The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-24

than with any other immortality, should
christians have no fellowship with slave
holding.
REASONS.
l. God commands christians so to do.
The Apostle, specifying some OF the
characters TO be Observation-Disclosures from
the fellowship Of the church, says:-"Now,
have written unto you not to keep CON-
pany, if any man that is called brother
be fornicstor, or covetous, or a d:unkard,
or an E1roRTIoSER; with such an one, no,
not to eat" II Cor. 5: III That slavery
Is the worst form of exiortion Practiced by
men, few will deny. To extod is to draw
from By force-to gain by oPpression.-
Webster.
When the tyrsnts Of Europe and Asia
seize, even BIZ form OF law, the property Of
the poor tenant, or serf, and leave him scarce
a 1.-THE. as a substance FOR himself and poor
family, we call that extortion.
When in our own country, covetous
man finds his neighbor and family in want,
lends the neighbor money TO meet his ne
cessities, demanding, however, as usury, a
hundred per cent, which he knows his
neighbor will give rather than sacrifice bis
property, or starve; and when the day Of
payment comes, some mishap having pre-
vented payment, for the present, Of more
than the principal, the covetous man seizes
BY form Of oppressive law, the homestead
Of his neighbOr, sells il at less than a tenth
of its value, bidding it in for his own use.
and thus deprivIng his neighbor OF his only
home for himself and helpless children,
and receiving not only the principal, but
more than ten hundred times an equivalent
for his usury, this we call extortion. Yet,
as in Asia, or in European countries, the
neighbor has what is yet more dear,--him.
self, bis wife, and children.
Still stronger. The original word trans
lated "extortioner," admits Of a still stron.
ger meaning than we have supposed--that
OF lawless robbery; as when band Of men
meets poor man by the wayside, and tears
from him the money which he has jus, re-
ceived for his years toll. and that with
which TO minister TO the comforts and
wants Of poor family, this, too, is extor.
ton. Now, there is not church in the
land but wonld discipline church members
for such an act. And yet, this is nothing
in comparison with slavery, which takes
from the poor man, not only the proceeds
OF his labor for year: but for whole
hfe-time-yes, his wife, his child-ths mos
outraged of all Gods creatures, be may
not own himself. Too often his body fet
tered with chains, his mind yelled in ignor
snce, and bis soul left in loathsome vice
he is the child of sorrow in life, and tn,
heir Of hell in eternity. Does the sun lool
upon such system Of egtortion? Wei
did Wesley call it the sum Of all villain
les. And is such disciplinable! IL w
would discipline the lesser degree Of extor
ton, how much more should we disciplin
the greater.
Again, in / Tim. 1: 10, we learn the
the law was made for the discipline or pun
ishment Of "liars, and murderers, and mer
siealsrs," or, as we have said in our secon
number, for Shareholders; for this is the pr
mary import Of the word translated "mer
stealsrs." And since kidnapping is puI
ished by the nation with death, and sine
the crime Of slsveholding is the same
that Of kidnapping-that Of depriving ma
Of his liberty; and since slave-breeders
the act Of pouncing upon the infant. ar
putting it in bouds. the act called kidna
ping; and since the slsve-buyer is no bette
only continuing the deed; and since d
church claims not the prsrogative Of oril
mating laws to regulate human conduct, b
the duty Of enforcing such as God has mad
why will she not execute the law viii
condemns slsyeholding.
Then, If we do not execute the law, j
a. referred to, and do not refuse 80 eat"
70 fellowship this worst Of extortioners,
are guilty Of disobeying God. wv