AGAINST SLAVERY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 16, 10 August 1888, Page 25

AGAINST SLAVERY.

THE LKTTBR OF THE POPE TO THE BISHOPS OF BRAZIL

Tbkbbabli Brethren, Health and the Apostolic Benediction : — Amid the i«fcay and great demonstrations of affection which from almost all thepeoples of the earth hare come to Us, and are still coming to Us, in congratulation of the happy attainment of the fiftieth Anniversary of oar priesthood, there is one which mores us in a quite special way. We mean one which comes from Brazil, where upon the occasion of this happy event, large numbers of those who in that rast empire groan beneath the yoke of slavery, have been legally set free. And this work, to full of the spirit of Christian mercy, has been offered up in co-operation with the clergy, by charitable members of tke laity of both sexes to God, the Author and Giver of all good things, in testimony of tbair gratitude for the favour of the health and the years which have been granted to as. Bat this was especially acceptable aad sweet to Us because it lent confirmation to the belief, which is so welcome to Us, that th e great majority of the people of Brazil desire to see the cruelty of slavery ended and rooted oat from the land. This popular feeling has beea strongly seconded by the Emperor and his augast daughter, and by the Ministers, by means of various laws which, with this end in view, have been introduced and sanctioned. We told the Brazilian Ambassador last January what a consolation these thiugs were to Us, and We also aaaured him that We would address letters to the Bishops of Brazil in behalf of these nnhappy slaves. We, indeed, to all men are the Vicar of Christ, the Son of God, Who so loved the ho man race that not only did He not refuse, taking our nature to Himself, to lire among men, bat delighted in the name of the Bon of Man ; openly proclaiming that He had come upon earth " to preach deliverance to the captives " in order that, rescuing mankind from the worst slavery, which is the slavery of sin, '' He might re-establish all things that are in heaven and on earth," and bo bring back all the children of Adam from the depths of the ruin of the common fall to their original dignity. The words of St. Gregory the Great are very applicable here : Since our Redeemer, the Author of all life, deigned to take human flesh, that, by the power of His Go Ihoodt the chains by which we were held iv bondaga being broken, He might restore us to oar first state of liberty, it is most fitting that men, by the concession of manumission, should redtore to the freedom in which they were born those whom nature sent free into the world, bat who have been condemned to the yoke of slavery by the Law of Nations." It is right, therefore, and obviously in keeping with Our Apostolic Office, that We should favour and advance by every means in Our power whatever helps to secure for men, wbethar as individuals or as communities, safeguards against the many miseries which, like tho fruits of an evil tree, have sprung from the sin of our first parent e ; and such safeguards, of whatever kind they may be, help not only to promote civilisation and the amenititt of life, but lead on to that universal restitution of all things which our Redeemer Jesus Christ contemplated and deiired. In the presence of so much suffering, the condition of slavery, in which considerable part of the great human family has been sunk m squalor and affliction now for many centuries, is deeply to be deplored ; for the system is one which is wholly opposed to that which was originally ordained by God and by nature. The Supreme Author of all things so decreed that man should exercise a sort of royal dominion over beasts and cattle, and fish and fowl, but never that men should exercise a like dominion over their fellow-men. As Bt. Augustine put* it : " Having created man a reasonable being, and after His own likeiess, God wished that he should rule only over the brute creation ; that he should be the master, not of men, but of beasts." From this it follows that the state of slavery is rightly regarded as a penalty upon the sinner ; thus the word slave does not occur in the Bible until the just man Noe branded with it the siu of bis son. II was sin, therefore, which deserved this name ; it was not natural. From the first sin came all evils, and specially this perversity, that there were men who, forgetful of the original brotherhood of the race, instead of seeking, as they should naturally have done, to promote mutual kindness and mutual respect, following their evil desires, began to think of other men as their inferiors, an 1 to hold them as cattle born for the yoke. In this way, through an absolute forgetfulness of our common nature and of human dignity, and the likeness of God stamped upon us all, it came to pass that in the contentions and wars which then broke out, those who were the stronger reduced the conquered into slavery ; so that mankind, though of the same race, became divided into two sections, the conquered slavts and their victorious master?. The history of the ancient world presents us with this miserable spectacle down to the time of the coming of our Lord, when the calamity of slavery had fallen heavily upon all the people, and the number of freemen had become so reduced that the poet was able to put this atrocious phrase into the mouth of Csa^&r . " The human race exists for the sake of a f«w." The system flourished even among the most civilised peoples, among the Greeks and among tbe Romans, with whom the few imposed their will apon the many ; and this powei was exercised so vDJustly and with such haughtiness, that a crowd of slaves was regarded merely as bo many chattels, not as persons, but as tfciags. They were held to be outside the sphere of law, and without even the claim to retain and enjoy life. "Slaves are in the power of their mastere, and this power is derived from the Law of Nations ; for wo find that among all nations masters have the power of life and death over their slave*, and whatever a slave earns belongs to his master." Owing to this state of moral confusion it became lawful for men to sell their slaves, to give them in exchange, to dispose of them by will, to beat them, t~ v /ll them, to abuse them by forcing thefc to nerve for the gratifica44^BL evil paaiiom and cruel superstitions ; these things could be doai^egally, with impunity, and in the light of heaven. Even those who were wisest in tbe pagan world, illustrious philosophers and learned jujjscensults, outraging the common feeling of mankind, suc-

ceeded in persuading themselves and others that slavery was simtdy a necessary condition of nature. Nor did they hesitate to assert that the slave class was vjry inferior to the free men both in intelligence and perfection of bodily development, and therefore that slaves, as things wanting in reason and sense, ought in all things to be the instruments of the will, however rash and unworthy, of their masters. Such inhuman and wicked doctrines are to be specially detested ; for when once they are accepted there is no form of opposition so wicked but that it will defend itself beneath some colour of legality and justice. History is full of examples showing what a seed-bed of crime what a pest and calamity this system has been for States ; hatreds are excited in the breasts of the slaves, and the masters are kept in a state of suspicion and perpetual dread ; the slaves prepare to avenge themselves with the torches of the incendiary, and the masters continue the tast of oppression with greater cruelty. States are disturbed alternately by tbe number of slaves and by the violence of the masters, and so are easily overthrown ; hence, in a word, come riots and seditions, pillage and fire. The greater part of humanity were toiliog in this abyss of misery and were more to be pitied because they were sunk in the darkness' of superstition, when in the fulness of time and by the designs of God, light shone down upon the world, and the meriti of Christ the Redeemer were poured out upon mankind. By that means they were lifted out of the slough and the distress of slavery, and recalled and brought back trom the terrible bondage of sin to their high dignity as the sons of God; Thus the Apostles, in tbe early days of the Church, among other precepts for a devout life taught and laid down the doctrine which more than once occurs in the Epistles of 8t Panl addressed to those newly baptised : " For you are all the children of God by faith, in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptised in Christ, bave put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek ; these is neither bond nor free ; there is neither male nor female. For you areall one in Jesus Christ. Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircamcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all and in all. For in one spirit were we all baptised into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or fr«e ; and in one Spirit we bave all been made to drink." Golden words indeed, nobls and wholesome lessons whereby its old dignity is given back and with increase to tha human race, and men of whatever land or tongue or class are bound together and joined in the strong bonds of brotherly kinship. Those things St. Paul, with that Christian charity with which he was filled, learned from the very heart of Him who, with such surpassing goodness, gave Himself to be the brother of us all, and in His own person, without omitting or excepting anyone, so ennobled men that they might become participators in the Divine Nature. Through this Christian charity the various races of men were drawn together nnder the Divine guidance in such a wonderful way that they blossomed into a new state of hope and public happiness ; aa with the progreu of time and events and the constant labour of the Church the various nations were able to gather together, Christian and free, organised anew after the manner of a family. From the beginning the Church spared no pains to make the Christian peoples in a matter of such higk importance accept and firmly hold the true teaching of Christ and the Apostles. And now through the new Adam, who is Christ, there is established a brotherly union between man and man, and people and people ; just as in the order of nature they all have a common origin, so in the order which is above nature they all have one and the sama origin in salvation and faith ; all alike are called to be adopted sods of God and the Father, Who has paid the self-same ransom for us all ; we »re members of the same body, all are allowed to partake of the same Divine banquet, and offered t > us all are the blessings of Divine grace and of eternal life. Having established these principles as beginning! and founda* tions, the Church, like a tender mother, weat on to try to find some alleviation for the sorrows aud the disgrace of the life of the slave ; with this end in view she clearly denned and strongly enforced the rights and mutual duties of masters and slaves aa they are laid down in the letters of the Apostles. It was in these words that the Prince of the Apostles admonished the slaves they bad admit'ed to the fold ofj Christ. " Bervants, be subject to your masters, with all fear, not only to the good and gsntle, but also to the froward." " Servants, b* obedient to them that are /our lords according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your heart, aa to Christ. Nol serving to the eye, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With a good will serving as to the Lord, and not to men. Knowing that whatsoever good things any man shall do, the same shall he receive from the L>rd, whether he be bond or free." St. Paul says the same to Timothy : " Whosoever are servants under the yoke, let them count their masters worthy of all honour ; lert the name of the Lord and His doctrine be blasphemed. But they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren, but serve them the rather, because they are faithful and beloved, who are partaksrs of the benefit. These things teach and exhort." In like manner he commanded Titus to teach servants "to be obedient to their masters, in all things pleasing, not gain-saying. Not defrauding, but in all things showing good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." Those first disciples of the Christian faith very well understood that this brotherly equality of all men in Christ ought in no way to diminish or detract from the respect, honour, faithfulness and other duties due to those placed above them. From this many good results followed, so that duties became at once more certain of being performed, and lighter and pleasanter to do, and at the same time more fruitful in obtaining the glory of heaven. Thus they treated their masters with reverence and honour, as men clothed in the authority from whom comes all power. Among the disciples themselves the motive of action was not the fear of punishment or any enlightened prudence of the promptings of utility, but a consciousness of duty and the force of chanty. On the other haod, masters were wisely counselled by the Apostle to treat their slaves with consideration in return for their services. " And, you. masters, do the same things unto them, fo^earing threatomngs ; knowing that the Lord, both of them and yow is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with Him,"

Th«y were also told to remember that the slave had no reasou to regiet his lot, eeemg that he is " the freeman of the Lord," nor the freeman, seeing that he is " the bordman of Christ," to feel proud, and to give his commands with haughtiness. It «fg imDressed upon masters that they ought to recognile in their slav^ theKow. ™ ShT' h f em accordingly, recognißing th»t by nature they JUL ™. ? 5 ere ?.K •° m tbemß elves, by religion and in relation to the majesty of their common Lord all were equal. The precepts, t j well calculated to introduce harmony among the varioas parts of XIfSSS 0 !? *• Tv, re praCti n by the Apostle! theamlves. P Sped' ally remarkable is the case of St. Paul when he exerted himself in Si? / 1" 1 " 1^^ ce f Ugitire flla7e of Philemon, with whom, when S AniTn e ?h to . hl9 v ma9ter . he thia loving recommendation : w fn^J? V h "? a 9 my Own bowel8 > not now as » a e^ant, but instead of a servant a most dear brother. And if he have S2&" w anyfching ' or i 8 in thy debt ' pufc thstto "y .l tt ™ h^Tf r cc T pareS tha Pagan and the Christian attitude towards hi£!J™T lly ?m?? m ? Z°/ ac «»elußton that the one was marked by great cruelty and wickedness, and the other by great gentleness and humanity, nor will it be possible to deprive the OhuFch of thi credit due to her as the instrument of this happy change. And this STIES. £T™ a PP arent whe * we consider carefully how tenderly and with what prudence the Church has cut out and destroyed this dreadful curse of slavery. She has deprecated any precipitate action m securing the manumission and liberation of the slaves* because that would have entailed tumults and wrought injury, as H2L& the slaves themselves as to the commonwealth, but wiK £& £ T.K B he has seen that the minds of the slaves should be instructed through her discipline in the Chr.stian faith, and with baptism should acqana habits suitable to the Christian life. There£?',lfcn ?T maltit " d * whom she has numbered among her children, some, led astray by some hope of liberty, have had raooune to violence and sedition, the Church has always condemned h^Lnf^ * ° rtß , and .° Ppoßed them ' attd through her ministers SSfc P h P i^rf T^Vu P* tience - S he taught the slaves to feel X^Vh • t ? c » 1 i! ght °^ holy faith « and the character they It^f li •„ 2 rU , tl ) hey eD J oyed a di g nit y wfa ich placed them ffZ JnVh heath f ford«' ord «' bu V hat the y were b^nd the more strict^ , % £ ° UDder Of tbeir fanh Himßelf ne ver to set tbemselves against these, or even to be wanting in the reverence and obediencedueto them. Knowing themselves as the chosen ones of theking. ?Z?U f o Z ?; a ° eQ^° Wed With the freedom of Hiß c hildren and called ™ wtKJ - mgß hh f t / re nofc of thiß lifte ' th «y were able to work ?«« w I°J ?*u be f ID &. « aßt down by the sorrows and troubles of this pass3Tin\>, c? n u d he arts turned to heaveo were consoled i SS5?2£?- e n fIDf lD f Gir h °l 7 reßolutio^- St. Peter was addressing i jumgelf specially to slaves when he w/ote : « For this is trustworthy, Jnllv Fo^f a ° d S man endure Borrowa ' Baff «"°K wrong- ! n« f\J Unt ° thlß yOU are called ' becaaße Christ also suffered for us leaving you an example that you should follow His steps." The credit for this sohcitude joined with moderation, which in such a wo iderf ul way displayed the Divine powers of the Church, is increased to y in R n^ ar a Ve i U8^ d UDCo °q u "able courage with which'she was able to kTm ,v, Qd SU l tai ° 80 t min y P° or Blaves - Ifc was a wonderful sight to^hmSS 7 ?u m the u r obedience ™* patience with which they submitted to their task, were such an example to their masters her faithfulness to Jesus Christ with her blood. Many other admir?hdr ce f XX a a S P wfth b r° Ut ? dd K Of Blaveß . wh o. 'or tbeir souls' »ke and tok^ep their faith with God, have resisted their masters to the death. Hiatory has no case to show of Ch.wtian B lav es fjr any other cau 9 e setUng (To be continued.')