LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0DD1DET4SD2 aass,_EAii: Rnnk , a7T"< ^ PRACTICAL FOUNDED ON THE SCRIPTURES, RELATIVE TO THE SLAVE POPULATION OF SOUTB-CAB.OLISrA. -;> MSPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO "THE SOUTH-CAROIIXA ASSOCIATTON Z' BY A SOUTH-CAROLINIAN. CHARLESTON: PRINTED AND SOLD BY A. K. MILLER, No. 4, Broad-street. 1823. FRACTZCAL CONSZDZ^ATZONS. AN preparing; these " Considerations" for the press, I am not unaware of the difficulty and deliracy of the subject, in which I have engaged. But as a religious man, I feel myself constrained by a sense of duty, to invite the attention of Slave-holders, to, what I conceive to be, an important and interesting subject. It is my design to show, from the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, that Slavery is not forbid- den by the Divine Law, and, at the same time, to prove, the necessity of giving religious instruction to our Negroes. I profess myself to be a decided advocate for the religious instruction of our slaves. Jesus Christ com- manded his Apostles, to " preach the Gospel to every creature.''^ — Mark, xvi, 15. And again, " That re- pentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusa- lem. — Luke xxiv, 47. Can I, then, withhold my prayer to heaven, that the whole human race, with- out distinction of colour, or nation, maybe brought to a knowledge of God their Redeemer, and besav- 4 cd ? I know from the Scriptures, tluit " Gorl woulil have all men to be saved, and come ro the know- ledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus. — 1 Tim. ii. 4. — Eph. iv. 21. God, then, requires it. The everlast- ing Iiappinessof th(?se people requires it: and, I think, our own comfort, as well as theirs, require it. I am well aware, however, that the state of soci- ety in slave-holding countries, is of a peculiar cha- racter. 1 know from the experience of nearly my whole life, the difficulty of becoming acquainted with the real character of Negroes, with their principles, and their capacity for attaining moral and religious instruction. And I am likewise aware, of the mea- sure of prudence which is necessary, to improve their moral and spiritual condition, without deranging the existing order of society. Possessed of this know- ledge, I am decidedly of the opinion, and so, I be- lieve, is every well-informed man in the State, that persons born and educated in all the prejudices of non-slave-holding countries, and mere itinerants here for a few winter months, are unfit for the instruction of these [)eople. If they who are born and brought up in the midst of tens of thousands of Negroes ; if they who have so much at stake upon the issue ; if they are greatly at a loss as to the proper means of instructing them, how is it possible, that strangers to their character, their habits of thinking, their princi- ples and prop,'>nsities, and who have nothing at stake upon the issue, can form a correct opinion upon this delicate, and important subject ? It requires not the wisdom of a Solomon to discern the truth of this re- mark. These persons come here, we must bplJHve, with the best intentions, and full of missionary zeal ; but they come full-fraught with speculative notions of personal liberty, and would change " times and laws" to proHjOte, what they conceive to be a cor- rect, and religious, view of the subject. But they either forget, or tiiey do not know, that .there is a ci- vil, as well as a religious view of this subject. There are rights guaranteed by law, which are not to b^ trampled upon. There is a chain which binds to- gether the various orders of o'^r commnniry, wiiich must not be broken. Some of its links may require to be polished ; but this must only be attempted by a master workman, who perfectly understands of what materials the chain is composed. Now, I think it will be admitted, that, in South-Carolina, there are many, very many, patriotic, enlightened, judicious and pious men, who are as able to form correct opi- nions, on the existing order of things in their own State, as they who know nothing more of our soci- ety, rhan what they have learned within the walls of their college. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at, that we claim the right of managing our own affairs, according to our own discretion. Our Planters have had just cause of complaint on this subject. It is known to many, that fin! i Negroes have been collected and addressed, without the know- ledge or consent of their masters. The Piaiirers, however, are now alive to their duty and their inter- est? : and. ir is not prnbablf^. that such hishly censu- rable f-onHurt will ever be reppaled. We are ready to ronf» S5 that, the present state of things, is not in arrordanre with all our feelings. We deprecate the evil which aneuds it. It has descended to us; we harp not produced it. We would most uilliusly ap- ply the remedy, if we knew wJiat it was. If the non- slave u-ildins States will purchase our -plantations aud slaves, and send the latter to Africa under the patronage <-f the Colonization Society, or dispose of them iu a;iy manner, which the general government may think proj»er to direet, I do not in my con- scienrr bi^lieve, there would b*^ mauy Plant* rs in South-Carolina, who would hesitate one moment, to get rid of both, even at something below their value. As to paning with them without an equivalent, is out of the question : for our sertants are our money : Exod. sxi. 20. 21. and we shall never choose beg- gary for ourselves and our families, when it is left to our choice. Our lands miiht as well be asked of us as our Negroes, because they once belonged to the Indians. Manumission would produce nothing but evil. Not one of these people in aa hundred would maintain himselt by labour. Ignorant and indolent by nature, im[»rovident and depraved by habit, and destitute of the moral principle, as they generally ajipear to be, ages and generations must pass away, b'fore t'sey could be made viriuous. honest; and use- ful meiDbers of the body politic. Iffalpvcr evil mar a^tps' wifl Bor bp qaesrcxied- r«af ih^ sbv^^ in S(nd^C«- aie tvratni wil^ MHe hsaaMly aad kiai- doB aiHkMS of while pnpip 11 odbrr pv8 oT the world. TVt are faHE^Mhrmi«d;lhrvpRs- ' tky air wrl doihed. wefl Ir^ a^ well Mned dbcT arr sack: aad sBrfcas ima i n k. kowcthe % is aa LiiJ i tt of the' ■rat thry rereire. Betwecs the jnraR 1810 aad thfTP was a Batanl iautaa p in the UaKrd SlafKs af G2347. Ok of the Mst MfMti^ ari pop^ works paUBhed jm EaAmL, n^s oa thb ''Whieii theUHWdScitosorAaFfka. A^ p-i.^-*. ^^i^=-T ,Tr JTmrr ht w fhi i iii i «ncr,MaTl833,pL^i5.dhHr.i:i. ThisBMi to the hmtamkj ni 8 and most productivo lands in the State, must be foi evpv left waste, and the planters either abandon the sea-coast for the upper country, or emigrate to other climes. Can we reasonably be expected to submit to this state of things ? Certainly not by reasonable men. Whatever arrangements may hereafter be de- vised by our citizens on this subject, there is no doubt as to this fact ; that they will never be effected by physical force at home, nor extorted by the abuse of non-slave-holding States abroad. All this, however, will avail but little with the ad- vocates of manumission. They insist upon it, that we have no right to hold these people in slavery, be- cause, by nature, they are as free as ourselves. What they were intended to be by nature, we can know nothing, but from what the Bible has revealed. We know from that source, that man was created immortal ; but we likewise learn from the same source, that he forfeited his privilege by disobedience and sin. And, perhaps, we shall find that the ne- groes, the descendants of Ham, lost their freedom through the abominable wickedness of their proge- nitor. It was not my original intention to have gone into a minute detail of the origin of slavery ; but as I think the Exposition published by the Baptists,* places it upon insufficient ground, I shall briefly state, V * The Rev. Dr. Richard Furman's Exposition of the Views of Jhe Baptists, relative to the coloured population of the United States. Charleston, 1823. 9 ^ what appears lo me to be scriptural authority on the subject. We find it recorded in the 9th chap, of Genesis, that " Noah began to be an husbandman ; and that he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken ; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it u{)on both their shoulders, and went backward, and cover- ed the nakedness of their father ; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's na- kedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said Cursed be Canaan ; a servant of servants shall he he unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord Cof/.of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his servant. — Ver. 20-28.* This is according to our common authorized ver- sion ; but a more correct version is supposed to be furnished by the Arabic, than by the Hebrew, be- cause tiie insertion of the name of Ham, accords better with the context. * The drunkenness of Noah is thus explained. The vine, it is supposed, had not before been cultivated, and Noah was ignorant of the strength of the expressed juice. It is probable, from the severity of the malediction, that Ham and Canaan spoke of their fathers situation, with ridicule and contempt, rather than reverence and regret; while Shem and Japheth, showed their modesty and filial respect, by covering him from shame, o 10 J. Cursed be Ha/n, the father of Canaan ; A servant of servants shall he be to his brethren. II. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem ; And Ham, the father of Canaan, shall be his servant; III. God shall enlarge Japheth ; He shall even dwell in the tents of Shem ; And Ham, the father of Canaan, shall be his servant. It matters but little which version we receive, as the meaning is nearly the same. Blessings are pro- mised to the posterity of Shem and Japheth, and the curse of slavery to those of Ham, through his son Canaan. It must be evident to every reader of the Bible, that the afflatus of Noah was divine. The future condition of his idolatrous and wicked poste- rity, could not otherwise have been known to him; and time and events have verified his predictions. The prophecy of Noah, like that of the Angel con- cerning Ishmael, and those concerning Esau, and the twelve Patriarchs, was to be fulfilled, not in the in- dividuals named, but nationally in their descendants, Canaan's whole race were under the malediction. These people were peculiarly wicked, and obnox- ious to the wrath of God. Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of the plain, were destroyed for their abominations. — Gen. xviii. xix. And the Amor- itrs, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Canaanites, the Hittitcs, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, were destroyed or expelled by the Israelites, by the com- mand of God. — Gen. xv. 16. — Deut. ix. 4. xii, 31. — Lev. xviii. — Josh. iii. 9. 10. That the denunciation was national, and not per- sonal, we have the evidence in the fact, that Mel- u chizedech, the " Priest of the Most High God, "and Abimelech, the king of Gerar, to whom God appear- ed in a dream, were Canaanites. As many of the nations descended from Canaan, were not destroyed by the Israelites, the curse of servitude must neces- sarily be fulfilled in their posterity. These became " servants of servants,'^'* i. e. the lowest state of servitude, slaves " to their brethren," the Shemites and Ja[)hethites, the Jews and the Christians of the present day. The curse did not extend to the soul and eternity, but merely to their bodies and the pre- sent life. No individual, therefore, was deprived of the j)ossibility of salvation. The descendants of the three sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Ja[)heth, settled different i)arts of the world, and peopled the earth after the fldod. Shem, which means renown, was an ancestor of the Jews ; but his principal honor was derived from being the lineal ancestor of the Saviour of the world. Ills descendants settled the upppr and middle Asia. Ar- menia, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Media, Persia, &c. Japheth, means enlargement. His descendants set- tled the greater part of the western world, and th'y still exist in the multitude of Christians. They set- tled a part of Asia, whence, probably, some got ovrr to America. They likewise spread over Euro;)e, and peopled the isles. Hani, means black, or burnt. He was the father of Canaan. His descendants set- tled the hot regions of Asia, on the Persian Gulph, Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, and Africa. 12 The rollovviiig curious and valuable coiuuiuntaiy, on the tenth cha|)ter of Genesis, says Dr. Hale, which records the primitive settlements of the three families, is furnished by Abulfaragi, in his History of the Dy- nasties, p. 11 : — " In the 140th year of Phaleg, [B. C. 2614] the earth was divided, by a second division, among the sons of Noah. " To the sons of Shem was allotted the middle of the earth, namely, Palestine, Syiia, Assyria, Samar- ra. Babel, Persia, and Ilegiaz, [or Arabia Petroea.] " To the sons of Ham, Teiman, [or Idumeea. — Jer. xlix. 7.] Africa, Nigritia, Egyi)t, Nubia, /Ethi- opia, Scindia, and India, [or Western and Eastern India, on both sides of the Indus.] " To the sons of Ja|)heth also, Garbia, (the North) Spain, France, the countries of the Greeks, Sclavo- iiians, Bulgarians, Turks, and Armenians." If this division be accurate, continues Dr. Hale, Armenia, the cradle of the postdiluvian race of man- kind, was allotted to Ja[)heth, by right of primoge- niture : and the sons of Canaan usurped Palestine, as well as the sons of Cush, under Nimrod, the land of Shinaar. or Babel ; both being allotted to the Shem- ites by the Divine d( :ree. And this furnishes an additional proof of the justice of the expulsion of the Canaanites by the Israelites, the rightful possessors of the land of Palestine, under Moses, Joshua, and 13 their successors ; when the original grant was re- newed to Abraham. — Gen. xv. 13 to end* According to Procoi)ius, a celebrated writer of the sixth century, says Jamieson, many of the Girga- shites, Jebusites, and other Canaanitish nations, set- tled at Tingis, now Tangier, in Africa. " There," lie says, " nigh a large fountain, appear two i)illars of white stone, having this inscription engraved on them in Phenician characters : fVe are those who fled from the face of Joshua^ the son of Nun, the robber.^^ Whatever may be thought of this inscription, his tes- timony with respect to Canaanites settling in that part of the country, is confirmed by different writers. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in Africa, testifies, that " if any of the boors in the neighbourhood of Hippo or Carthage was asked who he was, or of what coun- try, he answered that he was a Canaanite." Euse- bius also asserts that the Canaanites, who were rout- ed by Joshua, led colonies into Africa, and settled at Triimli. Even Mela the geographer, who flourish- ed in the reign of Claudius Ctesar, and who had been born in the neighbourhood o( Tingis, adtnits that the Tingitanians were Phenicians. This, I need scarcely say, was the name by which the inhabitants of Palestine were generally known among other nations. The Greek poet Nonnus, from some au- thors whose works are now lost, assures us that * Hale's Analysis of Chronology, &c. I. pp. 351, 358. — Lon- don, 1 809. u Cadmus, the Phenician, maHe a very successful ex- perliran into these parts of Africa. " Philistus of Syracuse, a writer of good autliority, who lived above three hundred and fifty years before Christ, relates, that the first traces of Carthage, were owing toZorusand Charchedon, twoTyriansor Phenicians, thirty years before the destruction of Troy, accord- ing to Eusebius."* But the curse of Noah, says Bishop Newton, par- ticularly implies servitude and subjection. Cursed be Canaan ; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. It is very well known, that the word bre- thren in Hebrew comprehends more distant relations. The descendants, therefore, of Canaan, were to be subject to the descendants of both Shem and Ja- phcth : and the natural consequence of vice, in com- munities as well as in single persons, is slavery. The same thing is repeated again and again in the two following verses : and Canaan shall be servant to them, or their servant : so that this is the burden of the prophecy. Some critics take the phrase of ser- vant of servants strictly and literally, and say, tiiat the prediction was exactly fulfilled, when the Ca- naanites became servants to the Israelites, who had been servants to the Egyptians. But this is refining too much ; the phrase of servant of servants is of the same turn and cast as holy of holies, king of kings, song of songs, and tiie like expressions in Scripture ; * Jamieson's Use of Sacred History, &c. II. p. 79. — Araer. Ed. 1810 ; who refers to his authcrities. 15 and imports that they should he the lowest and basest of servants. — It was several centuries after the deli- very of this prophecy, when the Israelites, who were descendants of Shem, under the command of Joshua, invaded the Canaanites, smote above thirty of their kings, took possession of their land, slew several of the inhabitants, made the Gibeonites and others ser- vants and tributaries, and Solomon afterwards sub- dued the rest. 2 Chron. viii. 7, 8, 9. — ** As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel ; but of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not ; them did Solo- mon make to pay tribute until this day. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work : but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horse- men.'' The Greeks and Romans too, who were de- scendants of Japheth, not only subdued Syria and Palestine, but also pursued and conquered such of the Canaanites as were any where remaining, as for instance the Tyrians and Carthaginians, the former of whom were ruined by Alexander and the Greci- ans, and the latter by Scipio and the Romans. " This fate," says Mr. Mede, " was it that made Hannibal, a child of Canaan, cry out with the amazement of his soul, Agnosco fortimam Carthaginis — I acknow- ledge the fortune of Carthage.'''' And ever since, the miserable remainder of this people have been slaves 16 to a foreign yoke ; first to' the Saracens, who descend- ed from Shem, and afterwards to the Turks, wl»o descended from Japheth ; and they groan under their dominion at this day. Hitherto, continues tlie Bishop, we have explain- ed the prophecy according to the present copies of our Bible : but if we were to correct the text, as we shoukl any ancient classic author in a like case, the w hole, perhaps, might be made easier and plainer. Ham the father of Canaan is mentioned in the pre- ceding part of the story ; and how thv'n came the person of a sudden to be changed into Canaan ? The Arabic version in these three verses, hath the father of Canaan, instead of Canaan. Some copies of the Sepiuagint likewise have Ham instead of Canaan, as if Canaan was a corruption of the text. Vata- blus and others, by C«»«rt?i understand the father of Canaan, which was expressed twice before. Bishop Newton then quotes the Arabic version, which I have given above, and gives his reasons in favour of it. He then proceeds— By this reading all the three sons of Noah are included in the prophecy, whereas otherwise, Ham, who was the offender, is excluded, or is only punished in one of his children. Ham is characterized as the father of Canaan parti- cularly, for the greater encouragement of the Israel- ites, who were going to invade the land of Canaan: and when it is said Cursed be Ham the father of Ca- naan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren ; it is implied that his whole race was devoted to ser- 17 vitude, but particularly the Canaanltes. Not that this was to take effect immediately, but was to be fulfilled in process of time, when they should forfeit their liberties by their wickedness Ham, at first, subdued some of the posterity of Shem, as Canaan sometimes conquered Japheth ; the Carthaginians, who were originally Canaanites, did particularly in Spain and Italy; but in time they were to be subdued and to become servants to Shem and Japheth ; and the change of their fortune from good to bad would render the curse still more visible. Egypt was /Ae land of Ham, d^^ it is often called in Scripture; and for many years it was a great and flourishing king- dom : but it was subdued by the Persians, who de- scended from Shem, and afterwards by the Grecians, who descended from Japheth ; and from that time to this it hath constantly been in subjection to some or other of the posterity of Shem or Japheth. The whole continent of Africa was peopled principally by the children of Ham ; and for how many ages have the better parts of that country lain under the dominion of the Romans, and then of the Saracens, and now of the Turks ! In what wickedness, igno- rance, barbarity, slavery and misery, live most of the inhabitants ! and of the Negroes, how many hundreds every year are sold and bought in the market, and are conveyed from one quarter of the world to an- other ! Nothing can be more complete than the ex- 3 18 eciition of the sentence upon Ham, as well as upon Canaan.^''* The Negroes, says Bishop Wilson, the descend- ants of Ham and Canaan, according to one of the most ancient prophecies, {Geih ix. 25.) are become slaves to christians, the descendants of Japheth.f We find in the sacred record, at a subsequent pe- riod, that the Almighty permitted the Israelites to make slaves of the surrounding heathen, and to hold them in bondage /or ever ; thus confirming the curse of Noah. " Thy bond-men, and thy bond-7naids,'^^ said the Almighty to the Israelites, " which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you ; of them shall ye buy bond-men and bond-maids- And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession ; they shaU he your bond-men for ever. Here is God's express command to the Israelites, to hold slaves /or ever, provided they were not of their brethren — " but," the command continues, " over your own brethren, the children of Irael, ye shall not rule over another with rigour." — Lev. xxv. 44. 46. These were to be released in the Sabbatical year, or at the Jubilee, but the others were to remain in bond- * Bishop Newton's Dissertations on the Prophecies, [. pp. 10. — 24. Lond. 1786; where several authorities are quoted. t Bishop Wilson's Essay towards an Instruction for the Indians^ &c. — Preface, p. 9. Lond. 1754. 1& age for ever. — Exod. xxi. 2. — 7. — DexiL xv. 12. i6. 1 7. — Lev. XXV. the whole chapter.* It further appears from holy writ, that the Jews have been exterminated as a nation, and dispersed, over the face of the earth, according to prophecy ; and that according to other prophecies, they are uhi- mately to be gathered together and restored-! But we find no prophecy which removes the curse of servitude from the descendants of Ham and Ca- naan. These appear to be left to the wisdom and discretion of those to whom they may belong, and to * It is a well known fact, that great numbers of the Negroes in Africa, are born in absolute and unconditional slavery. Adultery, and other crimes, are there punished with slavery. Muhammedan schoolmasters in the interior, receive a slave, or the price of a slave, for teaching a scholar the Koran. Should the parent fail to make payment, they retain the child in bondage, and dispose of him as they think fit. Debt, likewise, subjects the dehnquent to slavery. And it has often occurred, from the natural indolence of the Negroes, that many have been in such extreme want, that they have gone to the Factors, and voluntarily placed themselves in bondage, to preserve their lives. War among the petty kings, supplies the greatest number of slaves ; they who are taken in battle, may, ac- cording to their laws, be put to death. It may be said, that if there were no purchasers, these things would cease. Some of these evils doubtless would. Therefore, I am a friend to the total annihilation of the slave trade, and to judicious efforts for the civilization and religious instruction of the Africans. It is here worthy of remark, that among the ancient Jews, some of the same causes of slavery existed, as we find them in Africa, at the present day : The fear of want. — Lev. xxv. 39- 40. Theft, if the party were unable to make restitution. — Ex. xxii. 3. Debt. — 2 Kings, iv. 1. — Matt, xviii. 25. But these slaves, as remarked above, were released at a given time. And it was common to them, and other nations, to make slaves of their captives in war. — 2 Chro- xxxvi. 20. — Jer. xliii. 1. 8. Profane history may be consulted on tliis subject. t Amos viii. 11. to end of the next chapter. — Mic. ii. 12. 13,-^=. Zech. viii. 2. to end. — Luke xxi. 20 — 25. 20 the general operation, and beni?:n influence, of the Christian religion, on the human heart. If we turn to the New Testament, we shall see that slavery is not incompatible with the principles and profession of Christianity. We have the most conclusive evidence to the contrary. But, at the same time, we have evidence equally as strong, that Christianity makes it our duty to give religious in- struction to our servants. The following case will establish both tht'se positions : Onrsimus was the slave of Philemon, a distinguished man at Colosse, a city of considerable wealth and importance in Phrygia. He ran away from his master, and fled to Rome, where St. Paul, at the time, was a prison- er. Onesimus was a heathen ; but the Apostle con- verted him to the Christian faith. Now, what was the consequence of this conversion ? Did St. Paul tell him that Christianity made him free from his temporal servitude ? No. Did he tell him that slavery was contrary to the law of God, and, there- fore, that the laws of man could not make it legal ? No. He sent him back to his master, whom he en- treated to forgive him, and to receive him again into favour, not only as a servant, but as a brother in the Lord. See St. PauVs Epistle to Philemon* All * That no doubt may exist in the mind of the reader, as to the absolute bondage of Onesimus, I request them to consult Dr. Adam Clark, Dr. Doddridge, Dr. Scott, Dr. Whitby, Bishop Tondine, and Dr. Macknight, on the place. The latter, in treating of the several uses of this Epistle, says : " that the precepts of the Gospel found in it, may be improved in various respects for regu- lating our conduct. For it is therein insinuated, 1st. That ali 21 the sophistry in the world, cannot get rid of this de- cisive example. Christianity robs no man of his rights, and Onesimus was the property of his mas- ter, under the laws of his country, which must be obeyed, if not contrary to the laws of God. — Acts iv. 19. " Let every man," says the same Apostle, " abide in the same calling wherein he was called." 1 Cor. vii. 20. If he is converted while he is a slave, a slave he must remain, according to the pleasure of his master. After Onesimus was converted, he ex- pressed no fear of returning to the service of a Christian master ; for, most probably, St. Paul had taught him to expect, that he would be received with Christian kindness, and enjoy all the privileges of the Christian faith and worship. I cannot see any serious objection to the religious instruction of our servants. Let us inquire, what it is to make them Christians ? Is it not to instruct them in the word of God, and to teach them their duty to God, and to man ? Can a knowledge of Di- vine Revelation, which was specially given for our " instruction in righteousness," injure the welfare of any human being? It is impossible. The perversion of Scripture will ruin the souls of black or white ; Christians are on a level. Onesimus, the slave, on becoming a Christian, is the Apostle's son, and Philemon's brother. 2d. That Christianity makes no alteration in men^s political state. Onesi- mus the slave, did not become a freeman by embracing Christian- ity, but was still obliged to be Philemon's slavb for ever, unless^ his master gave him his freedom. That slaves should not be ta- ken nor detained from their master, without their master's con- sent," &c — Macknighton the Epistles, iii. p. 322^ Lond. — I8l6. 11 but the right understanding thereof, must make thero " wise unto salvation ;" and, if so, it must make them better servants to God, and to their masters. " Lay apart," says 8L James^ the brother, i. e. the kinsman, of our Lord, "all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the en- grafted word, which is able to save your souls." — James i. 2L But the souls of the impenitent wick- ed are not saved ; for the Psalmist says that " the wicked shall be turned into hell." — Ps. ix. 17. Therefore it is by the conversion of the wicked, by making them moral and religious beings, that " the engrafted word," will save their souls alive. It is by " laying apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness," all disobedient, disorderly, unfaithful, immoral, and irreligious conduct, that the soul is prepared for salvation, by the engrafted word of God ; and this word of God is revealed to us in the Bible. Can, then, a knowledge of the religion of the Bible, be useless to any person, or particularly im- proper for our servants ? St. Paul asserts, that " the Holy Scriptures are able to make us wise unto sal- vation through faith which is in Christ Jesus ; and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,and is pro- fitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim- iii. 15. 16. After this high commendation of the excellency, and general practical usefulness of the Bible, shall we, or can we with truth, say, that the word of God is not adapted to the various conditions of men ? Shall "" " 23 We pretend to a better knowledge of what is neces- sary for man, than the Holy Ghost, who endited these paragraphs ? I trust not. But let us see what the Scriptures will teach our servants : As I pre- sume that the Decalogue and the Lord's Praj'er, will be acknowledged to be as fit for our servants use, as our own, we shall turn to the directions given by the Apostles, for their government. " Let every man," says St. Paul, " abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou call- ed, being a servant f Care not for it : but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather," i. e. be not soli- citous to be made free." " For he that is called in the Lord," i. e. he who is a Christian, " being a s.ervant,'''' is the Lord's freeman."— 1 Cor. vii. 20-23. *' Servants, be obedient to them that are your l/ masters according to the flesh, with fear and trem- bling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers ; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart ; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men :" And as an encouragement to the good conduct of servants, the Apostle holds out to them the hope of reward. " Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." — Eph. vi. 5-9. See the same words repeated to the christian slaves of Colosse, the very place of Onesimus's servitude. — Col. iii. 22. 23. 24 24 It must here be remarked, that the original word tevxst rendered servant, means a slave* Tlie Apostle in his charge to Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus, expresses himself with great force on this subject : " Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blas- phemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not desi)ise them, because they are brethren ; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud," &c. — 1 Tim* vi. 1—9. The same Apostle, in his charge to Titus, Bishop of Crete, says : " Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things ; not answering again ; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity." — Tit. ii. 9. 10. And St. Peter, likewise, has left directions on the same subject: " Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear ; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. — 1 Pet. ii. 18. The word * The treatment of slaves in the time of the Apostles was severe in the extreme, and bears no comparison with their condition at the present day. Their masters had the power of life and death in their own hands. And yet, it was of such slaves, that the Apostles spoke, and commanded their obedience and faithfulness to their masters. — \Vho then, can doubt, that Christianity is adapted to every condition of men, whether bond or free ? 25 rendered servants, in the original is */*ir«i domestic slaves, or house-servants. This is a remarkable text, and must be j)articiilar!y noticed. The Ai)ostle re- quires j'rom servants obedience, submission^ subjection, to a bad, as well as to a good master. There is nothinj; in the law of God, which can, in the slight- est manner, justify the disobedience and r('volt of slaves. Faithfulness, obedience and integrity, are every where inculcated, and in every condition and circumstance of life, are universally required. Is any i)erson prepared to say that, notwithstand- ing these things " w<'re written by inspiration of God," (2 Tim. iii. 16.) for the use and benefit of our servants, that we ought not to permit our servants even to hear them read ! That because they are igno- rant, they must remain ignorant of what God in his wisdom, has been pleased to reveal for them alone ! Tills, I apprehend, is as bad logic, as it is unscrip- tural. Because I am poor, is that a reason why I should not honestly endeavour to become rich ? Was it not this which constituted one of St. Paul's charges against the Jews, that they forbad the Apostles to speak to the Gentiles, lest they might be saved ? — 1 Thess. ii. lb. Is not this what Gamaliel calls " fight- ing against God ?^—Acts v. 39. If ir be not, I know not what else to call it. What can be " fighting against God," if it be not opposing his revealed will, and intercei)ting, and withholding, the communica- tions between God, and the people to whom they are graciously sent ? This is an awful thought! Who 4 26 liath hardoiied himself against God, and hath pros^- . peied ? — Job ix. 4. But let me ask, whether we can conceive advice more judicious, and better adapt- ed to the condition of our slaves, than what we see has been given by the Apostles of our blessed Sa- viour ? If our servants lived by these rules, would it not be better for all parties ? Are not our servants capable of understanding these simple duties ? Some indeed, may not comprehend the Christian spirit of the law, but all will understand the letter; and when they know that these duties are required of them by the word of God, they may be willing to discharge them. But the more ignorant the being, the greater is the necessity for his instruction. They may as often err through ignorance, as vice. Misunderstand- ing the duties of their condition, they may mean to do right, when they are actually committing evil. Religious instruction would set them right. Besides, ignorance renders them subject to deception. An int( lligent knave might easily excite their fears, or thrir passions, and lead them into mischief. I grant, that knowledge is power. But Christian knowledge, is " peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," chastity, obedience. — Gal. V. 22. 23. Pure and undefiled religion will always produce these effects. Order, not disorder, is its natural consequence. Obedience, not rebellion, is the fruit of the Gospel. Christianity was founded by the l^rince of Peace, and has for its object peace in this world, and in that which is beyond the grave. 27 It may be abused as well as any thing else ; but that must be owing to the wickedness of its enemies, or the injudicious conduct of its friends. Christianity breathes peace and good will to the whole human race ; and all who live by its precepts, must be better men, in every condition of life. Masters will become more kind, and slaves more obedient. Each will feel his responsibility increased, and each will rejoice before God, that he has been found faithful in the duties which his condition in life required. God is the moral Governor of the universe ; and the rulers of nations and communities, the fathers of families, and the owners of slaves, are, each in their respec- tive spheres, the head of a moral government, in sub-: jection to God, for the good of society, the happiness of the people, and the glory and honour of God's name. Being invested with tiiis moral control, we shall be held accountable for its use. in the great day of retribution. And it appears to me, not to be the least important part of the business, to reflect on our relative situation at the judgement-seat of Christ ; when we shall be surrounded by the collected hosts of heaven and earth, and among them, the slaves we possessed in this world. Think, reader, wliat de- light it must give to the pious heart in that awful day, to hear these people welcomed as disciples of our common Lord and Saviour ! Think of the joy we must feel to know, that it was through our instru- mentality, and the grace of God, tiiat they were brought to that happy state! And should any be 28 iinaily lost, how consoling will be the reflection, that ihey are not lost through our negligence, or example. We have an unquestionable right to exi)ect, in re- turn for the kindness we show to our slaves, obedi- ent and orderly behaviour. But may it not be asked, without giving offence, whether, without rational in- struction, we can reasonably expect it ? Obedience may, it is true, be rendered through fear; but this will soon cease to operate, and will never be sincere. But when it is the result of a proi)er sense of moral obligation, it will always be faithful. Have these people ever received any moral or religious demon- strations of their duty ? Have they, generally, been told, what God, in his word, requires of them ? Or have they, generally, been left to shift for themselves ; to brood over the ills of life ; to live without hope ; to cherish their vices; to indulge their passions, and to live according to their own view of things ? I have said, generally^ because there are many families, who feel it as much a religious duty, to instruct their ser- vants in a knowledge of God their Saviour, as they do their children. 1 will ap])eal to the bosom of every religious man, and ask him to declare, whether, from his own expe- rience, he does not feel the restraining influence of his religion in every circumstance and condition of life ; and whether, he does not rejoice " with joy unspeakable," when he contrasts his present obedi- ence and faithfulness to God and to man, with his condition, while under the influence of his passions 29 and the fear of the scorner ? And what was it that produced the change ? Was it not the revealed word of God, brought homo to his conscience and his heart, by Divine Grace ? And can we. prove, that this will not be the effect of God's word, and grace, upon the conscience and heart of a slave ? If we can make but one slave a better man, we serve our country ; if we can save but one soul from the wrath to come, we gK)rify God. And all that we can possibl}' do to accomplish this end, is like the " dust in the balance," when placed in opposition to such an object. And oh. Reader! Hearken to the declaration of God hy the mouth of bis holy servants : " He which con- verteth the sinner from the error of his way, shall save his soul from [eternal] death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" — James v. 20. " And they that be teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firma- ment ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." — Dan. xii. 3. margin. What an inducement for Christians to labour for the the conversion of the ignorant and the wicked ! I will again appeal to every Christian Master, and ask him, whether his mind would not be more at case, and his heart more elated with religious joy, to know that he dwelt among real professors of Christ- ianity, who daily offered up their prayers, for the prosperity and happiness of himself and his family, rather than among Muhammedans, whose religion encourages licentiousness. an carefully ex- plained to them. And so should those passages which thev may, and actually have, wrestfd to their own destruction —2 Pet. iii. 16. Upon a late afflict- ing occasion in Charleston, one of the convicts, the day before his execution, was overheard expounding to his wife, the beginning of the I4th chapter of St. John, and applying it to himself. It was necessary, he said, that he should go to prepare a place in heaven for his wife ! Thus abusing the gracious words of our blessed Saviour to his immediate dis- ciples.* This leads me to advert to a circumstance connect- ed with the unhappy event which gave rise to these remarks. The circumstance is this: None of the Negroes helonains: to the Protestant Episcopal Church were concerned in the late conspiracy. To what cause * While briefly suggesting what may be done in this matter, I will just hint at a subject, which some may think of importance. The celebration of the Fourth of July, belongs exdiisivehi to the white population of the United States. The American Revolution was ^family quarrel am'm^ eqita/s. In this, the Neoroes had no concern; their' condition remained, and must remain, unchanged. They have no moi e to do with the celebration of that day, than with the landing of the Pilgrims on the rock at Plymouth. It ther'-fore appears to me, to be improper to allow these people to be pres^^nt on these occasions. In our speeches and orations, much, and sometimes more than is politically necessary, is said about per- sonal liberty, which Negro auditors know not how to apply, except by running the parallel with their own condition. They, there- fore, imbibe false notions of their personal rights, and give reality in their minds, to what has no real existence. The peculiar state of our community, must be steadily kept in view. This, I am gra- tified to learn, will, in some measure, be promoted by the mstitution «f The South-Carolina Association. 5 34 is this to be attributed ? Their condition is no better; they live under the same circumstances and treat- ment, and they have the same natural ignorance and superstition, as the rest of their race. And yet, in this instance, there was a marked difference. There must be, in the very nature of things, some reason for this. What this reason may be, is worthy of our inquiry. Is it because in the sober, rational, sub- lime and evangelical worship of the Protestant Epis- copal Church, there is nothing to inflame the pas- sions of the ignorant enthusiast ; nothing left to the crude, undigested ideas of illiterate black class-lead- ers ? Is it because the coloured leaders in that Church, were not permitted to expound the Scrip- tures, or to exhort, in words of their own; to use extemporary prayer, and to utter at such times, what- ever nonsense and profanity might happen to come into their minds? Is it because the order and lan- guage of the worship of that Church, being precom- posed and arranged, cannot ho perverted or abused to party purposes ? These qiiestions deserve serious reflection. When the coloured class-leaders in the Protestant Episcopal Church, were allowed to meet for religious exercises,* ttiey were accustomed to use no other worship than the regular course prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, for the day. Hymns or Psalms out of the same book were sung, and a print- * These meetings have been discontinued since the event allu- ded to. S5 ed sermon read. White persons were often present on these occasions. No extemporary address, ex- hortation, or prayer, was permitted, or used. Here was nothing to mislead the weak, excite the passions of the wicked, or i>ni)Ose upon the credulous. The exercises were rational and pious, and the audience decorous. Had Divine Service been held on the same evenings in the Church, the same exercises would have been performed, with the exce])tion of the sermon. At the time alluded to, there were 316 black and coloured communicants in the Episcopal Churches in Charleston, and all of them were free from reproach; and there were, at the same time, about 200 black and coloured children in their Sunday Schools. The instruction in these schools, will be admitted to be judicious and useful. In the Third Annual Report of the Charleston Proiestant Episco- pal Sunday School Society, it is stated, p. 4, that *' several classes of coloured children are instructed by some elderly coloured members, under the inspec- tion of the Ministers of the Church. Their instruc- tion consists in, a knowledge of the Church Cate- chism ; some portions of the sacred writings, and the Psalms and Hymns. No secular instruction is given in this school." The children committed their exer- cises to memory.* * I think there is sufficient evidence to establish tlie fact, that the general character for orderly conduct, in many of the Negroes and people of colour, belonging to tlie Protestant Episcopal Churches in Charleston, is, in a great measure, to be attributed to the excellent foundation which was laid, for their moral and religi- ous instruction, in the School established before the Revolution, in 36 The event which gave rise to these " considera- tions." hn\ its oriiiin and scat, chiefly in the Afri- can Church, which was entirely composed of negroes, un(l>*r preachers of their own colour ; but it involv- ed a few individuals [)elonginft to other Churches.* And I write it with feelings of the deepest regret, that som+' of the conspirators were preachers, class- leaders, and communicants ;t thus verifying the St. Philip's Church. There are several very orderly and decent negroes, and people of colour, now living, 'vho were instructed in that School ; and their general deportment has satisfied me, of the usefulness of these institutions, for meliorating the moral character of otu- black an