Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-04-08
SLAYERY IN OuRISAYIOUR,S bay.

"Abolition" being set down as the Christians IS
mission in this, our day. Sand as about his only
mission, it becomes Often. necessary to recall
the fact that slavery of the worst sort existed
in the Roman Empire in our Sayiour's day, and
that he no where preached aabolition," nor
civil nor servile war Hut, on the contrary,
aServants, obey your masters" We do not
mean to say, our Saviour loved or defended,
slavery, for We have no revelation or reason to
say so. and, perhaps, reason to say the very
reverse but we do mean to say, Christianity
in bis day consisted in rendering to Caesar the
things that were Cesar's and in letting civil
and servie institutions alone.
When Christ was on earth, He rebukcd sin
of all classes and kinds, and dared to rebuke
the Jewish Priest in his ssstemple, or titled Ro-
man Gentle, if they were guilty OF sin; but
while slavery was all ABOUT him, neither He
nor his apostles ever prcached an abolition SER
mon. The slavery Christ saw daily was that
under which master could sell o slave, work
him as many hours as he pleased, or put him to
death. A Roman slave could not contract Il
marriage. His Capitalization with woman was
contubernium, and no legal relation between
him and children was recognized. \ Roman
slave could not have property. 4 runaway
slave could not be lawfully received or harbor-
cd to conceal him was furthm. The master
was entitled to pursue himwhereyer he pleased,
and it was the duty Of alls authorities to give
him aid in recovering the sslaVe. A person be-
came slave by capture in war.
A free woman, who cohabited with 8 slave,
might he reduced to slavery. The immense
number of prisoners takensin the constant wars
of the Roman Republic, sand the increase of
wealth and luxury in Christ's day, augmented
the number of slaves to prodigious extent.
Very many Romans possessed 10000 and 20,
OUO slaves A freed man, Under Augustus, who
had lost much property in;the civil wars, left at
his death, 4,ll6 slaves. Tile games Of the am.
phitheatre required an immense number of
Slaves. The gladiatorS in haly, (betore Christ,
49, rose under Smrtacus, and were not defeat
ed by the Romans till G0,000 slaves were said
to have fallen in battle. Slave dealers usually
accompanied an army, and,fequently, after
great battle had been gained, many thousands
were sold at once at very cheap rates
In the midst of tins system of slavery wa
the Christian era inaugnrated: Christ preached
principles which snbvert6G. tho atrocities OF
Slaycrv-as of every utherSsystem of govern
mcnt of lifc-but aboltion1ln was not his mis-
sion. Christians in tie APOSTLES LAY owned
slaves. AMI considered it no crime to own them.
What we mean to infer from these facts Is, that
if slavery was the sin and crime the abolition
lists of this day say it is, Christ saw it in wor$:
point of view, and never preached an abolition
sermon against it-llcvcr warrcu upon the gov
elnrncnt that recognised and supported it--but,
On tue contrary, taught obedience to that gov
crnm2nt. His mission was to bring sinners Ia
rcpcntancc, not to concentrate all mems minds
upun the abolition OF slavery, nor to divide so-
ciety, or a country, OH Y upon that issue.
If we could only impress upon our Abolition
preachers of what they call "thc Gospel the
example OF Christ when on cartn, i'll the midst
Of Roman slayery-in itself iurIcn.ihle, bc.
cause of lis atrorite*--we might, perhaps, make
them useful in mciula,ins and chri,tianising
African slavery in the United States. The car
y christian writers after Chri>t'> day. inc''ca-
ted the duty-lut of abolition, but OF acting
toward slavcs-as masters in their condition
would be acted ly-anl thus they did MUCH
toward promoting the ultimate extinction ol
slavery, or in the end Of merging slaves into
the aeiscripi gifhr Or scrts OF tho middle ages
IF orr Northern .,bolitionistS would only
reason with, instead Of cursiug our Southern
culntrymen. the rights and duties OF slaves,
husband and wife, might be legally established
in our Southern State;-divisiulis Of families
under executions might be done away with,
and a system of education be instituted-but
their ruling and cursng for twenty years have
only strengthened slavery in the United States
and drawn tighter the bonds OF the master
over the slave. Suppose, then, our Abolition
theolog,ans should spend month OF two in
studying up the system Of slavery Christ and
hi, anosfles saw on EARTH when they preached
Servants IS wants obey your master" "render
to Cesar the things that are C'esar's"- and when
they returned fugitive slaves, as in the case OF
Onesimus. They have tried the cur5ing, now,
for quarter Of century, and 1t has done G. no no
good. Suppose, now, they try the Christian
creed of "Love one another."-New York Ex-
press.