The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-03
WASHINGTON CITY, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1859.

uon, had such opportunity offered for its eondem-
nation IN the of God. Never such opportunity
tor holding it out TO the few masters converted to the
faith as sin bghtng the soul and subjectiug them TO
the anger OF Heaven In those Provinces sr the slaves
being incomparably more numefous than the masters,
the first missionaries Of the faith, had they acted in
policy and not in truth might have said to the former
In answer ''1hc law of the Rcieemer is against the
claim OF those who hold You in bondage you we'll
they have been called to the knowledge Of divine
truth AMI as its messengers declare TO you that that
divine truth charges you refuse them service and
dencc becse the service given and the obedience claim
cd violations Of the law of God and sin committed
IN his sight Was that the answer, MIR. Chairman
Happily, sir the voice which, reang abdte the OF
Wild beasts IN the Of Lyons praised God ~ he
had brought his servant TO the knowledge and teaching
of truth = the voice of the holy martyr Irenpus join.
ing In the concert of nine thousand other Christian voices
Of masters and slaves singing the peans OF martyrdoD,
still rings through the lapse OF seventeen hundred
this answer to those who hypocrcilly descant the
slavery sin OF the South Ssrro creidsria, is dofa-
crynafdas asreslaves you believers,
the greater your duty to your masters in the a h
You cannot, sir open single page of the history of
those days. which s Vie bass hot only OF modern his
tory, but the baptisnal record also, of all modern
ciety, without finding testimonials of this kind. Ac-
cordiDg TO St Harius, truly religious is to take
account Of the condition Of freedom of slavery
whilst he makes distinction Of bondage but that OF
the soul in sine Slavery, therefore, not understood
and Judged by the vulgar, is but empty which
may deceive the herd only to the relative condition OF
master and slave. 1T is accident of lifca fact
which may be set among those things which mma-
tcrfai In themsevesthings that may be good bad in
accordance only with the disposition of the spirit of those
who are submitted TO its trials and its requirements.
Good if they obey the Djunctons of the Saviour speak
ing through the Apostles. Bad, II they resist the man
date in the resisting of which lie the disregard of the
law and the guilt Of Fin Now SIR do you find word
in this which goes to make slavery sin No doubt it
nconyeDicnt thing says the doctor it is hard ob
CATION of life but is it sin, modern doctors
teach Not word, sir about, that But the bondage
of the soh which Is sim that the teacher Of the print
tl;c faith holds to be wretchelness. indeed
Another one sir, and one of greater authority,
there be relative degrees of authority upon
tial ru the great Basil, enforcing the example OF st
Paul returning Onesims to Philemon prescribcs to hi
clergy admonsh and amend the slaves who take refuge
in monastees, and to return them to their master
thority. To the slaves themselves, by the seventy
fourth of his rules lie cnoins the duty OF obcdience %
cnans to their masters in the flesh In others Of
his dognac writings, having special reference to mat
ters of faith the great doctor does not scruple to in
vest his reasoning in the formulas of Aristotle and to
proclaim what That slavery is a curse and sin 2
Why, sir that sit is useful and profitable to him. who.
from ncriority Of faculties, has not within himself the
means OF sclf-guidance and requires it from ablcr
hands
H. though more radical than the teachings of any
of the other fathers Augustine and Ambrose, perhaps
excepted is strictly in keeping with their lessons tba,
looked TO the emancipation OF souls from the bonds OF
sin and not to the acknowledgements of slaves from the
master rights We find another example. sir derived
from the doctor which, although not presented
in dactc FORM is not the less significant of his encts
the of slavery and the character of the slave. In
trrisively questioned by Simpcia, Arian lady, who
called him to account for of his opinions his very
dctum, 1t may be, the subject OF savery-thc emil
nent Bishop .'AIy dscourses not you
deem them. God will be my judge. If witnesses be re-
quired 1t sue be brought foricord against People OF
that condition shall not stand at the Judgment seat but
vrtuous and perfect mea, who shall in reality what is
seen in the spirit only. We of the South, sir,
might well borrow the vndcatops of the learned doctor
tn the
pantalooncd Smplicias of the North would naturally
expect them 10 pervert the true doctrine speaking
through his lips and assa character which still p1en
dors with all the beauty OF primitive virtue Well, let
them they choose What the reasoning of Wolf might
be against originally appointed shepherd of tho flock
will not stop to inquire Yet it seems to me- Mr. Chair
man, that II might not, by comparison, dispaagc the
logic OF meek northern friends, who assume to them
selves the exclusive warlship of the American Christian
flock to howl dcnunciaons against the other pastors who
have guided their sheep in the spirit OF truth that has
lawfully come down to them. AS they now denounce us
of the South who maintain that slavery is neither im-
moral anchristian have doubt they will not
spare their abuse Of the teachings Of the first shepherds of
the fold into which there be who irrcvercnt
enough suspect that they have stealthy cabcrcd to
conrive mischief and suggest bloodshcd in the Masters
name
However this may prove, MIR. Chairman, find addi
tiona reasons for its probability in the accumulation OF
irresistible testimony which rises out of this inquiry,
provoked by the repeated ISLANDERS of aversarcs.
find another cxpounder of the early faith OF the Christian
church, Of the body of heads and teachers of the
Gospel the promises and reaches which are bound only
by the durations OF eternity. Him ] find profound
thinker, faithful bishopa of iarrcaching intel
Icct, OF pfexblc justice, and OF sanity purity In that
man, sir, in ST. Ambrose of Man find like identity
like conference OF doctrine on this subject OF slavery as
handed down to him by the apostles through his predc
Slavery is of the conditions of life but IL
is violation Of the law of God u is hard estate
but ii s destroying sin Far from II st. Ambrose
holds that il may be useful necessity You have heard
sir Iyl,ts nf