hen we turn to Africa, we find slavery, in all
its most horrid forms, existing throughout its whole extent, the slaves
outnumbering the freemen at least three to one. Looking, then, to the
whole world, we may with confidence assert, that slavery in its worst
forms subdues by far the largest portion of the human race!

Now, the inquiry is, how has slavery risen and thus spread over our
whole earth? We answer, by the _laws of war_, _the state of property_,
_the feebleness of governments_, the thirst for _bargain and sale_, the
_increase of crime_, and last, but not least, _by and with the consent
and approbation of Deity_!

These remarks may suffice by way of an introduction, and they will serve
to indicate the course we intend to pursue, if the announcement of the
text has not already done that. _Let as many servants as are under the
yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor_, &c. The word here
rendered _servants_ means SLAVES, converted to the Christian faith; and
the word rendered _yoke_ signifies the _state of slavery_ in which
Christ and the apostles found the world involved when the Christian
Church was first organized. By the word rendered _masters_ we are to
understand the heathen masters of those Christianized slaves. Even
these, in such circumstances, and under such domination, are commanded
to treat their masters with all honor and respect, that the name of God,
by which they were called, and the doctrine of God, to wit,
Christianity, which they had professed, might not be blasphemed, might
not be evil spoken of in consequence of their improper conduct. Civil
rights are never abolished by any communication from God's Spirit; and
those fiery bigots at the North who propose to abolish the institution
of slavery in this country are not following the dictates of God's
Spirit or law. The civil state in which a man was before his conversion,
is not altered by that conversion; nor does the grace of God absolve him
from any claims which the State, his neighbor, or lawful owner may have
had on him. All these outward things continue unaltered: hence, if a man
be under the sentence of death for murder, and God see fit to convert
him, he is not released from suffering the extreme penalty of the law!

The Church of Christ, when originally constituted, claimed no right, _as
an ecclesiastical organization_, to interfere in any way with the civil
government. This was the principle upon which the Church was founded, as