Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-07-30

CAN ESSAY ON THE RELIGIOUS ORAL
INSTRUCTION OF THE COLORED
RACE.
Prepared in accordance with request of the
Georgia Baptist Convention, and read before that
body May is, 1916, By Rev. JOSIAH S Law,
Of the Sunbury Association, who labored very
successfully for several years as missionary a
mong the blacks of Liberty County. Published
by order of the Georgia Baptist Convention"
Tho writer proceeds to give reasons why tho in
strucon of the slaves is important First, they are
our fellow bengs,-Second, they are our servants and
are under our control"
"The third and last consideration, which i'm
poses upon US the duty of furnishing our servants
with the means of salvation is, that they hare no
acccss to the wyittcn gord Of God.
"This is a most solemn consideration impo-
sing obligations that seem too mighty for US to
assume We have taken under our own keep
ing the "key Of knowledge" and we have there
by placed ourselves under obligations inconceiv-
ably great, to bring out of the treasury supplies
equal to their wants.
"They cannot read the word of God; we are
the cause of this inability, and justice, humani-
ty and religion all require Of us to read it for
them, and have it read and cxpounded to them
We permit them not to take into their own
hands the " Lamp of Life" and shall we by neg
lectng to hold it up, suffer them to grope on i'll
the darkness that surrounds them until they sink
in everlasting night? Oh let the clamp of
Life" be elevated in their midst let us send the
unwearying hand of love to keep 1T trimmed
and burning, that their wandering feet may be
directed to the Cross, where ever flow the streams
of love and mercy for guilty man.
/ els it not most strange that with this fact
constantly before us, SO many seem wholly in
sensible to the obligations resting upon them to
! furnish their servants with the means of saliva
ton and that we should rest satisfied while so
little is done by US for their delverance from
sin! Who of US can say with the Apostle
Paul, as it respects our servants, we are " clear
from the blood of all men," for such are the
peculiar relations we sustain to our servants, that
we cannot neglect them and lie guiltless of the
blood of their souls. We do neglect them, and
if this criminal neglect continue, as sure as there
is Judgement so sure will their blood be requi-
red at our hands. We are placed in solemn
: circumstances. Our servants are perishng fol
want Of the word of life, we have it in our OWL
keeping. They are in wretched condition. they
: are sinners against God, they are Fastening tc
: eternity and need the means of salvation. They
are our fellow beings they are our servants
under our control; they have no access to the
written word of life the means OF saving them
are in our hands; the Judgment is before us
decide then, whether our servants shall have the
freedom Of the Gospel p
Here we have mourniul confession. We have Of
ten been told it was not the CHRISTIAN Shareholders
who took the Bible from the slave but ungodly law
makers; but here we have the undersigned confession
of this slave missionary, that they, the protesting
Christians of the South "pcnnit them not to take into
their hands the Lamp of Life" O, tell not ii
Rome nor among the Jesuits of Spain! Union Mis-
sionary.