Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-09-27

OllCl HUI QiliulS uSSllSSs Iot oS w ttS'A WV
mara condition, whatever that was before,
whether bond or free, their being baptised
and becoming Christians, makes no manner
of change in it.
"As St. Paul has told us, where he is
speaking expressly to this very point, 'Let
erery man abide in the same calling mhere-
in he is scalled-let erery man achereln he IS
called therein abide pith God.' l Cor. vii.
2O-24. And so far is Christianity from
discharging men from the duties of the STA
ton and condition in which it found them,
that it lays them under stronger obligations
to perform those duties with greater dill
gence and fidelity, not only from the fear
of man, but from a sense of duty to God:
and the belief and expectation of future
account. So that to say that Christianity
makes men less observant of their duty
in any respect, is reproach that it is very
i far from deserving. and reproach that is
confuted by the whole tenor of the Gospel
precep.s, which inculcate upon all, and par
ticuIarly upon servants, (mapy of whom
were then in the condition of slaves) a
faithful and dlgent discharge Of the duties
belonging to their several stations out Of
conscience towards God. And it is confu-
ted also by our own reason which tells us
how much more forcible and constant the
restraint of conscience is than the restraint
of fear. And last ofall, it is confuted by
experience, which teaches US the great val
ue Of those servants who are truly religious
compared with those who have no sense Of
religion. AS to their being more ungov-
ernabe after baptism than before. it is GER
tain that the Gospel every where enjolns
not only diligence and fidelity, but also obe-
dience, for conscience sake; and does not
deprive masters of any proper methods of
enforcing obedience, where they ap.
pear to be necessary. Humanity forblds all
cruel and barbarous treatment of our fellow
creatures, and will not suffer us to consider
a being that is endowed with reason upon a
level with brutes. Christianity takes not out
of the hands Of superors, any degrees of
stricmess and severity that fairly appear to
be necessary for the preserving sublectlon
and government. The general law both Of
humanity and Christianity, is kindness, gen.
teness, and compassion towards all man.
kind, ofwhat nation or condition soeyer they
may be, and therefore we are to make the
exercise of those amiable virtues our choice
and desire, and to have recourse to severe
and vigorous methods unwil'ingly and only
out of necessity. Of this necessity you
yourselves remain the judges, as much after
they receive baptism as before: so that you
can be in no danger of suffering by the
change. And as to them the greatest hard.
ships that the most severe master can infllct
upon them, is not to be compared to the cru.
city Of keeping them in state of heathen-
ism, and depriving them of the means of
salvation, as reached forth to all mankind
in the Gospel of Christ. And in truth one
great reason why severity is at all neces-
sary to maintain government, and who are
therefore not to be kept 10 their duty by any
thing but fear and terror, than which there
cannot be more uneasy state either TO
those who govern, or to those who are gov
erned."
"That these things may have the greater
effect upon you, let me beseech you to con-
slider yourselves not only as Masters, but
as Christian Masters, who stand obliged by
your profession to do all that your station
and condition enable YOU to do towards
breaking the power of Satan and enlarging
the kingdom of Christ: and as having
great opportunity put into your hands of
helping on this great work, by the influence
which God has given you over such num-
Der of heather idoaters, who still continue
under the dominion of Satan. Let me be-
seech YOU to consider them not barely slaves
but as men and uomen, who have the same
frame and faculties with yourselves, and
have souls capable of being made etcrnally
happy; and reason and understanding to
receive instruction in order to it. Let it
not be said that they are as far from the
knowledge Of Christ in Christian country
as when they dwelt among pagan idolaters;
or if they have been born among you, and
have never breathed any air but that ofa
Christian country, let them not be as much
strangers to Christ, as if they had been
transplanted as soon as born into country
fpagan idoaters. Let them see in your
families examples Of sobriety, temperance
and chastity, and Of all the other virtues
and graces ofthe Christian life. Let them
observe how strictly you oblige yourselves
and all that belong to you, to abstain from
cursing and swearing, and to keep the
Lords day holy, and to attend the public
worship Of God and the ordinances which
Christ hath appointed in his Gospel.
snake them sensible by the general te-
nor ofyour conversation, that your inward
temper and disposition is such as the Cos.
pei requires, that is to say, mild gentle, and