Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-26
INDIANAPOLIS, md, FRIDAY MORNING,

into disrepute by disobedience or misconduct
Nor is he to think less of his master because
he finds himself on a level with him in the
church, but is rather to serve him with more
zeal than ever. In his Epistle to Titus, chap
ter "a, verse 9th and 10th, Paul SAYS:
"Exhort servants to be obedient to their
own masters, and to please them well in all
things not answering again, not purloining,
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 bis
master, and is honest and faithful, "ddorns the
doctrine Of God SAVIOR
The Apostle Peter, in his First Epistle,
chapter 2, verses IS. 19, and 20, 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,
if man for conscience toward God, endure
grief, suffering wrongfully; for what glory is it
If, when We be buffeted for your faults, We
shall take it patiently? But If, when We do
well and suffer for it, We take it patiently this
is acceptable to God"
In other words, Peter inculcates the obe-
dience and submission of a slave to bis master,
whether the slave be kind or cruel, as
Christian duty eyoined By conscience torard
God" and teaches that patient endurance Of
unjust chastisement is IS virtue peculiarly
'dcceptdbie TO God"
1t is the peculiar beauty of Christianity
that it recognizes all the institutions and rela-
tons of human society as 1t finds them, and,
in the prospect of an eternal equality here
after, seeks to reconcile all men to the condi-
tions In which they find themselves during
their short probation on earth. 1t would
make men and wives more happy. by inculca-
ting fidelity and mutual confidence and aflec-
ton; it would make families more happy, by
teaching love and reverence to children, and
a gentle, but firm exercise of authority to
parents; it would make both master and SER
want more happy, by enjoining justice and
kindness upon the one, and willing obe-
dience, honesty and fidelity upon the other;
it would make nations more happy, by teach
ing rulers to dispense equal justice to all, and
and inculcating upon the people ready sub
mission to the magistrates and the laws; it
would make mankind more happy, by per-
suading them to .love their neighbors as
themselves"-to be content in the position
where Providence has placed them, and "to
do as they would be done by" upon change
of positions.
The Epistle of Paul to Philemon give us
beautiful picture of the relation which should
exist between Christian master and Chris
tian slave. 1t appears that Philemon, though
stakeholder, was devoted Christian, with a
'church in his house." Paul found in Rome
runaway slave of this devoted Christian,
called Onesimus, and converted him to Chris
tianity.
Though he needed his services in his cap
tivity, he deemed it his duty to send him back
to bis master with letter, in which he said
'Perhaps he, therefore, departed for sea-
SOD, that thou shouldst receive him forever;
not now as a servant, but above a servant, a
brother beloved, especially to me, but how
much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in
the Lord"
Now, suppose Philemon had had thousand
such servants. all members of his church, all
contented and happy in their Gospel brother
hood with their master, and that some Beecher
or Cheever by preaching the modern doc
trine that slavery is sin, had broken up this
brotherhood and sent its happy members to
some ancient Canada to live on husks like the
prodigal son, do you think Paul would have
recognized him as a true Christian? He
would have been more likely to denounce
him as the servant of him who taught the
happy inmates OF paradise that by eating the
forbidden fruit they would ''become as gods,
knowing good and evil
This letter is already SO long that 1 must
reserve some further views on the subject,
with its practical application, for another COM
muncation.
AMOS KENDALL.