Notes on Slavery, Philemon and Onesimus

One of the many reasons why the Epistle to Philemonmeans so much to modern Americans, why it is so completely emotional, isbecause it echoes that traumatic division which occurred in the civil war (1861– 1865) of which the central and fractious issue was of slavery. Religiousauthorities on both sides fought their own theological battles, and theirprincipal weapon was the Bible. Neither hesitated to cite relevant articles ofscripture to support their views. One of the worst interpretations of Philemonamongst Southern clergymen was that Onesimus, although a slave had throughmysterious divine will been converted to Christian faith and found salvation.This, they claimed, completely justified the state of slavery. African heathensbrought to the New World in chains, to a state of slavery in America, were nowChristian slaves – and could revel in a hope of eternal salvation. In May 1861the Presbyterian Church met for their General Assembly in Philadelphia. Theissue of slavery split them in two, the Southern Church departed and inDecember 1861 adopted a statement written by James Henry Thornwell, a championof servitude;

“… We may be denounced, despised, and cast out ofthe synagogues of our brethren. But while they are wrangling about thedistinctions of men according to the flesh, we shall go forward in our divinework and confidently anticipate that, in the great day, as the consequence ofour humble labors, we shall meet millions of glorified spirits who have come upfrom the bondage of earth to a nobler freedom than human philosophy everdreamed of. Others, if they please, may spend their time in declaiming on thetyranny of earthly masters; it will be our aim to resist the real tyrants whichoppress the soul sin and Satan. These are the foes against whom we shall findit employment enough to wage a successful war. And to this holy war is thepurpose of our church to devote itself with redoubled energy. We feel that thesouls of our slaves are a solemn trust, and we shall strive to present themfaultless and complete before the presence of God….” – James Henry Thornwell, Minutesof the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States ofAmerica, Vol. I, Augusta, Ga., 1861, Appendix, pp. 55-59.

Going back in time, 150 years and browsing through thediaries of Cotton Mather (1663 – 1728), a Harvard graduate (1681) a New EnglandPuritan minister… we are struck by his devotion to Christianity, not a daypassed in his life without some deep and meaningful thought concerning thedivine. Mather constantly expresses his abysmal state of sin. He is chieflyremembered for two things; laying the foundation for the Salem Witch Trials,and ‘inventing’ a new method of administering a remedy for small pox – that ofinoculation. December 1706 contains an interesting entry:

“It was my Resolution, that I would study somesingular Way, in which, my Sins, (my pardoned and covered Sins! rich Grace,towards the Chief of Sinners!) may afford some great Revenues of Glory to theLord… In the Afternoon of this Day, I visited a Society of devout Women, whowere keeping this, as a Day of private and solemn Thanksgiving unto God. Iprayed with them; and I preached to them… This Day, a surprising Thing befelme. Some Gentlemen of our Church, understanding (without any Application ofmine to them for such a Thing,) that I wanted a good Servant at the expence ofbetween forty and fifty Pounds, purchased for me, a very likely Slave; a youngMan, who is a Negro of a promising Aspect and Temper, and this Day theypresented him unto me. It seems to be a mighty Smile of Heaven upon my Family;and it arrives at an observable Time unto me. I putt upon him the Name ofOnesimus; and I resolved with the Help of the Lord, that I would use the bestEndeavours to make him a Servant of Christ, and also be more serviceable thanever to a Flock, which laies me under such Obligations…” – Diary of CottonMather, Massachusetts Historical Society. Boston (1911)

Outside of Cotton Mather’s journals, little is knowof Onesimus – that he lived circa 1706 (the date of his purchase as a slave) to1717 when he managed to purchase his freedom. Mather records in his diary thatOnesimus became troublesome, and after purchasing another slave with moneyprovided by Onesimus, he wrote him a letter of manumission. In 1721 we learnthat Cotton Mather had got the idea of a smallpox inoculation from Onesimus’ssuggestion. Nothing is know about Onesimus after this time, but he was one ofabout 1000 people living in and around Boston and in Massachusetts. Like theOnesimus in the Letter to Philemon, the Boston Onesimus simply disappears inhistory without a marker or a gravestone to record his life. Yet what remainsis a still troubled legacy of slavery – and every time the letters of Paul areread, we are reminded of that inheritance.

Image: 1845 Daguerreotype of abolitionist, Jonathon Walker's (1799 – 1878) branded hand by Southworth & Hawes. Marked with ‘SS’ for ‘slave-stealer.’ Jonathon Walker was an American reformer who became a national hero in 1844 when he was tried and sentenced as a slave stealer following his attempt to help seven runaway slaves find freedom. He was branded on his hand by the United States Government with the markings S.S. for "Slave Stealer". - Jonathan Walker, The Branded Hand: The Trial and Imprisonment of Jonathan Walker, at Pensacola, Florida, for Aiding Slaves to Escape from Bondage (Boston: Anti-Slavery Society, 1848)