.*
proud, (Gr. puffed up,) know-
is
ing nothing, but doting (sick) about questions and strifes of words,
whereof cometh envy,

putings
of men
that gain
is
godliness.
" If any
strife,
railings, evil surmisings,
man
From such withdraw
teach otherwise, he
knoweth nothing,
either
of
thyself.''
Jewish or
the
mind about
in his
Whitby.
puffed up with pride, and
is
Christian
although he pretends to have great knowledge of both
tempered
perverse dis-
of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing
revelation,
;
but
is
dis-
questions and debates of words,
idle
which afford no foundation for such doctrine, but are the source of
envy, contention, evil speakings, unjust suspicions that the truth
is
not sincerely maintained, keen disputings, carried on contrary to

conscience, by
men
wholly corrupt in their minds and destitute of
the true doctrines of the Gospel,
most money
withdraw
is
man
all
the
such impious teachers
McKnight.
teach otherwise, whatever fair show of simplicity and
humiUty he may
may have
From
and do not dispute with them."
thyself,
" If any
who reckon whatever produces
the best religion.
affect,
he
is
certainly proud,
of his superior knowledge, he
any good purpose
but, like a
man
is
and whatever conceit he
one who knows nothing
to,
raving and delirious in a fever, he
runs on, declaiming on idle questions and useless debates about words,
from whence no good can be expected to
arise, but,
a great deal of mischief; envying of those

selves, contention with others
such
self-sufficient teachers
who
intemperate zeal Heals round to

cions
and obnoxious
amiable characters
will
dictate
all
who
representations
truth,
for
not submissively yield to what
abusive language, which their
angry debates of
and averse from the
on the contrary,
more regarded than them-
offend them, and evil suspi-
of the
worthiest and most
men whose minds
are corrupt
which they pretend so eagerly to
78
NoTES.(')
Having a mo rlid fondness for
and
philosophical questions
(doting) denotes
'
so-called
logomachies.
''
having a morbid fondness
which examples are adduced by Wets and

Sjn."
The sense
Bloonijleld.
zataseis (questions)
Paul's words
''
is
marks
is
determined by
On
word McKnight
re-
disputation, such as
was
this
" A philosophical
held in the schools, was called diatriba

addition of the preposition
into a
bad meaning."
para converts
And Bloomfield
(strifes
more
strife loith
mere words
spoken against God, and we see no
for giving
especially as
it is
it
a different
meaning
here,
evidently used in this sense
" that
the
name
of
God
while they seem to suppose that which promises the largest
quantity of gain to be most worthy of pursuit, and would,
varnish
it is
used in the Jêw Testament of
in the immediate context

plead
common
since
The Greek word llasphemia
Blasphemies.
good reason
it,
mere words.
(railings) is generally
railing wôrds
word
The Greek
of words) has no
used to convey the idea of a
f)
the
" The para
English word exactly corresponding to
as well as about
but the
denotes inanity, and the dia vehemence."
word logoniachia
in Rec.
disputings" {j)aradiatriba\
j^^^'^'^^^se
subsequently used.
of
which the word
in
used here
JVôson
for,'
it
over with the venerable name of godliness.
therefore from such, and have no intimacy with them."
if
possible,
Turn away
Doddri<lt/e.
and
be not blasphemed."
his doctrine
Y9
Yer.
Of
1.
the truth of Paul's descriptions, thus understanding

this
word,
we have many
illustrations at the present
day.
(')
self.
From
For
such teachers puhlicly withclraio thy-
all
tlie
use of a similar expression in this sense,
" But
see 1 Cor.
Y. 11
you not
keep company,
to
now
if
have written unto
any man that
is
called a
brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,

or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with
such an one, no not

mentators to
mean
to eat ;"
understood by
all
com-
that such an one should be excom-
municated from the Church.
Titus
"Exhort servants
II.
9,
be obedient
to
" masters, and to please

" not answering again
"
all
" of
good
fidelity
them well
to
in
their
all
own
things
not purloining but shewing
that they
God our Saviour
10, 15.
may
in all things.
adorn the doctrine

15.
These things
" speak, and exhort and rebuke with all authority.

" Let no
man
despise thee."
Paraphrase of ver.
15.
^These
things which
I,
as
an Apostle of Jesus, have just given thee in charge,

respecting the duties of the old and the young of both
80
and of those wlio in God's provi-
sexes, (ver. 1-G,)
dence are in the condition of slaves {douloi\

10,)
to
speak openly and exhort
them.
And
all
thy hearers to attend
rebuke the Judaizing teachers who
inculcate a different doctrine with
which belongs
to thee as
tliee,
all
the authority
an Evangelist, and as such
a spiritual ruler in the Church.

to despise
(ver. 9,
And
suffer
no
man
or disregard thy decisions in these
matters."^
* " These things speak and exhort, and rebuke the opposers of
this doctrine with all authority.
Let no
man
despise thee, but use
the censures of the Church, and deliver up to Satan those Jews
gainsay this doctrine."
who
Whithy.
" These things inculcate as necessary to be believed, and exhort
who
And
profess the Gospel to live suitably to them.
otherwise confute with
all
the authority which
thee as a teacher commissioned of Christ.
is
due to truth, and to
Let no one have reason
McKnight.
to despise thee."
" These things therefore speak boldly, and earnestly exhort

hearers to attend to them.
proper manner, rebuke them
And
if
they
despise thee
fail
all
thy
of regarding them in a
wîth all authority, as
has a divine commission to support him
man
all
such as teach
one that knows he
and, upon the whole,
let
no
but endeavor to give them exhortations with that
solemnity and dignity, and to enforce them by that wisdom and

sanctity of behavior, which
tempt."
Doddridge.
may
set thee
above
all
danger of con-
81
Remaeks.
Let the reader compare this account, given by
by Dr. Channing
Paul, with that given
and
surely
Dr. Channing cannot be thought to be a witness giving testimony nnder pro-slavery prejudices
same
''
nor
The
is
the
Abolitionists have done wrong, I believe
their
wrong
to
mischief
may
be winked
for
how much
be wrought with good designs
fallen into the
common
because done
at,
good intentions
fanatically, or with
have
of
day
class of teachers in this our
They
error of enthusiasts, that
of exaggerating their object, of feeling as if no evil

existed but that
which they opposed, and
as if
no guilt
could be compared with that of countenancing and
upholding
as I
it.
The tone
of their newspapers, as far
have seen them, has often been
fierce, bitter,
and
movement
is,
that they have sought to accomplish their object
by
abusive.
Another objection
a system of agitation
that
to their
is,
by
a system of
afiili-
ated societies, gathered, and held together, and extended,
by
might have formed an association

been an elective one.
Men
ciousness, sobriety, should

as
members.
plished
by
The
passionate eloquence.
;
but
Abolitionists
it
should have
of strong principles, judi-
have been carefully sought
Much good might have been accom-
the co-operation of such philanthropists.
4*
82
Instead of
tors,
the Abolitionists sent forth their ora-
this,
some of them transported with
sound
tlie
fiery zeal, to
alarm, against slavery throughout the land,
to gather together
young and
old, pupils
from
schools,
females hardly arrived at years of discretion, the

ignorant, the excitable, the imjêtuous, and to organize these into
associations for the battle against op-
Yery unhappily they preached
pression.
colored people, and formed these into
trine to the
To
societies.
their doc-
mixed and excitable multitude,
this
minute, heart-rending, descriptions of slavery were
given in the piercing tones of passion

holders were
crime.
vert
The
and slave-
held up as monsters of cruelty and

Abolitionist, indeed, proposed to
the slave-holders;
and
for
this
end,
con-
he ap-
proached them with vituperation, and exhausted on
them the vocabulary of abuse

as
he sowed."
And
he has reaped
Quoted from, Dr. Hodge's Essays^
pp. 47Y, 478.
Dr. Barnes
Slavery,"
p.
in
his
" Scriptural
Yiews
of
267, quotes and endorses this descrip-
tion of Dr. Channing.
13. "Blasphemies."
Among
strifes of
the consequences of such
words"
as
'*
questions and
characterized the anti-slavery
83
preaching in Paul's day, he reckons blasphemies.
The same
is
true of
take the following
it
"
in our day.
Andover God, the
with your Bible down

down with your trod that
The God of Moses Stuart, the
God of Wm. H. Kogers, which is
!
worshipped in the Winter
St.
Church,
composed of oppression, fraud,
is
am
an Atheist."
3fr.
To such a
Wright^ in his Speech
before the Anti-Slavevy Society in Boston^
To those
a monster,
injustice, pollution,
and every crime in the shape of slavery.
God
instance,
Down
with your political parties

sanctions slavery
As an
May^
1850.
familiar with the anti-slavery literature of
the day, especially the speeches delivered at anniversary meetings, there

that
of
blasphemy
is
is
no need that I should remark,
one of the characteristic features
it.
And
in connection with such
blasphemy, as that quoted above,
an extract or two from the
open and positive

let the
reader take
late writings
of Dr.
Barnes
" Is
it
to
be held that the manufacture and
sale of
ardent spirits will have something to do with the

progress of the Gospel and the salvation of men, and
slavery nothing
tickets
is
That the vending of a few
lottery-
a matter of sufficient importance to claim
the attention of the ministers of religion, and
not?
tliis
That the amusements of the ball-room, the
84
and the opera, should engage the earnest
theatre,
prayers and exliortations of the ministers of religion,
and
the iact that three millions of
tliat
human
beings
are held under such a system, can have no claim on
the attention of the ministers of Christ?

horse-race, a bull-fight, or even
sufficient
tlie
moment
to
Shall a
a duel^ be deemed of
awaken the
soul of a minister of Christ,
indio-nation
and
this
and
stir
enormous
system of injustice and wrong have nothing to awa-
ken
his
sympathy, and
to enkindle his zeal
Is -the
system of caste in India, an evil greater than American slavery
Is
the voluntary
hurning of a
few
widoics on the funeral pile, either as an obstruction

to the
with
Gospel or as actual wrong^ to be compared
this
l)ainful
system
Is the
torture of the
swinging on hooks or the
body
in
Hindoo devotion an
obstruction to the progress of the Gospel, at all to be
compared
slavery."
enormity with American
in extent or in
Dr. Barnes^ Church and Slavery, pp.
161-2.
"
With what
consistency,
nation engage in the
work
it
might be asked, can a
of missions to the heathen,
which systematically and on principle holds three

millions of
human
beings in slavery
What
is
the
kind of religion which such a people would seek to

introduce
among
the heathen,
and
to substitute for
the forms of superstition and idolatry which prevail
there
And what would
tuting a religion
vail in
be the advantage of substi-
where such views and purposes are

which now actually
for those systems
avowed,
heathen
85
lands ?"
pre-
Church and Slavery^ pp.
170, 1.
"We
must
either give
up the point
that the
New
Testament defends slavery, or we must give up a

very large
and an increasingly large portion of the
people of this land to infidelity
nor
will,
nor ought, to be convinced that a book
which sanctions slavery

this must,
for they neither can,
and should
is
from God.
he so
principles in our nature, as
I believe that
and that there are great
God
has
made
us,
which
can never be set aside by any authority of a pre-
tended revelation
and that
if
a book professing to
be a revelation from God, by any

defended slavery, or placed
it
fair interpretation
on the same basis as
the relation of husband and wife, parent and child,
guardian and ward, such a book neither ought to be,

nor could be received by mankind as a divine revelation."
The Church and Slavery,
Dr. Barnes
may be
of his does not
ask
able to show, that this language
amount
using one of
his
p. 193.
to positive
own
blasphemy
favorite expressions
would " a proper development of
it
" be
but
we
what
86
14.
" So-called
logomachles.
1.
" Property
''Mere Property, *
the right of possession and use, and
is
must of necessity vary according

objects to
and
Questions
Philosophical
which
it
to the nature of the
A man has property in
attaches.
his wife, in his children, in his domestic animals, in
his fields,
and
That
in his forests.
he has the
is,
right to the possession and use of these several ob-
He
jects according to their nature.

* " So long as the slave
is
regarded as a
selves with the feeUng that he
Notes on Uph. VI.

*'
What
guishes
it
is
He
chattel,' or a
may be
held in bondage."
the essential element of the system
from
mere piece
to content them-
all
other relations
reply, that
(the master) regards
it is
him (the
"What
This question can
p.
distin-
now be
an-
property in a human being.
slave) as his
own property
as he regards anything else as his property."
Views of Slavery,
Barnes'
9.
swered by the single
same sense
'
men endeavor
of 'property,' like a horse, so long
has no more
in the
Scriptural
47.
" According to the system, their (slaves') bodies are not their own,
their souls, so far as they can be
made
the master, are not their own,"
The Church and Slavery,
"
He
(the master) sets the slave
disposes of the slave in his
of service. "
will,
Scriptural Vieivs^
to subserve the interests of
up at auction, not
by name, not of
p. 55.
p. 179.
his services
his unexpired
he
term

87
right to use a brute as a log of wood, in virtue of the
man
right of property, than he has the right to use a
There are general principles of rectitude
as a brute.
obligatory on
all
all
the creatures
men, which require them

of
God
which he has given them.

his horse because
to treat
according to the nature
The man who should burn
he was his property, would find no
God
man is
man.
justification in that plea either before
or
When,
the pro-
therefore,
it
perty of another,
it
said that one
is
can only mean that the one has
a right to use the other as a
man, but not
as a brute
He has no right to treat him as he may

He can convert his
or as a thing.
lawfully treat his ox or a tree.
person to no use to which a
by
the laws of
When
is
God and
human being may
not,
nature, be properly applied.
the idea of property comes to be analyzed,
found
be nothins: more than a claim
to
either for life or for a

transferable,
and
is
term of years.
it
to service
This claim
of the nature of property,
and
is
is
consequently liable for the debts of the owner, and

subject to his disposal
by
will or otherwise."
Hodge's Essays on Reviews^
Dr.
p. 499.
This view of the nature of the property which a
master has in his slave,

writers of
is
the view which all ethical
any reputation, whether Christian or
have taken
and Dr. Barnes had before him
Essay of Dr. Hodge, as
is
this
not^
very
evident from his frequent
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTEINP: CF SLAVERY.
88
quotations from
those quoted in
when he penned such sentences as

On what ground, on what
the note.
it,
authority, does he set
it
aside
On
none, that
can discover, except that presented in

"
He
sets the slave
up
In Matt.
XX.
at auction
nameP
slave in his will, hy
we read
6, 7,
liis
we
words
he disposes of the
" About the eleventh
hour he went out and found others standing idle in

the marhet-^lace^
here
no
the day idle
all
man
and said unto them.
These
men exposed them-
selves, bodily, for hire in the market-place
language
when
" hired
is
stand ye
They say unto him, Because
usP
hath hired
Why
usP
Shall
we hence
and
their
infer, that
the ''owner of the vineyard" hired
them he
acquired a temporary property " in their bodies and
and that they meant
their souls,"
property to him?
wished
If Dr. B.
month
servant for a
or a year,
to transfer
to hire a huuse-
would he not expect
show himself bodily
that house-servant to
such
to him?.
not because he wished to acquire a temporary right

of property in his body, but because thus only could
he judge of
for
his physical ability to
And when
which he wished him.
him, would he not
naming him
might be
common
for
Such
life
say, I
a
is
perform the service
he had hired
have hired such an one
month
or a year, as the case
the language always used in
and although
it
may not
be philosophi-
89
none but
callj a'^.curate,
misunda'stand
tlie
willfully perverse can
it.
"
chattel,
a thing. "*
" Slaves shall be claimed, held, taken, reputed and
adjudged
law
in
be chattels personal in the hands
to
of their owners and possessors,"

the law in South Carolina.
is
And
the language of
hence
it is
inferred
that that law does not regard a slave as a
being, but as a "
this
* "
'
'
thiiig.''''
be a correct view of the
It follows
chattel
or a
'
from
this that a slave is
thing,' or as
He
man, an immortal man.

Christ did not die for
ph.
'
'
'
chattels.'
one for
and
'
how comes
a man, a redeemed
is
whom
things.' "
Christ died.
But
Barries' JSfotes
on
would be impossible for Philemon to comply with the wishes
It
the case,
'
letter,
and meet exactly the
and yet regard him (Oaesimus)
thing.' "
desires of Paul in
as property, as a
chattel,'
Barnes' Notes, Pldlemon.
" This system (I speak of the system, not of the feelings of
who
it
not to be regarded as a
He
property.'
is
case,
VI. 9.
breathed forth in this
as a
human
are connected with
it)
treats
man
many
not as man, and not as capable
of redemption, but as a 'chattel,' as a 'thing;' this system does at

least as
much
in this country to hinder the progress of the Gospel
of Christ, and involves as
many
violations of the law of God,
as
either intemperance, gaming, lotteries, sabbath-breaking, skepticism,

infidehty, if not as
p. 167.
much
as
all
combined.'*
Church and Slavery,
90
that

tlie
laws of Soutli Carolina
make
the killing of
a slave, murder; and the forcible violation of the
person of a female slave, rajDC?

bale of cotton, for examj)le
"What
is
''
chattel f "
Can a '"thing"
be murdered
" In the grand costumier
of l!Tormandj," writes Blackstons:, " a
chattel
is
described as a mere movable, buc at the same time

it is
set in opposition to a fief or feud
so that not
only goods, but whatever was not a feud, wêre
And
accounted chattels.
ic
is
more
in this latter,
extended, negative sense that our law adopts
it
the
idea of goods or movables only being not sufiicientlj
comprehensive
to take in
everything that the law
considers as a chattel interest.
For
as
since,
the
commentators on the costumier observe, there are
two
requisites to
to time
make a fief
or heritage
and immobility with regard
ever wants either of these qualities,

to the K'ormans, a lieritage or fief
us, is not a real estate
both laws
chattel."
is,
that
civil
as
what-
not, according
or,
according to
the consequence of which in
must be a i)ersonal
Blaclcstone's Goimnentary^
"When then the

is
it
to place
is
;
duration
book
estate or
ii.
code of South Carolina
the civil and not the criminal code that
is
ch. 24.
for
it
quoted
declares that " slaves shall be claimed, held, taken,
reputed, and adjudged in law to be chattels personal,"
the
declaration
in
eftect
is,
simply that
they are not to be held as real estate
that the pro-
without at
determining the extent of that property shall be
perty which the master has

all
91
in the slave
governed by the laws respecting transfer and
which apply
mission,
which a master has
to personal estate.
in his apprentice,
The
trans-
interest
under the laws
of Pennsylvania, or which Dr. Barnes
may have
in a
minor, bound as a servant to him for a term of years,

as truly a chattel interest, in the
is
law sense of that
term, as the interest which the master has in his
And
slave.
this fact
no more degrades the person,
in the account of the law, from the rank
whom Christ died, in

other.
And when Dr.
tal being, for
the
in
of an immor-
the one case than
Barnes
declares,
" Christ did not die for chattels," he cuts off the
apprentice and the bound servant along with the
slave
-"
the ])Oor^'^
whom
to
Christ
left
especial
direction that his Gospel should be preached
from
up
in that
all
the precious hopes which are garnered
Gospel.
3.
'Ûnrequited Zc^Sor.*"
In the aspect in which

*
''
One of the elementary
must be
'
unrequited labor
more than he receives
;'
this objection
principles of
that
is,
it
contemplates
(slaver}')
is,
that there
the slave must earn as
much
as will do his part in maintaining the roaster in
92
properly one respecting the
slavery, the question
is
relations of
and labor," and
''
capital
in all fairness
should be so treated.
Let us state
it
and
as a question of capital
labor,
taking the case of a slave on one of our southern
and
plantations,
(i.
e.
it
will stand thus
The
capitalist
the master) furnishes the land, live-stock, seed,
The laborer
and agricultural implements.

slave) furnishes his
tal.
The master,
own
(i. e.
the
labor in the use of this capi-
and
in return for his capital used,
his skill in superintending
and conducting the
affairs
of the plantation, receives the maintenance of himself
and family
perhaps something more.
The
slave, in
return for his labor, receives as wages, shelter, food,
and clothing
for himself
and
his
young
children, as
yet dependent on him, his maintenance and medical
attendance in sickness, and a comfortable provision

for his old age.
In what does this case differ from
that of the northern capitalist, the
idleness, for
it is
owner
of a cotton-
of the very essence of the system, that he
is
maintained in indolence by the slaves which he owns."
IV.
Notes, Col.
" Slavery
expects
to
is,
to be
Barnes'
1.
of necessity, a system of unrequited
make something by
more from the labor of the
the slave
that
is,
toil.
Tlie
master
he expects to secure
slave than he returns to him,"
" Appro-
priating to ourselves entirely the avails of the labor of another man,

is
an essential to the system."
Script.
Views of Slavcri/, pp. 52,
35-t.
93
factory,
example, and the laborer he employs,
for
excepting that in one case the wages are paid " in

kind," in the other in money.
" the
But
expects
to
And
laborer).
(i.
the Southern capitalist)
e.
the slave "
(i.
e.
the
does not the lN"orthern capitalist ex-
make something by the laborers he employs ?
pect to
Are
master
make something by
cotton-factories benevolent institutions, for the
benefit of the poor

in idleness
;"
i.
e.
But " the master
is
maintained
he does not take hold of the plough-
handle and the hoe, as the slave does.
And
does
the owner of a cotton-factory labor as an operative
within
its wâlls ?
But, says Dr. B., "
it is
vain to say that the food,
the raiment, and the cottage of the slave are any

equivalent for his services, or that the deficiency of
these
is
that he
made up by
wîll
and that he
We
the implied pledge of the master
him with medicine when sick,

take care of him when he is, old."
furnish
will
would inform Dr.
B.,
by
the way, that these are
not matters secured by " the implied pledge of the

master," but
by
Southern States
''^
the righteous slave-laws'''^ of the
and
if
the master
them, the proper authorities will do

ter will
have to pay
for
it.
fails to
it,
provide
and the mas-
" Jône of these things
are such an equivalent for his services that a free-
man would be
willing to contract for
them by
selling
94
himself into slavery
tliey are
can secure by voluntary labor."
not what a freeman
Script Views,
by freeman, we understand the
If
slave are not as
free laborer in
we reply, the wages

much as the freeman can
our ISTorthern States,
p. 52.
of the
secnre.
Intelligence and industry are, and ought to be, taken
And
into account in determining a laborer's wages.

in these particulars the
American laborer
is
far in
advance of the African, but a few generations
moved,
the latter
as
is,
from the most degraded,
But compare the case
debasing barbarism.
re-
slave with that of the free laborer in Europe,
of the
and the
wages of the former are better than those of the

latter
five,
as
is
proven by the
fact, that
one out of every
even in Great Britain, of these free laborers,
compelled
That
house.
is
spend a part of his days in the poor-
to
is,
what amounts
he does not receive
for his labor
to a support for himself
and family
while able to labor, and a comfortable provision in

sickness and old age.
Even
in
our country, taking
amount and quality of the

receive
it
more wages
than, the
be that slave-labor
talist
than
is
free-labor?
labor,
pp.
2:1:,
mean
else
less profitable
This
tlie
the slave must
freeman
anything, must
how can
to the capi-
allegation,
repeated by anti-slavery writers, (see

25,) if it
account
into
so
Scrijpt.
mean
often
Vieios,
that the
capitalist pays,
and
tlie
95
more wages
laborer receives,
for a given amount of labor performed under a sys-
tem
of slavery than under one of free-labor.
''Theft:'''
4.
Anti-slavery writers are accustomed to speak of

;"
slave-holders as " men-stealers," as guilty of " theft
not as the actual thieves, but as the receivers of

stolen goods.
Let us take Dr. Barnes' illustration of the case by

that of "
and admit
stolen horse,''
for the present
* " None become slaves voluntarily, and consequently the whole

process of making slaves partakes of the nature of theft of the worst
What
kind.
his father or
tially
guilt is like that of stealing a
mother?
The
by those who purchase those who are thus
chaser of a stolen horse, knowing
man's children or wife, or
guilt of man-stealing is incurred essen-
measure of that criminaUty also adheres to
thus maintain the system, for
it is
Barnes'' Notes
ginated by theft."
a system
on
stolen, as the
put'
be so, participates in the crime.
it to
Tim.
all
who own
known
I.
In his Scrij)tural Vieios of Slavery, Dr. B.
to
slaves,
and
have been
ori-
10.
illustrates the case
by
that of Napoleon's plundering the Itahan churches and monasteries
of their choicest paintings, remarking

time, no
amount of
legal enactment,
"
It is clear
that
no lapse of
and no number of transfers of
the property, by sale or bequest, could ever convey a moral right to
Somewhere, in spite of
all
these forms of law, the
perpetuated and extended, nor can
it
ever be obliterated but
those works of art.
wrong
is
by a restoration."
Pp. 356,
SSY.
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTBINE OF SLAVERY.
96
what
lie
Dr. B.
by
all
is
The case
a fair one.
is
may
That we
not fully stated.
not, that
bj
as stated
deal fairly
we
the parties concerned in the transaction,
must go back
Who
we do
doubtless believes, though
the illustration
to the beginning,
stole the horse
The ITorthern man
To
and ask
this the
for nothing is
first
of
all,
only true reply
more
is,
certain than
that the inhabitants of the ISTorthern States, and not
the people of the South, were the persons immedi-
employed
ately
in the African slave-trade at the time
that most of the original stock of slaves

into this countrj^,*
was brought
and that Southern men purchased
from them.
At the time, neither party thought
was a
But since then,
theft.
such was the nature of the
JST.
act.
has found out that
say,
S.
now, he would
If
honestly repair the wrong done, let
with the money that
him come
may
restore
Return
for him.
him
me
They
*'
(i. e.
the Southern people)
was imposed on them, and

ants
of
Views
Africa were
p. 9.
Mother
the
money
the horse, that I
to his rightful owner.
what would be required by the law
the laws and cupidity of the
it,
horse I sold you was
a stolen horse, I therefore bring you back the
you paid me
to S.
paid him, and returning
I have found out that the
it
of
Is
God
remember with
not this
as well as
little
country by which
it
gratitude
(slavery)
Northern ships by which the inhabit-
conveyed to their shores."
Barnes'
Scrip.
APOSTOLIC INJUNCTION,
of
man
in the case as stated
pose that, instead of

to refund
this,
!N".
97
by Dr. B.
comes, and not offering
any part of the price which
S.
paid him for
the horse, with sanctimonious visage, says
you have
are a thief; that horse
and
you'll
mouth
which our Lord puts
of a respondent the reply,
beam
cast out the
you
S.,
a stolen horse;
is
be a thief as long as you keep him.
this just the case in
first
But sup-
not
Is
into the
"Thou hypocrite,
own eye and
out of thine
then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out
of thy brother's eye."
Does Dr. B. say

Northern
men
did not receive the price^
it
upon
to return it
We
reply
sent generation of Southern

horse^
and they have him
is
day,
Neither did the pre-
money
that money
is
receive the stolen
rightfully called
If the stolen horse "
him
paid for
the
men
not, (he died years ago,)
and therefore cannot be

return him.
and they
and therefore cannot be rightfully called
have
not,
The present generation of
is
upon
to
somewhere," so
" somewhere."
At
this
just as easily to be found in the
shipping and manufacturing establishments of
England, as the stolen horse
is
New
upon a Southern
plantation.
Let us take another case.
England
was
and the same
procured from
Most of the land
in
New
is
true in the Southern States
its
original possessors, the In-
98
dians,
title
by fraud
or violence.
original,
as the
which, at this day,
Does
one.
who
all
And
land
hence the original
now
is
would regard
held
has purchased or inherited

Is A^
it
title
an unrighteous
as
this vitiate the title of the present
operation of law
is
owner,
under the peaceful
a robber as truly as
if
he
had wrested the land from the Indian on yesterday ?
The
truth
is,
Moral
(See Foley's
more
tion
such reasoning as this
all
Phil.^ book
made
slave-holding
same
just the
(i.
e.
delusive.
ch. 2, 3, 4, for a
iii.
examination of the subject.)
full
between man-stealing
is
The
distinc-
kidnapping) and
in the laws of our country
distinction
and
was made in the laws of
Moses, and recognized in the ]êw Testament (see

5)
is
a proper distinction, and one which no sound
writer has ever discarded.
5.
Exclusion from the
Puljpit.'^
Dr. Barnes complains, and the same
* " Now, what the

I
understand
it,
true of other
of the age and the spirit of the Gospel, as
spirit
demands,
is
is
have any undue prominence
not that the subject of slavery should

in these discussions,
nor that
it
should be
forced into the publications of the Tract Society and the Sunday
School Union, nor that
but that
it
it
should occupy the sole place in the pulpit
should be treated just as
wrongs are
all
other acknowledged evils and
as contrary to the Gospel of Christ, as preventing the
99
anti-slavery writers, that he
his doctrine
is
not permitted to preach
on the subject of slavery, in the pulpits
at the South, or
by means
of the press, through the
agency of the American Tract Society and the American Sunday School Union
and represents
this as
willful withholding of God's truth for the purpose of
conciliating the favor of the Southern slave-holder.
This
all
is
a misrepresentation of the case from
The
beginning to end.
South are accustomed
ministers of Christ at the
to introduce the subject of
slavery into the pulpit, and teach
on the
teaches
subject,
any other subject which
And
in charge.
I will
of twenty years, there
Southern congregation
is
just
all
they
as
Clirist
that the Bible
introduce
has given them
add, after an experience
no subject on which a
listens
more
respectfully to
God's truth, as taught from the pulpit, than on this

very one.
Would you
me
to
occupy
salvation of men, as a violation of the spirit of the Gospel,
and as an
Does Dr. B. ask
evil
allow
not to be perpetuated, but to be removed.
weary
and
am
For one,
sure that in this I speak the sentiments of
am
many
thousands of others of the perpetual deference shown to the holders

of slaves in the pulpit and in the religious literature of the land.
am weary
of the care taken,
conciliate their favor
Slavery^ pp. 158, 159.
and
more than
to avoid giving
in other cases of
them
offence."
wrong, to
Church and
THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY,
100
jour pulpit
is
]S'o, sir
am
to preacli
never.
responsible to
on slavery
My prompt reply
As a pastor of a Cliristian Churcli,

God and to man, that nothing but
God's truth shall be preached from
its
pulpit.
have
your creed on slavery, in such passages from your

published works as these
argument
is
AYe cannot answer the
drawn from
for infidelity
admit that slavery
''
:
this source, if
authorized by the Bible, any
more than we could answer the argument

by a
fair interpretation,
highway robbery,
if
the Bible,
polygamy,
justified
piracy." " I
or
the
same
neither ought to be, nor could be, received
of slavery
infidel.
you
slavery, for the
not enter
I say to you,
are,
You cannot
it
my
in
sir,
view,
my
enter
same reason
to
God's truih,
pulpit to preach on
that the Free-lover can-
to preach on marriage, or the Socialist to
minister of Christ
will
a book
by man-
on the subject
preach on the relation of parent and child.
what
on
wife,
Church and Slavery^
kind as a divine revelation."
And
it
husband and
and ward, such
parent and child, (juardian
pp. 188, 193.
by any
defended slavery, or placed
basis as the relation of
theft,
believe, that if a
book, professing to be a revelation from God,

fair interpretation,
we
who
the Bible teaches,
will
and
be welcome, not to
come and preach
all
my
But any
just
that the Bible teaches,
pulpit only, but to any
pulpit in the slave-holding States, to preach on the
101
subject of slavery, or any other subject on which

Christ has given instructions to his Church.
All
this
talk of " orators transported with fiery
zeal" (Channing) about " mere property"

tel,
" A chat-
thing"" Unrequited labor"" Theft"" Ex-
is fitly described by Paul

mere " logomachy," a wôrdy dispute about mere
clusion from the pulpit,"

as
words
words
stand, and, in
will not.
which the "orator" does not under-
many an
instance, does not because he
CIIAPTEE Y.
NATURE A^D ORIGIN OF SLAVERY.
In our examination of what the !N"ew Testament

teaches on the subject of Slavery,
1.
we have found
That slave-holding does not appear in any cata-
logue of sins or " offences " given us by inspired men,

( 2-5.)
into
the
2:
That the Apostles received slave-holders
and continued them
Christian Church,
therein, without giving
any intimation, either
at the
time of their reception or afterwards, that slave-holding was a sin or an " offence,"
( 6, 7.)
sent back a fugitive-slave to his
and assigned
3.
That Paul
own master
again,
as his reason for so doing, that master's
right to the services of his slave, (
8.)
4.
That the
Apostles frequently enjoin the relative duties of
master and slave, and enforce these injunctions upon

both alike, as Christian
men by
Christian motives
uniformly treating certain evils which they sought

to correct, as incidental evils,
102
and not " part and par-
NATURE AND ORI&IN OF SLAVERY.

eel " of slavery itself, ( 9.)
5.
That Paul treated the
which slavery creates
distinctions
103
as matters of very
importance, in so far as the interests of the
little
Christian
are concerned, (11.)
life
6.
That he de-
clares that this, his doctrine respecting the relation
of slave and master,
wholesome
is
doctrine,
and
ac-
cording to godliness, and the doctrine of the Lord

Jesus Christ,
ters to
( 10.)
teach
And
7.
directs Christian minis-
in the Church, and prohibits the
it
teaching of any doctrine at variance with

the most solemn sanctions
known
to the
it
under
Church,
( 12.)
All this
is
utterly irreconcilable with the idea that
slave-holding
is
to
be regarded as a sin in the sight
of God, or accounted an offence

is it
by
his
Church
nor
possible to maintain the opposite doctrine, with-
out either rejecting the

rule of faith
Word
God
of
as our ''only
and obedience," {Larger Catechising or
adopting principles and methods of interpretation
which
It
will destroy all certainty in
language.
becomes, then, a matter of great practical impor-
tance to
God
human
him who
receives the Bible as the
especially in view of
tlie conflict
the Christian Church in our day

the question.
What
Apostles teach
in his Church.
is
is
to
Word
of
of opinion in
answer correctly
the slave-holding which the
not a sin before God, or an " offence "
10-i
15. Inspired Definition of Slavery,
The Clmrcli
is
is
the School of Christ j and the Bible
the authoritative text-book appoiated to be taught
in that schooL
If,
in the statement
of a doctrine
taught in any text-book, doubtful terms are used,
must go
to the
terms.
Tliis
we
text-book itself for a definition of those
is
nothing more than in
common
fair-
ness any author might demand.
The Church
Bible
is
is
the
Kingdom of
Christ ; and the
the one only law-book.of that kingdom.
the case of any other system of laws,

lation
were declared
to
if
In
a certain re-
be a lawful one, we would go
code of laws in which such declaration was
to the
made, and not
to that of
some other country or some
Any
other age, for a definition of that j-elation.
other course than
this,
would be accounted simply
absurd.
Let
us.
us, then,
The
adopt this course in the case before
Bible, the authoritative text-book in the
School of Christ, the code of laws in the

Christ, teaches that slave-holding
is
Kingdom
not a sin.
of
To
the Bible, then, let us go, and not to the writings of

Aristotle, or to the Civil
Law
of
Rome,
or to the laws
of South Carolina, for a definition of slavery.
Bible
we
will not find a definition of the term,
In the
drawn

NATUEE AND
ORIGEST
out in strictly logical form
OF SLAYEET.
for
not the
is
tliis
105
which the Bible ordinarily presents truth
in
tains
no
strictly logical
statement of
many
will find a definition, in substance,
and
con-
of the
most important doctrines of our holy religion
we
way
it
but
this so
presented as to leave the ingenuous inquirer in no
doubt respecting the matter.

Slayeey, in the Bible sense of the term,
*
OF MUTUAL
DITION
AND
EIGHTS
is
con-
ThE
OBLIGATIONS.
EIGHTS OF THE MASTEE, AND THE COEEESPONDING OBLIGA-
AEE TO OBEDIENCE AND SEEVICE.
TIONS OF THE SLAVE,
" Servants, be obedient to
" ters according to the
them
flesh,
that are your mas-
with fear and trembling,
" in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ
" eje-service, as men-pleasers

''
Christ, doing the will of
" good will doing

"
"
men
man
God from
set'vice, as
not with
but as the servants of
to the
the heart
with
Lord and not
to
knowing that whatsoever good thing any
doeth, the
same
shall
he receive of the Lord,
" whether he be bond or free."
ph.
VL
5-8.
See
TIL 22-25 Titus IL 9, 10.

The Rights of the Slave and the coeeespondinq
also Col.
Obligations of the Mastee aee, to " that which

just
" Masters, give unto your servants that which

'^
just
" in
is
and equal."
and equal, knowing
heaven." a>Z.
lY
is
that ye also have a master
1.
5*
See also Epli.
VL
9.
106
For an exposition of these words,

In
see 9.
confirmation of this view, let the
Gal. lY.
1, 2,
reader turn to
where Paul makes use of the condition
of a slave to illustrate that of a child during his

minority, and thus of the Church, under the old dispensation.
"
Kow,
this 1 say, that the. heir, as
long as he
is
" child, differeth nothing from a servant, {doidos^ a
" slave,) though he be lord of

" tors "
{ejpitro])08^
place of a parent,
all,
but
is
under
tu-
a guardian, who, standing in the

is
entitled to the obedience
due a
parent,) " and governors," {pikonomos^ " an overseer
one who had authority over the servants of a family,

to assign their tasks
Robinson^ s N. T.
and portions."
Lex.) " until the time appointed of the father."
Besides what
may be
considered, strictly speaking,
essential to slavery, there are certain other particulars, so
treated
generally attaching to
it,
that they
may be
as they are by the sacred writers as " part
and parcel"
of the institution itself.
Of
this
nature
are the following, viz.

1.
Slavery
is
a relation formed without the consent
of ihe'slave being first obtained. ^This is not essential

since in the law of Moses provision is
to slavery
;
made for a man's voluntanly assuming the condition of

a slave, (Ex. XXI. 5, 6^) and analogous provisions
exist in the laws of many slave-holding states.
NATURE AND ORIGIN OF SLAVERY.

a
It is
2.
relation
for
life,
that an Israelite, who, in

slave, should regain his
Moses' law provided
any way had become a
freedom
end of seven
at the
years, or at the jubilee at the farthest, (Ex.
and similar laws have existed
may
that slavery
107
XXI.
in other countries
2
;
;)
so
exist without life-long duration.
It is a relation which cannot he lawfully termi-
3.
nated without the consent of loth the

general, the consent of the slave
is
jparties.
presumed
In
and
yet were not the consent of both parties recpired,

cases of great injustice
might
arise
for
example
By
the master's manumitting a slave in his old age, for

the purpose of getting rid of his obligation to sup-
port him.
The
rights
and obligations already
stated,
and these
three particulars, are all that the Apostles treat as
properly beloîging to slavery
may
attach to
it
in
any particular country or age,
they treat as incidental.

that
which
that
which
is
is
^^
jpart
And
the distinction between
and jparceV of slavery itself and
merely incidental^ and therefore
vary or disapper, while slavery
which
tinction
Christian
the
life
It
is
"Whatever else
itself.
lies
method
at
itself
remains,
is
may
a
dis-
the very foundation of the
of dealing with
and writings of Christ and
it,
as set forth in
his Apostles.
a distinction, too, which has always been re-
cognized by ethical writers of reputation.
Thus,
108
Pnfiendorf s definition of slavery

"
The
full
amounts
sum and
to this
man,
other necessaries of
life,
to perpetual labor
which,
extent, extracted
in these
words
notion, then, oijpersonal servitude^
that a
is
for the sake of food
shall lie
if
and
under an obligation
taken in
true natural
its
from the barbarous cruelty of some
masters, and the unreasonable rigor of
some laws,
doth not imply an extravagant degree of hardship
and
severity.
For that perpetual obligation
well
is
requited by a perpetual certainty of maintenance, for
which those who work

either through
Law
for hire are often at a loss,
want of business or
And Dr. Hodge

we apprehend, of
holding
is itself
writes
those
a crime,
accessories at
III.,
10.
" The grand mistake, as
who maintain
is,
that slave-
that they do not discrimi-
nate between slave-holding in

its
willful idleness."
of Nature and Nations, B. YI., Ch.
itself considered,
any particular time or
place.
and
They
have a confused idea of chains and whips, of degradation and misery, of ignorance and vice, and to this
complex conception they apply the name slavery,

and denounce
it
physical
Do
as
it
their
evil.
as the aggregate of all
such persons suppose that slavery
existed in the family of
imagination
moral and
thus
Abraham, was such
pictures
to
as
themselves
Might not that patriarch have had men purchased

with his
silver,
who were well
clothed, well instructed,

well conpensated for
tlieir
and
labor,
treated with parental kindness?
109
in all respects
^Neither inadequate
remuneration, physical discomfort, intellectual ignorance, nor moral degradation,

dition of a slave.
Yet,
is
essential to the con-
removed
these ideas are
if all
from the commonly received notions of slavery, how

All the ideas which necessarily
will remain.
little
enter into the definition of slavery, are deprivation of
personal liberty, obligation to service at the discretion

of another, and the transferable
authority and
character of the
claim of service of the master."
Hodge's Essays and Beviews^ pp. 483, 484.

Either of these definitions would answer our purpose,
had we no other design than that of defending
the doctrine of Scripture, that slave-holding
is
neither
a sin nor an " offence ;"* but neither of them
as
is
* In commenting upon Dr. Hodge's view of the nature of the property which a master has in his slave, (see 14,
" According to this view, slavery
is
and no one should regard slavery as

tion of society,
wrong.^^
And
and
still
less as
referring to
1,)
Dr. Barnes wiutes
comparatively a harmless thing

essentially
an undesirable condi-
having any thing
Abraham's
slaves,
in it that is
morally
he writes: "They
may
have been purchased from those who had taken them as captives in
war, and the purchase
may have been regarded by
species of redemption, or a
usually attends such captives
which
it
perchance from death.
was understood that he had
property in their
titne,
themselves as a
most desirable rescue from the
and not
in
fate
which
The property
them may have been merely
in their persons.
Or the purchase
110
perfect a definition as that given
ciency consisting in
by Paul
their defi-
that whilst stating distinctly
this,
and correctly the obligations of the
slave, they
do not
take as. explicit notice of the corresponding obligations of the master
and the
latter enter as truly into
the idea of slavery as the former do.
Origin of Slavery.
16.
The
Scriptural theory respecting the
origin
The
of
Slavery,
may be
sin,
disobedience to God's laws, upon both indi-
i.
e.,
stated, in brief, thus
viduals and nations,
is
degradation.
this influence, continued
through
efi'ect
of
A people under
many
generations,
sink so low in the scale of intelligence and morality

as to
become incapable of
safe
and righteous
When, by God's appointment,
government.
comes upon them
and remedial
an
self-
slavery
appointment at once punitive
a punishment for sin actually com-
mitted, and at the
same time a means of saving the
sinning people from that utter extermination which
must otherwise be
their
doom, and gradually raising
them from the degradation
into
which they have
sunk.
raay have in fact
cipation."
amounted
to every thing that
Script. Views of Slavery^ pp. 40, 75.
is
desirable in
eman-

It
was
consequence of
in
mitted, and yet
more foreseen
slave sentence of
first
sin, in
Ill
part actually com-
in the future, that the
which we have any record was
pronounced by Koah upon Canaan and his descendants
" Cursed
shall
he be
mouth
be Canaan
By
brethren." Gen. IX. 25.^
to his
of Moses,
a servant of servants
God
the
threatens his people Israel, in
case of their disobedience, with a long series of judg-
" And the Lord
shall
bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the
way
ments, terminating in slavery,
whereof I spake unto

again
and there
hond-icomen^ and no
XXYIII.
terms, "
vant
XL
68.
The
Thou
thee.
shall
man
shall
And Solomon
fool
(i. e.,
shalt see
ye be sold
for
no more
it
hond-men and
buy you."
Dent.
in general
declares,
the wicked) shall be the ser-
(ehed. the slave) of the
wise in heart."
Prov.
29.
This doctrine of God's word
is
strikingly illustrated
* The connection between sin and slavery appears in connection

with the record of man's
first sin
yorth from the garden of Eden
taken."
Gen.
means a
III. 23."
slave, but
slave the ground;''
is
and
" To
" Therefore
to till
till,^''
in the
Hebrew,
here used as a verb, and

is
used to show, not that
the slave of any other person, but a slave to his

that the labor required
on Slavery^
p.
434.
the Lord sent
him
the ground from which he was

is
the word that
literally
means "
to
Adam had become
own
necessities,
and
was the labor of a slaLxe^Fletcher's Studies
112
all
are subject to
are sinners, and hence
what Fletcher well
degree- of slavery,"
i.
wants and necessities
must they
men
All
in his providence.
slavery to their physical
e.,
" in
the sweat of their face
Where
eat their bread."
persisted in for a time
sin
has been
by any people, then comes the
second degree of slavery,
i.
e.,
subjection to despotic
The deep foundations of despotism
government.
Europe are
calls " the first
.in
laid in the degradation of the people.
Overturn those despotisms a thousand times, and you

cannot
them
make
the people free, unless
sin has
been persisted in
first
raise
and moral being.
in the scale of intellectual
Where
you can
for
many
generations,
and a people have become deeply degraded, then
comes the third degree oi^\BNQYj^ i. e., personal slavery.

Uniformly the people who have been reduced
very, have been those degraded
operation of sin in just this way.*
* "
We may
so poisoned with sin, so
no longer
safe guardians to themselves,
dict, that
animal want enslaves us
the general safety

races have
may seem
all.
to require.
destroyed, that they are
even under the general
That, in the history of man,
become so deteriorated by a continued action
them under the control of others
mercy, under the guidance of a
inter-
That for such God provides as
position to the laws of God, that he has seen
placing
"The world never
everywhere notice that some among the family of
man have become
some
to sla-
by the long-continued
fit
in op-
to care for them, by
or by placing them, in
less deteriorated
race,
whom, no

has, nor will
intellectual,
it
113
ever witness, a case where the moral,
and physical superior has been

an
as a fixed state, to
in slavery,
The law giving
inferior race.
superior rule and government to the moral, intellec-
and physical superior,
tual,
is
as
unchangeable as the
Fletoher'^s Studies
law of gravitation."
on Slavery,
p. 391.
Of
tlie
remedial operation of slavery,
we have
striking illustration in the case of the African race in
our
be
own
In the history of nations,
country.
difficult to find
made more
upward and onward than

made under the operation of
rapid progress
slavery.
That they have not yet as a peo-
ple, attained a point at
self-government,
safe
would
an instance in wdiich a people have
the African race has
American
it
which they are capable of
is,
we
believe, conceded
by
every one personally acquainted with them, and

therefore capable of forming an intelligent opinion.
That
it
may
take generations yet, to accomplish the
gracious purposes of
them,
is
God
The work which
very possible.
doubt, he holds responsible for the
we be permitted
in inflicting slavery
it
good he intends them.
to inquire of the Christian
man,
if this
upon
has taken
And may
position pre-
sents anything contrary to the general law of benevolence of the
Deity
contrary
heaven.^'
to the welfare of
Fletcher^ s Stiidies
of
man on
earth, or his hopes of
Slaveri/, p. 504.
114:
ages to do,
is
it
But nothing
often takes ages to undo.
more certain than that God's plan has* operated
well thus far
National
ration
sin, persisted in
then, national
and darker
from generation
to
gene-
degradation, becoming deeper
as time rolls on
at once a punishment for
then, national slavery,
sin,
and a gracious pro-
vision for saving from utter extinction, and gradually
restoring again to the position from
dragged
lished
its
Such
victims down.
by God,
his providence
is
which
as set forth both in his

;
sin has
the order estab-
word and
and thus understood, there
is
in
a pro-
found philosophy underlying the Scriptural method

of dealing with slavery.
17.
To most
ot the
Cou7iter' arguments.
arguments from express Scripture
advanced by anti-slavery
ment
writers, the simple state-
of the Scriptural doctrine of slavery,
cient answer.
argument from the passages

ter,
even Christ, and
XXIII.
8.
nations of
for to
earth." Acts, XYIII.

There
is
" For one
all ye
And "God
men
is
-suffi-
Such, for example, as Dr. Barnes'

is
your mas-
are 'bretJirenP
Matt.
hath made of one Mood
dwell on
all
all
the face of the
26.
one passage, however, which
may need

passing notice,
viz.
our Lord's words, " Whatsoever
ye would that men should do

to
them
YII.
for this
to you,
do ye even so
the law and the prophets."
Matt.
Or, as the same truth was expressed, on an-
2.
other occasion
like unto
On
is
115
it.
" And the second (commandment)
Thou
these two
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
commadments hang
prophets." Matt. XXII.

remarks
is
the law and the
all
On
39, 40.
this,
Dr. B.
" This rule he (Christ) evidently designed
should be incorporated into his religion as essential
and
to the system,
sistent
with the
it is
manifest that nothing incon-
of Christianity.
spirit
bearing on slavery, is obvious.

ing the emancipation of
age,
if fairly
Freedom
that
if
is
applied,
sweet to
man were
all
would be
man
in their place, the
Yet
its
Its influence iir secur-
those
now
certain
and
it
held in bond-
and inevitable.
cannot be doubted
in all circumstances to act
those under him, as he would desire
loosed."
can be in ac-
fair application of it
cordance with the
to
toward
be treated
if
bonds of servitude would soon be
Scrvpt. Views, pp. 248,
'9.
These words of Christ are given by him, expressly,

as a
summary
of the second table of the law, delivered
in full to Israel
this
own
from the top of
Sinai.
Turning
to
second table of the law, now, as written by God's

finger,
we
read, "
Thou
shalt not covet thy neigh-
bor's wife, nor his man-servajit (male-slave), nor his
116
maid-servant (female-slave), nor his ox, nor his
nor anything that
Can
it
is
be that God has
regulating
it
a right, in
a law, which
of that law
is
ass,
Ex. XX.
recognized recognized by
thy neighbor's."
this his
IT.
statement in
full of
directly at variance with the principle
Or, taking Dr. B.'s method of interpreting the
words of our Lord, we
ask.
Can any
father rightfully
restrain the waywardness, or correct the disobedience
of his child
he were the
if
the child were the father, he
and
child,
Does he believe that
would
like to
be chastised?
Or, can the civil magistrate punish
the criminal?
Does he believe that
criminal,
would
like to
be hung ?
All interpretation of general
laws, such as that of Dr. B.,
quences of
self,
sin,
is
delusive.
must come upon the sinner
suffers
The
consequences established by
as chastening, they
who
he were the
if
and the criminal were the magistrate, he
and
if
conse-
God him-
they come
must come against the will of him
under them, "for no chastening, for
the present, seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;"
and
all this
love."
without any violation of the "law of
CHAPTER
YII.

18.
"
Tlie Discijpline
The Church
is
the
kingdom
Its officers are
Christ.
cute his will.
of the Church.
his servants,
Its discipline is his
king has ordained.
of the Lord Jesus
bound
to exe-
law, which he as a
The Church can enjoin what he
commands, prohibit what he condemns, and enforce

her testimonies by spiritual sanctions."
Bible, the code
never rightfully go.
govern her
Beyond
which Christ has given
The
Bible,
her, she
the
can
and that alone, must
discipline.
Let us apply
this principle
first in
a case or two,
about which, wê presume, there would be no

ence of opinion, that
we may
see clearly
its
difi*er-
scope
and import.
Under
might
the
Roman
kill his child,
(see 9).
law, in Paul's day, a father
and yet be
guiltless of
Supposing now, that some
murder
father, a
mem117
118
ber of the Christian Church, had taken away the
life
of his child.
How
such a case?
Undoubtedly, they should deal with
the
man
ought the Church to deal with
as a murderer,
Did he put
over to Satan.''
as such, " deliver
and
in the plea.
me
law, the law of the land, gives
away
the
my
of
life
child
the right to take
the reply
would
Roman
plea might avail you before a
him
The Roman
be,
That
court, but in
the Church, the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ,

the law of
you
God
is
alone of authority
are a murderer,
derer,
we
cast
and by that law
and under that law,
you out
Or, take a case such as might occur in
Northern
The laws
States.
husband and wife

to
marry again,
not allow
to
mur-
some of our
of certain States allow
be divorced, and subsequently
in cases in
which the law of God does
Supposing a
it.
as a
of the Church.
case, in
which a member
of the Church, divorced lawfully according to the

States' law,
but unlawfully according to God's law,
has married again, comes up for decision in a Church

court.
Will the plea that the second marriage was
lawful according to law of

offender
moment.
the State shield
from the Church's censure?
the
E'ot for a
The law of God, and not the law of this
that particular State,
must regulate
The only
all
is
or
the law in his Church, and
her discipline.
cases of apparent exception
and
the

exception
ters left
apparent only
is
are
those in which mat-
undetermined by God's law are prohibited
by the law of the
or enjoined
In this case,
State.
under the general requirement of Christian
obey magistrates,"
may become,
required to deal with
it
may
among
is
arise in con-
marriage rela-
member
of
guilty of adultery, as that crime
is
slaves.
the Church,
Church
The laws of our slave-holding
States, at the present time, ignore the

tion
an
indirectly,
as such.
Turning now to such cases as

nection with slavery.
" to
an offence against
(Titus, III. 1,)
the law of the State
men
offence in the account of the Church, and the
may be
119
Supposing a
slave, a
defined in God's law, and his case comes up for adjudication before the Church.
act
"Will the plea that the
was not adultery according
admitted in bar of judgment?
The law
law
of God,
in his
The law
to the State
Kot
for a
and not the law of the
law be
moment.
State, is the
Church.
in our slave-holding States, at the present
day, gives to the master the right to separate finally
husband and wife among

pleasure and for his
* As this matter
is
own
his slaves,
profit.*
and
this at his
But supposing
that
often referred to by anti-slavery writers, let
me
ask the attention of the reader to an extract from Fletcherh Studies
on Slavery^ the most elaborate work on slavery which has been published at the South
" So
far as
our experience goes, masters uni-
120
member
a master, a
power
of
that the State law gives
exercises his
Cliurcli,
tlie
in violation of the
law of God, will the plea
him
this authority
versally manifest a desire to have their negroes marry,
be ad-
and to
with their wives and children, in conformity to Christian rules.
one reason,
no other,
if
the peace and
The master wishes to secure
very obvious.
is
live
And
Besides the interest of
tranquillity of his household.
the master, his education on the subject of marriage must be allowed

to have a strong influence
a connection which his
and
to their happiness
his
his
mind
to favor
own
and foster
in his slaves
teaches him must be important
tranquillity, to say
we never heard of
Indeed,
as a Christian.
on
own judgment
nothing of his duty
a master
who
did not feel
a strong desire, a pride, to see his slaves in good condition, contented,
and happy
and we venture to
a proper regard for his
own
assert, that
no man who entertained
character, would consent to
of slaves, separately, to different individuals,
good conduct, and a
selves manifested
when
sell
habit, or desire to
gether in conformity to the rules of civilized
life.
a family
the slaves them-
hve toge-
That the owners
of slaves have sometimes abused the power they possessed, and out-
raged the feehngs of humanity in
Nor do we wish
this behalf, is doubtless a fact.
by saying that proud and
to excuse such conduct
wealthy parents sometimes outrage the feelings of

of their
own
children in a
somewhat
similar way.
that can be and should be corrected
Dr.
Wayland
that
we have
lived to see
many
The author would add, that

in Virginia
all
of
up
for decision
it
no
no such case has occurred.
He
to
to inform
abuses corrected, and

in their train."
in a ministry of
case such as that he
by the churches
sense and
These are abuses
and we are happy
hope that many more corrections may follow

38-41.
common
is
Pp.
twenty years
supposing has come
which he has ministered, because
has never
known
a Christian master
to violate God's law of marriage in the case of his slaves.
RELATION OF THE CHUKCH TO SLAVEKY.
121
mittecl as a valid defense in a Churcli court?
for a
Not
The law of God, and not the law of
moment.
the State, must govern the discipline of the Church.
Unscriptural State laws can no more determine the

discipline of the Church, in the case of slaves than in
the case of freemen.'^

'No conflict
Church
"
(i. e.
likely to
is
not a State Church)
that Christ intended his
where
and
Church
The
discipline of the
own members
own voluntary
sions
by
only,
^'
believe
free " every-
to her
their
and she can enforce her
deci-
sanctions
spiritual
Church extends
and they become such by
choice
enjoining
of God.
be
Free
under diflerent codes
that
There are no
alone.
slave-laws in our Southern States
know
and we
to
''
the State out of the administration of
justice, in their several courts,
of law.
between a
arise
which
is
in
contrary to the law
K such laws were enacted, the
Christian and the Christian
we
so far as
Church
course of the
is
very plain
they must obey God, and not man, as did the martyrs
But where the State law simply
of other days.
mits that which
is
contrary to the law of God, the
* The reader who wishes to
know how such
cases as those stated
above are treated by the churches of Christ in the slave

consult a very able
tion
*'
per-
Report of the Charleston
on the Marriages of Slaves," repubUshed
of the PreshyterioM Magazine for 1857.

6
(S.
States,
can
C.) Baptist Associa-
in the
February number
122
man
Christian
him
require
can
abstain,
spiritual sanctions,
and the Church can
under the penalty of her
abstain,
to
from the exercise of the permitted
way coming
powers, without in any
in conflict
with
the State.
The Teaching of the Church.
19.
Beyond her
ow^n pale the Church has no authority
On
of discipline.
the world at large she can operate
directly through the
Her commission
agency of her teaching alone.
as a teacher
ye therefore and teach

the
name
of the Father,
20.
I have
As the
is
to observe all things
you.''''
teaching.
to
in
what-
the only record of what Christ hath

in all her
" Apart from the Bible, she can never
rightfully speak.
'
To the law and
to the testimonies,'
them, alone she must always appeal, and
they are
Go
Matt. XXYHI. 19,
commanded, the Bible must govern her
and
them
and of the Son, and of the
coramam^ded
Bible
in the words, "
all nations^ baptizing
Holy Ghost, teaching them

soever
is
silent,
it is
when
her duty to put her liand upon
her lips."
What
slavery
what
tlie
is
the Church to teach on the subject of
Just what Christ hath commanded.
Bible teaches
adding
taking nothing therefrom.
And
Just
nothing thereto
this
she
is
to teach
RELATION OF THE CHTROH TO SLAVERY.
123
publicly, to all alike, be they " bond," or be tliey
" free," and " wlietlier
initiated,
and
men will
She has no
will forbear."
esoteriG doctrine for the
exoteric for the people
the master which the slave

for the slave
may
bond nor
neither
Do
no doctrine
not hear
for
and none
which the master may not hear,
Dr.
as
" In Christ Jesus there
T3arnes seems to imagine."^

is
hear, or whether they
free."
the ministers of Christ, in the Southern states,
teach from the pulpit
all
that the Bible teaches on the
Yes,
subject of slavery?
we
reply
as freely as they
do the doctrine of God's word on any other subject.

(See 14,
There are practical
5.)
difficulties to
be
encountered, both in teaching and administering the

discipline of
tlie
Church touching domestic
as every N'orthern pastor
own experience
must have learned from
in the case of
* This passage teaches
upon
their masters.
terference, and
all
to inflame their
At the same
New
husband and
his
wife,
" That the ministers of religion should not
labor to produce a spirit of discontent

to rise
relations,
among
agencies or embassies sent
mind against
slaves, or excite
would undoubtedly forbid
It
among
their masters, in
all
them
such in-
slaves themselves
view of their wrongs.
time, nothing in this passage, or in any other part of the
Testament, forbids us to go to the maater himself^ and show
him the
evils
of the system, and to enjoin upon him to
pressed go free, or that the wrongs of the system

set before him."
Dr. B.'s own.
Barnes^ Notes on
Tim. VI.
5.
may
let
the op-
not be fully
The
italics
are
124:
and
lârent
Church
is
But we believe that the Southern
cliilcL
as faithful to her duty, in so far as the re-
lations established
Church, either
by slavery are concerned,

or South,
jS'orth
as the
respecting the
is
duties growing out of the marriage or parental relation.
pit, that
ject,
not to Scriptural teaching from the pul-
It is
Southern Christians or
men
of the world ob-
but to the uuscriptual teaching of
men
"puffed
up with pride though they know^ nothing, having a

morbid fondness
for so-called philosophical questions
and logomachies."
20.
The Church
God
by many
for granted
all
of
Church and
is
an
not
State,
as
seems
to
be taken
institution intended to
do
the good w^hich needs to be done in the world, and
wage war upon every form
of
human
ill.
There are
other institutions, intended to do good and to alleviate

the
ills
of
life,
to enable
and honesty," that are

the Church
Civil
men
to " live in all godliness
as truly institutions of
God
as
itself.
government
is
one of these.
"
The powers
" that be are ordained of God ; whosoever therefore

" resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.
"
He
(i.
e.
the civil ruler)
is
the minister of
God
to

RELA.TION OF THE
"thee
for
good." Rom. XIII.
" therefore, that

" intercessions,
"
men
of
first
and
" able in the sight of
''
"
hy
him
for all
for all that are in authority /
For
God
Submit yourselves
for the Lord's sake
se7it
exhort,
supplications, prayers,
all,
this
to
good and accept-
it
Tim.
II.
man
be to the hing^ as
punishment of
for the
life, in all
every ordinance of
whether
is
our Saviour."
" supreme, or unto governors^ as unto

"
"I
l-t.
lead a quiet and peaceable
" godliness and honesty.
l-tt.
125
and giving of thanks, be made
for kings
we may
" that
CHURCH TO SLAVERY.
them
that are
evil-doers,
" for the praise of them that do well."
and
Pet.
11.
13, 14.
According
to the
plain teaching of Scripture in
such passages as those quoted above

multiply the
quotations
did
it
and we
seem
might
necessary
the Civil government
is
God
and a great deal of the good
as is the
which needs
Church
be done in
to
this world,
appointment, to be done through

great
the
many
of the
same way.
ruler
is
ills
In his
an institution of
as truly
is
by God's
agency
its
and a
of life are to be alleviated in
own proper
as truly " the minister of
good," as
is,
sphere, the civil
God
the minister of the Church.
to thee for
Is the " evil-
doer to be terrified ?" the civil ruler " beareth not the
sword in vain."
Is
"a
life
in
all
godliness and
honesty " to be secured to the Christian
man
the
126
civil ruler is " sent of
evil-doers
for the "
God,"
punishment of
and the praise of them that do well."
The Christian man

pointments of God.
is
Tlie
bound
to
regard these ap-
Church may no more
right-
fully intrude itself into the province of the State,
than the State
may
the Church.
The
may
intrude itself into the province of
not be accomplishing
all
the good
civil or political evils are suffered
tration, that it
the State
fact, if fact it be, that
needs reforming
it
under
does
ought, that
adminis-
its
not authorize
the Church to step in and supply these deficiencies, or
reform these abuses, any more than a similar state of

things in the
All
interfere.
Church would authorize the State
human
institutions human,
to
in that
they are administered by man, though ordained of
God
are
imperfect in their operation.
not because the ordinance of
God
And
this,
imperfect, but
is
because sin has introduced disorder into the working

of all earthly things
The Church,
joint.
cover
And
evils in the
such,
man, but
we
has put man's nature out of
the State, the Family
practical
believe, will
we
dis-
working of them
all.
be the case so long
partially sanctified at best,
is
''
as
God's minis-
ter " in their administration.
"We
freely grant,
and sincerely
rejoice in
the
truth, that the healthful operations of the
Church
own
the interests
appropriate sphere, re-act upon
all
in
its

of man, and contribute to
But we are
of society.
that
it is
tlie
far
127
progress and prosperity
from admitting,
either,
the purpose of God, that under this present
dispensation of religion, all evil shall be banished
from
this
sublunary
a paradise
or, that
and earth be converted
state,
the proper end of the
the direct promotion of univeral good."
into
Church
is
Synod of
South Carolina^ 1848.
and the same true

was always in conformity
The conduct of the Apostles
is
of that of Christ himself
with these principles so plainly laid down in the
Word
of
labored
'
They
God.
they planted the Church, and nurtured
countries where the civil
and greatly needed reforming
ills
life
which
civil
were suffered
rect,
feon
where the State
much
designed the State to do
of
of the good
in
is
intended to cor-
unchecked
and property were insecure
which
where many of the
government
to prevail
failed
where per-
where the judges
took bribes and the rulers oppressed the people

the Apostles suffered in their
various ways.
it,
government was oppressive,
in the accomplishment of
God
and preached, and
lived,
own
Yet never do we
persons in
all
and
these
find these heaven-
guided ministers of the Church, either individually

or in their synods, intermeddling with the affairs of
state.
Never do we
political agitation
see
them taking
the lead in
never did they, on the Sabbath,
128
lay aside the Gospel that they might preach civil or

legal reform.
to " teach
all
Having received
things whatsoever Christ
manded," they abide by

transgressing
a specific commission
it,
had com-
their commission
by adding any thing
to,
never
or taking
anything from Christ's commandment.
Would
that the
Church
in succeeding ages,
Alas
followed their example.
she did not.
had
With
increasingnumbers, increasing wealth, and increasing
power, the ordinance of Christ came to be disregarded, the wisdom of
man was
truth of God, and the
Church was wedded
State in
and
in
And
unholy union.
quence of such a
step,
substituted for the
then, as
the
to the
conse-
growing corruption in doctrine
manners mark her histery
and a long, dark
night of ignorance, and degradation, and
down upon Christendom.

union with the Church
The
sin, settles
State, cursed in her
and the Church yet more
deeply cursed in her union with the State.
These unholy bonds are now, in some measure,
broken throughout Christendom.

try,
In our
own
coun-
they have been more thoroughly broken than in
any other
and God forbid that they should ever be
formed anew.
government
is
And
a
Church of Christ
let
us not say that because our
government of the people, and the

in our land is divided into different
denominations, there
is
no danger of Church and

If such a union
State ever uniting.
its
that has existed heretofore.
And
will,
it
he who has
care-
watched the course of things during the summer
last passed,
it
formed,
is
character from any
of necessity, be different in
fully
129
may
may have some
take on.
inkling of a form which
which
state of things in
political
questions shall be discussed in the pulpit and on the
Sabbath, and ecclesiastical councils, turning away
from the matters which Christ has given them in

charge, shall busy themselves with affairs of state
and
men's religious feelings shall be evoked as elements
and they made
of political strife,
to feel that in
promot-
ing the interests of this or that party they are verily
doing
is
God
service.
no tyranny
Experience teaches us that there
like that of a
The
mob.
in the bloody history of France,
is
the despotism of the people.
And
bloodiest
that
page
which records
so,
we
believe,
should God, in righteous judgment, suffer a union to
be fprmed between a government of the people, and a
Church such
as ours,
it
will
prove
itself
the most dis-
Church and State the world has

disastrous to civil liberty and yet more
astrous union of
ever seen
disastrous to the religion of Christ.
God
each
has assigned to the Church and the State
its
separate province,
and
neither has ever
intruded into the province of the other without suffering therefor.
To
the
Church God has

6^
intrusted
130
all
THE CHRIS-HAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.
the interests of
cern the
man which more immediately
come
life to
his Gospel,
preach to every creature
and
con-
this she is to
and the supervision of the
manners of his people, her members, and these she

to regulate
by
his law,
the interests of
so train
them
for his hea-
man which more immediately
this present life
all
all
concern
questions respecting capital and
and
labor, civil rights
tection of the
and
To the State God has intrusted
venly kingdom.
is
political franchises, the pro-
weak, the forcible repression of crime,
and the general administration of justice between
man and man.

rectly reacts
Each, acting in
upon
the other.
own
its
sphere, indi-
pure Church
a blessing to a State, and an incorrupt State

blessing to the Church.
But
let neither
prescribed.
The transgression
whether by individuals or nations,
the one nor
other o'erstep the "metes and bounds" which
has
is
is
God
of God's law,
is sin,
and
sin
and
sorrow came into our world hand-in-hand, and handin-hand they have walked " up and
earth" ever since.
down
in
the
CONCLUSIOK
GOD
Where God
WOKK
IN GOD
has appointed a vwrlc for
he has generally appointed the
work
is
to
be done.
Church
is
as
ment
the
And
much bound
as the other.
way
are often
God
is
more
made known,
which that
this is the case, the
to respect the
one appoint-
distinclj set forth in the life

his Apostles than in
any
in
whatever manner the
will
that will
In the case of a race of
which God
liis Cliiircli,
also in
Both the worJc of the Church and
But
positive precept.
way
where
and ministry of Christ and
of
WAT.
is
men
law
to his
Church.
in slavery, the worli,
has appointed his Church
as we learn
it,
both from the example and the precepts of inspired
men
is
to labor to secure in
ou earth and meetness
them a Christian
for his
heavenly kingdom.
The African slave, in our Southern States,

deeply degraded
of sin
may,
life
may
be
the debasing effects of generations
at first sight,
rated his humanity, yet
seem
is
to
have almost
oblite-
he an immortal creature
131
132
one for
whom
God'the Son died
one
whom God
make him
Spirit can re-fashion, so as to
the
a worthy wor-
among God's people on earth, and a welcome

worshipper among the ransomed in heaven
one
whom God the Father waiteth to receive as a returnshipper
And
ing prodigal to his heart and to his home.
commission of the Church, " go ye into
and preach the Gospel
to
the
world
every creature^^^ sends her a
messenger of glad tidings
him
to
above him in the scale of
frir
all the
as truly as to
On
civilization.
men
this
point there can be no difference of opinion among
God's people, Korth or South, w^ho intelligently take
word
the
of
obedience."
him
us
to his
is
God
as
their " only rule of faitli
This
is
the
Church, in so far as the slave race among
concerned.''^
In what ^cay
By
this
is
work
to
be done
We answer,
preaching the same Gospel of God's grace alike
to the master
and the slave
ble evidence given
same Church
is,
is
neither
bond nor
The former
free "
is
Ilodge'a Essaj/s
and
Christ, in
and to seat
is
not emancipa-
obligatory only as a means to
an end, and therefore only under circumstances where
mote that end."
credi-
slave, into the
that the great duty of the South
but improvement.
is
Gospel has been received
the Church of the Lord Jesus
which " there

* " The fact
and when there
that this
admit them, master and
in faith, to
tion,
and
worh of God, assigned by
Revievjs, p. 507.
it
would
pro*
133
them
same table of the Lord, that drinking of

the same cup, and eating of the same loaf, they mayat the
communion
witness to the world their
And having received
and blood of the same Saviour.
them
into the
same Church,
body
in the
to teach
them the
duties
belonging to their several " callings " out of the
them
Bible, and subject
same law, the law
b}^ the
teaching of the Church,
members
way
in
slavery.
life
members
may
appear unto
The
this
way must
men.
This
have given us
the Church labor to
slaves,'' just as
" good husbands, good

children,
mate
good
rulers,
effect of this
just
is
with
in their
wives, good parents,
civil
it
we say
in
could " overthrow

asâinst
it
it,
God."
the
good
ulti-
political condi-
directly to
be the emancipation
God's name, "
be of God, we camioV^
even to ti^ht
and
With
Church has nothing
If the ultimate effect of
of the slave
make "good
she labors to inake
good subjects.
upon the
tion of the slave the
we
God
and in their writings prohibit any other.
In
" If
all
his Apostles dealt
instructions they
her
to
and her
be exercised not in
to
is
which Christ and
masters and good
do.
be addressed not
to
the
this,
but before the world, that the light whicli
has given her

the
is
And
of Christ.
only, but to the world at large
discipline of her
secret,
same
to the discipline prescribed
let it
come."
and we would not
lest
if
haply we be found
If the ultimate effect
be
134
the perpetuation of slavery divested of

evils
by
a slavery in which the master
the laws of
man
as well as that of
unto the slave that which
is
incidental
its
shall
be required,
God, " to give
and equal," and the
just
slave to render to the master a cheerful obedience
and hearty service
may
It
we
slavery continue.
say, let
be, that such a slavery, regulating the rela-
tions of capital
and
labor,
though implying some
deprivation of jêrsonal liberty, will prove a better

defense of the poor against the opj^ression of the rich,
than the too great freedom in which capital
many
in
Something of
day.
free laborers in
name
is
j^laced
of the free States of Europe at the present

this
kind
what the masses of
is
France are clamorino:
of " the right to labors
for
under the
Something of
'
this
kind would have protected the ejected tenantry of

the
Duke
of Sutherland against the tyranny
which
drove them forth from the home of their childhood,
and quenched the
fire
upon many a
converted once cultivated

It
may
the problem about
is
and
sheep-walks.
into
fields
be, that Christian slavery
hearth-stone,
God's solution of
which the wisest statesmen of
Europe confess themselves "
at fault."
free,
be they but righteous bonds.
if it
be an unrighteous freedom."*
"
Bonds make
Freedom
* For an able examination of this point the reader
is
enslaves,
referred to
god's
To
way
this
wokk
way.
in god's
135
of dealing witli slavery, thus clearly
God
pointed out in God's word, does
in his provi-
dence " shut us up," for years to come.
None but
the sciolist in political philoso23hy can regard the
problem of emancipation
even
were the aim which the Christian

immediately in view
And
as a problem
men
thoughtful Christian
seemed
ties in
granting that this
have
citizen should
of easy solution.
North,
at the
it
has
to us, often lose sight of the greatest difficul-
the case.
It is
comparatively an easy matter
to devise a
scheme of emancipation
just rights
and the well-being of the master
provided
for.
But how
in
which
all
the
shall
be
men,
shall we, as God-fearing
provide for the just rights and well-being of the
emancipated slave
To leave the
partially civilized
slave race, in a state of freedom, in contact with a
much more
fies,
is
highly civilized race, as
all
history
inevitable destruction to the former.
writ of enfranchisement
is
testi-
Their
their death-warrant.
To
remove one hundredth part of the annual increase of

the slave race to Liberia, year by year, would soon
quench
for ever that light of Christian civilization
which a wise philanthropy has kindled upon the dark
Slavery and the Remedy
or,
Principles and Suggestions for a
Memedial Code, by Samuel Nott.
Crocker and Brewster, publishers,
Boston.
136
How
coast of Africa.
we
shall
provide for the well-
being of the enfranchised slave?
Here
is
the real
difficulty in the problem of emancipation.
We
mean
feasibility
no opinion respecting the
to express
of the future emancipation of the slave
race
among
pose
is
As we
us.
to introduce
stated in the outset, our pur-
no question on which the Bible
does not give us specific instruction.
And we have
referred to the question of emancipation
\vhich
settle
question
belongs to the State, and not the Church, to
it
simply
pletely God's
that the reader
may
how com-
see
word and God's providence
are " at
one," in so far as the present duty of the Church
concerned.
continue?
Is slavery to
We
is
want the
best of Christian masters and the best of Christian

slaves, that it
and the
may prove
other.
a blessing to both the one
Is ultimate
emancipation before us
"We want the best of Christian masters

carry out the scheme
by which
and the best of Christian
it
to devise
shall
and
be efiected,
slaves, that their
emancipa-
tion
may be
just
what the Bible plan of dealing with slavery aims
at.
T]ie
an enfranchisement indeed.
future
may be
the presetit.
And
immediately to do.
is
it is
this is
hidden from view in " the
clouds and darkness" with which
purposes; but there
And
light
God
heaven's
oft veils his
light
upon
with the present alone we have
137
This
one
is
way
of dealing with slavery, and so
we
firmly convinced are
that
Church that we cannot abandon

Another way ^xoô^^^
tion
between slavery
which attach
to
it
is
God'S
it is
way
it.
confounding the
itself
for his
distinc-
and the incidental
in our country,
and
evils
at the present
day, under the guise of dealing with
"American
Slavery;" in
to
denounce
evil,
and only
the teaching of the
Church
slave-holding as a sin, as " evil, always

evil,"
{Barnes' Notes, 1 Cor.
Church
discipline of the
YIL
to treat
and " detach the Church from
from piracy, intemperance,

duelling," {Church
and
21)
it
as
as
it,
and in the
an "
offence,^''
is
detached
it
theft, licentiousness,
State^ p. 193),
and
and
so labor
put an end to slavery throughout the
directly to
world.*
* That the reader
may
see
how
own words: "A Church, located

its
members may
far Dr. B.
would go, we give
his
in the midst of slavery, though
all
be wholly unconnected with slavery, yet owes an
important duty to society and to God in reference to the system, and

its
mission will not be accomplished by securing merely the sanctifi-
cation of
those
who
its
its
fold midtitudes of
as a
Church may have
members, or even by drawing within
shall be saved.
Its
primary work
reference to an existing evil within
burden which
is
laid
upon
it
may
its
planted there,
it
may be
to do,
limits.
The
not be primarily the conversion of
the heathen, or the diffusion of Bibles
which God requires
own geographical
and
for
and
The work
tracts abroad.
which
specifically
it
has been
to diffuse a definite moral influence in respect
138
To
all this
First.
we
object
There
use which
a radical fallacy involved in the
is
made
is
of the expression, "
American
Slavery."
By American
same
is
we have
and,
2.
seen
the
aggregate
Tlie incidental evils
country and at
an indivisible
ject
means
Slavery, Dr. Barnes
true of all anti-slavery writers
this day,
whose works
Slavery
1.
of,
and the
which attach
itself;
to it in this
considered as inseparable
This treatment of the sub-
unit.
is
Unphilosophical,
1.
Nothing
more
is
real than
the distinction, as set forth in the writings of Paul.
(See 15.)
The
fact that Dr. B.
Jewish slavery, and
Koman
slavery, as different the one
that there
can write about
slavery,
and American
from the others, shows
must be something common
to
them
which we give the common name. Slavery
all,
;
to
and
something peculiar to each, which we designate by the

adjuncts Jewish,
Roman, American.
to an existing evil institution."
vert the Church of
God
Dr. B. admits
Church and Slavery^
p. 21.
into a kind of " omnibus," in
To con-
which every-
thing called a moral reform shall be free to ride on an equal footing
with the Gospel, as Dr. B. does, (see Church and Slavery, pp. 159164,)
is
bad enough; but thus actually
to turn the Gospel out
the pave, until a certain moral reform has been carried home,
once the
folly
of fanaticism and the fanaticism of
folly.
upon
is
at

139
Roman
that
was
far
more
American slavery now

incidental evil
disappeared.
may
not
all
by the Apostles
slavery, as encountered
in their day,
is*
cruel and oppressive than
that
that
is,
which once attached
If
much
much
has already disappeared,
that has taken place, has been effected
And just
under the benign influence of Christianity.

as certainly as
God, and
is
why
manner?
that remains disappear in like
The change
of the
to slavery has
we
believe that Christianity
is
from
destined to a final triumph in the world,
just so certainly do
to continue to exist
we
believe that slavery
must continue
to
if it is
be modified by
until all its incidental evils disappear.
it,
an
By
It is unscTijptural.
2.
essentially diflerent
way
this
we mean,
* "
It is
by the Apostles.
line respecting Jewish slavery
proper to concede that the state of things was such that
they (the Apostles) must have encountered
then had
all
it
it
and that
it
repellant to any of the feelings of humanity,
or revolting to the principles of a Christian.

cates of the system should have
all
in such circumstances as to
regard and treat
it
as
an
evil, if
It is fair that the
make
it
it
in its
little
most odious forms,
proper that they should
Christianity regards
Views of Slavery^ pp. 250, 251.
quotation given a
further on.
advo-
the advantage which can be de-
rived from the fact that the Apostles found
Scriptural
(slavery),
the features of cruelty, oppression, and wrong, which
can ever exist to make
and
It is
of approaching the sub-
ject of slavery from that adopted
Paul never wrote a
1.
it
as such at all."
Compare
this with a
THE CHEI8TIAN DOCTRESTE OF SLAVERY.
140
meaning thereby, slavery

evils wliicli attached to
Jews
or
itself
in his
it
lloman slavery
and the incidental

day and among the
nor does he give the
Churches any directions couched in any such lan-
guage
He
as this.
which he
writes about slavery^
treats as neither a sin nor
an offence
and about
cer-
tain Qvils attaching to slavery as he encountered
it,
which he
in
her
treats as sinful,
own proper
and requires the Church,
sphere, to labor to correct.
upon which
ignores the very ground
method of dealing with slavery prescribed
Word
of God,
is
It
2.
whole
the
in
the
predicated.
Yiews
In his introduction to his "Scriptural
of
Slavery," Dr. Barnes justifies his dealing, as he does,
with what he
calls
"
American Slavery," upon the
ground
1.
That slavery, as
slavery divested of
is
it
divest
it,
reasonable to
it
ought
to
it
all
exists in the
United States,
is
the incidental evils of which
suppose Christianity will ever
and hence, that

be considered
all
which now belongs
as, for all practical
to
purposes,
essential to the system.*
* "If any system of slavery
presumed that that which

Christian land
land, to
is
sanctioned by the Bible,
exists in the
United States
a degree elsewhere
influence of the Christian religion.
is.
it
may be
This
is
unknown, under the
It could hardly be
hoped that a
141
This
"American
certainly
is
glorification"
"with
a witness." For ourselves, we love our country and

we feel an honest, patriotic pride in her standing
among the nations. But God forbid, that wê should
;
thought that her social institutions,
entertain the
either in
law or in
fact, shall
never be brought more
fully
under the control of God's truth than they now
are
tliat
the wife shall never be better protected
against the
husband
wrong
often inflicted
by
the profligate
and the child against the cruelty of tho
drunken father
and
all this,
without destroying the
essential character of the marital
tions as set forth in the
and our home relations
and parental
AYord of God
shall
rela-
that our heart
never be more thoroughly
now are. And so, too, with reHad we heard such sentiments as
Christian than they

spect to slavery.
those just quoted from Dr. B., as part of a Fourth-of-
July oration of some beardless Sophomore,
have -comforted ourselves with the

creasing years
may
give the young
we
could
reflection
in-
man wisdom.
who
must have " gray hairs here and there upon him," we
can account for only by calling to mind what Paul
That we
should read them from the pen of one
state of society could
be found, in which slavery could be better de-
veloped, or where
developments would more accord with the prin-
its
ciples of the Bible, than in our
own
land.'' Scriptural Views^
p. 14.
142
tells
lis
of the effects of feeding on "
YL
words." 1 Tim,
unwholesome
3.
That what we have designated as God's way of
2.
dealing with slavery,

abstract^
and not
dealing with slavery in the
is
as 2,jpTactical matter."^
AYhat Dr. B.'s idea of dealing with an institution

in the abstract
we know
is,
not.
We
have always
supposed that such dealing implied the abstraction

the taking
i. e.,
something,
away
or neglecting for the time being
either essential or incidental, belonging
to such institution.
But, surely,
we
slavery as
in any such sense as

in the abstract
with American slavery

us,
We take
it
are not dealing
* It
is
it
into
us, and,
among
this.
and the whole of slavery, just as
slavery,
among
exists
separate
exists
it
That
1.
we
example,
after Paul's
w^hicli is essential^
i.
e.,
that
a subject of not unfrequent complaint, that, in the exami-
nation of this subject (slavery), the adversaries of the system endeavor

to
show that slavery
a.s-
it
exists in
our country,
Bible, instead of confining themselves to the
slavery in the abstract
only
one that
slavery as
it
is
is
right or -wrong.
is
The very question
of &nj practical importance to us
exists in the
United States
is,
or
is
matter, there might indeed be

it
some
existed in the
not, in
with the principles and the spirit of Christianity.
whether slavery, as
contrary to the
naked question, whether
is,
the
whether
accordance
As an
abstract
interest attached to the inquiry
Roman
empire in the time of the
Apostles, or in Europe in the Middle Ages, was in accordance with
the spirit of the Christian religion.
Scriptural ViewSy pp. 10, 12.
work
god's
which must continue

That which
if
incidental^
is
way.
in god's
143
slavery continues
i.
that
e.,
Word
law
tion of his
of the second
is
of
God, that the
and show, just
The Jlrst we
of the second
and
violation of God's
by
authority given
members, and
move from
is
Christ to his
in every proper
dealing with slavery in the
of
re-
as is in
it
the
Church over her
way, we seek
If this
we
its entirety,
and
prohibit, with' all
the world at large.
with slavery in
in our
obligations
its
much
just so
we
law
much
we deal with
treat as not sinful,
quire both the parties to conform to
much
And
as a Churchy
it^
we
liot in viola-
as clearly, that
in violation of that law.
practical dealing with

hoth parts.
fir^st is
this,
We prove
then, in discussion^ deal with lothjârts.
from the
2.
which may disap-
Having done
pear and slavery yet remain.
and,
is
to re-
not dealing
What is
If this
abstract^ we ask, What
ask,
have we abstracted ?
We remarked
volved in the use which
American
of the
is
slavery ^^ as used
same
was
that there
school.
a radical fallacy in-
'^
made
of the expression,
by Dr. B. and other writers
The reader
will
now
see just
what was meant by that remark.
The only meaning which can properly attach

expression
American
exists in these
slavery,
is
United States of America.
sense of the expression,
we
to the
that of slavery as
are dealing with
it
In this
American
144:
and just
slavery, just as truly,
more of jpfactical wisdom, we
The
real difference
cidental, as
Paul
deserves, as
Paul
distinction,
tial,
and
deals with
is
did,
that
is,
we
is.
distinguish
and that which
is in-
and we deal with each
as it
essential
did.
far
think, than Dr. B.
between us
between that which
and with
as fully,
Whilst Dr. B., neglecting
this
thus, practically, treating all as essen-
as
it
an indivisible unit
this under the guise of dealing with "
and he does
American
very," foisting upon that phrase,* in addition to
slaits
proper meaning, the idea of the indivisible unity of
To take such a course
the mass.
issues in question are
more nor
less
Second.
when the
as this,
such as they are,
is
nothing
than "a begging of the question."
We object
to the course proposed
by Dr.
B. and others, for deaUng with slavery, because

quires the
Church
to
it re-
obtrude herself into the province
of the State, and this, in direct violation of the ordi-
nance of God.
A course which has never been taken
in times past, without disastrous consequences to the
Church which did the wrong,
as well as to the State
which permitted tbe wrong
to
thing which
it is
right
be done.
Many
and proper, and even the duty
of the Christian citizen, in this our free country, to

do, the Clmrch, as such, has
v/ith.
It
is,
no right
to intermeddle
doubtless, the duty of the Christian
zen, for example, to use all proper
means
to
citi-
inform
145
himself respecting the qualifications of candidates for
ofiDce,
and having thus informed himself,
whom
the one
to vote for
he believes will best discharge the
But
duties of the office.
hence contend that
any Christian man,
will
right for the preacher, in the
it is
pulpit and on the Sabbath, to discuss the claims of
and the Church,
rival candidates,
members how
direct her
State has each
own
its
tion assigned it of
to vote
in her councils to
The Church and
appropriate sphere of opera-
God, and neither can innocently
intrude herself into the province of the other.
Thikd.
It leads to
tampering with God's truth,
and " wresting the Scripture," as Dr. B. has done in

his Notes,
by
the application to
and methods of
tainty in
interpretation,
human
language.
them
which destroy
In order to
Bible declare that slave-holding

plainly teaches
"As
it
ust the contrary
is
;'^
the
New
it
sin,
and
all cer-
make
the
when
it
to teach in
appears to us too clear to admit of either denial or doubt,
that the Scriptures do sanction slave-holding
pensation
of principles
that under the old dis-
was expressly permitted by divine command, and under
Testament
is
nowhere forbidden or denounced, but on the
contrary, acknowledged to be consistent with the Christian character
and profession,
to God,
direct
(that
and love
to
is,
consistent with justice, mercy, holiness, love
man;)
impeachment of the
to declare
Word
it
of God."
to be a heinous crime
"When
is
Southern Chris-
tians are told that they are guilty of a heinous crime, worse than
146
Church doctrines which we are forbidden
the
teach under the most solemn sanctions.
to
(See 12.)
This course has led not a few, once fair and promis-
ing
members
of the Church,
and even ministers, into
open "blasphemy;" and Paul teaches

natural tendency, (1 Tim. YI.
is its
desire to
walk
Fourth.
in their way, or to
We
4.)
meet
It requires us to quit a
us, that
such
have no
doom.
their
method of dealing
with slavery which has worked well in time past
all
of real advantage to the slave that has ever been done
by the Church has been done

substitute for
has wrought nothing but
harm
and
to
to the slave^ thus far
piracy, robbery, or murder, because tliey hold
know
way
a mere experiment, and an experiment which
is
it,
in this
a method which, to say the least of
it
that Christ
and
his Apostles
a crime, never called upon
men
when they
slaves,
never denounced slave-holding as
to renounce
it
as a condition of admis-
sion into the Church, they are shocked and offended without being
convinced.
They are
sure that their accusers cannot be wiser or bet-
ter than their Divine Master,
denunciations which they
and
know
if
their consciences are
well founded,
must
only, but the authors of the religion of the Bible."
and
untouched by
affect
not them
Hodge's Essays
Eevicivs, pp. 503, 484.
* In illustration of this remark, we quote from Fletcher

years ago,
uncommon
schools
we
occasionally had schools for negro children
for masters to send their favorite
young
" Thirty
nor was
it
slaves to these
nor did such acts excite attention or alarm, and, at the same
time, any missionary
had
free access to that class of our population.
'
147
and we say
this, after
watching
a ministry of twenty years,
all
its
of
operation during
in God's provi-
it,
dence, spent in a slave-holding state.
For
all
second
these reasons,
way
we can never adopt
the Church at the South, in

tions of the
Church
God's work
proposed.
common
this
God's way,
with some por-
at the ISôrth also,*
have inscribed
upon
their
mean
to fight the " Lord's battles," grace assisting us,
until
he who bid us gird on our armor shall give us
leave to put
banner
and under that banner do we
Churches of God
it off.
may
cut us off
They cannot break our union
from their communion.
with Christ, " the Head."
Ministers of the Gospel,
But when we found, with astonishment, that our country was flooded
with abolition prints, deeply laden with the most abusive falsehoods,
with the obvious design to excite rebeUion
among
the slaves, and to
spread assassination and bloodshed through the land
when we found
these transient missionaries, mentally too insignificant to foresee the

result
of their conduct,
or wholly
preaching the same doctrines
these
him and
lies
his coadjutors well
And
schools,
consequences,
and the mouths of

Dr.
Way-
the wickedness of these our acts!
Let
these missionaries, were closed.
land knows whereabout
careless of the
little
great was the cry.
understand that these
results,
whether for
the benefit or injury of the slave, have been brought about by the
work of
their hand."
Studies on Slavery^ p. 41.
"We could add much of similar character, from our own observation.
* See the paper adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbylerian Church, 0. S., in 1845.
{Assemhly's Digest^ pp. 811-813.)
14:8
whom we
from
may revile
us
have a right
to
expect better things,
wc " fear God rather than man."
conscience void of offence before God,"

price.
With
to deal just
this
as
govern the
in Christian
to
A
all
his Apostles dealt

to labor as they labored
Christ and
to
Church of God
fellowship
God's people at the
MAY
"
above
whole subject of slavery, we mean
preach what they preached
it
is
JN'orth,
as
they governed
and brotherhood with

and
in faithfulness to Christ,
in other lands, if
we
though in opposition
to all the world, if loe must.
THE END
3li.77-l

Christian Doctrine

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Christian Doctrine

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

THE

PASTOR OP THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORFOLK, VA.

according to Act of Congress, in the year KST, by

the hope of doing something toward bringing God's people,

book has been

Throughout, the author has kept these two ends in view

topic which they omitted

has been introduced.

Nothing which they taught, has been inten-

to a full discussion of Slavery as a civil

A faithful exhibition of the doctrine respecting Slavery taught

and poUtical question,

method of exhibting the

author has given a paraphrase of each

passage of Scripture particularly examined, and in connection with

own, the paraphrases of Whitby, McKnight, and Doddridge, ex-

positors of established reputation both for piety

and learning, that the

hand the means of determining whether or not he

putting forth novelties in the interpretation of God's

gether with such notes as seemed needful to illustrate and establish

as the author thinks them^

which Dr. Barnes has put upon

Barnes' Notes are the only exposition of Scripture, in

account, they are thus singled out for examination.

would develop the doctrine

Views of Slavery," and

his " Church and Slavery," for the purpose of showing

which the attempt has been made, systema-

to " wrest the Scriptures " respecting Slavery

truth," and, as truth, will ere

long govern the

" Offences " given us in the

written in Slave-holding States,

Case of Onesimus.Phil. 10-19,

Masters and Slaves taught as Christian Duties.Eph. VI. 5-9

Col. III. 22-25, IV. 1

The Doctrine of Christ.1 Tim. VI.

11. Slavery a Matter of Little

II. 18, 19,

11; 1 Cor. VII. 20,21,

Church. 1 Tim. TI.

12. Doctrine to be taught in the

II. 9, 10, 15,

" Unrequited Labor."

" Exclusion from the Pulpit.

NATCRK AND ORIGIN OF SLAVKBT.

16. Bible Theory of the Origin of Slavery,

RELATION OF THE CHURCH TO SLAVERY.

The Teaching of the Church,

Discipline of the Church,

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF SLAVERY.

cute his wilL

given from God.

her rule of faith and practice.

as a king has ordained."

can announce what

Its doctrines are his teachings,

Its officers are

and enforce her

she can never rightfully speak.

and when they are

put her hand upon her

To the law and