Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1845-12-19
SHAREHOLDERS RELIGION"

We give the following extracts from the
{. Shareholders Religion" a work by Sam
uel Brooke, which we have just received and
have for sale at our boarding house on High
St.
Listen to what the Rev. w. Mead, Bishop
of Va. taught the slaves.
I" Besides, when people die, we know of
but two places they have to go to, and that
is, heaven or hell; so that whoever misses
the one, must go TO the other. Now heaven
is a place of great happiness, which God hath
prepared for all that are good, where they
shall enjoy rest from their labors, and a bles-
sedness which shall never have an end
And hell is a place of great torment and mis-
cry, where all wicked people will be shut up
with the devil and other evil spirits, and be
punished forever, because they will not serve
God. If, therefore, we would have our souls
| saved by Christ; if we would escape hell and
obtain heaven, we must set about doing what
he requires of us, that is, to serve God.-
Your W poor circumstances in this life
ought TO put you particularly upon this and
taking care of your souls; for you cannot have
the pleasures and enjoymen,s of this life like
rich free people, WHO have estates and money
W lay Oul dS thtl llllh hts IL Vic II
run the hazard Of their souls, they have a
chance of getting wealth and power, of heap
ing up riches and enjoying all the ease,
luxury and pleasure their hearts should long
after. Buiyou can nave none of these things;
so if you sell your souls for the sake of what
poor matters you can get in this world, you
have made a very foolish bargain indeed
Almighty God hath been pleased to make
you slaves here, and to give you nothing but
labor and poverty in this world, which you
are obliged to submit tons it is his will that
it should be so. And think within yourselves
what a terrible thing it would be, after all
your labors and sufferingS in this life, to he
turned into hell in the next life; and after
wearing out your bodies in service hereto 90
into a far worse slavery when this is over,
and your poor souls be delivered over into
the possession Of the devil, to become his
slaves forever in he'll, without any hope OF
ever getting free from it. If, therefore, you
would be Gods freemen in heavenly must
strive to be good and serve him here On earth.
Your bodies, you know, are not your own:
they are at the disposal of those you belong
TO; but your precious souls are still your own
which nothing can take from you, if it be not
your own fault. Consider well, then, thatif
YOU lose your souls by leading idle, wicked
IlfGS IiSiC, 1Cu nave kOl llOtliIU ny IL III ltllS
worid,and you have lost your all in the next.
For your idIeness and wickedness is gener-
ally found out, and your bodies suffer for it
here; and what is far worse, if you do not re-
pent and amend, your unhappy souls will
suffer for it hereafter"
Having thus shown you the chief duties
you owe 10 your great Master in heaven, ]
now come to lay before you the duties YOU
owe your masters and mistresses here upon
earth. And for this you have one general
rule that you ought always to carry in YOU
minds, and that is, TO do all %serUice for them a.
if you did ijor God himsef. Poor creatures!
you little consider, when you steal, and waste,
and hurt any of their substance; when you
are idle and negGecyui of your masters Gusi.
ness; when you are telling them lies and de.
ceiving them; or when you prove stubborn
and %sullen, and will not do the work you are
set about without strife and vexation; you dc
not consider, | say, that what faults you are
guilty of towards your masters and mistres.
ses,are faults done against God himself, who
hath set your masters and mistresses owe
you in his own stead, and expects that you
will do for them just as you would do TO
him. And pray do not think that l want t.
deceive you, when l tell you that your mas
tiers and mistresseS are Gods oUerseeTs; and tina
IL Sou w ihuilJ bO"dIuS tItiuy you HllllS6I
will punish you severely for it in the mex
world, unless ,you repent Of ii, and strive t.
make amends by your .t~aiihJuiness Gid dill
gerce far the time 10 come; for God himsel
t hath declared the same"
= ".M things UhatSoeuer ye ,UouH thqt me-
should 40 unto you, do ye epen so unto them
+ that Is, DO by all mankind just as you woult
/, desire they should do by you, if you were il
d their place and they in yours"
"Now to suit this rule to your particula
circumstances; suppose you were masters IN
S mistresses and hal servants under you, woul
n You not desire that your servants should d
$ their business faithfully and honestiy, as we
when your back was turned as while yo
o were looking over them! Would you nc
,, expect that they should take notice of WIN
you said to them! That they should behav
themselves with respect towards you an
. yours, and be as careful of everything belong
IS ing 10 YOU as You would be yourselves!-
You are servants, do therefore, as Won woul
le wish to be done by, and you will be bot
lie good servants to your masters, and good Sc
IS wants to God, who requires this of you, an
ID will reward you well for it, if you do it {,
tie the sake Of conscience, in obedience to h
j, commands"
o. According TO this construction of the 90
a. den rule a robbcr upon the highway couI
is Puta pistol to a travellers breast and demar
e, his purse, he could say, Sir, if you were
OF robher and in my place, and | was in Your
G. would you not desire that ! should hand II
m purse over to you, ''do Merg2re as you w0a
j. ,oish 70 be done iy." If you were a sEav
holder and were daily and hourly robbil
human beings Of all their earnings, of ever
thing dear to humanity, would You not d
. sire that Your victims womb suhnit IN yn