The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-01-05


in with God" At Ephesus also where slaves were very
numerous, St Paul dwelt whole years preaching
the things concerning the kingdom of God" Here toe
these bondmen brought into the liberty of the sons
Of God and enrolled in His church. And writing to them
afterward the apostle says servants! slaves be obedi
ent to them that your masters according to the flesh
with fear and trembling in singeness of heart as unto
Christ; not with eye-serYce enpleasers but as the
servants of Christ, doing the will of God f. the heart
with goodwill doing service to the Lord and not unto
men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man do
eth the shall he receive Of the Lord yhctbnr b h
bond free" Here slaves charged to perform their
duties of obedience and single minded service las un
masters. - ~
the same heaven taught man. writing to Timothy con
corning his duties towards the churches over which the
| hoy Ghost mad made him oveiseer thus defines the
uuies vi saves Let as many servants under the
yoke count their masters worthy OF all honor that rhe
n'me of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed And
tey tiat nave believing masters let them despise
hem because they brethren but rather do them ser
wee because they faithful and beloved partakers
the benefit" Then follows an Injunction TO Timothy to
withdraw himself from persons who taught con rary
doctrine. Of like import is his teaching to Titus the
bishop Cree Exhor servants slavesl to be obedient
unto their own masters and to please them in all things
not answering again; not puroinng, but showing all
good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God
our Saviour in all things Crete full of slaves
from the earliest times to which history u.s.
AS to the case 0nesinu prefer quote the language
OF the late Prof Edwards, of the Audoun Theological
Seminary of the first biblical scholars and one of the
hottest men who have adorned the of sacred
literature He says. "Onesinus the slave of Phile.
mOn ColOssian, who had been made Christian trou Oh
the ministry of ST. Paul lie absconded from his master
for reason which is not fully explained In the course
oil ms light he met with the apostle at Rome by whom
he was converted, and III imaely ended to the
favor of his old master St. Paul would under any cir
cumStances, have had choice but send Onesnus to
his master; the detention Of fugitive slave
cred the offence theft and would doubt incur
| liability to prosecution for damages'
This, then, is the argument from the New Testament
concerning slavery moral wrong Every allusion
it by pred apostles recognizes il as part of the social
system established by law, and enjons fidelity in the
discharge of the duties arising out of it. and nowhere in
single is it declared to be Of itself sinful Rnt
| IF
more marked. The inspired writer's of the New Tesla
ment do condemn the douSS of the relation between
ter and slave do denOunCe the eriS which
existing along with it in their day These abuses erS
were indeed enormous among the Greeks and Romans -
| power of the master. At Athens oftentmes cruel
a and oa1DarGns pGnshments were inflicted upon
romans punished gross offences among them by
crucihXion In Sparta they liable to the horrible
c5gtG or ambuscade. when the Spartan youth en-
couraged ny their governors to fall upon the Ielos
might or in unrequented places and murder them that
these youths might be better fitted for the stern and cruel
scenes OF war 1t is insult to Christianity whose spirit
is of infinite mercy and love, to ask the cues ton
whether 1t approved tolerated such evils The
soul of every Christian reyots apaipst all cruelty all in
Justice all oppression in every relation Of life Jesus did
condemn all the evils which existed along with slavery
when He said BLESSED are the nercifui ,,Whatsoeve
We would that should do you do We even so to
them" The golden rule. which babe the STAKEHOLDER
treat the bondman with the justice kindness
with which ne would wish to be treated If their relations
were reversed.
And the apostles of likewise did not hesitate to
warn Christian masters against these evils ard
them from these abuses And ye masters!n says St.
Paul the Ephesians orbear threatening Knowing that
your master also in heaven; neither there respect
persons with Him. Ephesians g. To the Colossans
he writes, masters give unto your servants (slaves
that which just and equal knowing that also have
master in heaven;' Col iv. What this injunction
cannot mean the legal Acknowledgement Of the slave is
clear, says Prof Edwards 'for why in that case were
any directions given to the slaves if the relation not
to continue" And the same apostles denOunces 'men-
stealers those who unlawfuly seduced rreemen to
| slavery as on par with murderers.
The argument to be drawn from these facts ishat in
asmuch as the apostles OF cur Lord did condemn the
abuses which connected with slavery did
scribe the duties Of both masters and slaves that they
ana indirectly recognize the system as not forbidden by
the word will of God, and of itself invoking moral
| wrong, and their practice everywhere in keeping
with this view for in every place where the church
planted Shareholders admitted into its fellowship
without hesitation. Philemon of Colosse was one of
| the pous shareholders who brother dearly be-
! loved and fellow laborer,'' to st. Paul.
That the Gospel of Christ did much to amelorate the
slave and remove the evils of slavery
We joyfully acknowledge 1t proclaimed with trumpet
tongue charity, forgiveness Kindness and love 1t ee-
waited the worth of the soul of the slave 1t banished
and eXtirpaed the gadatoria combats which were al
ways among the slaves trained for this purpose. 1t
taught the master that the slave had common share
with him in sin and in redempon that he the pur.
chase of common Redeemers blood; and that in Christ
there neither bond free But it never directly
or indirectly by precept practice taught that slave
holding a sin against God and crime against man
Nor did slavery to exist and prevail in the primi
tive church of the first three centuries the days of its
very highest purity and when refined by the fires of
martyrrom lgnatus the bishop of Antioch, who was
torn to pieces by the lions in the Coliseum Rome
writing to Polycarp bishop of Smyrna. who his con
feSsion of Christ, burned at the stake says-Over-
look not the men and maid servants, neither them
be pulled up but rather let them be more subject to the
glory OF God that they may obtain from Him a better
freedom Let them not desire be the public
cost that they be not slaves their But the
early Church pursued The course towards the inst
tuition as the apostle did. 1t did denounce it. nor
seek violently to overturn it. 1t recognized as estab
shed by law and permitted by the Providence of God
but admitted freely and slaves all its privileges
and blessings at the time sought to miti
gate the evils existing along with it, Slaves holding the
true faith were taken into the Service of the church and
ordained to the ministry by the consent of the heads
without being emancpated Christian Emperors enact
ed laws to restrain the power inhuman masters But
the primitive church OuShed and riumphed over
the empire and left slavery to exist for centuries
wards.
By the light ofh survey of Scripture and the history
of the early church Christian whose lot is cast
certain his duty towards t-and that is
III. To reglrd the African ia 5o1c1age land in
from God that lie has giren to as the great mission Of
'corRg OH tie purposes Of mercy and lore t0ardS them
The Anglo American the tutcar guardian Of the African
this is the lofty view to which we now rise 1t is
study of intense interest to trace the workings Gods
Providence in the mode He has chosen to effect His nur
poses concerning these children Ham He has linked
together by counsel of infinite wisdom destiny
two races; more diverse from each other than any
upon the globe BY the silver thread of His providence
the weakest race on the earth has been joined the
strongest the oldest to the newest the most repulsve
barbarism to the highest civilization the super
ston TO the brightest and pures Christianity. The fee
Bile African parasite has found prop on which climb
western
Other have at different periods of history been
brought into close and intimate relations with the At
rican race, the Roman and the Castilan, but
these has God entrusted this great work To the Anglo
Saxon and the American has He reserved the high honor
See already how He is leading them in the accomplish
ing this work.
LIST In ab0shing the slavetrade the fruitful source
of every evil on the Continent of Africa.
I'd In stimulating explorations throughout the land
heretofore terra lnc2gntn thus throwing open Chris
and degraded tribes
s. Next by the missionary enterprise which has already
translated the Bible into dialects and preached the
gospel to five millions its people
a. Above all God has brought these people doors
and placed them in our homes. and said by Ills
Providence take this child and it for me- and
will give thee wages 1t is sublime trust stunend
Gus work worthy OF the genius of this Christian nation
TO train TO discipline race to prepare them work
the destiny of continent of one hundred and fifty mil
lions of the We believe this be the design
OF Cod in the presence and condition Of the African in
this land. And it is for to decide whether we will
fulfil this high mission or fail ANONYMOUSLY under it,
We cannot decline the trust it by inheritance and
not by our seeking. We cannot escape from its
sponsibilities if we would. But how shall we
best fulfil that trusS This question involves and deter
mines our duty towards the Africans in servude How
shall We prove ourselves their trues riends-heir best
guardians? How discharge duty towards them in
the light of our duty the Master whom server Will
be by seeking hastily and violently change their con-
dion and bid them go forth from under our guardian
ship? AS well might turn from our doors our child
rem OF tender years and send them forth helpless into
the world exposed to every evil. 1t has been well and
truthfuy said that sit is not much say that if the
wisdom OF the entire world, united in solemn council
could not solve the question of their disposal But we
may add that the Providence Of will solve it. in his
own time if do not rashy thwart His plans by our
shortsighted schemes. 1t may, indeed, be a long
time before He deveopes all His purposes towards the
African race, and like ancient Israel He NAV
prolong the time of their discipline But all HIS SUBJ
lime there is ever the same slow and stately
movement, ever the absence of all haste Itrequred four
thousand to prepare the world for advent of
Christianity and it may require four thousand more TO
extend its triumphs the whole earth This is in
m IN hY,.
man schemes of impatient haste. Many have lost all
faith in the final triumph of truth and right because of
the slow progress made in generation or a century
Gavin motto upon his signet ring the Psalmst's
cry QuouSque DOminei How long 0 Iord?n But we
can well be patient and wait Him with whom athou.
sand years are as day.
But the chief part ofthe question our y towards
the suhject-race among us is not yet answered What
would God have us do for and towards them. reply:
l. To acknowledge him of one blood with ourselves
and fears
g To labor for his salvation for his conversion from
savage and heather to servant Of Christ to make him
err Who can that if the apostles were
now among us6nd lot, they would desire to
dc mOre2 St. Paul did not at Cornth and Colosse, nsr
dld timothy at Ephesus. nor did Titus at Crete.
This great work the Christians the South are now
zeaoHsly and earnestly striving perform Throughout
the fifteen slavehodng States of this Union there are
men and women of God who feel the solemn duty resting
upon them to labor for the conversion of the slave Fve
ry Christian denomination of the South is engaged in this
work. each seeking to surpass the other in holy zeal In
the churches the Africans protesting the faith Of
Christ are numbered by even hundreds of thou
ands Sunday schools for their instruction in the doc
ne oil the gospel abound in every part Of the Southern
country and the gospel is preached many Of the Slaves
IN proportion TO their numbers as is 10 anu DeoDe of ana,
Secnon Of tis land 1t lately proved by most care
lul statistical scrutiny that in the chief commercial me-
trop1iis OF this country out of population of 900