Squatter sovereign., 1855-07-24

ton oil hereQlary slavery Dy the OaVlor, as |
lawful relation in the sight of God, loose |
much of their force from the use of word |
by the translators. which by time, has lost
much of its original meaning; that is, the
word serUant. DR.. Johnson, in his diction-
ary, says: "Servant is one of the few
words, which by time has acquired softer
Specification than its original, knave, de-
generated into cheat. While serUant
which signifed originally, person pre-
served from death by the ccnqueror, and
reserved for slavery, signifies only an obe-
dent attendant" Now, all history will
prove that the servants of the New Testa-
ment addressed by the Apostles, in their
letters to the several churches throughout
the Roman Empire, were such as were
preserved from death by the conqueror,
and taken into slavery. This was their
condition, and it is fact well known to all
men acquainted with history. Had the
word which designates their condition, in
our translation, lost none of its original
meaning, a common man could not have
fallen into mistake as the condition indi-
Gated But to waive this fact, we are fur
nished with all the evidence that can be
desired. The Savior appeared in an age
of learnng-the enslaved condition of half
the Roman Empire, a: the time, is a fact
embodied with all the historial records
the constitution God gave the Jews, was
in harmony with the Roman regulation on
the subject of slavery. In this state of
things, Jesus ordered his Gospel to be
preached in all the world, and to every
creature 1t was done as he directed; and
masters and servants, and persons in all
conditions, were brought by the Gospel to
obey the Savior. Churches were consa-
tuted. We have examined the letters
written to the churches, composed Of these
materials. The result is, that each men,
) Der is furnished with law to regulate the
duties of his civil station-from the high
est to the lowest.
We will remark, in closing under this
head, that we have shown from the text of
the sacred volumn, that when God entered
into the covenant with Abraham, it was
with him rs Shareholder; that when he
took his posterity by the hand in Egypt,
five hundred years afterwards to confirm
the promise made to Abraham, it was done
with them as shareholders that when he
gave them constitution of government,
he gave the the right to perpetual heredi-
tary slavery; and that he did not for the
fifteen hundred years of their national ex-
istence, express disapprobation towards the
institution.
We have also shown from authentic
history that the institution Of slavery exist
ed in every family, and in every province
of the Roman Empire. at the time the
gospel was published to them.
We have also shown from the New Tes.
timent, that all the churches are recogniz
ed as composed of masters and servants
and that they are instructed by Christ how
to discharge thei- relative duties; and fl
nally, that in reference to the question
which was then started, whether Christi
snity did not abolish the institution, OF the
: right Of one Christian to hold another
Christian in bondage, we have shown, tina
''the words of our Lord Jesus Christ" are
that so far from this being the case, it adds
to the obligation of the servant to render
service with good will to his master, ant
that gospel fellowship is not to be enter
tanned with persons who will not consen
to it!
I prosose, in the fourth place, to shov
: that the institution of slavery is full o
mercy. shall say but word on thi
subject. Authentic history warrants thi
I conclusion. that for long period Of time
1t was this institution alone which furnish
: ed motive for sparing the prisoners life
L The chances of war, when the earth wa
e filled with small tribes Of men, who had
t passion for it, brought to decision, almos
Y daily, conflicts, where nothing but this in
r stitution interposed as an inducement t
save the vanquished. The same was trus
3 in the enlarged schemes of eonques,
S which brought the four great universal EN-
r pires of the Scriptures to the zenith OF thei
, power.
;, The same is true in the history of Afric
n as far back as we can trace it. 1t is onl,
n sober truth to say, that the institution G
: slavery has. saved from the sword NOR
y lives, including their increase, than all tn
: souls who now inhabit this globe.
J. The souls thus conquered and SUBJECTS
IS to masters. who feared not God nor re
l. garded men, in the days of Abraham. J OF
1t and the Patriarnhs, were surely brough