The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-05-08
THE NATIONAL ERA.
DUTIES MEN OWE TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
IcoSCLUDEDl

1
Theocracy During that period the dispensation
was peculiar, and of necessity limited to that ma
tion-for the heather nations were not regarded
in the administration Of the covenant Of grace.
And as il could not reach them in their own
countries provisions were made for their copar-
ticipation with the Jewish nation by being incor-
poraed with them. To bring them among them
as redeemed captives was to introduce them TO the
knowledge Of the true God and Of true religion,
aud to free them from the CALLING yoke Of per-
petual bondage This will appear more plain
when we take into consideration that, like Abra-
ham, they were commanded to circumcse all
males born in their house or bought with their
money! Circumcision made its subject a Jew.
OF course the command did not extend to heather
adults, who would refuse to be circumcised. IT,
therefore native lsraelite could not be retained
longer than six years in servitude, neither could
the proseyte of the covenant. For whom was
the year of general jubilee intended For the
prOselyte Of the gate or for the adult heather re-
fusing to be circumcised, and for the Hebrew who
refused to avail himself of the common year of
release Did the Supreme Lswgver" sanction
slavery in that divine economy given to the He
brewsl Was it pro-slavery? Never was Gov
eminent more opposed TO slavery. II a msn was
mean enough to have his ear bored in token Of
his preference to servitude, the law was too poor
to let such blot remain longer upon their Ma
tional Government than the year of general re-
lease.
So anti-slavery was that divine economy,
that every stranger flying from oppression and
slavery, let what be his country or complexion,
he found home from oppression and wrong in
the Jewish Theooracy. Thou shalt not deliver
unto his master the servant which is escaped from
his master unto thee be shall dwell with thee,
even among you, in that place which he shall
choose, IN one filthy gates which liketh him best :
thou shalt not Cypress him"
Slaves could not dwell in Jswry-
II onc4 their lungs received their air that moment they
free
They tou,hsd their country, and their shakes fell"
Dr. Lord will have to look elsewhere for the
sanction of the Supreme LawgiverN for slavery
than in the " divine economy Of the Hebrews ~
and he should remember that as universal prin-
ciples admit OF no change" that his assertion is
an impeachment Of the benevolence of God, and
the denial Of the Supreme authority of the Cos
pN - system of ethiGsn
3 But DR.. Lord claims the New Testament as
being upon the side Of slavery After telling us
that slavery existed in its most Objectionable fea
lures throughout the Roman empire, that the
laws gave the master the power of life and death |
over the servant" he asks" Did the Saviour
aud his apostles on this account reject their au-
thoriry, or iucite their disciples to disobedence
and resistance2" Their conduct was the exact |
reverse Of this paul sent Onesmus back to his |
master, on the very principles which he enjoined |
on the ROmAns-subjection TO existing civil au-
thorityo-Psge 5. This is sufficient to show that
the Doctor claims law and Gospel on the side of
slavery, not only it exists in this country, but
as il existed in a more odious and repulsiye form
under the Roman Government. But here al
though, he claims the 4" divine sanction Of the |
Supreme Lawgivern in "both Testsmentsn yet |
he seems little confused and bothered while
pressing the apostle to the Gentiles into his SER
vice slave-hunter and slave-catcher for Phile
mon, that alleged and often-sainted STAKEHOLDER.
Upon the same page he tells US that the inspired
teachers Of Christianity instructed both masters
and slaves in regard to the duties which grow
out Of the institution of slavery, without either
approving or cOndemning the relation itself"
Now, if " both Testamentsn and A" the Supreme
Lawgver" sanction slavery " per seq p dul must
have been q poor and craven ambassador of Christ,
who, notwithstanding the divine sanction, refused
his approval of the peculiar institution
However, his more courageous successor the pas
tor Of the Central Presbyterian Congregation of
Buffalo, New York, will put the apostles conduct
through revision and emendation,n and make
up in boldness what was lost through the weak
ness Of our more timid apostle. And whereas
the apostle did not dwell sufficiently upon the
alarming consequences which might be the
natural effects, should the Roman masters liberate
their slaves his successor at Buffalo will sound
the alarm, marshal his troops, and paint the hor
rors of revolution and scare Aboitionism out of
half its life among the Buffalonians. But, leaving
the Doctor TO sleep upon his arms, we return to
the question: Did our Lord and his apostles de-
nounce slavery? Our reply is short They did.
And first The New Testament reveals to us
the mystery which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons Of men, as it is now revealed
unto his apostles and prophets by the Spirit that
the Gentiles should be felow-heirs, and Of the
same body and partakers of his promise in Christ
by the Gospel-Eph. iii, s. 8. The middle wall
Of partition between Jews and Gentiles is now
taken away. The he Ithen are given to Christ, and
all the nations Of the earth stand in the same re-
lation to each other as did the Jews Nothing
is now common or uncleann The only reasons
which could reconcile the distinction between the
Israelites and the surrounding nations are done
away, and all men, without respect to national
distinctions, stand upon the same footing before
God, as did the Jews; so that the injunction not
TO make bondmen of our brethren extends to all
men alike. This is the glorious platform upon
which the New Testament worshipper stands
But the New Testament denounces slavery, and
condemns IL in a manner in which mistake Is i'm
possible--so that the record and proof of it is
in the hands Of every man who has in his pos
session copy of the Biblen Had our Lord and
his apostles denounced slavery by name as il ex-
listed under the Roman Government: The slave
laws OF Rome were sometimes more severe than
at other times, aud the question would arise, of
which did they speak1 But We have already
shown that each part Of the system is taken up,
discussed, and condemned, In such a manner as to
render mistake impossible to the unbiased mind
the very duties of the Gospel having been shown
to be autagonistio to slavery In each and in all
its parts. But Notwithstanding that the plain
precepts Of the New Testament being right Ia
the face Of slavery, and slavery being in each Of
its elementary principles opposed TO the duties
and obligations Of the Christian religion, it is
urged with a confidence more characterized for
presumption than truth, that slave-owners were
permitted TO arrogate to themselves the powers Of
life and DEATH as well as a chattel right Of prop
erty 10 their slaves and retain good standing 10
the church Of God and that the apostle speaks
OF these relative duties Of master and slave with
out either approving or condemning the institu-
ton itself" and finally cites the case Of Onesmus,
supposed runaway slave Of Philemon, whom
Paul in obedience to " the powers that ben re-
captured and sent back to his master and to sla-
very.
think that II the facts be as our Doctor re-
lstes them, it looks very like practical approval
by the apostle. IL believed them just as Doctor
Lord speaks Of them, would not hesitate to claim
Paul as the chief marshal Of Rome, for the Ere
capture Of the fugitive from labor !" and IL be-
lieved him so, would strive to have his success
or at Buffalo appointed during his natural life to
fill the chair Of marshal left vacant in the apos-
tolic college through the martyrdom Of Paul the
Agedp ! suppose that Doctor L. goes on the
same presumption as all other pro-slsvery wri-
ters viz that the terms doulos and dsspotes do al
ways mean master and slave in the slaveholding
sense Of that term. I need only add that those
terms, like the Hebrew terms ebed and amah, are
always rendered according to their position in
the places where they occur, and that they occur
In no connection throughout the New Testament