Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-08-30
icoyrIyUEp FROM LAST WEEK.


Let us, however, consider the force ofthe
argument as stated above. 1t amounts to
this. Christ and his apostles thought slave
holding u great crime, but they abstained
from saving so for fear OF the consequent
ces. The very statement of the argument,
in its naked form, is its refutation. These
holy men did not refrain from condemni 6
sin from regard TO consequences. They
did not hesitate to array against the religion
which they taught, the strongest passions OF
men. Nor did they content themselves
with dcnouncing the general principles of
evil; they condemned its special manifesto
tons. They did not simply forbid inteln-
perate sensual indulgence, and leave it 10
their hearers to decide what did or what did
not come under that name. They declared
that no fornicator, no adul,erer, no drunk
ard could be admitted into the kingdom oil
heaven. They did not hesitate, even when
little band, a hundred and twenty souls, to
place themselves in direct and irreconcilable
opposition to the whole poliy, clHll and reli-
gious, of the Jewish state. II will hardly
be maintained that slavery was. at that time,
more intimately interviewer with the insti1u-
tons of society, than idolatry was. 1t enter
ed into the arrangements Of every family ;
of every city and province, and of the whole
Roman empire. The emperor was the
Pontifex Maximus every department ofthe
state, civil and military, was pervaded by
it. 1t was so united with the fabric of the
government that it could not be removed
without affecting a revolution in all its parts.
The apostles knew this. They knew that
to denounce polytheism was to array against
them the whole power of the state. Their
divine Master had distinctly apprizcd them
of the result. He told them that it would
set the father against the son, and the son
against the father the mother against the
daughter, and the daughter against the moth
er, and that mans enemies should be those
of his own household. He said that he
came not to bring peace but sword, and
that such would be the opposition to his fol-
lowers, that whosoevcr killed them, would
think he did God service. Yet in view OF
these certain consequences the apostles did
denounce idoIatry, not merely in principle,
but by name. The result was precisely
what Christ had foretold. THE Romans
tolerant of every o:her religion, bent the
whole force ofthcir wisdom and arms to ex.
tirpate Christianity. The scenes of blood,
shed which century after century followedthe
introduction of the gospel, did not induce the
followers ofChrst to keep back or modify
the truth. They adhered to their declara-
ton that idolatry was a heInuous crime.
And they were right. We expect similar
conduct of our missionaries. We do not
expect them to refrain from denouncing the
institutions Of the heather, as sinful, because
they are popular, or intimately interviewer
with society. The Jesuits, who adopted this
plan. forfeited the confidence Of Chrlsten-
dom, without making converts ofthe heathen.
1t is, therefore, perfectly evident that the au'
thors ofo religion were not withheld by
these considerations, from declaring slavery
to be unlawful. II they did abstain from
this declaration, as is admitted, it must have
been because they did not consider it as in
itselfa crime. No other solution of their
conduct is consistent with their truth ortidel.
ity.
Another answer to the argument from
scripture is given by DIR. Charming
and others. 1t is said that it proves toe
much that it makes the bible sanction
despotsm, even the despotism of Nero.
Our reply to this objection shall be very
brief. We have already pointed out the
taacy of confounding slaveholding itself
with the particular system ofslavery preva-
lent at the time of Christ, and shown that the
recognition of shareholders as Christians,
thoug Oh irrcconcilab!e with the assumption
that slavery is heinous crime, gives no
manner of sanction to the atroclous laws
and customs ofthat age in relation to that
subject. Because the apostles admitted
the masters of slaves to the communion OF
the church, it would be a strange Interier-
ence that they would have g iven this test.
monv to the Christian character Of the mas
ter who oppressed, starved, or murdered
his slaves. Such a master would have
been rejected as an oppresser, or murderer,
however, not as a STAKEHOLDER. In like
manner, the declaration that government IS
an ordinance of God, that magistrates are
to be obeyed within the spere of their law
! full authoriy; that resistance to them, when
in the exercise Of that authority, is sinful, ="
1t need hardly be remarked that the
command to obey magistrates, as gwen IN
Rom. xiii. 1-3, is subject to the limitation
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