The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-02-27

uren are studying tnat DooH uhiSehtif Consluei
bis answer quote from Nayland'S Moral
Sciences page 2l3:-
"The gospel was designed not for one race or for
one time, but for all races and for all times. II
looked not to the abolition of slavery Tor that oge
alone, but Tor its universal aboli ton. Hence, the
important object Of It's Attot was 10 gain for It a
lOdgment in every part 0l the knt%h world, so
that, by its universal diffusion among all classes OF
society; it might quietly and peacefully, modify
and subdue the evil passions OF men. In this man.
ner alone could its oblect-a universal moral rev
olution-have been accomplished For II 1t had
forbidden the evil instead OF subverting the prln.
cipe; if il had proclaimed the unlawulness OF sa
very, and taught slaves to iesst the oppression of
their masiets II would instantly have array ed the
two parties in deadly hostility throuk khont the civ
| liized world; its announcement would nave been
the signal Of sci vile war, and the very name Of
the christian religion would have been forgotten
amidst the agitat tiOn OF universal bloodshed. The
| fact, under these circumstances, that the gospel
does not forbid slavery, affords reason to sup
pose that il does not mean TO prohibit it."
| We pause not now to comment upon the ad-
mitted fact that the gospel does not forbid slavery,
and that Jesns Christ and his Apostles pursued
a course entirely different from that adopted by
the Aboltionists, including the learned author
himself; nor to inquire whether the teachings
of Abolitionisni is not as likely to produce STRIFE
and bloodshed ih these days as in the first ages
of the Church. What we ttow call attention
to, and protest against, is the imputaton here
cast upon Christ and His Apostles. Do you
believe the Saviour sought to insinuate His re-
| ligion into the earth by concealing its real de-
sign, and preserving a profound silence in re-
gard to one OF the very worst sins it came to
destroy? Do you believe when he healed the
centurion's servant, (whom every honest com,
incubator admits to be slave, y and pronounced
hoT al fba cfa hov
not seen so great faith in Israel"-do you be-
lieve that Jesus suffered that man to live on in
sin because he deprecated the consequences oj
preaching AbolitioniSm?. When Paul stood
upon Mars Hill, surrounded by ten thousand
times as many Shareholders as there were idols
III the city, do you believe he kept back any
part Of the requirements bf the gospel because
he was afraid ofa tumulI among the people ?
We ask these Abolition philosophers whether,
as matter Of fact, idolatry, and the vices con-
nected with it, were not even more intimately
interviewer with the social and civil life Of the
Roman empire than slavery was? Did the Apos-
ties abstain from preaching against idola'ry?--
Nay, who does not know that by denouncng this
sin they brought down upon themselves the
whole power of the Roman empire? Nero
covered the Christian martyrs with pitch, and
lighted up the city with their burning bodies,
just because they would not withhold or com.
promise the truth in regard to the worship OF
idols. In the light of that fierce persecution,
it is proane triGing for DR.. Wayland, or any
other tnah to tell US that Jesus or Paul held
back their honest opinions Of slavery in order
to avoid "a servile war, in which the very name
of the Christian religion would have been ior'
gotten" The name of the Christian religion is
not SO easily forgotten, nor are Gods great pur
poses of redemption capable OF being defeated
by an honest declaration OF His truth every
where and at all times. And yet this philoso-
ply, SO dishonoring TO Christ and HIS Apostles
is mouldering the character OF our young men
and women. 1t comes into our schools, and
ningIes with the very life blood of future gen
erations the sentiment that Christ and his Apos-
ties held back the truth, and suffered sin to
60 unrebuked to avoid the wrath of man. And
all this to maintain, at all hazards, and in the
face of the Saviours example TO the contrary
the unscriptural dogma that slaveholding is sin.
But it must be observed, in this connection
that the Apostles went much further than to
abstain from preaching against slaveholding-
They admitted Shareholders 10 the communion Of
the church. In our text, masters are acknowleg-
as "bre thren, faithful and beloved, partakers of
the beueft." Ifthe New Testament is to be
received as faithful history, no man was ever
rejected by the Apostolic Church upon the
ground that he owned slaves If he abused his
power as master. il he avaed himself OF the
authority conferred by the Roman law to com
NIT adultery, or murder, or cruelty, he was re-
jected for these crimes, just as we would be re-
jected now Tor similar crimes from any Chris
tian Church in our Southern States.4
If parents abused or neglected their children,
tho,v ,,nI for Aox,, ~
but for not treating them properly. And so
with the stakeholder. 1t was not the owning of
slaves, but the manner in which he fulfilled the
duties Of his station, that made him subject
for church discipline. The mere fact that he
was a stakeholder no more sub jected him to cen
sure, than the mere fact that he was father or
husband. 1t is, obviously upon the recogni-
zed lawhness of the relation, that all the pie.
cepts regulating the reciprocal duties of that re-
laton are based.t
These precepts are scattered all through the
inspired epistles. There is not one command or
exhortation to emancpate the slave. The A
postle we'll knew that for the pIeseht emanclpa-
ton would be no real blessing to him. But the
master is exhofted to be kind and considerate,
and the slave to be obedient, that so they
might preserve the unity of that Church in
which there is no distinction between Greek
or jew, tnale or female, bond or free.
1t is often said that if the Bible does sane
ton slaveholding, it does net sanction Ame,1-
can StaVery; that it is not agains. slaVeho!ding
| +Wo know the centrrians servant was slave,
not only from the position and nationality OF the
master. but from the very name given in the org-
nal to The servant "DoULos" is derived from the
verb DEo, TO bind, snd always signifies bon1ma n.
| nr a
dard upon sue h questions, says. 1.-The poULos was
never hired servant, the latter being called by
| another name-MISTHlos or MIsTHoToS" This tes-
| timony is confirmed by every au thority, ancient
and modern, European and Americans; except a
little clique OF Abolitiunists who. to sustain their
dogma, would not only wrest the Scriptures, but
overturn the very formations OF the Greek Ian
guage.
tOne Of the crosses; sins of Aboitionism; and
chief Of the bit terness that hss sprung up
between the North and South, is it's persistent Sian
der on this subject. Fol- exa mple, some years ago
it was asserted, and reitel ated by Abolition jour
mails and lecturers, thai minister at the Sou tn,
without injury TO his character, had tied up his
| slave on Sabbath morning, and, having inflicted
cruel punishment, LETT him Suspended while he
went to church to preach and administer the Lords
| supper, and then returned to affiict additional
stripes upon his lacerated victim This is but a
specimen. In regard to crimes against chsstit y
the Southern churches have been shamefuy Sian.
dered. What wonder that christian mothers, and
even ministers of the gospel are reused to u revo.
lutionary Indignation by such abasei
1T is often said that this argument from the pre-
cepts Of the Apostles proves too much; that it
makes the Bible sanction despotsm, even the des.
potsm OF Nero In reply to ibis we quote lew
sentences from Dr.. Hodges celebrated Essay on
slavery. "The argument for the lawfulasss of
slaveholding 10 not founded on the mare injunc.
command, let every soul be subjec, ts The hiehsr
powers' out OH the tact that the apostles did not