Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-05-21

4
ters, so by permission, perhaps, as kings and
conquerors are. 1t speaks of masters and SER
wants as if such relation were possible within
the pale of the church; but as it is not expli-
| cit in defining the nature and limits of such
possible servitude, We must look for them in
| the tenor of its teaching, which it maintains
| throughout. The tenor is love, and in the law
| of love do we find abundant instruction to dis
| pei all the darkness which hangs round the sor-
ceress of slavery, and to drive her out to the
| light of day. (Matthew 20, 25, and 22, 81.
Mark 10, ~ and II, 29. Luke %, 25. John
| 13, 81, and Is, II. Love to God is the great
est commandment, and love to man the next;
| and this commandment of love is the highest
| law, even the decalogue being supplementary
| to it. On it hang all the law and the prophets.
1t is the fulfilling of the law. The whole BIZ
| BILE is based upon it-all the revelations are
| pervaded by it. God SO loved the world that
| he gave his only Son to be sacrificed for the
| sins of it and the sons commandment is
| love-pure and holy, godlike love; even to-
| ward enemies, for We are enjoincd to assmi
late ourselves as nearly as possible to him, and
he loved US while we were enemies. The SER
want is not greater than his master, and the
master came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life ransom for ma
| ny. Anything which is inconsistent with the
| holiness Of this principle is interdicted, such
as pride, avaricc, falsehood, drunkenness, a.
dultery, murder, &c. Oppression in every
| form is denounced with terrible threatenings.
Mercy to the merciful, and judgment to the
| oppressor, is the constant tenor Of scripture.
| Such love is inn rulsive in the hearts of those
who are affected by it, and imparts yearning
| sympathy for the whole human family but at
| the same time it is duty to God. Now if we
examine the nature of chattel slavery, in view
of such duty, we shall find that it is based
| upon fundamental falsehood, for it teaches
| the master that servant of God like himself
is his absolute property. Not anything, how
ever, can be the property of creature, where
| all is Gods, for the idea of absolute ownership
implies an independent existence. Much less
can one moral agent become the rightful pro-
| perty of another, without direct commission
| from God authorizing it to be so. You can
| not serve two masters, and there is one mas
| ter, even Christ, to whom all obedience is due.
| Place then, the master and the slave under the
law of love, and the shackles virtually fall !;
for that law transformed them into brothers.
| and sets them upon a common level. (Phiie-
mon, 49, Now we find that the fruits of chat
tel slavery are in perfect accordance with this
view of its nature. 1t cultivates pride, arro-
| gancc and presumption, and justifes the most
| bitter oppression; it is the hot-bcd Of idle
| ness, hatred, lust and murder. All past and
! present experience goes to confirm this fact.
1t is an indsputable verify, instances to the
contrary being merely exceptions to the gen.
eral rule. Cherishing such views, must we not,
| as Christians, regard American chattel slavery,
as gigantic power of evil, binding us by her
very magnitude and proximity; and looming
up with illimitable blackness of living
death, which pals the power of utterance, and
| the last, the brightest hope Of the human race,
for peace and enfranchisement on earth3 Av-
arice, drunkenness and lust, are her paramours;
| and like the sin of Milton, whose younger sis
| ter she is, she brings forth horrible progeny
of hell-hounds; which do not at present, like
| them, return to destroy their dam, because
she is still most proliticly pregnant with the
| same deteStible brood. These are the incar-
nate gholes sent forth to feed aud fatten upon
| the bodies and souls of men and fiercely do
| they yelp and yell, if victim escapes their
| fangs; for they are like their parents. They
| support their mother she docs them and
they struggle to extend her dominion, for she
is in her very nature aggressive, like a beast of
prey. Already does her hideous body cover
! the fairest half of the land, and the remainder
| is involved in her shadow, and in tumult at
her approach Nor will she pause whilo the
| temples of freedom and truth are standing so
near, for their light has talismanc influence
| upon her, which she cannot endure. The bay
of her furies is heard from coast to coast, and
the fearful are trembling and submitting to her
sway. Those who resist her, must die and
those who yield, she harnesses to the car of
her oppression, Transforming them into beasts.
to do her will and TO satisfy her desires.
panic prevails, for ga horror of great dark
| ness'' has fallen upon the land. Even profess
| sing Christians casting their incense pro-
fusely upon her altar and ministers of tho
| gospel, from their pulpits, are sanctifying the
sorceress in the eyes of the people.
Now what should true Christians do in cri-
| sis like this Those who do not cling to the
world, nor bend the knee at the shrine OF its
dolatries. Those who worship God, and love
his people as an undivided brotherhood; and
even love and pity their enemies who oppose
| themselves. Should they not stand forth from
these errors, in an unbroken phalanx, pano-
piled from heaven, to meet this devouring ter
| ror with the sword of truth Itis not the
Christians part to hold his peace. but to sscry
| aloud 20 to sssound the trumpet, to warn the
wicked man from his evil way" "to turn him