The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-09-03

laws OF Moses. Say! can God direct a man
70 do many things as master habitually.
II to be master for one moment is sinful
IN ilself5 Can the being master be sinful,
II acting as master is not?
| 49, BY Gods most explicit and reilera.
ted recognition Of the whole sum and sub.
stance OF the relation in n word: "Ye shall
buy Londnen." "They shall be your nos
session. "He is his money" "Ye shall
take them as an inheritance for vour chill.
dren after YOU" "They shall be your bond.
men forever"
~ BY Gods express recognition in both
leslaments OF the masters claim to control.
correction, service, honor and love. Tell
me! can God acknowledge the rights of a
relation that is wrong in itself!
(5.) BY the commands which God adj.
dresses TO the Christian masters of the New
Testament Church. Tell me! if these mas
| ters act IN accordance with divine iniunc.
| uons, can 1t be sin to do what God com.
mandss II 1t is sin, can God instruct me
how to commit in
(6) BY the whole catalogue Of com.
mands addressed to master, in the Word Of
God. They all pre-suppose the formation
ana imply The continuance Of the relation.
Ex.: "fe masters, forbear threatening" If
the relation had not been formed, the com.
mand could not have been given! IL the
relation did not continue, the command
could not be obeyed. Can the ground a
man stands on be sin, when Gods com.
inands imply his continued occupancy Of
il!
~ By the explicit teaching of Christ
and his apostles on the precise point Of the
masters authority. shall assume, wha,
the scholar will not deny, that the term
''servanr in our prooftex,s is cmployed TO
mean-Siape.
II will not be denied that God success
iyely and explicitly commands wives. chill
dren, and servants, to obey their husbands.
parents, aud masters. What is the import
OF the command 10 the servant in this con
nection! Is 1t lot that he in his place is to
obey bis superior, as The preceding parties
IN their respective relations are TO obey
theirst Brethren say that master and slave
are not to be placed in the same category
win husbands and wives, parents and chill
dren. What do they meant That there
are conceivable differences between these
reIations' To say this, is TO say nothing.
What two things exist between which there
is no specific ditierencel The argument is
not avoided by the existence of specific
difference between these relations, but is
established by the existence of generic re.
semblance on the point in hand. There is
u nghtiul authority in the husband over
his wife, and rghtful authority in the pa
rent over his child. Mark, now, the words
OF Scripture in this very connection speak
out An authority IN the master over his ser
want, and speak nothing else. In the face
oi TINS simple, nnmistakeable Scripture
leachlng, Will any man deny the authority
OF The mas;erf Every rule Of interpreta-
tion likes the fact immoyable. The frs,
great rule establishes it. Words are to be
understood 10 their most known and usual
signIficailon. Scripture words in their
PLAIN sense seal the authority of the master
and duty Of The slave. a second great rule
confirms 1t. Words are always to be un-
derstood with reference 10 what was preyi
ousy known Of the subject about which
they are employed. Ii was known before
th"t husbands exercised gentle authority
over Their wives-that parents exercised a
stronger authority over .heir children. and
that masters welded a still sterner authori.
" over their slaves. Nov. when Scripture
comes along and commands wives 10 obey
their husbands, and children to obey their
parents and slaves 10 obey their masters,
does Scripture teach men that wives are
indeed 10 respect the authority of their hus-
bands, and children are TO respect the au
thority OF their parents; bat when in this
connection II commands slaves TO obey their
masters, are We 10 understand by this Ian
SuaSe that Gods word means TO revolution
'ze society, and repeal for ever the masters
authority! 1t is not enough 10 say that
such Interpretation is perfectly prepos,erous:
It destroys the Bible! Rather in accordance
WIN What was previously known upon this
subject, Scripture hereby establishes the
masters authority. There is third very
similar rule OF Interpretation Just as clearly
IN point. Words are always 10 be unler.
stood in the sense in which the sneaker
knows that the party addressed will under.
stand them; or in other words in ,iew Of
lhe usages and customs prevalent in the
community where the language is employ.
ed. Who are the speakers! Chris, and
his Apostles. What are the usages and
customs OF society on the point in handl
Both The parties speaking and addressed
1--we In slayehoIding community. The mo-
ment, therefore, the words master and ser.
want were pronounced, in the minds of the
parties addressed, instantly, powerfully,
unavoidably. the authority exerted by mas
ters over servants all around them is
brought up to view. Now, if language ex.
pIicilly calling up and enforcing the very
ideas that have always dweli in the mind,
and are carried out in the every day Gus.
toms OF surrounding society, is to be- inter,
preted TO eradicate these ideas and establish
an opposite state Of society. then affirm
that We have not only no Bible, but no Ian.
9adge on earth.
Let 1t be understood we do not pretend
to say that the argument, CT which we have
only glanced. proves that slavery is a good