The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-06-16
sion of similar one at future time.


of his others, appears to be full of glarine
inconsistencies If the Golden Rule forbids
the buying of slave, upon the grounds that
Slavery is sinful, it would likewise forbid the
holding Of slaves, because Slavery is sinful.
If the Golden Rule sanctioned the holdingo
slave then, it must do the same Thing no,c
or the Golden Rule of that day is not the
Golden Rule of this day. eah .."rrf
In this day Mr.. Taunton says the "slave
holders have no right to Church membership,
but should be debaired from all such privil-
eyes, as the practice of the Free Will Bap-
ti>t, and some others, have" And his Gold
en- Rule is the only touch-stone by which he
tries it. In this day, Mr.. Taunton says the
Golden Rule forbils slave holders Church
membership. Eighteen hundred years ago,
says Mr.. Taunton, the Golden Rule did not
debar slave holders. the privilege of Church
membership. Strange inconsistency =
How slave, bought in good rath under
the civil law eighteen hundred years ago,
could be rightfully held in bondage then,
and one held by the civil law now, be a hei-
nous crime. is principle in the philosophy
of moral obligations we must confess we cam
not understand. We shall have to pass it as
one Of the things that cannot be beheld or
understood in the light of human reason and
intelligence, but is only perceptable by those
who dwell in perpetual darkness; like GER
tain species of night bird, which alone be
holds objects when eveloped in the gloomy
darkness of night, but when the sun of efful-
gent day breaks in upon them, their yisage
is obscured, their "hoJting hushed,' - and they
stare round as though they wondered what
light was for Yes, we will have to leave
the solution of this question to Mr.. I. and
his Co thinkers who are skilled in the absur-
ditins of ethics. .,
Again, Mr. Taunton tells us that with re.
gard to the Golden Rals, we do not seem to
be aware that the letter killcth and the spir-
it maketh alive" Mr. Taunton should have
informed us which was the spirit of the
Golden Rule, the one in the day of the Sa-
vior, that held the slave in bondage, or his
own construction of it now, that sets the
slave at liberty. Mr. Taunton has surely
shown his Golden Rule to be golden hum
bug" ...-....
Again, Mr.. Taunton says that the reason
given for obedience of the slave, in lSt Tim.
W., is, that the name of God a1l doctrines
be not blasphemed" Here, again, are we
presented by Mr.. Taunton with false views
of the wori OF God We find in reading
text, that the reasons assigned by the Apos-
tie Tor serrice, il because the master is faith
ful aal beloved" plrtlles of the benefit
(lt Tim. VI, p And that tho name
God and his doctrines may not be blasphem-
ed" the slave is commaniad bv the APOSTLE
to "couat his muster ,corthy Of all honor. ~
AMI not aS Mr.. Taunton woull have us be-
lieve, that the slave is to obey his master
merely because the master would profane or
hlaSp"emc the name of God. if the slave
should not obey, or if the Apostle should
fail to command him to obey. Surprising
strange doctrine, this, of Mr.. Taunton, that
the innocent slave should remain in bondage
thereby causing the Stcr to continue in a
sin. the most heinous known to the moral law
of God, (acco'ding to Mr. Taunton's render
ing.) simply to prevent the master from com
mitting the less crime of blaSphemy St
Paul says: "Shall we sin that good may
abound ?" ''God forbid" Then. if we are
not to sin that good may abound, much less
should we countenance and aid in the con-
tinuance of the perpetration of sin of the
deepest dye, as Mr.. Taunton repre- ,ents the
Apostle and christian slave as doing, if his
doctrine be true
Further, if the master is worthy Of all
honor, he cannot be guilty of crime in hold
ing saves. And st. Paul surely did nor in
struct Timothy to teach a lie, as he would
have been doing, had it been sin to hold
slaves. Therefore, there is no sin in holding
slaves, is the Legitimate deduction we arrive
at; and which was evidently the view ST.
Paul had Of Slavery; but that sin was sub
ect to grow out of the abuse Of the relation
existing between ma ter and slave. as was
the case. in all the various relations of men,
therefore the necessity for instruction with
regard to its government as well as for the
government of the other relations of men.-
Paul instructs Timothy to teach: Servants
be obedient unto your masters" and says "if
any man teach otherwise, anu consent not to
Wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrines which
is according to Goodness; he is proud know
ing nothing, but doating about questions and
strifes, railings, evil surmisings, perverse dis
putings Of men of corrupt minds, and desti-
tute of the truth, surprising the gain is god
liness from such Withdraw thyself"
Tim. VI, 3, 5. We cannot look upon Mr..
Taunton in any other light than that he is
teaching otherwise, when he councils the
slave to disobedience, when he tells US the
slave holder is worthy Of no honor, is cor
rupt, and sums them up by the wholesale
saying: There is rery little conscience south
ot' tie Potomac," and that the slaves mas