ty; but the mere extent of their power, though so liable
to abuse, they left unnoticed.

Another answer to the argument in question is, that "The New Testament
does condemn slaveholding, as _practiced among us_, in the most explicit
terms furnished by the language in which the sacred penman wrote." This
assertion is supported by saying that God has condemned slavery, because
he has specified the parts which compose it and condemned them, one by
one, in the most ample and unequivocal form.[264] It is to be remarked
that the saving clause "slaveholding _as it exists among us_," is
introduced into the statement, though it seems to be lost sight of in
the illustration and confirmation of it which follow. We readily admit,
that if God does condemn all the parts of which slavery consists, he
condemns slavery itself. But the draughter of the address has made no
attempt to prove that this is actually done in the sacred Scriptures.
That many of the attributes of the system as established by law in this
country, are condemned, is indeed very plain; but that slaveholding in
itself is condemned, has not been and can not be proved. The writer,
indeed, says, "The Greek language had a word corresponding exactly, in
signification, with our word servant, but it had none which answered
precisely to our term slave. How then was an apostle writing in Greek,
to condemn our slavery? How can we expect to find in Scripture, the
words 'slavery is sinful,' when the language in which it is written
contained no term which expressed the meaning of our word slavery?" Does
the gentleman mean to say the Greek language could not express the idea
that slaveholding is sinful? Could not the apostles have communicated
the thought that it was the duty of masters to set their slaves free?
Were they obliged from paucity of words to admit slaveholders into the
Church? We have no doubt the writer himself could, with all ease, pen a
declaration in the Greek language void of all ambiguity, proclaiming
freedom to every slave upon earth, and denouncing the vengeance of
heaven upon every man who dared to hold a fellow creature in bondage. It
is not words we care for. We want evidence that the sacred writers
taught that it was incumbent on every slaveholder, as a matter of duty,
to emancipate his slaves (which no Roman or Greek law forbade), and that
his refusing to do so was a heinous crime in the sight of God. The Greek
language must be poor indeed if it can not con