s of God's
will and our duty. The Old Testament is as truly God's word as ever;
Christ declared that not one jot or tittle should pass from it, till all
be fulfilled. Some of it is fulfilled, in him, the end of the types;
parts of it refer to local and temporary things; all which is not local
and temporary is still binding upon us. At least, the spirit of its laws
is benevolent and wise. Damascus and its scenes are too fresh in the
memories of the brethren to need that I should argue the inspiration of
the Apostle to the Gentiles. His miracles are known to us. Nay, what
miracles are we ourselves, reclaimed from the service of the devil, once
the worshippers of Bacchus and of our Phrygian mother; now, clothed, and
in our right minds. The Apostle claims to speak and act by divine
authority. We must question everything, if we set aside this claim.

"'I maintain,' said he, 'that the Apostle Paul regards the holding a
fellow-creature as property to be consistent with Christianity. To
prevent all misunderstanding, however, let me declare that he insists on
the golden rule as the law of slave-holding, as of everything else; that
he discountenances oppression, that he warns and threatens us with
regard to it; and that he considers slave-holding as consistent with the
Christian character and happiness of master and slave.

"'In the very Epistle just received by our Church, and by the hands of
Tychicus and Onesinius himself, from the Apostle, we find these words:
"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not
with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing
God; and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not
unto men, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall
receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of
persons. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal;
knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."

"'Where, in this, is there a word that countenances the wrongfulness of
being a slave, or of holding men as slaves? He directs all his
exhortations to the duties which are to be performed in the relation,
and he leaves the relation as he finds it. He does not enjoin slavery;
he treats it as something which belongs to society, to government, and
he leaves Christianity to regulate it as circumstances shall make it
proper. If any one says