Based on her writings, Ellen White's comments on slavery, particularly in reference to biblical principles, do not show a "progression" in the sense of changing her views over time. Instead, they demonstrate a consistent application of biblical themes to condemn the institution of American slavery and to outline the duties of Christians in relation to it. Her approach can be understood in three main areas: ### 1. The New Testament Principle of Spiritual Equality Ellen White explained that the apostle Paul did not violently attack the institution of slavery because it would have hindered the spread of the gospel. Instead, he taught principles that, if followed, would completely undermine the system from within. * **The Core Principle:** She highlights Paul's teaching, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17). She argued that the gospel has a "transforming power" that changes the relationship between master and slave. * **Brotherhood in Christ:** She wrote, "The converted slave became a member of the body of Christ, and as such was to be loved and treated as a brother, a fellow-heir with his master of the blessings of God and the privileges of the gospel" (AA 459.3). She emphasized that Christianity creates a "strong bond of union between master and slave" because they are "washed in the same blood, quickened by the same Spirit; and they are made one in Christ Jesus" (AA 460.1). ### 2. The Old Testament Analogy of the Israelites She frequently drew a parallel between the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt and the chattel slavery of African Americans in the United States. * **God as Liberator:** She framed God as a deliverer who hears the cries of the oppressed, just as He heard the cries of the Hebrews. "The Lord God of Israel has looked upon the vast number of human beings who were held in slavery in the United States of America... He marked the sufferings that were endured by the colored people" (SWk 41.3). * **A Model for Post-Emancipation Work:** She used the Exodus story to rebuke the nation for its failure to care for the newly freed slaves. Just as God educated and uplifted the Israelites after their deliverance, she argued that Christians had a solemn duty to educate and train the freedmen, a work she felt was deeply neglected (SWk 42.1). ### 3. The Higher Law of God Over Human Law When confronted with laws that supported slavery, such as the Fugitive Slave Act, her counsel was unequivocal. She placed God's law above human law. * **Civil Disobedience:** She stated plainly, "When the laws of men conflict with the word and law of God, we are to obey the latter, whatever the consequences may be. The law of our land requiring us to deliver a slave to his master, we are not to obey; and we must abide the consequences of violating this law" (1T 201.2). * **God's Ownership:** Her reasoning was theological, asserting that human beings cannot be property: "The slave is not the property of any man. God is his rightful master, and man has no right to take God's workmanship into his hands, and claim him as his own" (1T 201.2). In summary, her writings do not show an evolution in thought but a consistent condemnation of slavery as a "high crime" (1T 264) and a moral evil. She used New Testament principles of spiritual equality to show how Christianity dismantles the master-slave relationship, the Old Testament narrative of the Exodus to frame slavery as an injustice God actively opposes, and the principle of God's higher law to advocate for civil disobedience against pro-slavery laws.