1. It has been objected that fellowship should not be withdrawn2 from all slaveholders, because some of them are exceedingly kind to their slaves. To this it may be answered that it is impossible for a master to be really very kind to those he holds in slavery, because the holding of them in that relation is extreme unkindness. A kind slaveholder? What entitles him to that character? Does he renounce3 the claim of property in his slaves? No. Does he hire them to work for him and pay them when the work is done? No. Does he open a school on his plantation4 for their mental and moral culture? No. Does he permit his slaves to instruct each other in the rudiments5 of education? No. Does he use his influence to have the diabolical6 laws enacted7 to crush the manhood out of the colored man, repealed8? No. Does he secure his slaves against the chances of the inter-state slave trade—against[Pg 185] sale at auction9 for his debts—against the lash10 of a Legree? No. What then entitles him to the character of a kind slaveholder? Why he simply treats them as a good man treats a fine horse or a favorite dog. He feeds them well, works them moderately, whips but little, but robs them of all! We abuse language when we say—a benevolent11 robber, a gentlemanly pickpocket12, an honorable pirate or a kind slaveholder.
The poet, Longfellow, while traveling in Va., became acquainted with an honest old slave owned by a fine specimen13 of a kind, Christian14, Presbyterian slaveholder. Said he:
“Calling at a blacksmith’s shop for a small job of work, I found the smith was a slave. On inquiring to whom I should make payment, he told me I might to him. His practice was to receive all the money paid at the shop, and pay it over to his master at night. I asked him how his master knew whether he rendered a just account. He replied, that he knew him too well not to trust him. That, as wrong as his master did by him, it was no excuse for him to do wrong by his master. He could deceive his master, but he could not deceive God, to whom he must render his final account. He said he was a Baptist, and had regular family prayers. His master was a Presbyterian, to[Pg 186] whom he gave credit for good usage and good training. But as he had faithfully served him fifty years, he did think that he ought to have the remainder of his days to himself. He regretted that he could not read the Bible; and I was pained to hear him attempt to quote it, he made such blunders. The tears started in the eyes of the poor man as he spoke16 of his hard condition, and looked forward to death only for release from his bondage17. He thanked God that he had no children to inherit his ignorance and servitude.”
The kindness of certain slaveholders might be mere18 favorably considered if it were productive of any permanent practical benefits to the slave; but while it leaves him in the depth of his wretchedness,—exposed to all the horrors of the worst form of slavery, it is a meritless thing—unworthy the name of kindness. The kind slaveholder knows that when he dies his slaves will be sold at auction together with his horses, cattle, and plantation. What avails his fancied kindness when he knows the horrible chances to which he subjects his helpless victims. And how deeply guilty is he in the sight of God for refusing to break every yoke19 when he has the opportunity! To illustrate20 this thought and show the sequel of kind slaveholding we will subjoin a sketch21 of a woman’s[Pg 187] history who was the property of a kind slaveholder.
“A kind slave-master, in one of the Carolinas, had a large family, of various colors, some enslaved, some free. One of the slaves was his favorite daughter, and much accomplished22. Dying, he willed his heir, her brother, to provide for her handsomely, and make her free. But her brother was a slave-master, and she was a slave. He kept and debauched her. At the end of four years he got tired of her; and that notorious slave-dealer, Woolfork, coming down to collect a drove, he sold his sister to him. “There is her cottage,” said he to Woolfork; “she is a violent woman. I don’t like to go near her; go and carry her off by yourself.” Woolfork strode into the cottage, told her of the fact and ordered her to prepare. She was dreadfully agitated23. He urged her to hasten. She arose and said, ‘White man, I don’t believe you. I don’t believe that my brother would thus sell me, and his children. I will not believe unless he come himself.’—Woolfork coolly went, and required her brother’s presence. The seducer24, the tyrant25 came, and, standing26 at the door, confirmed the slaveholder’s report. ‘And is it true? and have you sold me?’ she exclaimed. ‘Is it really possible? Look at this child! Don’t you see in every[Pg 188] feature the lineaments of its father? Don’t you know that your blood flows in its veins27? Have you, have you sold me?’ The terrible fact was repeated by her master. ‘These children,’ said she, with a voice only half articulate, ‘shall never be slaves.’ ‘Never mind about that,’ said Woolfork, ‘go and get ready. I shall only wait a few minutes longer.’ She retired28 with her children. The two white men continued alone. They waited. She returned not. They grew tired of waiting, and followed her to her chamber29. There they found their victims beyond the reach of human wickedness, bedded in their blood.”—(Anti-Slavery Record.)
2. Slaveholders ought not to be excluded from the church, it is argued, because their views and feelings on the subject of slavery have been corrupted31 by the prevalence of this popular sin. They are not, it is maintained, individually responsible—the fault—the sin, the shame attaches to a false public morality. Dr. McClintock offers this objection in the following words: “Their position,” he says, “has the eminent33 unhappiness of almost necessitating34 a feeble or corrupt30 moral sense on this subject; they are carried along by a great movement that absorbs their individuality, so to speak; the personal conscience is lost in[Pg 189] the general sense of the community. The great work to be done is to purify that general sense; not to curse and malign35 individual slaveholders, but to break up the false public morality in which the system finds its main support.”[22]
We answer that no man is excusable for falling in with a “great movement” which is manifestly wicked. Noah, Lot, Abraham and Elijah were not carried along with sin in this way. Their moral sense was neither enfeebled nor corrupted by the prevailing36 vices38. The apostles did not lose their “personal conscience” in the “general sense” of idolatrous communities, in the midst of which they labored40. And in no case does the Bible excuse a sinner because of the prevalence of sin.—Idolaters were not taken into church because that vice37 was sustained by law and prevailing custom. And he who lived in Corinth in the days of St. Paul, found himself in the midst of gross, shameless sensuality—and it was quite easy for such a person to fall in with the vices for which that city was notorious; and some Christians41 did fall in with those vices. But did St. Paul excuse them, and forbid their expulsion from the church, throwing the blame of their conduct upon the prevailing vice? Did[Pg 190] he ordain42 that until the “general sense” were purified, the “fornicator,” the “incestuous person” and the “drunkard” must remain in the church? By no means. He knew that the public conscience was made up of individual consciences—that public corruption43 was the aggregate44 of individual corruption—and hence that the only possible method of reaching and purifying the general sense, was by reaching and purifying the individual sense. And hence individual purity was required as a condition of church membership. Churches now proceed precisely45 upon this principle in relation to all sins, however prevalent, slavery excepted; and no good reason can be offered for making it an exception. And if slaveholders have an enfeebled moral sense, which is certainly the case, it is because the ministry46 and church have been recreant47 to duty and truth, and have said to them “peace, peace, when God had not spoken peace.” The only way to prevent them from being swept along by the flood tides of this devastating48 iniquity49 until they launch upon the shoreless sea of wrath50, is to sound the alarm! But alas51, those watchmen who have their ear are apt to say to them, do not be alarmed—the “false public morality” will be a satisfactory apology for your sins! When asked by the judge[Pg 191] why you were an oppressor, you can answer, that you only followed the prevailing example!
3. Slavery, it is objected, is a political question and hence the church ought not to meddle52 with it. We answer, that slavery is not only a political, but a moral question—it is a question concerning the rights of man, and all that concerns man concerns a christian. Temperance is made a political question, should the church therefore fellowship the drunkard? The observance of the Sabbath is a political question—must the church therefore drop it, lest it be entangled53 with politics? The same may be said of gambling54, perjury55 and theft.
4. But, says one, the laws uphold slavery, and whatever of blame attaches to slaveholding is justly chargeable to the laws. To this it is answered that slaveholders are the makers56 of their own laws, and hence are responsible for them. But if they had no voice in the government it would be impossible to shift the responsibility of slaveholding upon the laws, because, in the first place, a good man cannot innocently avail himself of the provisions of laws which permit him to injure his fellow creatures; and in the next place, the laws compel no one to hold slaves. They allow it, but do not require it.
[Pg 192]
5. But some, it is urged, are slaveholders from necessity, hence they ought not to be blamed. This cannot be. The laws do not compel people to buy, steal, trade for, receive as a gift, or inherit slaves. Any one may refuse to own this kind of property unless he is an idiot or a child. And if by any means a man finds himself in possession of slaves he can emancipate57 them. It is not far to the free states. Why do not those pious58 Methodists and Presbyterians, who are always talking of the impossibility of “getting rid” of their slaves, permit the abolitionists to help them? They would cheerfully pilot them, or give them a free passage on the Under-Ground Railroad! But all those pious slaveholders from necessity are ready to lynch or imprison59 any man who may undertake to release them from the “necessary evils” of slavery. A slaveholder from necessity is one who holds slaves because holding them is a necessary condition of robbing them.
6. But the church has no right to ask a man to give away his property and impoverish60 himself. Yes, the church has a right to require a man to restore stolen property, and this is the kind of property slaves are. As to impoverishing61 slaveholders, there is danger of that, but poverty is no crime and is often good for the[Pg 193] soul. It is better to be a Lazarus in this world with his future, than a Dives with his future. And besides, there is no law of God allowing a man to roll in wealth acquired by robbery.
7. Nothing can be said against some slaveholders only that they hold slaves. In every other respect they are christian-like in their conduct, and it seems hard to exclude such fine people from the church.
Alas that any christian should speak of slaveholding as “only” a small objection. But one sin may ruin the soul. Some men are in every respect excellent persons except that they are addicted62 to intemperate63 habits, to lying, or to licentiousness—shall they therefore be excused for their besetting64 sin, and allowed to indulge it? One who has cheated a poor white neighbor out of only one year’s toil65, ought never to be admitted into the church until he makes restitution66. So in the case of a slaveholder—let him be just to every creature of God—let him give up his idol39 or serve it in its appropriate temple, and not disgrace the church of God with its image and worshiper.
8. It has been maintained that slaveholders should be taken into the church that they may come under the direct influence of the gospel, the tendency of which is to destroy slavery.[Pg 194] We answer—a. The same reason might be urged with equal force for the admission of the drunkard, liar67, thief or adulterer.
b. Experience proves that slaveholders, when admitted to church fellowship, are not more likely to emancipate their slaves than others. They are apt to settle down in the belief that it is right to hold slaves, and the height of impertinence for any one to meddle with them about it. A minister in Kentucky, Rev32. Mr. Fee, who is well acquainted with this subject from experience and actual observation, says of the slaveholder—“The way to lull68 his conscience on the subject is, to bring him into the church in the practice of his sin. I know repeated instances of persons whose consciences and hearts, at the time of their awakening69, seemed to be tender on the subject of slaveholding. But after they had been fully15 received, and a few comfortable meetings passed over, they became wholly indifferent; and after hearing or reading one or two pro-slavery sermons, declaring slavery to be a Bible institution, they were almost ready to seize the torch, and apply the fires of persecution70 to the individual who would disturb their Zion. The place to induce the slaveholder to give up his sin is at the time, or before, he enters the door of the church; before he has been pronounced[Pg 195] as being in a salvable state; for ‘all that a man hath will he give for his life.’”
But this is no abstruse71 question as “cotton Divines” would persuade us. Slaveholding is a wicked business and must be treated as such. It is impossible to treat it as such while fellowship is extended to slaveholders. The christian is bound to refuse that fellowship. If any branch of the church officially or practically sanctions slavery and endorses72 the piety73 of slaveholders, then, in order to be consistent and safe, a christian must come out of that church, because in it, he will be a partaker of its sins and a sufferer of its plagues.
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1
exclusion
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| n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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3
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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rudiments
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| n.基础知识，入门 | |
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6
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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7
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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repealed
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| 撤销，废除( repeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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11
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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12
pickpocket
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| n.扒手；v.扒窃 | |
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13
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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14
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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15
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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16
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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17
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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18
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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20
illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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22
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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seducer
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| n.诱惑者,骗子,玩弄女性的人 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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28
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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29
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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30
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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31
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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33
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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necessitating
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的现在分词 ) | |
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35
malign
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| adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑 | |
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36
prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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37
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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38
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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39
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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40
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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42
ordain
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| vi.颁发命令；vt.命令，授以圣职，注定，任命 | |
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43
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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44
aggregate
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| adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合 | |
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45
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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46
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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47
recreant
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| n.懦夫；adj.胆怯的 | |
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48
devastating
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| adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的 | |
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49
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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50
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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51
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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52
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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53
entangled
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| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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55
perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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56
makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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57
emancipate
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| v.解放，解除 | |
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58
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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59
imprison
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| vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚 | |
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60
impoverish
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| vt.使穷困，使贫困 | |
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61
impoverishing
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| v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的现在分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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62
addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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63
intemperate
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| adj.无节制的，放纵的 | |
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64
besetting
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| adj.不断攻击的v.困扰( beset的现在分词 )；不断围攻；镶；嵌 | |
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65
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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66
restitution
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| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
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67
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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68
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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69
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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70
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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71
abstruse
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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72
endorses
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| v.赞同( endorse的第三人称单数 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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73
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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