20, 21, that a master
who kills his servant under chastisement shall be punished (but not put
to death); and if the servant survives a day or two, the master shall
not even be 'punished' for the death of his slave!
"The reason which the Most High gives is this: '_For he is his money_'!
"A human being, 'money'! An immortal soul, 'money'! God's image,
'money'! And this the reasoning, these the very words of my Maker! Is it
not astonishing, if your principles are correct, that there has been no
controversy for ages against this? and that the Bible, with such
passages in it should have retained its hold on the human mind? 'He is
his money'! It would have been no different had it read: 'He is his
cotton.' You see that the Most High recognized 'ownership,' 'property in
man.' Why is it said, 'He is his money'? Poole (Synopsis) says,--'that
is, his possession bought with money; and therefore 1. Had a power to
chastise him according to his merit, which might be very great. 2. Is
sufficiently punished with his own loss. 3. May be presumed not to have
done this purposely or maliciously.'
"Either and all of which explanations, or any other which can be given,
only bring more clearly to view the idea of 'money' as a reason why the
master is not to be punished, for causing the death of a slave by
whipping, if the slave happens to continue a day or two, no matter under
what mutilations and sufferings.
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