Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-25
VOLUME VI. NO. 4.

he IS welcome to the assertion, provided he can
make it good.
8. The browning reason adducsd by your cor
respondent in support of the belief that this ser
want of the Centurion was his sIave, an old fam
lily servant, and not a hired man," is this, that
his master had such great affection tOrhim. Such
an instance he says, "can hardly be found
among thousands of hired servants, but they are
met with every day among slaves"
What is the proof of the Centurions extraof.
binary affection? 1t is simply said that his SER
want t0as dear unto him and shown that the
Centurion was exceedingly DESTROYS that Jesus
would heal him. In view of these facts our
friend is satisfied, and thinks we all should be
satisfied, that this servant was slave! an old
house SiGUe for how can such affection be &C.
counted for? No doubt Shareholders often dear
ly love their slaves, especially those who have
served them long and faithfully, and contributed
largely to tn5lr wealth and comfort. That is
perfectly natural. But still. i a servant is not
dear to his master, if his master has no affection
for him, and takes no pains to promote his hap
piness, is all this any proof that such servant
may not at the same time be that mans slave!
The fact is, that neither affection nor the want
fit, on the part OF the MASTER proves any thing
at all touching the point now under considers
ton. The insinuation that it is extremely un-
common for any servants who are not slaves to
be dear to their employers is utterly groundlesS,
and unustifable How a man who spent nearly
thirty years of his life in New England, could
make such representation, even after having
spent half as many more under the oblivious in.
fuences of the slave system, seems astonishing.
In the private families of New England, domeS-
tics and hired help, both in doors and without,
who have shown themselves to be worthy, are
regarded, especially in seasons of sickness, with
as much apparent kindness as the Centurion
showed to his servant This is the common
feeling ard practice. 1t is by no means neceS-
sary that worthy young people should be convert
ed into degraded slaves in order to secure the
tender regards and kind Offices of their employ
eB.
The assumption that this servant of the CEN
turion was an old house slave is entirely gratu-
tous. There is not the least ground for the
supposltion save that the Centurion had great
affection for him, and was DESTROYS that he might
be healed; which is no proof at all. That THIS
servant was in fact but youth, we have good
cause 10 believe, inasmuch as the Centurion in
Al -, IL 10, I,,o Sc
account of Luke calls him his pals; and in
Matthew's account of the affair, he is continual
ly designated by the same epithet. Now this
is precisely theterm to denote a young person.
The dimlnutive, puidiOn denotes little child and
pa'S child, a boy or girl, son or daughter,
one OF any age from childhood to mature youth.
This the radicaf and current meaning. Thus
} the term is to be always understood unless tho
circumstances of the case require it to be taken
in an extended sense as when our Savior at the
time of his crucifxion, is denominated the child
of God. But in regard to the Centurion's ser
want there is no reason whatever to depart from
the ordinary sense. The term, though doubt
less capable of application to a young person,
in state Of slavery as well as to any other young
person, yet is not, in the least degree indicative
of that condition; as any one may satisfy him.
sell by examination.
Whether this youth was a slave or a hired
servant, or some young Roman attending on the
Centurion for the sake of honor and promotion,
we do not certainly know neither have we any
means Of ascertaining. Edwards" is in pre-
cisely the same predicament. Whether the
three reasons, which he has assigned, are found,
on examination, to.make it in any convincing de.
gree probable that he was "a sLGVe," "an old
house seruant," the public must Judge, Even if
itcoud be made to appear, clearly, as it certainly
cannot be, that the Centurion was not slave
holder, tie account given of him would furnish
no certain evidence that Christ approves Of slave
ry; but only that 1t was possible for man last
emerging from the darkness OF heathenism to
become SO strong believer in Christ as to be
commended Of him on account of his faith, while
yet retaining single slave whom he tenderly
loves. That is all. Surprising the Centurion
WIS at the same time true believeranda slave
hUlder, g. as believer was commendedb by Christ
this implies no justification of his slaveholding.
"There is not a Just man on earth that doeth
good and sinneth not but this affords no apology
for sin. There is no certain proof in the first
place, that the Centurion was stakeholder; nor
in the next place, if he was, that Christ justified
} his conduct, in that particular. How infinitely
unreasonable and absurd then to attempt to vim
dictate the great system of American slavery,
and particularly the right of church members to
hold slaves, on this ground and to claim for all
= those who in this way deprive their fellow i'm
: mortals of their most precious and sacred rights,
0 the,sancton and approval of Christ himself
This account of our Saviors treatment of the
n Centurion gives no sanction to sluveholding
: whatever it furnishes not the least evidence
6 that the Presbyterian church, TT any othcl
church, are justified by him in suffering theil
" members to despol their fellow men of theirlib'
erty and reduce them to a state of cruel bond,
e age And no other proof has "Kdwards" at
s tempted to bring on the ground Of our Savior'i
p direct authority or example.
S.A L. d. D,ons1n,,f am