Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-07-31

The graphic account which the apostle gives
Of one of the most respectable of the early church
es, may help us to understand what others vera.
aye see your calling, brethren, how that not many
wise men after the hesh not many mighty, not
many noble are called. But God hath chosen the
foolish things ofthe world TO confound the wise,
and the weak things of the world to confound
the things that are mighty; and base things
of the world and things that are despised, hath
God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to
bring to nought things that are; that no flesh
should glory in his presence."-1 Cor. 1 26, 80.
The great body of primitive believers were poor,
servants or slaves to heather masters, despised,
hated persecuted destitute. Like their master,
many Of them bad not where TO lay their head
They were driven FROM home, imprisoned, tor
mented, put to death in the most cruel manner
And those among Them who possessed property,
were the more obnoxious to the heather, were
spoiled of their goods, and then put to death. All
the wealth, and learning, and religion, and pow
er of Rome were eagued against christianity. Ju-
daism and heahenism united to destroy the church
and wasted her with ten cruel and bloody pcrsecu-
tons but the spirit Of life from God made her in
yincble. All her true members had been created
anew in Christ Jesus; had one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, were crucifed to the world, were
prepared for battle, ready to contend with spritu
al wickedness in high places, and to lay down
their lives for the brethren. All were members of
one body, all fellow soldiers, all brethren, all look
ing for one heavenly inheritance, all hound togeth-
err by holy love, the bond of perfecness. Could
Roman slavery have found an lodging place in
community, so constituted, SO conditioned? How
long could the churches in South Carolina hold
slaves should their civil rulers conspirc with the
Papal churches to rob- destroy and root out all the
Baptists or Professionals in that Slater Christian
slaves and masters would soon be consolidated in
to one mass and self preservation would induce
masters to dismiss all, who were not bound to
them by the strongest bonds of affection, lest they
should deliver them into the hands of those, who
were seeking their lives. just SO in apostolic
times, all christians, whatever their former state
had been, were constituted into one brotherhood,
where there was neither Jew nor Gentle, bond or
free, male or female, for they were all one in
Christ Jesus lfany of these had possessed heath
en- slaves, their own safety must havo led them to
free them at once. as they might have informed a.
,;,,,o H., h.o.L.. ...
~
cast them into prison. Must not then every rea-
sonable man see that Roman slavery conid not ex-
is in any society constituted and copditioned,
Iii Tho IN. trmction niyen to the Churches Nv tho
apostles.
The apostles were appoin ted to be tcitne8ses;
were to testify what they had seen and heard;
were to teach all things, which Christ bad com
manded them They understood the great and
fundamental laws, which Christ bad published for
the government OF his kingdom, which was to be
diverse from all other Kingdoms. With this knoNl-
edge in full view could they have admitted into
the church any thing, that looked like monarchy,
oraratocracy, or slavery, without becoming trait
orS to their Lord: Had not Christ always taught
them'that they were all bfehren' ana that he' who
would be great must humble himself ana MINIS
y ter 10 the others Here was thef RUE, ana lhey
were car@Lui To oDey IT, Hence as soon as the
SPlr't was poured OUT ana converts were multi
P'eo' we ma 'hat the r'cn SOFA 'heIf possessions
! ana INC poor were SuPpHGd; so mat an 'hInss
were common among them Ana IN the very hfSt
church act, the people were called upon to select
" the persons who should act as deocons' and take
care oil inc poor. mus the great principe OF
Orolherhoou' or equ"'ly was IecogNzeu' an" III
i Sr""o" 'n'o inc o'Su"'@"'"n Oh Tue c"''S''""
churcheS' MS was '"e organic oo"u' '''"' pou'l'
. 'nep 'o@elneF' mere was '"s" no more room Il
- 'ne churcn 'oF norman slavery Una" '"r Ro'na'
PoPery' both were excluded by luhdamen'a
). law; an" he'ther could enter without corruptln4
=, tue cnuIcn ana F'ola''Is It's fundamental rcgu'a
uo"S' was required as on oSae"',"' coHu,No'
- 'na' all VINO entered the visible Kingdom oil Cnrs
r. snoula De porn OF uod' lhey were TO De cFucl
- heu 10 tue "oF'u; though hVlnS IN Tue World lney
:. were not TO i've n'ler 'ne world Inc apostle
"'Sn' DC '9'e'''"' anu nypocr''eS '"'8"'' '"'' ut
" 8et INTO the churCh; nut IL was thef constant oO