Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-02-01
THE GREEN MOUNTAIN

and doomed for life, with their children after
them, to involuntary and unrequited bond
age? Did Paul give his apostolic sanction to
.hese views? If SO, it must be found in some of
these passages it must be found in this very
passage before us, which is the only one in
which he definitely points out the duty OF mas
ters to their slaves. In some others he admon-
ishes them to perform their duty in the fear of
God; but he shows them what their duty Is
They are not allowed to be in any degree I'M
Just or oppressive, or take anything valuable
from their servants without fair and equitable
Who can deny this? Had the
slaves been subjected to unnecessary labor for
the benefit of their masters? Then certa nly
it was but just and equal that they and their lit
tie ones should be furnished with comfortable
food, clothing and habitations, that they should
be kindly treated in sickness, and when sinking
under the infrmities of age, But for their civil
and religious liberty which had been, without
any forfeiture on their part, taken away for
their wives and children which the masters had
seized as their property; for the privilege which
had been denied them of using their own bod
les and mental powers for their own benefit for
the right which had been refused them of i'm
proving their minds with useful knowledge
and Of rising to stations of honor among their
fellow men; what equivalent could be rendered
How was it possible for the masters, while with
holding all these rights and sacred privileges
pertaining to their servants as men, to render
unto them at the same time, that which was Just
and equal? What compensation are mere food
and clothing and such like things, for all these
invaluable attributes of humanity? To deprive
man CT these sacred rights and possessions is
to unman him, and 50 far as possible, convert
him into an inferior animal, or mere thing
While the master withholds these rights from
his servants, he does not and he cannot, render
unto him that which is just and equal. 1t is a
clear and absolute impossibilty. But he is
bound to obey the solemn injunction, and O.
NOuloO AoC HVlVly W compensate Ills SelRdHtS lOl
their labor, but to give them their liberty, theil
wives their children, their bodies, their souls
and reinvest them with all the proper rights O
men created in the image of God. Ifany hest
tated to do this, they were at liberty, so far al
any human law was concerned, to act as they
pleased but are impressively reminded tina
they had {" a Master in heaven" before who's
impartial judgment seat they must in due seasol
appear
These Instructions of the apostle seem to-
plain to be misunderstood. 1t is fairto conclud
that masters, on expressing faith in Christ, wer
made well acquainted with these institutions an
were admitted to the church only with defnit
understanding that they would comply with then
The servants were not allowed to assert the
rights and enforce them against unyielding mas
tiers; but rather for conscience towards God, t
endure grief, suffering tUrongfally." 1t woul
be for the peace of society, for their own goo
and the glory Of God, that they should. But @
the other hand tile masters we're not allowed
take advantage, from this submissiveness of the
servants, to withhold from them any right; or
treat them in any manner inconsistont with pc
feet justice and eqatatityj doing they wou
reasonably wish to be done by in exchang,
circumstances. Those masters who yielded
cordial obedience to these instructions of Il
apostle and to the general laws of Christ's kin
dom in their treatment of all under their autho
ty, deserved to be called believing maste
brethren faithful and beloved, rartakers of t
benefit"
1t was fit that they should be treated by ,
with Christian fellowship. With such, many
their former slaves would choose to remain, re
dering service willingly,and receiving that viii
was just and equal in return. In such cases
servants were no longer slaves in the ordin0
sense, and the masters were no longer SlavehO
erS, in the ordinary sense. Real slavery, IL
which despoils man of all his sacred RICH
and converts him into an article of property, "
in such cases, under the mild and powerful
fuence of the gospel, converted into state
voluntary service, duly rewarded, and equa
agreeable and profitable to both parties. But
any master, on being received into the Chur
refused thus to treat his servants, he forfeited
claim to fellowship, and made himself liable to
excluded, as disorderly person, living in dir
disobedence to the express commands ofthe ap
tie to masters; a covetous person; an extortiol
,, utterly unfit for the kingdom Of heaven. r
a species of slavery existed in the Hebrew &C
mon wealth, we admit. They had regular CT
of slave laws, in many respects entirely differ
from any ever adopted by any other governmt
That whole system passed away with the OF
: peculiar institutions of that people. Let the
however who profess to hold slaves by the
solete authority of those municipal laws, com
> fully with all their conditions. They have
y, right to choose to suit themselves; but must Il
:. the whole or no part of that code. Let them
II so be circumcised become Jews, and not prett
to be Christians. Not one particle of evide
. has been produced by Edwards" or can be T
- duced by any one else, from the New Testamt
& that either Christ or any of his apostles e
10 gave the least sanction to such slaveholding
q was commonly practced in the Roman emf
!, at that time or to such as is established by
- the laws of our own country at present.
:, has furnished no proof that any such slaveho
" " that any one while subjectng any of his fcl
y, men to cruel bondage, and Withholding f
- them any of the sacred rights pertaining to n
= or refusing to give them that which is just
" equal, was even admitted by their authority
u member of the Church, or accounted wor
- while pursuing this course, to enjoy its pri
i" ges. The passages which have been bror
y to prove this, prove no such thing at all, but
rs contrary. The law of God and the gospe