Year: 1860

pOCnlng snort OF Tile luea OI SER
wants for life, or being slaves, will
suit the term servant in either of
these cases. Hence, these cases
prove slavery to be the meaning of
the term. II the term servant does
not mean slave, why does the Apos-
tie speak of servants being under
the yoke and being made free!


| The late General Conference OF
the Methodist Episcopal church
North in the addition they made to
their deciplinc, lay down the posi-
ton that slavery is a sin; and for
Scriptural authority for that posi-
tion, they simply say, it is contra


ry to the golden rule. Can it be
possible that Christ in saying, Gas
ye would that men should do to
you, do ye also to them likewise"
Nuke vi. 81, meant by the gospel


70 break down all distinctions in a


worldly point of view? to bring


the rich and the poor, the rulers
and the ruled, the master and the
servant, the reputable and the dis
reputable, all on level? If the
proper application of this rule
would break down the distinction of
master and servant, it would break
down all these distinctions. For
the vile wish to be classed in socie-
ty with the respectable, and the


poor want to share the wealth of
the rich, rs well as the slave wishes
to be FREQ. Christ said not word
against the various distinctions in
worldly society. He said, ,FMy
kingdom is not of this world" and
again, "Who made me a dividcr
and Judge over you." The mani
fest import of this rule is that
whatever relation or condition we
may be, we should do to others who
are differently situated, and i'll the
opposite relation to us, as we would
wish to be done to, if our relation
and situation were changed. This
is evidently the understanding the
apostles had of it, from their exhor-
tations to masters and servants as
already noticed; that is, that mas.
ters should treat their servant with
that moderation and kindness with
which they would wish to be treat.
ed were they servants; and that
servants should show to their mas.
ters that obedience and faithfulness
which they would wish showed to
them were they masters, &c. But
it has been thought that in the
church there is to be no distinction
between masters and servants, be-
cause it is said, "There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither
bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female: for We are all one in
Christ" But the oneness in Christ
is spiritual, so their spiritual eXpe-
ricncc is the same, they have the
same spiritual sorrows and joys; the
promises and consultations of the
gospel alike belong to them, and
when they get to glory, is all that
remains Of that which was earthly
will be changed to that which is
spiritual, they will then be perfect
ly one. But whilst in the church
here our earthly nature is not
changed, and therefore the earthly
distinction remains. The Jew does
not become uncircumcised, nor the
Greek eircumcised. The distinc-
ton between male and female re-
mains, so of course the distinction
between bond and free. And thus
the apostles in their epistles to the
churches, speak of and address all
these classes as distinct.


We will now call the attention of
the colored members who are under
the yoke to the teaching the Apos-
tie enioins. We know that your
minds and the minds Of your kin
after the flesh have been much
prejudiccd against your situation
as bond servants, by being told that
it is sinful to hold you in slavery,
and therefore injustice. Not only
have you been told this by the en-
issaries of abolitionism, who would
make you dissatisfied with your
homes where you have comforta-
BILE and sure support for life, that
they may lead you off among those
who hate your race, to shift for
yourselves, and to be driven from
place to place, until you are glad to
find a retreat in the cold regions Of
Canada. This is not the worst; it
has been taught among you by
Quakers, and the preachers of the
Methodist church North, that sla-
very is sinful; and coming thus re-
ligiously, it has had more weight.
The preachers ofthis class of Meth
odists have not Of late years pre-
sumed to preach among us about
slavery hut holding as they do full
connection with those at the North
who are abolitionists, and having
been educated, as some of them
have been, in Dickinson College
the pet Institution ofthe Baltimor'
Conference, and an abolition insti
tuition, one of.their leading profes
sors having been the leading insti
gator Of an abolition riot at Car