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Show 216 LIBERTY AND SLAVERY. tionists ru·awn from the immortality of the soul. "Into every human being," says he, " God has breathed an immortal spirit, more precious than the whole outward creation. No earthly nor celestial language can exaggerate the worth of a human being." The powers of this immortal spirit, he concludes, "reduce to insignificance all outward distinctions." Yea, according to St. Paul himself, they reduce to utter insignificance all outward distinctions, and especially the distinction between liberty and slavery. "Art thou called," says he, "being a slave? care not for it." Art thou, indeed, the Lord's freeman, and as suclt destined to reign on a throne of glory forever? Oh, then, care not for tbe paltry distinctions of the passing world! Now, whom shall the Christian teacher take for his model?-St. Paul, or Dr. Channing? Shall he seek to make men contented with the condition in which God has placed them, or shall he stir up discontent, and inflame the restless passions of men? Shall he himself, like tllC great apostle, be content to preach the doctrines of eternal life to a perishing world; or shall he make politics his calling, and inveigh against the domestic relations of society? Shall he exhort men not to continue in the condition of ARGUMENT FROM THE SCRIPTURES. 217 life in which God has placed them, but to take his providence out of his hands, and, in direct opposition to !tis word, assert their rights? In one word, shall he preach the gospel of Christ and his apostles, or shall he preach the gospel of the abolitionist? "Art thou called, being a servant? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." '£he Greek runs thus: dM' el xal /Ju"aaa< neuOepo, T'"taOa<, p.ii.J.J.o" XP~aat,-!iterally, "but even if thou canst become free, rather make use of." Make usc of what? The Greek verb is left without a case. IIow, then, shall this be supplied? To what does the ambiguous it of our translation refer? "One and all of the native Greek commentators in the early ages," says Stuart, " and many expositors in modern times, say that the word to be supplied is /JouJ.d'f, i. c. slavery, bondage. The reason which they give for it is, that this is the only construction which can support the proposition the apostle is laboring to establish, viz.: 'Let eYery man abide ir. atatu quo.' Even De Wette, (who, for his high liberty notions, was banished from Germany,) in his commentary on this passage, see!hc plainly to accede to the force of this re.illin- " |
