n of honor, to
"withdraw" from such men. Excommunicate them, cast them off,--cast
them out as evil spirits--have no fellowship with them, until they
repent of their crimes and cease from the evil of their ways. They are
enemies to "pure and undefiled religion," and traitors to their
country; and as such, they should be viewed and treated by every good
citizen.

Many persons suppose that abolitionism is of modern origin; but it is
an error, for we learn from the Epistle of Paul to Timothy, that it
was agitating the church of Christ in the apostolic ages. St. Paul
denounces those agitators as "men of corrupt minds;" and he moreover
says unto Timothy, "from such withdraw thyself;" viz., excommunicate
them--exclude them from the church, and have no fellowship with them.
It is a fact, worthy of note, that primitive Christians never meddled
with the civil institutions of the countries in which they resided.
They were under all circumstances good and loyal subjects. But the
efforts of the apostle Paul, to crush the monster abolitionism, did
not entirely succeed, for it has continued to agitate the church, from
that day to the present hour. Yes, the foul fiend, with head erect,
and brazen front, is stalking over our beloved country to the present
day!

It appears that portions of the church, notwithstanding the solemn
injunctions and admonitions of St. Paul, continued to interfere with
the civil and domestic relations of master and servant. But the
practice was condemned as unchristian, by nearly all the principal
_fathers_. Particularly, Ignatius, Chrysostom and Jerome. Ignatius
says, "let them (servants), serve their masters with greater
diligence, and not be puffed up--and let them not desire their liberty
to be purchased by the church." It was decreed by one of the ancient
councils of the church,--"if any teach, that by virtue of religion or
Christian instruction, that the slave may despise his master, or may
withhold his service, let him be anathema," viz., let him be accursed
of God, and separated or excommunicated from the church of Christ. Let
the church have no fellowship, union, or communion with him, and let
him be an off-cast from society.

Mark the above, reader! It is the language of the apostle Paul, and
the voice of the primitive church of Christ with reference to
abolitionism. I have said nothing worse--I have not said more--I shall
not say less. It is God's truth; harsh and severe as it may appear to
some