ut what purpose
was to be answered by this devotion of the slave? The Apostle answers,
"that the name of God and his doctrine (of subordination to the
law-making power) be not blasphemed," as they certainly would by a
contrary course on the part of the servant, for the most obvious reason
in the world; while the sword would have been drawn against the gospel,
and a war of extermination waged against its propagators, in every
province of the Roman Empire, for there was slavery in all; and so it
would be now.

But, says the caviler, these directions are given to Christian slaves
whose masters did not acknowledge the authority of Christ to govern
them; and are therefore defective as proof, that he approves of one
Christian man holding another in bondage. Very well, we will see. In the
next verse, (1 Timothy vi: 2,) he says, "and they that have believing
masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren, but
rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers
of the benefit." Here is a great change; instead of a command to a
believing slave to render to a believing master _all honor_, and thereby
making that believing master in _honor_ equal to an unbelieving master,
here is rather an exhortation to the slave _not to despise him, because
he is a believer_. Now, I ask, why the circumstance of a master becoming
a believer in Christ, should become the cause of his believing slave
despising him while that slave was supposed to acquiesce in the duty of
rendering all honor to that master before he became a believer? I
answer, _precisely_, and _only, because_ there were _abolition teachers_
among them, who _taught otherwise_, and consented not to wholesome
words, _even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ_.--1 Timothy vii: 3; and
"to the doctrine which is according to godliness," taught in the 8th
verse, viz: having food and raiment, servants should therewith be
content; for the pronoun us, in the 8th verse of this connection, means
_especially_ the _servants he was instructing_, as well as Christians in
general. These men taught, that godliness abolished slavery, that it
gave the title of freedom to the slave, and that so soon as a man
professed to be subject to Christ, and refused to liberate his slaves,
he was a hypocrite, and deserved not the countenance of any who bore the
Christian name. Such men, the Apostle says, are "proud, (just as they
are now,) knowing nothing," (that is, on this subject,