the lands
and farms of the Church, were especially instructed that it was part of
their duty to pursue and recapture fugitive bondsmen."

It must not be assumed that the Catholic Church was the only
ecclesiastical body to condone slavery, or that it was only the traffic
in black slaves that flourished a few hundred years ago.

"In the seventeenth century, thousands of Irish men, women and children,
were seized by the order or under the license of the English government,
and sold as slaves for use in the West Indies. In the Calendar of State
Papers, under various dates, between 1653-1656, the following entries
occur: 'For a license to Sir John Clotworthy to transport to America 500
natural Irishmen.' A slave dealer, named Schlick, is granted a license
to take 400 children from Ireland for New England, and Virginia. Later,
100 Irish girls and a like number of youths are sold to the planters in
Jamaica.

"Had the Church been against slavery it would have branded it as a
wrong, and have set the example of liberating its own slaves. It did
neither. Nay, the Church not only held slaves itself, not only protected
others who held slaves, but it thundered against all who should despoil
its property by selling or liberating slaves belonging to the Church.
The whole history of the Christian Church shows that it has never felt
itself called upon to fight any sound institution, no matter what its
character, so long as it favored the Church. Slavery and serfdom, war,
piracy, child labor, have all been in turn sanctioned." (_Chapman Cohen:
"Christianity, Slavery, and Labor."_)

In Abyssinia, the influence of Christianity has been dominant for a
longer period of time than anywhere else in the world. The population of
Abyssinia is at least ten million, and of this population not less than
one-fifth, probably more, are slaves. In 1929, Lady Kathleen Simon
published her book entitled, "Slavery," dealing with the slave trade of
the world. In this work it is pointed out that slave-owning is an
integral part of the religion of the country, and that opposition to the
abolition of slavery comes principally from the priesthood which
considers itself the guardian of the Mosaic law, and regards slavery as
an institution ordered by Jehovah.

Slave raids are constant in this country, and are accompanied by the
greatest brutality and cruelty. Vast areas are depopulated by these
raids and even at this date, gangs of slaves may be seen by travel