The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1863-04-15


Testament, it means SIaUe--a man held
as the property of another. When SER
vGnt does not mean q slave, it is usually
connected with an adjective which shows
its signifeation-as hired servant; the
Greek word is miSthoiS, which means one
hired. But the word generally translated
servant is doulos, which you, gentlemen,
will not deny means slave-one who is
the property of another. Though nearly
every man Christ met, during his earthly
mission, was either n stakeholder, or n
slave, never once did he intimate disap-
probation of such a relation. And il is
certain he never taught his disciples to
condemn Shareholders and slaveholding.
The teaching of the apostles is evidence
of that, for they directly cammand slaves
to be " "obedient" to their masters. For
example, Ephesians vi s." Servants,
(doulos) } be obedient to to them that are
your masters" Titus ii O." Exhort
servants (douloS } to beobedient unto their
masters" 1st Timothy vi l-"Let as
many servants (doulos as are under the
yoke, count their own masters worthy Of
all honor, that the name of God and his
doctrine be not blasphemed." The emf
nent Scotch divine and commentator, Nc
knight, explaining this text, says:
"Because the law of Moses allowed no
Israelite to be made slave for life with
out his own consent, the Judaizing teach
ers to allure slaves to their own party,
taught that under the gospel, likewise,
involuntary slavery is lawful. This doc
trine the apostle condemned here, as in
his other epistles, by enjoining christian
slaves to honor and obey their masters,
whether they were believers or unbelivers,
and by assuring Timothy that if any per-
son taught otherwise, he opposed the
wholesome precept of Jesus Christ, and
the doctrine of the gospel, which in all
points is conformable to godliness or sound
morality, and was pufted up with pride,
without possessing any true knowledge
either of Jewish or christian revelation" !"
Ministers of your principles and behav-
ior, gentlemen, certainly fare roughly at
the hands of your own standard commen-
tator, Mcknight. But not more roughly
than at the hand of the apostle, who de-
clares that the "name OF God is BIAS
phemed" by all who teach slaves insub-
ordination to their masters.
Read WhiLby's comment on the same
text:
Let as many servants as are under
the yoke, (cf bondage to the heathen,)
count their own masters worthy of all
(due) honor, that the name of God and
his doctrine be not blasphemed, { or eUil
spoken Of, as tending to diSSolve those
ciOa obligations, bm rather honored an
oil estates Of men, as tending to make
them better in their several relations"
Gentlemen, it is not much comfort that
preachers of your conduct can find in the
writings of the great christian commenta-
tors-of men of learning and piety of all
denominations. And the scripture is still
more against you. The New Testament
commands the slave to obey, and exhorts
the master to be kind. In this the rec
ogcized lawfulness of the relation is es.
tablished. Have you forgotten what an
exalted compliment the Savior paid the
centurion, n stakeholder -" l have not
found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Had you, gentlemen, been in the Savior's
place on that occasion, and possessing
your present delusion, you would have de-
nounced that STAKEHOLDER a man-stealer,' u
barbarian" " "hell-deserving wretch
and you would have wound up by advis.
ing the slave to cut his masters throat
How unlike you was st. Paul, who, when
he had converted fugitive slave, Onesi-
mus, sent him back to his master, Phile-
mon, with letter, asking him to receive
his returning slave kindly. On this sub
ject DIR. Adam Clark, the standard Meth
odist commentator, says:
"Justice required st. Paul TO send
back Onesimus to his master, and con
science obliged Onesimus to agree to the
propriety Of the measure; but love to the
servant induced the apostle to write this
conciliatory letter to the master" Pau
addresses this stakeholder as "our dearly
beloved and fellow-laborer."
Think of that, gentlemen Read the
whole of this affectionate letter, and ther
tell us what you think of st. Paul, who
poured out his lavish love upon slave
holder, and sent back the runaway slave
into bondageG You would not do so, gen
} tlemen. 0 no. According to your no
tions, Paul was wretch" "slave
catcher" an "abettor of the slaveholde