The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1862-07-03
Origin OF Bible eslaycry-Noah, Aba
ham The Laws OF MOses-Thc
Practice Of the eJews-Christianit
and slavery-Chrfst, Paul, Peter.
Philemon and His Church.

EdCtACC OI the JcWS-Cnr1St10nlty
and slavery-Christ, Paul, Peter,
Philemon and His Church.
To Abraham Lincoln, President of the U. S.:
RESPECTED SIR: In my preceding let
,ers have endeavored to show that. whe
ther slavery be right or wrong. nobo'y is
responsible for its existence. or has right
20 interfere with it under our political 10
slitu''"ns. except the people Of the State
in which it exists. Ny objec. in this let
ter Is not to show tina, slavery is useful
or desirable institution for our age or coun-
try. but that. whatever may be the abuses
to which it is liable. there is nothing in
The institution itself which makes il the
du'y of a Christian TO seek its abolition
otherwise than by admonishing The slaves
TO be- obedient and faithful TO their mas
ter~. aud the masters 10 be kind and in
dulgent to their slaves.
To this end l shall attempt to prove
that slavery is not in itself sinful. by show
ing from the Bible that it has been sauc
'ioned by God himself, not only by not
rebuking it. but by giving it his direc. an
thority.
The frst We learn Of slavery in the Bibl.
ia the curse ot Ham Or Canaan by NOAH
Genesis. 9th chapter. 25;h verse " And
he said. cursed bs Canaan. servant u
servants shall he be unto his brethren -
Now. Noah was the man selece'i by God
10 pcrpetuate The human race. a. he WA
not pIri.hed or censured o, -. Maker
for thus looming portion OF hi, poster'' y
to perpetual bondage.
In The l7.h chapter OF Genesis. verse.
I2, 49, 60 and 27. the fact tha, Abraham
bought men with his money is four time.
recognized Verse ls. is represented I,
be the language Of God h.n>elf speakin.
to Abraham, and is liz the following words
viz:
And he that is eish, DAYS old shall bt
eircumcised among you. every man child
in your generation. he that i. born in the
house. or bought with money of any stran
ger. which is not Of Thy seed
Here is direct recogui ion of the fac
that Abraham held slaves AMI God. in
s'ead OF commanding hin 10 st them free
directed him 10 incorporate them iuo hi:
own family by the right Of cil cumeisioa
la the ga chapter, verse 35 men ser
wants and maid servanis are named amcne
y blessings" which God had bestowed
upon Abraham. The speaker. who was
himself servant. said
And the Lord hath bless ID my master
greatly. and he is become great aud ht
hath given linn ilocks. and herds. and sill
yer and gold, and men servants and maic
servants. and camels and asses
By the 18th chapter. i4h verse. it ap
pears that Abraham had three hund, ec
and eighteen trained servants. born il
his house" and how man, ' bought with
his money" is not stated.
Now, if huying men with money. and
holding them in slavery be = sin. Abraham
was in his aye one of the greatest of sin
ners vet God. instead Of rebuking hin
aud requiring h IN to put away his sir
not only prospered him. but. on accoun
Of his special faith and holiness. selected
him TO be ths father of His chosen peopl,
and an example for all generations. Cpu,d
this have happened il slavery had beeu 4
sin in the sight Of God
It does not appear that the flcbr@w'
held any slaves when they fled out o'
Egypt. or that they acquired any while
wandering in The wilderness. Flying iron
slavery themselves. they were new ra-
tion without constitution or laws. aud a!
their lns,itu Ions were prescribed hy Gpd
himself. through Moses. Does any Chris
,isn believe thai God could or would pre-
scribe To His chosen pc 'ple sinful ins'i
ltution' Yet God himself established, -,
a.
ii of The Hebrew nation. II any one
doubts it. let him read the cit chap er o
Exodus. the 25lh chapter OF Le,ilicu-. and
the Ssh chapter of Deuteronomy.
Tie first six verses nf the fr-t. and the
verses from the twelfth TO ihe eighteenth
Of the last recognizes the right al He
brew to buy lis own cou"trymed Add bold
them in bondage SIX years. and p'tscrbt
a mode by which. with heir own c"n-en',
they may be made bondmen "iolever.' =
But the establishment or recognition ol
perpetual slavery as an institution of the
4 Hebrew Commonwealth is found In the
25 h chapter of Leviiicus.
The lea ling obj~c's "f this ap'sr arr
70 establish and regulae the Stbaticsl
Year and the Jubilee
he first ssyan yarssa proylie that eva