him, it
shall grind him to powder.

"You will acknowledge this, if you will allow me to speak further on
this subject.

"Did you ever notice," said I, "with what words Christ concludes his
enunciation of the golden rule? They are a remarkable answer to our
modern infidels, who impugn the Old Testament as far behind the New in
its moral standard. After declaring that the rule by which we should
treat others is self-love, the Saviour says,--'for this is the Law and
the Prophets.' So there was nothing in the Law and Prophets inconsistent
with the golden rule. The golden rule therefore marks the history of
divine legislation from the beginning; and if God appointed slavery, he
ordained nothing in connection with it which was inconsistent with
equal love to one's self and to a neighbor.

"This deserves to be considered by those who, finding slavery in the Old
Testament appointed by God, begin, as it were, to exculpate their Maker
by saying that the Hebrews were a rude, semi-barbarous people, and that
divine legislation was wisely accommodated to their moral capacity. Now
it is singular, if this be so, that the Mosaic code should be the basis,
as it is, of all good legislation everywhere. The effort to make the
Hebrew people and their code appear inferior, in order to excuse
slavery, is one illustration of the direful effect which anti-slavery
principles have had in lowering the respect of many for the Bible, and
loosening its hold upon their consciences. Now it is to me a perfect
relief on this subject of slavery in the Old Testament, to know that God
appointed nothing in the relation of his people to men of any class or
condition which his people in a change of circumstances, might not be
willing should be administered to them. If slavery was ordained of God
to the Hebrews, it must, therefore, have been benevolent. If we start
with the doctrine that 'Slavery is the sum of all villanies,' no wonder
that we find it necessary to use extenuating words and a sort of
apologetic, protecting manner of treating the divine oracles. After all
it is evidently hard work, with many anti-slavery men to maintain that
reverence for the Old Testament and that confidence in God which they
feel are required of them. So they lay all the responsibility of
imperfection in the divine conduct, to the 'semi-barbarous Hebrews!'--a
people by the way, whose first leader combined in himself a greater
variety, and a higher order, of talent, than any