Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-01-17


consiler his answer. I quote from Way
land: NJ oral Science, page 2l3:
'''the Gospel was designed not for one
race or for one time, but for all races and
for Ill times. 1t looked not to the abolition
Of slavery for that age alone, but for its uni
versal abolition Hence the important OBJ
iect of its author was to gain for it a lodg-
mert in every part of the known world, so
that by its universal diffusion among all
classes of society it might quietly and peace
fully modify and subdue the evil passions of
men. In this manner alone could its OBJ
ject--a universal moral revolution-have
beap accomplished. For if it had forbidden
the evil, instead of subverting the principle;
if II had proclaimed the unlawfulness of
Slavery and taught slaves to resist the op-
precision of their masters, it would instantly
have arrayed the two parties in deadly hos
tilig throughout the civilized world; its an
notncement would have been the signal of
seryile war. and the very name Of the Chris
tiai religion would have been forgotten
amidst the agitation of universal bloodshed. ;"
We pause not now to comment upon the
admitted fact that Jesus Christ and his
Apostles pursued course entirely different
fre1n that adopted by the abolitionists, in
GLIDING the learned author himself nor to
inquire whether the teaching of abolionism
is DOT as likely to produce strife and blood
she'd in these days as in the first ages of the
Church. What we now call attention to
aud protest against, is the imputation here
cast upon Christ and his Apostles. Do you
believe the Saviour sought to insinuate his
religion into the earth by concealing its real
design, and preserving a profound silence
in regard to one of the very worst sins it
came to destroy? Doyou believe that when
be healed the centurion's servant, (whom
every honest commentor admits to have been
a slave, and pronounced that precious eulogy
upon the master, Il have not seen so great
faith in Israel" do you believe that Jesus
suffered that man to live ON in sin because
he deprecated the consequences Of preaching
abolItonism
When Paul stood upon Mars hill, sur
rounded by ten thousand times as many
Shareholders as there were idols in the city,
do you believe he kept back any part Of the
requirements Of the gospel because he was
afraid of tumult among the people? We
ask these abolition philosophers whether, as
a-inatter Of fact, idolatry and the vices con-
:. 44s.-i:s. .lat ez-Gan .llaLe intimate
ny Interviewer with the social and civil life
of the Roman empire than slavery was p
Did the Apostles abstain from preaching
against idolatry? Nay. who does not know
that by denouncing this sin they brought
down upon themselves the whole power of
the Roman empire? Nero covered the
bodies of the Christian martyrs with pitch
ani lighted up the city with their burning
bodies, just because they would not Withhold
or compromise the truth in regard to the
worship Of Idols. In the light of that fierce
persecution it is profane triding for DR..
Wayland OR any other man to tell US that
Jesus or Paul held back their honest opin-
ions of slavery for fear Of ''a servilc war. in
which the very name of the Christian reli-
gion would have been forgotten" The name
of the Christian religion is not so easily for
gotten; nor are Gods great purposes of re-
lemption capable of being defeated by an
honest declaration Of His truth everywhere
and at all times. And yet this philosophy,
SO &dishonoring to Christ and his Apostles, is
moulding the character of our young men
and women. It comes into our schools and
mingles with the very life blood Of future
| generations the sentiment that Christ and
his Apostles held back the truth, and suffer-
ed sin to 60 unrebuked fer fear of the wrath
,f man. And all this to maintain, at all
| hazards, and in the face Of the Saviour's ex-
ample to the contrary, the unscriptural dog
ma that slaveholding is sin. But it must
pe observed in this connection that the Apos-
lies went much further than to abstain from
preaching against slaveholdiug They ad-
aiitted shareholders to the communion of the
Church. In our text, masters are acknow-
| EDGED as brethren, faithful and beloved,
partakers of the benefit"
! If the New Testament is to be received as
a faithful history, no man was ever rejected
ly the apostolic church upon the ground
alat he owned slaves If he abused his
power, as master, if he availed himself q
tae authority conferred by the Roman law
b commit adultery, or murder, or cruelty.
he was rejected for these crimes, just as be
would be rejected now for similar crimes
rom any Christian church in our Southern
States. 1fparents abused or neglected their
shlldren, they were censured, not for having
Ithildren, but for not treating them properly
And SO with the Shareholder It was not
The owning of slaves, but the manner in
which he fulfilled the duties of his station
that made him subject for chuch discipline
The mere fact that he was STAKEHOLDER nc
more subjected him to censure than the mere
hct that he was father or husband It is
] upon the recognized lawfulness of the rela-
Ton that all the preeepts regulating the re-
idprocal duties Of that relation are based.
! These precepts are scattered all through
tne inspired epistles There is not one com
| nand or ezhortatiou to emancipate the slave.
The Apostle we'll knew that, for the present,
Emancipation would be no real blessing to
him. But the master is exhorted to be kind
and considerata, and the slave to be obedi-
DIT fbat so they n,iphf nrasaryo tba ,,u;tp