Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-03-29

all pursuit lie is there met by an Apos-
tie, and by him converted to Christianity
shown the wrong he has done his mas
ter, and sent back to him with O letter of
commentator and friendly entreaty,
which has ever been considered MASTER
piece Of its kind
On the transaction thus briefly narrated
we may remark, that nowhere in the epis-
tie is there word of rensure, expressed
or implied, of Philemon, for being the
owner Of slaves. There is no appeal to
his conscience as Christian; none what
ever to any higher law than the law of
the country which gave him property in
Onesimus. That right remained unim-
paired, even after Onesimus became a
Christian; and the Apostle, SO far from
impugning it, recognizes it in all its
! force, and acts accordingly.
| Another reflection, so obvious, indeed,
as scarcely to demand a particular notice
is this: that had st. Paul perceived any
thing morally wrong in the relation of
master and servant or slave, he could
not, and would not, have done what he
did-remit in a state of domestic servi-
tude one who, already escaped from it,
had acquired new title to freedom by
his adoption into the Christian family, if
his former bonds were unjust.
Another circumstance to be remember
ed is, that Onesimus himself was satisfied
with the whole procedure, since he acqui-
esced in it, and, by the direction Of the
! Apostle, returned to his master. And,
what makes the case still stronger one,
the slave was otthe same complexion, and
probably of the same race, with his own
er; and, what is still more, all the parties
were Christians. On candid review of
all these circumstances, l know not how
an unpredjudiced mind can evade the con-
cluson, that the holding of men to nvol-
untary service is not, under all circum-
stances, inconsistent with Christianity;
or, in other words, that slavery has not
been prohibited by the word of God.
Let us now see whether the Apostles
teaching in reference to the same subject
was in accordance with his practice in the
case of Onesimus.
A low me to make one preliminary re-
mark, which must be borne in mind in
order to comprehend the force of the pas
sages am about to adduce from the New
Testament. Whenever the word servant
is used by the Apostles in speaking of or
to particular class of persons, the per-
sons indicated are "slaves," in the COM
mon meaning of the term, and were as
much the property of their masters as are
the descendants of the African in any of
the Southern States. This will not be
questioned by any one conversant with
ancient history; nor that the power of the
Roman STAKEHOLDER over his bondsman
was ia, more absolute than anything
known in the land. Keeping this fact in
view, then, that the "servants," SO often
mentioned by the Apostles, were Slaves
let us see what sort of precepts they de-
liverea to this class of persons in their
discourses on the relative duties of man
kind. If there should be anything here
which CRATES on the ear Of modern phil
anthropists, the blame must be laid on
those whom Christ sent forth into the
world to instruct men in the duties which
pertain to thele several stations. They
alone are responsible for such precepts as
the following
!. St. Paul to the Ephesians: Servants
be obedient to them that are your mas
ters according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling in singleness of heart. as unto
Christ. II Knowing whatsoev-
er good things any man doeth, the same
shall he receive of the Lord, whether he
be bond or free"
st. Paul to the Colossians: "Servants
obey in all things your masters according
to the flesh; notwith eye-service, as men
pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fear
ing God"
St. Paul to- Titus, Christian pastor
and bishop :'"Exhort servants to be obe-
dient to their own masters, and to please
them well in all things:
St. Peter, in his General Epistle; "Ser-
wants be subject to your masters with
fear; not only to the good. .and gentle. but
also to the froward."
ST. Paul, again, in his Episte to Tim
othy. another pastor and bishop; "Let as
many servants as are under the yoke
count their own masters worthy of all
honor, thatthe name of God and his doc
trine be not blaSphemed. And they that
have believing masters, let them not des
pise them because they are brethren, but
rather. do them service. These
things teach and exhort. If any man
teach otherwise, and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine
which is according to godliness, he is
proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
questions and striles of words, whereof
cometh envy, strife, ratings, evil surms-
ings, perverse disputings of men of cor
rupt minds, and destitute of the truth
From such withdraw thyself."
/ will not affirm that St. Paul had in
his view a notorious class of persons in
New England, in tho middle of the nine
teenth century, when he wrote this; but |
may say that, had he lived to see and
hear what we have been compelled to
see and hear, his delineations of character
could not have been more graphic and
life-like.
What, now, is the import Of all these
emphatic and reiterated injunctions, i'm
posed on such as were in bonds and un-
der the yoke? How do they comport
with the zeal of our pseudo-philsnthro-
pists to break, at every hazard, the bond
which unites the servant to his master?-
! Is not the tbe rol at;on bo,a rooonn;,od II,