“Sir,” said Mr. D., “I am not ignorant of slavery. Having passed
thirty years of my life in a slave state, and having been a
slave-holder myself, I know something about it.
“Slavery in the church exposes her to the scoffs of the world.
Infidels despise a religion which they suppose sanctions such
oppression. I once heard a professor of religion laboring to justify
slavery from the Bible, in the presence of an infidel; who turned from
him with contempt, saying he despised such a religion.
“It exerts an influence upon the mind of the slave, prejudicial to the
reception of instruction. Suppose the master himself attempt to
instruct his slaves in the truths of religion――what confidence can he
have in the man, who deprives him of his liberty, and robs him of his
labor? I will state a case: An old slave told me, “Massa bery
’ligious――he bery good Christian. He hab prayers e’vry Sunday wid the
slaves――but he sure to read ’em dat chapter what say servants be
’bedient to massa.”