Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-04-14
No. XII.

without hire which is the same as to say,
that the master has a right OF property IN
| his labor. You cannot doubt that slavery
| Is spoken of in all The passages, to which
reference has been made in this paragraph
if you will call to mind the meanings OF the
above mentioned Greek terms, as exhibited
in letter 9th. These passages when rightly
understood, show with sufficient plainness,
that our Saviour regarded slayeholding as
perfectly innocent. 49, -.
The Apostles have given their testimony
to the consistency ofslayeholding with true
religion. by recognizing shareholders as
Christians, and by admitting them as mem
bers of the Church. Paul speaks OF some
slaves, dou1oi, who had believing masters
despoies, who were "brethren," "faithfu[
and beloved" The christian character of
these masters is represented, not as furnish
ing a re asou for their servants to demand,
that their bondage should cease, as being q
violation OF the pFecepts Of the Gospel, but
as presenting an additional motive to 'do
them service" Tim. 6: |, 2. Cornelius,
the first Gentle convert, who was received
into the Church, without conforming TO the
Jewish rites, was an owner of household
slaves, oikeies, Acts 1877. The great con-
troversy among the Apostles and brethren,
which followed his reception, showed how
scrupulous they were on the subject OF the,
admission of members Peter was blamed
for receiving one who was uncircumcised:
but not one word of complaint was made on
the score of slavery. The question of the
lawfulness of slaveholding does not appear,
at that time, ever to have been mooted.-
Be that as it may, it is certain from the tes-
timony of Scripture, that Cornelius was EN-:
inently fitted to be member Of the Church;
and the fact that Peter, in admitting himI
acted in view of the manifest intimations OF
Gods will, settles the question with regard
to the propriety Of that step.-Phllemoni
the master of the slave, donfos, Onesimusi
is styled by Paul, "our dearly beloved, and
-laborer," Philcm. /, l6. This proves
that he was Christian and Church MEM
Der, and that he was probably minister.
Such is the opinion of the best commenta-
tors. Doddridge says - The title Of tel.
lor-laborer, given Philemon, makes i pro.
bable, that he was his Archippus col
league IN the ministry" Exposition on Phi
lem.] The profound and erudite Calvin re.
marks to the same effect, and says that
Paul is not accustomed to give this title to
private man. Com. in loci In this very
epistle, the title is given to several minis
tiers of the gospel, V. "a. 1t may be added,
that Paul speaks of himself as being part
ner of Philemon, v. II; referring probably
to the ministerial ofice.-Another instance,
of shareholders being Church members. is
found in the very pious family of "Mary
the mother of John, whose surname was
Mark" Acts 12: IL. In this family was q
female slave, paidiske, named Rhoda, who
seems herself to have been Christian, VS.:
l3, 14.-Thus we see that the evidence on
this important point of the argument, is a.
bundant. If the Apostles could tolerate
slavery in the Church, why may it not now
be tolerated in the Church, ard in the State
too, as far as it exists. But abolition di-
vines are probably purer than Apostles;
and free-soil politicians are unquestionably
purer than BOTH
Yours respectfully,
NOVANGLUS.