Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-08-01

jeremiah. IL seems that the Jews had faIlsr
,nio tne practice Of disregarding the law and
holding their Hebrew brethren in bondaos
more than six years. On being reouired m
comply with the law they had done 40. and set
tne'r Hebrew servants free. AfterWard how.
ever tney resumed control over them and again
,eouced them to slavery. For this violation of
law Ine prophet denounced against them The
most terrible Judgments. The crime, however.
oid not consist in holding Hewbrew in bondage
s1 years or the stranger Joreper; but holding
Ine neDreW more than six years. The class Of
servants to which the crime was confined. h
explicitly stated in the 9Th verse; as iolloWs' 10
VIII: "Ihat every man ehould let bis man-ser-
want, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess. 90
free; that none should serve himself of them.
to wit, OF Jew his brother"
In Aoraham's time the power of the master
over lne slave appears to have been absolute;
nor was 1t very materially modified by the laws
of Moses.
Among the regulations which God prescibed
tnrOugn Moses were the folio vi o. in the 9Ist
chapter OF Exodus, 20th and 2lst verses, viz:
ara man smite his servant or his maid with rod.
Sha ne oe Under his hand he sa be surely pun he'd
be punished for 10 20 hts money. nv
In 1.-THE same chapter, verses 26 and o7 n IA
provided that il q master smlte ont an ave
or a tooth of a servant, he shall let him %
free. 81
Under these laws, prescribed by God himself.
the Hebrew nation commenced their career -
IN war with the Mdianites, mentioned In the
olst cnapter OF Numbers, they put to death all
tneir prisoners except 81, 900 virgins, who we're
reduced TO slavery
Henceior"a.d, during the history Of the He
Drew nation, the kings, princes and rich men
acquired and held slaves under the authority of
Gods law given through Moses. Even during
their captivity in Babylon many OF the Jews
held slaves; for accordil g to Nehemiah, chapter
I, verse 81, there were ~ 1897 men-seryants and
malo servants" In the company which returned
to Jerusalem under his charge.
Inc Christian Era found the institution of
slavery pervsdiDg not only in Judea, but all the
ciVilized and barbarian world Did Christ, In a
single instance, denounce II as sin7 No, not
once On the contrary, be recognizes the rela.
ZION ana the duty oi servants to promote the
interests OF their masters In the parable
OF the five talents, in the 25th chapter of Mat
tnew, ne that had received one talent lie repre-
sented as being punished for not employing il
tor the benefit of bis master.
But the Christian view of slavery il more
clearly developed in the teachings OF the Apos-
ties. Says Paul in First Corinthians, 7: 90 81,
90: ~ 80
Let every man abide in the same calling in which be
was sealed Art thou called being servant? Care not
ior III but thou mayeSt be made free use rather 70
e na called In the Lord being servant is the Lords
Chrsts servant"
In the lat, %, Sd and 4Lh verses OF the 9Th
chapter OF Ephesians, Paul inculcates the Christ
ian duties OF children and parents, and then pro-
ceeds In the 9th, 9th, 7th, 9th and 9sh to teach
servants and their masters their Christian du-
ties. Says he:
Servants be obedient to them that are your &C.
cordIg to the flesh with fear and trembling in
OF your heart as unto Christ.
Not with eye service as men pleasers bu the servants
OF Unrist doing the will Of God from the heart
with good will doing service as to the Lord and not
men
Knowing that whatsoever good thing apv man do.th
bond or free; .0'.' -
And ye masters do the same things unto them, for
bearing threatenngs, knowing that your Master is al
him. y r ~
Ihe plain meaning Of this passage is, that il
is the ChTtStfdn dufy of the servant to obey and
serve his master with the same fidelity and de-
votlon as he would serve God and Christ; or
rather that cheerful obedience and faithful ser
vice to his master Is portion of bis duty to his
God and Savior And masters are instructed to-
treat their servants kindly, reciprocating their
good Will, and are admonished that in the sight
OF God all men are equal, whatever may be
their earthly relations.
Similar ipjunctions are imposed upon SER
wants and masters in the Sd and 4th chapters of
Paul's EpistIe to the Colossians.
In the 9th chapter of PAul's First Epistle to
Timothy verses let and 2d, the Apostle says:
Let as many servants as are under the yoke oount
hiatt tha
OF God and his doctrine be not blasphemed.
And 'hey that have believing masters, let them not
them service because they faithful and beloved par
takers OF the benefit These things teach and exhort.
Ia other words, call honor" to his master by
slave ls in accordance with the "docIrine" OF
God, and he is not to bring that doctrine into
disrepute by disobedience or misconduct Nor
is he TO think less of his master because he
finds himself on level with him in the church,
but is rather to serve him with more zeal than
ever. In his epislle to Titus, chapter "a, verses
9th and 10Th, Paul says:
Exhort servants to be obedient TO their own masters
and to please them we'll in all things not answering
again, not purlonng, but showing all good fidelity that
they may adorn the doctrine Of God our Savior in all
things.
In other words, the servant who obeys his
master, and is honest and faithful, "adorns the
doctrine Of God our SGpiOr /"
The Apostle Peter, in his First Episte, chap
ter 2, verses lS, l9 and 90, breaches the same
doctrine in still stronger language He says:
Servants be subject to your masters with all fear not
only to the good and gentle but also to the forward for
this is thankworthy II man for conscience toward God
endure grief suffering wrongfully for what glory Is Il
IT, when ye be bueted for your faults We shall tske IL
patiently But IL, when ye do we'll and suffer for t. ye
take it patiently, this is acceptable to God"
10 other words, Peter inculcates the obedience
and submission of slave to his master, wheth
er the slave be kind or cruel ds Christian DUN
enJOiRed by Conscience tOt0Grd God" ana teaches
that patient endurance OF unjust chastisement
is utrfue peculiarly acceptable to God"
IL Is the peculiar beauty Of Christianity that
IL recognizes all the institutions and relations of
human society as il finds them, and, in she pros
pect OF an eternal equality hereafter, seeks 20
reconcile all men TO the conditions in which they
ind themselves during their short probation on
earth. IL "ould make men and wives more hap
py, by intoxicating fidelity and mutual confidence
and affection; it would make families more
happy, by teaching love and reverence to child
ren, ant gentle but firm exercise oil authority
to parents; IL would make both master and SER
want more happy, BY enjoinng justice and kind
ness upon the one and willing obedience, hon.
esty and fidelity upon the other; 1t would max Q
nations more happy, by teaching rulers 80 dis
pense equal justice TO all and inculcatlng upon
the people ready submission TO the magistrates
and the laws; it would make ell manki nd more
happy, by persuAding them TO "love their neigh
bors as themselves be content in the posi
tion where Providence has placed them, and 'to
do as they would be done by" upon change Of
positions. sel Fl ls .l III
The epstle of Paul to Philemon gives 'us
beautiful picture OF the relation which sh uld
exist between Christian master and a Chris
tian slave. IL aDpears that Pnie nm thongh N