Letters to Persons Who Are Engaged in Domestic Service

by Catharine Esther Beecher

The same sort of directions also, were given by God to domestics.

At the time these were written in the Bible, men and women were made servants by force, and their masters had power to whip, starve and murder them without punishment. God saw, that in this case, it was safest and best for servants, as well as for the whole community, that they should submit to those who had this power. Accordingly the Apostle Paul, by authority from God, gives these directions, Eph. 6: 5, “Servants, be obedient to them that are

your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatsoever good thing a man doeth, the same shall be received of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” Here, those who were held in the most cruel bondage, were required, so long as they were in the power of their masters, to submit, and not only to serve them, but to do service “with good will,” “as to the Lord.” That means, feel kindly to your masters, and do them good, for the sake of obeying and pleasing Jesus Christ.

Again, the same apostle writes, Col. 3: 22, “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 to men, knowing that ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Again, Paul, when teaching Titus how to perform his duties as a minister of Christ, directs thus, Titus 2: 9, “Exhort servants to be

obedient to their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

Another Apostle thus commands, by the authority of God, 1 Peter 2: 18, 19, “Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man, for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye take it patiently? But, if when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable to God. For even hereunto ye were called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously.”

Now, consider that these directions were given to persons, taken contrary to their own

wishes and the wishes of their parents, and subjected to the most degrading servitude, without any compensation. Such were required by God to “be obedient in all things,” to “please their masters well in all things;” not to answer again when reproved; not to purloin; but to show all good fidelity; to do service with good will, and not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward; and to do all this, not for the sake of pleasing men, but to please Christ.

Now, if all this was demanded of those who were made to serve by force, what must be the duty of those who by their own will, or by the will of parents, go into a family to serve for a fair compensation previously agreed upon? They go into a family, where the house and all its furniture belong to their employers, who therefore, not only have power but a perfect right to direct how they shall be used. They put themselves freely under the direction of their employers, and agree to do their work as they wish it to be done, and they receive a reward for this service. Their employers are appointed by God, as the rulers and overseers of the family, and those they hire are under

obligation to obey, in all matters relating to family work, just as a citizen is under obligations to obey rulers, when they administer the laws of the state. The master and mistress of a family are rulers of their house, just as magistrates are rulers of the people.