The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-03
The 1(efaio Of Freedom.
Lawrence, Saturday, Jan. 8, 1857.
Morality-Eow shall 1t be Advo-
Gated?


tics. The pulpit is designed for re-
ligion. snd for nothing else, they say.
If q minister so far forgets, or mis-
understands his duty. as to preach
on slavery, temperance, women's
rights, or land reform, or any other
umanitary movement, he at once
becomes marked man. The press
watches him, the vestries watch him;
the deacons and elders watch him,
and, finally, all who have an interest
in Zion, form into line, and keep an
eye upon him. How pious! Under
what lasting obligations the church
must be to its Democratic care-takers,
for defining SO clearly the duties of
ministers, and CHASING the subjects
on which they may preach with edif-
cation; and noting those. which pro-
duce confusion and excitement in a
community, and those, aso, which
produce quiet and peace-approving
these and excluding those, SO that
everything may be done deeently and
in order. Since, by common consent,
these business subjects are taken from
the ministry, and turned over to the
secular press, we feel under some OBJ
legation to do what little we can, to
throw that light on the subject, which
would come SO much more appropri-
ately from the pulpit. But as the
brethren of the press may not attend
meetings regularly-and perhaps were
not raised piously, they may not
know what the Bible teaches on these
subjects. They may be in the condi-
tion of a Judge and Congressman,
in Mississippi, who were conversing
on religious subjects, when the Judge
said, he did not believe his friend
could repeat the Lords prayer. Upon
this, they bet a"V." The Congress
man, with ell due solemnity, then be-
gam
"Now lay me down to Sleep"
and went through with this little dis.
itch, which every pious mother teaches
her children, as soon as they are able
to talk. "Here is your money!" said
the Judge, as soon as the other had
got through; 81 did not think you
could say it,
For instance: one of them asserts
that slavery is right, because it is JUS
titled in the Bible. "Did not Paul
send back Onesimus to his master?"
he trlumphantly asks. "And if Paul
sent back runaway slave to his mas
ter, then is the fugitive slave law
right, and those men arc infdels who
oppose it, The confidence with
which they approach the Bible, shows
that they have not read it critically,
nor are they aware that it is a two
edged sword. cutting asunder the
bonds of wickedness and of slavery
everywhere.
Weshould be willing to rest the whole
question of slavery on this epistle of
Paul to Philemon, which is so trium-
phantly brought forward for its justi-
fcation. We ask the reader to get
his Testament, and peruse the letter.
He will there find that Onesimus was
a slave, a servant, and belonged to one
Philemon, who lived in Greece, and
who had become one Of Paul's con-
verts to Christianity. Some time af-
ter, for preaching too much liberty,
Paul was sent prisoner to Rome
Here, while under bonds, and await
ing his trial, he continued to preach
'sin his own hired house." Onesi-
mus, who, in the mean time, had run
away, fonnd himself in Rome, attend.
ing Paul's meetings. Here he became
q convert, and Paul sent him back to
his oldmaster again, in Greece.
The question now turns on this
how did he send him back-a free.
man, or slave? The answer to this.
according to the proposition. settles
the right or wrong of slavery.
If he went back q free man, volun.
tarily, emancipated by Paul. ther
slavery is wrong. If he was sent bach
in bonds, as slave, against his will
then slavery is right. What does thu
lettar say? 1t says: "Receiye hin
net now as q servant" If he is no
to be received as servant, then how il
heto be received? Ofcourse, ,as free
man. "As a brother" Paul says
"above servant" And lest there
should be some doubt left on the mine
of his old master, as to the intent ant
meaning of the foregoing, he adds
"Receive him as myself" The inquir,
now will be, how would he have re
ceived Paul, had he returned from
Rome to Athens. and again called o.
his old friend and convert, Philemon
Would he have shut him up in pris
on? or sold him to the slave drivers
or given him thirty-nine lashes on nj
bare back? or put chain and ball t
his legf How do young convert
receive those ministers who hay
Al