. Disguise it as you will, Philemon holds property in
Onesimus. By the laws of Phrygia, he could put Onesimus to death for
running away. He deplored the act as a heavy blow at Christianity. It
would countervail the teachings of the Apostle. He sincerely hoped that
the Epistle to Philemon would not be preserved; for should it be
collected hereafter, as possibly it may, among Paul's letters, unborn
ages might make it an apology for slavery, it would abate the hatred of
the world against the sum of all villanies. He would even be in favor
of a vote requesting Philemon to give Onesimus his liberty at once, even
without his consent, sending him back, with this most unwise and unblest
epistle to Philemon, to Paul, who says that he 'would have retained
him,' but would not without Philemon's consent. He did hope that the
brethren would speak their minds, be open-mouthed, and not be like dumb
dogs. For his part he wanted an anti-slavery religion. He acknowledged
that the truths of the Gospel needed the stimulant of freedom to give
them life and power.

"His remarks evidently produced a great sensation, for a variety of
reasons, as we may well suppose.

"A man took the floor in opposition to this Laodicean brother. He was a
Jewish convert, a member of the Colossian Church. His name was
Theodotus. Born a Jew, he had renounced his religion and became a Greek
Sophist, practised law at Scio, and heard Paul at Mars Hill, where, with
Dionysius the Areopagite, with whom he was visiting, he was converted.
He had established himself at Colosse, in the practice of law. He was
unusually tall for a man of his descent, had beautifully regular Jewish
features, and was a captivating speaker.

"He said that they had 'heard strange things to-day. If they are true,
we have no foundation underneath our feet. Every man's moral sentiments,
it seems, are to be his guide. Where, then, is our common appeal? For
his part he believed that if God be our heavenly Father, he has given
his children an authentic book, a writing, for their guide, unless he
prefers to speak personally with them, or with their representatives.
When he ceased to speak by the prophets, he spoke to us by his Son; and
now that his Son is ascended, I believe,' said he, 'that inspired men
are appointed to guide us, and seeing that they cannot reach all by
their living voice, I believe that the evangelists and apostles are to
furnish us with writings which shall be inspired disclosure