Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-07-10
aflisttllautous,
A Letter on SIavery--Et is Yindi-
Gated by The Biblc--A Remark
able Document,

A Letter on SIaVery--It is Vindi-
Gated by The BibIe--A RcmarIk-
able Document.
The following letter, published in the
Mtelligencer, from Amos Ken
dali, a man of learning and ability, who
has filled as large a space in our political
history as any living man, will be read
with much interest:
Origin of Bible .Sldueyy-Noah, Abra-
ham-1he La,cs of MoSes-zHe Prac-
tice Tie Je,os-- Christianity and Stare
ry-Christ, Paul, Peter, Philemon anil
his Church.
To ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the Uni ed
States:
REsPEcTED SIR: In my preceding letters
l have endeavored to show that whether
slavery be right or wrong, nobody is re-
sponsible for it's exietcnce, or has a right
to interfere with it under our political in
stitutions except the people in the State
in which it exists. My object in this let
ter is not to show that slavery is an use
full or desirable institution for our age or
country, but that, whatever may be the
abuse to which it is liable, there is moth
ing in the institution itself which makes
it the duty of Christian to seek its abo.
ltion otherwise than by admonishing the
slaves to be obedient and faithful to theil
masters, and the masters to be kind and
indulgent to their slaves.
TO this end | shall attempt to prove
that slavery is not in itself sinful, by
showing from the Bible that it has been
sanctioned by God himself, not only by
not rebnking it but by giving it his direct
authority.
The first we learn of slavery in the BIZ
ble is in the curse of Ham or Canaan by
Noah-Genesis, 9th chapter 25th verse
"And he said, Cursed be Canaan, a ser.
want of servants shall he be unto hi,
brethren" Now, Noah was the man Sc.
lected by God to perpetuate the human
race, and he was not punished or censur'
ed by his Maker for thus dooming por'
ton of his posterity to perpetual bond
age.
In tho 18th chapter of Genesis, verses
II, 13, 23 and 27. the fact that Abraham
bought men with his money is four times
recognized Verse Dis represented to be
the language of God himself speaking to
Abraham, and is in the following words :
"And he that is eight days old shall
be circumcised among you, every man
child in your generations, he that is born
in the house, or bought with money of
any stranger, which is not of thy seed" "
Here is direct recognition of the fact
that Abraham held slaves and God in
stead of commanding him to set them
free, directed him to incorporate them in
to his own family by the right of circum
ciSion.
In the 24h chapter, verse 35ta, men
servants and maid servants are named
among the "blessings" which God had
bestowed upon Abraham. The speaker,
who was himself servant, said:
"And the Lord hath blessed my mas
ter greatly, and he hath become great
and he hath givon him focks and herds,
and silver and gold, and men servants
and maid servants, and mules and asses. -
By the l4th chapter, 18th verse, it ap-
pears that Abraham had three hundred
and eighteen Grained servants, born in
his own house." and how many "boughl
with his money" is not stated.
Now, if buying men with money, and
holding them in slavery, be sin, Abra-
ham was in his age one of the greatest OF
sinners; yet God instead of rebuking him
and requiring him to put away his sin,
not only prospered him, but on ac'
count Of his especial faith and holiness
selected him to be the father of his chosen
people, and an example for all genera
tions. Could this have happened if slave
ry had been sin in the sight of God?
1t does not appear that the Hebrews
held any slaves when they fled out Of
Egypt, or that they acquired any while
wandering in the wilderness. Flying
from slavery themselves they were a new
nation without constitution or laws, and
all their institutions were prescribed by
God himself through Moses. Does any
Christian believe that God would or could
prescribe to his chosen people sinful in
stitution? Yet God established, or rec.
ognized, slavery as on institution of the
Hebrew nation. If any doubts it, let him
read the 2lst chapter of Exodus, the 25tl
chapter of Leviticus, and the 18th chap
ter of Deuteronomy.
The first six verses of the first, and the
verses from the twelfth to the eighteenth
of the last recognize the right of Heb
rev to buy his own countrymen and hole
them.in bandage six years, and prescribed
mode by which with their own consen
they may be bondmen "forever." Blu
the establishment or recognition of per
petual slavery as an institution OF tn
Hebrew Comm onwealth is found in tn
25th chapter Of Leviticus.
The leading objects of this chapter ar
to establish the Sabbsthical Year and tn
Jubilee.