"And said unto them: Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

66 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. "And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

"They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us.

He saith unto them,

Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. "So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

"And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

"But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

"And when they had received it, they murmured against the good man of the house,

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Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

"But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst thou not agree with me for a penny?

"Take that thine is, and go thy way; I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

"Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

"So the last shall be first, and the first last; for many be called, but few chosen."-St. Matthew, chap. 20, verses 1 to 17.

Does not this parable condemn the fallacy of all agrarian theories, and show the wickedness of that communist philosophy which is based on the robbery of the rich in order to endow the poor, so that human conditions may be equalized?

Jesus Christ taught the responsibility of each individual to do justly, no matter what was his condition. The poor hired laborer in the vineyard was as surely bound by this law to be content with his penny, for which he had agreed-the market price-as the rich householder was to pay him the penny. The conditions of justice are equal.

We e are required by the Gospel to love our neighbor as ourselves; but we are not required, as this parable shows, to measure that love by our neighbor's standard of wants or demands. Because those poor hired servants wanted more than their just due, it did not follow that the rich householder was wrong in resisting their demands. True, he had the means of giving; and he was responsible to God for the manner in which he used his talents or wealth. Charity must be free, otherwise it is not mercy. He acted freely.

Here, then, is the standard for employers and hired servants: to deal justly" always. This is the duty of both parties. The rich employer must do more; he has more; he must "love mercy;" while to "walk humbly with God" is the duty of all

men.

The other parable which we shall quote shows the rights and duties of master and bond-servant. We entreat our readers to study its teachings with attention and reverence:

"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

"And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

"But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

"The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

"Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

"But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

“And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

"So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

"Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?

"And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."-St. Matthew, chap. 18, verse 23 to close.

This parable, given by the Saviour to teach the duty of forgiveness among Christian brethren-as God, their king and master forgives them-is exemplified by that of an earthly master who owned his servants-in other words, a slaveholder, having the right of selling his people. If this king, (or master, one who has sovereign power, that of ownership is the meaning of the Greek,) could righteously sell his servant, then to buy must have been equally just as well as legal.

Now bond-service in domestic life was an institution in the Hebrew polity, familiar from the time of Abraham, sanctioned by the moral law, incorporated into the Mosaic code, and its lawfulness or expediency had never been questioned.

Did not Jesus Christ know well the meaning of the language He used? He knew the human heart. Did He not know that His words, fairly interpreted, mean that a true believer in Christ, a Christian, in the highest sense of that holy term, may righteously hold slaves, and order their earthly destiny, subject only to that higher law"-or rather LAW OF THE MOST HIGHEST, which

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enjoins justice always, and mercy and forgiveness, as we hope for Heaven?

This king (or slaveholder) is represented as a man faultless towards his servants. He had granted this very servant (or slave) many and great privileges, even forgiving him (or canceling) a large debt; but he had not made him free. Does not the result show us that that "wicked servant" was not fit for freedom? That he must be subjected to the authority of a master, or he would injure and destroy his equals-his fellow-servants?

If "slavery is a sin against God and man, founded on injustice and cruelty," is it not passing strange that Jesus Christ should have chosen this system of master and bond-servant as representing the relation subsisting between God the Father and those who are forgiven and accepted of Him? Can we see no resemblance, no analogy? Are not believers the servants of God?"bought with a price"--even the precious blood of His Son, whose "obedience unto death" was required to free them from slavery to sin? Does not our divine Master grant us privileges, that glorious one of being called after His name-Christians? These Christians are bound to obey His laws, or they must, assuredly, suffer punishment.

It was thus that the disciples of Christ were instructed to understand this parable. They could never have inferred that "slavery was the sin to be throttled;" they would feel that good servants were in danger of being throttled, were “taken by the throat," when wicked servants had power.

This parable settles two important questions bearing on negro slavery in the United States, namely: that in bondage the marriage relation should be held sacred; and that families should be sold together.

"He commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children.”—Matthew, 18: 25.

We learn also from this parable, as well as from other teachings of Christ and His apostles, that bond-service was a condition which brought master and servant into nearer domestic intimacy of dependence and protection, than hired service ever can do. This protection to an inferior race is a high privilege, and may be made, to both master and servant, the means of great blessings, temporal and spiritual.

As if to body forth this idea to His followers, and teach them that the lowest menial services did not degrade the soul, nor hinder the grace of God, but rather offered opportunity of spiritual improvement, Christ not only took "on Him the form of a servant," but He performed the lowest office of a slave, when

"He girded Himself with a towel" and "washed the feet of His disciples."

It should be always borne in mind that the Bible nowhere represents slavery as sinful; but as a condition resulting from sin, as did the condition of hard labor, poverty, disease, and all the evils that flesh is heir to, even death itself, result from sin. Those who are born in the condition of slaves or of slaveholders are neither of them responsible for the place they hold in the world, but only for the manner in which they fulfil its duties. This is conclusively taught by the parable of the talents.*

Here again our blessed Lord represents the "kingdom of heaven" by a master and bond-servants—his " own servants;" they belonged to their lord; he could command them, reward

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

"And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. "Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

“And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

"But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

"After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

"And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

"He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

"Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed;

"And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine.

"His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed;

"Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

"Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."-St. Matthew, chap. 25, verses 14 to 30.

To one he gave ten talents; Each must improve what he

them, punish them, as he saw fit. to another five; to another one. receives; all are accountable in proportion. Such is the equality the Gospel sets forth.

The liberty the Gospel proclaimed was freedom from the bondage of Satan; but the disciple must always bear the yoke of Christ. Nowhere does He preach or teach what is now called "personal freedom"-that is, the right to disobey laws, either of God or man, if they do not suit us. Christ's example, the yoke His followers must wear, was always obedience to law, even unto death.

The apostles, who certainly knew how to expound the principles of the Gospel as truly as any man, be he priest or layman, can do it at this day, are all agreed on this point. "Bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ" was the proof of repentance unto salvation that Paul pressed on his Gentile converts. The condition of master and bond-servant, or slave, then prevailed throughout the world; it was an institution, like our own, inwoven into the domestic relations of society in every nation on earth, and Paul must have met with it everywhere that he taught and established churches.

Would not Paul, who was so zealous in his Master's cause, have rebuked slavery, if it had been sin? He has brought the subject before two churches and two bishops. Let us read what he has written; and first, to the Church of the Ephesians:

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your 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 to men :

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Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

"And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."-Ephesians, chap. 6, ver. 5—10.

These are Paul's counsels to the Colossians:

"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:

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men: "Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.

"But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

"Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."-Colos., chap. 3, verse 22-25; chap. 4, verse 1.

Thus Paul instructed the churches. Is there any abolition of