THE RELIGIOUS TEACHER
"What! preach and enslave men?
Give thanks--and rob thy own afflicted poor?
Talk of thy glorious liberty, and then
Bolt hard the captive's door."--Whittier.
THE Rev. John Peck was a native of the state of Connecticut, where
he was educated for the ministry, in the Methodist persuasion.
His father was a strict follower of John Wesley, and spared no
pains in his son's education, with the hope that he would one day
be as renowned as the great leader of his sect. John had scarcely
finished his education at New Haven, when he was invited by an
uncle, then on a visit to his father, to spend a few months at
Natchez in the state of Mississippi. Young Peck accepted his
uncle's invitation, and accompanied him to the South. Few young
men, and especially clergymen, going fresh from a college to the
South, but are looked upon as geniuses in a small way, and who
are not invited to all the parties in the neighbourhood. Mr. Peck
was not an exception to this rule. The society into which he was
thrown on his arrival at Natchez was too brilliant for him not to
be captivated by it; and, as might have been expected, he
succeeded in captivating a plantation with seventy slaves, if not
the heart of the lady to whom it belonged. Added to this, he
became a popular preacher, had a large congregation with a snug
salary. Like other planters, Mr. Peck confided the care of his
farm to Ned Huckelby, an overseer of high reputation in his
way. The Poplar Farm, as it was called, was situated in a
beautiful valley nine miles from Natchez, and near the river
Mississippi. The once unshorn face of nature had given way, and
now the farm blossomed with a splendid harvest, the neat cottage
stood in a grove where Lombardy poplars lift their tufted tops
almost to prop the skies; the willow, locust, and horse-chestnut
spread their branches, and flowers never cease to blossom. This
was the parson's country house, where the family spent only two
months during the year.
The town residence was a fine villa, seated upon the brow of a
hill at the edge of the city. It was in the kitchen of this house
that Currer found her new home. Mr. Peck was, every inch of him,
a democrat, and early resolved that his "people," as he called his
slaves, should be well fed and not overworked, and therefore laid
down the law and gospel to the overseer as well as the slaves.
"It is my wish," said he to Mr. Carlton, an old school-fellow, who
was spending a few days with him, "it is my wish that a new
system be adopted on the plantations in this estate. I believe
that the sons of Ham should have the gospel, and I intend that my
Negroes shall. The gospel is calculated to make mankind better,
and none should be without it." "What say you," replied Carlton,
"about the right of man to his liberty?" "Now, Carlton, you have
begun again to harp about man's rights; I really wish you could
see this matter as I do. I have searched in vain for any authority
for man's natural rights; if he had any, they existed before the
fall. That is, Adam and Eve may have had some rights which God
gave them, and which modern philosophy, in its pretended reverence
for the name of God, prefers to call natural rights. I can
imagine they had the right to eat of the fruit of the trees of
the garden; they were restricted even in this by the
prohibition of one. As far as I know without positive assertion,
their liberty of action was confined to the garden. These were
not 'inalienable rights,' however, for they forfeited both them
and life with the first act of disobedience. Had they, after
this, any rights? We cannot imagine them; they were condemned
beings; they could have no rights, but by Christ's gift as king.
These are the only rights man can have as an independent isolated
being, if we choose to consider him in this impossible position,
in which so many theorists have placed him. If he had no rights,
he could suffer no wrongs. Rights and wrongs are therefore
necessarily the creatures of society, such as man would establish
himself in his gregarious state. They are, in this state, both
artificial and voluntary. Though man has no rights, as thus
considered, undoubtedly he has the power, by such arbitrary rules
of right and wrong as his necessity enforces." "I regret I cannot
see eye to eye with you," said Carlton. "I am a disciple of
Rousseau, and have for years made the rights of man my study; and
I must confess to you that I can see no difference between white
men and black men as it regards liberty." "Now, my dear Carlton,
would you really have the Negroes enjoy the same rights with
ourselves?" "I would, most certainly. Look at our great
Declaration of Independence; look even at the constitution of our
own Connecticut, and see what is said in these about liberty." "I
regard all this talk about rights as mere humbug. The Bible is
older than the Declaration of Independence, and there I take my
stand. The Bible furnishes to us the armour of proof, weapons of
heavenly temper and mould, whereby we can maintain our ground
against all attacks. But this is true only when we obey its
directions, as well as employ its sanctions. Our rights
are there established, but it is always in connection with our
duties. If we neglect the one we cannot make good the other. Our
domestic institutions can be maintained against the world, if we
but allow Christianity to throw its broad shield over them. But
if we so act as to array the Bible against our social economy,
they must fall. Nothing ever yet stood long against Christianity.
Those who say that religious instruction is inconsistent with our
peculiar civil polity, are the worst enemies of that polity. They
would drive religious men from its defence. Sooner or later, if
these views prevail, they will separate the religious portion of
our community from the rest, and thus divided we shall become an
easy prey. Why, is it not better that Christian men should hold
slaves than unbelievers? We know how to value the bread of life,
and will not keep it from our slaves."
"Well, every one to his own way of thinking," said Carlton, as he
changed his position. "I confess," added he, "that I am no great
admirer of either the Bible or slavery. My heart is my guide: my
conscience is my Bible. I wish for nothing further to satisfy me
of my duty to man. If I act rightly to mankind, I shall fear
nothing." Carlton had drunk too deeply of the bitter waters of
infidelity, and had spent too many hours over the writings of
Rousseau, Voltaire, and Thomas Paine, to place that appreciation
upon the Bible and its teachings that it demands. During this
conversation there was another person in the room, seated by the
window, who, although at work upon a fine piece of lace, paid
every attention to what was said. This was Georgiana, the only
daughter of the parson. She had just returned from Connecticut,
where she had finished her education. She had had the opportunity
of contrasting the spirit of Christianity and liberty in New
England with that of slavery in her native state, and had
learned to feel deeply for the injured Negro. Georgiana was in
her nineteenth year, and had been much benefited by a residence
of five years at the North. Her form was tall and graceful; her
features regular and well defined; and her complexion was
illuminated by the freshness of youth, beauty, and health. The
daughter differed from both the father and his visitor upon the
subject which they had been discussing, and as soon as an
opportunity offered, she gave it as her opinion, that the Bible
was both the bulwark of Christianity and of liberty. With a smile
she said, "Of course, papa will overlook my differing from him,
for although I am a native of the South, I am by education and
sympathy, a Northerner." Mr. Peck laughed and appeared pleased,
rather than otherwise, at the manner in which his daughter had
expressed herself.
From this Georgiana took courage and said, "We must try the
character of slavery, and our duty in regard to it, as we should
try any other question of character and duty. To judge justly of
the character of anything, we must know what it does. That which
is good does good, and that which is evil does evil. And as to
duty, God's designs indicate his claims. That which accomplishes
the manifest design of God is right; that which counteracts it,
wrong. Whatever, in its proper tendency and general effect,
produces, secures, or extends human welfare, is according to the
will of God, and is good; and our duty is to favour and promote,
according to our power, that which God favours and promotes by
the general law of his providence. On the other hand, whatever in
its proper tendency and general effect destroys, abridges, or
renders insecure, human welfare, is opposed to God's will, and is
evil. And as whatever accords with the will of God, in any
manifestation of it should be done and persisted in, so
whatever opposes that will should not be done, and if done, should
be abandoned. Can that then be right, be well doing--can that obey
God's behest, which makes a man a slave? which dooms him and all
his posterity, in limitless Generations, to bondage, to unrequited
toil through life? 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.'
This single passage of Scripture should cause us to have respect
to the rights of the slave. True Christian love is of an
enlarged, disinterested nature. It loves all who love the Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity, without regard to colour or condition."
"Georgiana, my dear, you are an abolitionist; your talk is
fanaticism," said Mr. Peck in rather a sharp tone; but the
subdued look of the girl, and the presence of Carlton, caused the
father to soften his language. Mr. Peck having lost his wife by
consumption, and Georgiana being his only child, he loved her too
dearly to say more, even if he felt displeased. A silence followed
this exhortation from the young Christian. But her remarks had
done a noble work. The father's heart was touched; and the
sceptic, for the first time, was viewing Christianity in its true
light.
"I think I must go out to your farm," said Carlton, as if to break
the silence. "I shall be pleased to have you go," returned Mr.
Peck. "I am sorry I can't go myself, but Huckelby will show you
every attention; and I feel confident that when you return to
Connecticut, you will do me the justice to say, that I am one who
looks after my people, in a moral, social, and religious point of
view." "Well, what do you say to my spending next Sunday there?"
"Why, I think that a good move; you will then meet with Snyder,
our missionary." "Oh, you have missionaries in these parts, have
you?" "Yes," replied Mr. Peck; "Snyder is from New York, and is
our missionary to the poor, and preaches to our 'people' on
Sunday; you will no doubt like him; he is a capital
fellow." "Then I shall go," said Carlton, "but only wish I had
company." This last remark was intended for Miss Peck, for whom
he had the highest admiration.
It was on a warm Sunday morning, in the month of May, that Miles
Carlton found himself seated beneath a fine old apple tree, whose
thick leaves entirely shaded the ground for some distance round.
Under similar trees and near by, were gathered together all the
"people" belonging to the plantation. Hontz Snyder was a man of
about forty years of age, exceedingly low in stature, but of a
large frame. He had been brought up in the Mohawk Valley, in the
state of New York, and claimed relationship with the oldest Dutch
families in that vicinity. He had once been a sailor, and had all
the roughness of character that a sea-faring man might expect to
possess; together with the half-Yankee, half-German peculiarities
of the people of the Mohawk Valley. It was nearly eleven o'clock
when a one-horse waggon drove up in haste, and the low squatty
preacher got out and took his place at the foot of one of the
trees, where a sort of rough board table was placed, and took his
books from his pocket and commenced.
"As it is rather late," said he, "we will leave the singing and
praying for the last, and take our text, and commence
immediately. I shall base my remarks on the following passage of
Scripture, and hope to have that attention which is due to the
cause of God:--'All things whatsoever ye would that men should do
unto you, do ye even so unto them'; that is, do by all mankind
just as you would desire they should do by you, if you were in
their place and they in yours.
"Now, to suit this rule to your particular circumstances, suppose
you were masters and mistresses, and had servants under you, would
you not desire that your servants should do their business
faithfully and honestly, as well when your back was turned as while
you were looking over them? Would you not expect that they should
take notice of what you said to them? that they should behave
themselves with respect towards you and yours, and be as careful of
everything belonging to you as you would be yourselves? You are
servants: do, therefore, as you would wish to be done by, and you
will be both good servants to your masters and good servants to God,
who requires this of you, and will reward you well for it, if you do
it for the sake of conscience, in obedience to his commands.
"You are not to be eye-servants. Now, eye-servants are such as
will work hard, and seem mighty diligent, while they think
anybody is taking notice of them; but, when their masters' and
mistresses' backs are turned they are idle, and neglect their
business. I am afraid there are a great many such eye-servants
among you, and that you do not consider how great a sin it is to
be so, and how severely God will punish you for it. You may easily
deceive your owners, and make them have an opinion of you that
you do not deserve, and get the praise of men by it; but remember
that you cannot deceive Almighty God, who sees your wickedness
and deceit, and will punish you accordingly. For the rule is,
that you must obey your masters in all things, and do the work
they set you about with fear and trembling, in singleness of
heart as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but
as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
with good-will doing service as to the Lord, and not as to men.
"Take care that you do not fret or murmur, grumble or repine at
your condition; for this will not only make your life
uneasy, but will greatly offend Almighty God. Consider that it
is not yourselves, it is not the people that you belong to, it is
not the men who have brought you to it, but it is the will of God
who hath by his providence made you servants, because, no doubt,
he knew that condition would be best for you in this world, and
help you the better towards heaven, if you would but do your duty
in it. So that any discontent at your not being free, or rich, or
great, as you see some others, is quarrelling with your heavenly
Master, and finding fault with God himself, who hath made you
what you are, and hath promised you as large a share in the
kingdom of heaven as the greatest man alive, if you will but
behave yourself aright, and do the business he hath set you about
in this world honestly and cheerfully. Riches and power have
proved the ruin of many an unhappy soul, by drawing away the
heart and affections from God, and fixing them on mean and sinful
enjoyments; so that, when God, who knows our hearts better than
we know them ourselves, sees that they would be hurtful to us,
and therefore keeps them from us, it is the greatest mercy and
kindness he could show us.
"You may perhaps fancy that, if you had riches and freedom, you
could do your duty to God and man with greater pleasure than you
can now. But pray consider that, if you can but save your souls
through the mercy of God, you will have spent your time to the
best of purposes in this world; and he that at last can get to
heaven has performed a noble journey, let the road be ever so
rugged and difficult. Besides, you really have a great advantage
over most white people, who have not only the care of their daily
labour upon their hands, but the care of looking forward and
providing necessaries for to-morrow and next day, and of clothing
and bringing up their children, and of getting food and raiment
for as many of you as belong to their families, which
often puts them to great difficulties, and distracts their minds
so as to break their rest, and take off their thoughts from the
affairs of another world. Whereas you are quite eased from all
these cares, and have nothing but your daily labour to look
after, and, when that is done, take your needful rest. Neither is
it necessary for you to think of laying up anything against old
age, as white people are obliged to do; for the laws of the
country have provided that you shall not be turned off when you
are past labour, but shall be maintained, while you live, by
those you belong to, whether you are able to work or not.
"There is only one circumstance which may appear grievous, that I
shall now take notice of, and that is correction.
"Now, when correction is given you, you either deserve it, or you
do not deserve it. But whether you really deserve it or not, it
is your duty, and Almighty God requires that you bear it
patiently. You may perhaps think that this is hard doctrine; but,
if you consider it right, you must needs think otherwise of it.
Suppose, then, that you deserve correction, you cannot but say
that it is just and right you should meet with it. Suppose you do
not, or at least you do not deserve so much, or so severe a
correction, for the fault you have committed, you perhaps have
escaped a great many more, and are at last paid for all. Or
suppose you are quite innocent of what is laid to your charge,
and suffer wrongfully in that particular thing, is it not possible
you may have done some other bad thing which was never
discovered, and that Almighty God who saw you doing it would not
let you escape without punishment one time or another? And ought
you not, in such a case, to give glory to him, and be thankful
that he would rather punish you in this life for your
wickedness than destroy your souls for it in the next
life? But suppose even this was not the case (a case hardly to be
imagined), and that you have by no means, known or unknown,
deserved the correction you suffered, there is this great comfort
in it, that, if you bear it patiently, and leave your cause in
the hands of God, he will reward you for it in heaven, and the
punishment you suffer unjustly here shall turn to your exceeding
great glory hereafter.
"Lastly, you should serve your masters faithfully, because of
their goodness to you. See to what trouble they have been on your
account. Your fathers were poor ignorant and barbarous creatures
in Africa, and the whites fitted out ships at great trouble and
expense and brought you from that benighted land to Christian
America, where you can sit under your own vine and fig tree and
no one molest or make you afraid. Oh, my dear black brothers and
sisters, you are indeed a fortunate and a blessed people. Your
masters have many troubles that you know nothing about. If the
banks break, your masters are sure to lose something. If the
crops turn out poor, they lose by it. If one of you die, your
master loses what he paid for you, while you lose nothing. Now let
me exhort you once more to be faithful."
Often during the delivery of the sermon did Snyder cast an anxious
look in the direction where Carlton was seated; no doubt to see
if he had found favour with the stranger. Huckelby, the
overseer, was also there, seated near Carlton. With all Snyder's
gesticulations, sonorous voice, and occasionally bringing his
fist down upon the table with the force of a sledge hammer, he
could not succeed in keeping the Negroes all interested: four or
five were fast asleep, leaning against the trees; as many more
were nodding, while not a few were stealthily cracking, and
eating hazelnuts. "Uncle Simon, you may strike up a
hymn," said the preacher as he closed his Bible. A moment more,
and the whole company (Carlton excepted) had joined in the well
known hymn, commencing with
"When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the sky."
After the singing, Sandy closed with prayer, and the following
questions and answers read, and the meeting was brought to a
close.
"Q. What command has God given to servants concerning obedience to
their masters?--A. 'Servants, obey in all things your masters
according to the flesh, not with eye-service as men-pleasers,
but in singleness of heart, fearing God.'
"Q. What does God mean by masters according to the flesh?--A.
'Masters in this world.'
"Q. What are servants to count their masters worthy of?-- A. 'All
honour.'
"Q. How are they to do the service of their masters?--A. 'With good
will, doing service as unto the Lord, and not unto men.'
"Q. How are they to try to please their masters?--A. 'Please him
well in all things, not answering again.'
"Q. Is a servant who is an eye-servant to his earthly master an
eye-servant to his heavenly master?--A. 'Yes.'
"Q. Is it right in a servant, when commanded to do any thing, to
be sullen and slow, and answer his master again?--A. 'No.'
"Q. If the servant professes to be a Christian, ought he not to be
as a Christian servant, an example to all other servants of love
and obedience to his master?--A. 'Yes.'
"Q. And, should his master be a Christian also, ought he not on
that account specially to love and obey him?--A. 'Yes.'
"Q. But suppose the master is hard to please, and threatens and
punishes more than he ought, what is the servant to do?--A. 'Do
his best to please him.'
"Q. When the servant suffers wrongfully at the hands of his
master, and, to please God, takes it patiently, will God reward
him for it?--A. 'Yes.'
"Q. Is it right for the servant to run away, or is it right to
harbour a runaway?--A. 'No.'
"Q. If a servant runs away, what should be done with him?--A. 'He
should be caught and brought back.'
"Q. When he is brought back, what should be done with him?--
A. 'Whip him well.'
"Q. Why may not the whites be slaves as well as the blacks?--
A. 'Because the Lord intended the Negroes for slaves.'
"Q. Are they better calculated for servants than the whites?--
A. 'Yes, their hands are large, the skin thick and tough, and they
can stand the sun better than the whites.'
"Q. Why should servants not complain when they are whipped?--
A. 'Because the Lord has commanded that they should be whipped.'
"Q. Where has He commanded it?--A. 'He says, He that knoweth his
master's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many
stripes.'
"Q. Then is the master to blame for whipping his servant?--A. 'Oh,
no! he is only doing his duty as a Christian.'"
Snyder left the ground in company with Carlton and Huckelby, and
the three dined together in the overseer's dwelling. "Well," said
Joe, after the three white men were out of hearing, "Marser
Snyder bin try hesef to-day." "Yes," replied Ned; "he want to show
de strange gentman how good he can preach." "Dat's a new sermon
he gib us to-day," said Sandy. "Dees white fokes is de very
dibble," said Dick; "and all dey whole study is to try to fool de
black people." "Didn't you like de sermon?" asked Uncle Simon.
"No," answered four or five voices. "He rared and pitched enough,"
continued Uncle Simon.
Now Uncle Simon was himself a preacher, or at least he thought so,
and was rather pleased than otherwise, when he heard others
spoken of in a disparaging manner. "Uncle Simon can beat dat
sermon all to pieces," said Ned, as he was filling his
mouth with hazelnuts. "I got no notion of dees white fokes, no
how," returned Aunt Dafney. "Dey all de time tellin' dat de Lord
made us for to work for dem, and I don't believe a word of it."
"Marser Peck give dat sermon to Snyder, I know," said Uncle
Simon. "He jest de one for dat," replied Sandy. "I think de people
dat made de Bible was great fools," said Ned. "Why?" Uncle Simon.
"'Cause dey made such a great big book and put nuttin' in it, but
servants obey yer masters." "Oh," replied Uncle Simon, "thars more
in de Bible den dat, only Snyder never reads any other part to
us; I use to hear it read in Maryland, and thar was more den what
Snyder lets us hear." In the overseer's house there was another
scene going on, and far different from what we have here described.