Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1850-08-03
SALEM, coLUMBnNA co.. OHIO, AUGUST 3, 1850

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necessary; but am skeptical as to your as
serted fact that 81. Paul was slave-catcher
You assume without evidence that the SER
want of Philemon WINS a SLAVE. Without ad-
mitting this assumption, Il Il too favorable 10
my present purpose to be nop questioned by
me. According to our Biblical chronology,
the Epistle TO Philemon was written A. ID.
"a, the year after Paul arrived in Rome,
where he lived two whole years in his own
hired house, and received all that came unto
him. Among those attracted to his DWELL
ing by his preaching and conversation was a
poor stranger. by some means the apostle
discovered that his humble but attentive vi
sItor was a runaway slave belonging to his
mend fhllemon at Colosse. What course
under such circumstances would your con-
science have prompted you to take, had you
Deen IN the apostles place IL would have
warned you not TO "injure the vested rights"
OF your friend Under this admonition you
would have instantly sent for one Of the Flu
gtt'udTii, a body of men at Rome whose pro-
iesslon II was to catch fugitive slaves,-a
profession which, under the countenance Of
some eminent men in State and Church, may
soon be introduced into Massachusetts, as II
already is in the Southern States. The Fu-
gitivarlus, on being informed when the slave
would probably next visit you, would be on
the watch; and, having seized him, would
handcuH him and hurry him off to Colosse,
and there receive the usual reward from the
master. Not so St. Paul. He took the slave
into his house, as seems intimated by the
context, he hdrbored him, and refrained from
giving Philemon any intelligence respecting
him. He continued his instructions TO this
poor, ignorant slave. and WINS rewarded by
his conversion. Having thus begotten him
in his bonds, he loved him, and called him
his son. His affection for the slave and his
regard for the master made him desirous of
re-uniting them, being persuaded that the
happiness of both would thus be advanced.
Formerly Philemon had been a loser by
Onesimns. but ,io,o the new convert To Christ
was in a CAPACITY to be useful TO lis late
master. as he was already TO the apostle.-
He is, said ST. Paul, "now profitable TO thee
and to me-" How profitable? Had ST. Paul
been making money by the labor of his slave
convert? lie was profitable precisely in the
same sense that St. Pauls friend would have
been had he been at Rome. 81 would have
retained him, that in tlu stead he might have
ministered unto me in the bonds of the Cos
pei" The Christian minisua,ion Of prayer
and sympathy which Philemon would joyful
i " have rendered to the apostle, he was now
himself about to receive from his former
4 slave. But, if Paul wished To retain his con
vert with him, why did he not do so? LIE
tells his friend, !" Without thy mind would
90 nothIng." That rs, as you understand
MN, without your leave 1 would not injure
your ves.ed rlghts ia your Christian chattel."
very di1erent are the words OF the apostle: :
:, Wiuout my mind would do nothing, that
my oohend should MOI no be SIT were OF necessi-
y, put wningy. Inc Deneht mere spoken of
"as opsiousiy one 70 pe CONFERRED cy Pfate-
Inv res,or;nc % Ones;n,,s % m;,es s h;s % apostle,
o1nor,,,n;,y oc conc'r.;Is,, III. IL Se. ,u '"o
fiee-w;II oitsr;ns ;ns,and of ,a-,,s;,';, a'
he ornaren,Iu as,on,oJ ,ou S'a " ,e'"',Sng 70
10 Inn that lis slave was G,oo =, Po,en. ins ~.
Ones;nus return 70 CoIossa ond H., :, Iii M
be seen tho, ,h;s henet;, o, s,on - m'
bnt wiIIinglv The letter con,;u,,aS. spIy' :. pay
bons he Jts..c,s. 5o,,a,',ei ~ .,
,hdn sbo"iJsS, receiSa H., &C C. S oeaso" ma.
PAIL docs nor of co',rsa I hasa M "S,. oain' .i
,not;re of tho slave in ahscond;rn L,,, o
reason vvbv in The coursc oT pre,,;J. ~, ~ I,o
yvss nerm;,,ed 70 absconJ A.. poss;hI,, 4, @ no
so ordered ,bat yo,r s.r,o,, sSo''I2 S ia "as
yon f,r Season ,ha, l." 'a;",, sIouiu i'o ieaVs
70 ,o, IN 81" ho,,Sa as -. 'nsns ~ 'e,unnee
tbo, 10 and in ,hn, ,,h;ch sP., ~ PIC v no
,nders,and ,ha aros'io m 49, ~ .o'ho ;.; LOU
.bo, ncrhors ,ho sio',' go ,';.,I ,ninauns
a @ P;, :; r5ar ,"J ,,,a. sv 10 "aS pe''hl''eu 70 run
Pa pP, ~ ~. o'se, ~ mas no nns" pe ~ugn' at
H%h;s o ho. Io", " ~ run @way .ne seeonG ume!-
,,a ,s n, ,aS, pI,ase Oor eperl mas reference 10
Sh.s.;a snat a,i au; supposeo lnat .he sense OF
..:,s 1nlis,'a. oohsallon wnich was now enter
,a,neu py Onesilnus would prevent nm from
yNu' .I'', tspeu"S ns ohensc Z. oV. MOST wor-
ex,rooydinarv ersgss;. sson' o nao,n.m l. Ilos' Ioe
al md q teacher sc scboo, s,Io p.dr,,e, ~ ,s,
~ -. ."oo' D' ~ ."o 'iop"eS
tou Iruly remark, that Philemon, being
an ac!iVe Christian, would IN a moment have
suDmltted 10 any command OF Paul respect
ing Oneslm.'s' And what was the COM
mand Receive him, that is my own bow