Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-06-29
ANCIENT VIEW OF THE SLAVERY
QUESTION.

A Testimony Against that AntiehristfaR
Practice of Aiaking slaves of Men.
Wherein it is showed to be contrary to the
Dispensation of the Law, and Time of the
Gospel and very opposite to Grace and Ma
ture-
BY ELIHU COLEMAN.
Mathew 712.-rherefOre all things whatso-
ever we would that men should do unto you,
do we even SO unto them, for this is the Law
and the Prophets
PRINTED THE YEAR 1873.
To THE READER.
Before | speak of the Uulawiulness of this
Practice of making Slave it is in my mind to
give Relation how, and after what manner
came to understand it so; and why, and for
what reason / now speak against it, After L
had arrived to the years of man, | was very
DESTROYS might come to know the Lord for
myself ;.t0r aitho' | did believe | was educa-
ted or taught the right way, yet upon serious
consideration came to see that the Religion
of a mans education not the Religion OF
his, but of them that educated him; and there
fore l was very DESTROYS to know him for my
self; for L read in Scripture that when De
structon came upon the city, that if Dtniel
Noah and JOB were in ii, they by their Right
eOusneSs could save none but their souls. And
altho | might live in the midst of a Righteous
People, | saw that it would avail anything to
me. And as | was thus concerned it pleased
the Lord, in his own time, to manifest himself
to me, in some small degree and measure, so
that then could discern things Alright in some
degree and after had considered the Princi"
piles of those of my friends called QuakerS, 1
did, and now do believe that they are undeni-
ably good, and that those that keep close to
them, do believe, that there can never any
weapon be formed that shall prevail against
them. And as considered thereon | found
necessity in myself to join with these people
a whose PrInpiDlpS 81 CooI vptn otXyith,
standing must confess land for that reason |
now wrltc,) that as | knew a necessity to join
with them, i'll that which was good the
same necessity now find to speak against that
which is evil, altho it may be in some OF them.
For the Lord made me sensible in that con-
Vlncing day, that he would not allow of sin,
altho it might be in jacob, and that Trans.
erosion in Israel should not go unpublished,
and that he would yet again search Jerusalem
as with candles, and bring to Light the hidden
things Of Dishonesty.
And now, altho some may think it hard to
have this practice spoken, against, that has
been carried ON so long pretty much in silence,
may let such know that L have found 1t hard
to write against it; yet nevertheless, believing
it to be my duty SO to do, l have written ac-
cording to the understanding have had there
of And altho' | have written but little and
in a very plain way, yet hope that these re-
marks have made thereon may serve as a
text for some to preach to themselves upon. l
am not unthoughttul of the terment or stir,
that such discourse as this may make among
some, who like Demetrius OF Old) may say
BY this Craft have we our Wealth, and so
caused the People to cry out with one voice.
GREAT is DIANA OF THE EPHEsIANs, whom
all Asia and the World DorShip. Therefore
leaving such to worship what they WILL l will
also say that there are so many sober men,
that have spoken against this practice, both
nv turiti pr1I thnir liz
whom | could name, but chusing to be brief, l
will only observe to the reader what [ myself
have observed, and that is that those People
that dwell nearest the Truth, and are most
engaged it, and that are more concerned for
the spreading Of it, than for anything in this
world beside, cannot allow OF this practice for
they see it to be oppression and cruelty.
Now | having spoken something OF the Rea-
son, why L have written this, L will conclude
this my preface, wishing the Reader an impair
tial judgment.
SUCH has been the Love & Goodness
of God to men, that i'll all Ages Of the
Worlds he has had a People, Family, or
Church, whom he has called and also chosen
to bear Testimony to his Name & Truth ;
yet it may be observed by them that read the
Holy Scriptures that those People whom lie
had called and favored above all the Families
OF the Earth, and had wrought signs & won
ders for them, & had exalted them in the sight
OF their Enemies, that those people iii times of
Liberty & Ease, grew t0rgettul OF God This
aptness to forget God in a time OF Ease, the
apostle Paul well knew, after that he had the
Thorn in the flesh, or the messenger OF Satan
to buffet him. las he calls it, for before he was
afflicted, he went astray, therefore he knew
ChastSement or aliction to be profitable tor
him, and could then say, l take pleasure in In
tirmities, in Reproaches, i'll Necessities i'll Per
secutions, in Disresses for Christ sake. For
when am weak, then am | strong. 2 CORN.
1910, 1t may be also observed by them that
read the Book Of Martyrs, or sutferings of the
People of God, from the time our Lord was
crucifed, down to the reign OF the bloody
Queen Mary, (which History do believe is
believed to be true by most of Protestants, J
that in all that length of time God had Il
People whom he had called out Of the Wor-
ship, Ways and Customs of the World, who
were a suffering pegpe, and that in the midst
OF their greatest suf1erlngs, they were the
most Immediately upheld by the Divine Pow
er of God, that they could Rejoice in the
Flames But when it pleased God that good
King, or Emperor, came to rule, so that they
were not prosecuted, much oppressed, that
they grew torgetful OF God, and some OF them
became oppressors themselves. Now l do be-
lieve that God sometimes atflicteth outward
ly, and sometimes inwardly, who best knows
the Rod that is suitable to chastise with. We
may observe also how it has been with our
Elder Friends who were a harmless and
suffering People, who did not only bear testi-
mony in word but i'll practice also against all
outward and carnal weapons, which our Friend
Robert Barclay, observing, said, that it was
their Innocent lives and conversations that
convinced him, before ever he inspected into
their Principles. He did not see them then in
the practice OF making slaves Of their Fellow
creatures, which practice is upheld by the
carnal sword only, but he bore Testimony
against the use of the carnal sword, and would
not allow of it to be used, altho' it were in
self preservation. Such innocency was in
that worthy man, as well many others in
that day that they would not allow of this
practice, having more regard to that command
of Christ ito do to others as We would they
should do to u.s. than to any outward advan-
tage in this world. And after our Friend
George Fox had travelled in the Island of
Barbados, in the West Indies, where he saw
this practice of making slaves, even to that
- u gree that their houses were black with Them
that he bore open Testimony against it and
when he got home he wrote little book to
them wherein | find these words "And If
thu brother, an Hebrew man, or Hetreo CONAN, be
sold unto thee, and SerUe thee six years, then in
the seventh yeal thou shalt let him go free
from thee And when thou sendest him out
free from thee, thou shalt not let him 20 away
empty Thou shalt furnish him literally out
OF thy flock and out OF thy floor, and out of
thy wine press Of that wherewith the Lord
thy God hath blessed thee, thou shalt give I'M
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