c forms; for he knew that a despotism may be the best form of
government in some circumstances. But he spoke against the abuse of
power by rulers, and in the same way he speaks against the abuse of
power by the master.

"'My brother tells us that slavery is "the sum of all villanies." A
comprehensive term, truly. Let us admit the correctness of the phrase.
"All villanies" includes all "the works of the flesh," and the Apostle
enumerates the principal of them, where he says, "Now the works of the
flesh are these;"--concluding his account with the expression, "and such
like." With unsparing denunciation, he portrays each and every
"villany," and shows how the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against it.

"'But while he is thus bold and faithful with regard to "all villanies"
in particular, we cannot but think it strange that a thing which is said
to be the "sum" of them all, is nowhere spoken against by the Apostle!
On the contrary, he recognizes the duties which grow out of
slave-holding.

"'Let us suppose him to do the same with regard to each villany which he
does to that which my brother calls the "sum" of them all. Then we
should hear him say! Murderers, do so and so; thieves, do so and so; and
ye that are mutilated, do so and so; and ye that are pillaged, do so and
so. I am curious to know how my brother will answer this. What are the
religious "duties" of murderers and thieves, but to repent, to forsake
their evil ways at once, and to make lawful reparation? And what are the
"duties" of those whom murderers and thieves assault, but to resist, and
to seek the conviction of the evil-doer? Oh how strange it seems for the
Apostle to counsel masters and slaves to imitate their "Master which is
in heaven," in their relation to each other, if holding men in bondage
be "the sum of all villanies," and how strange for him to send Onesimus
back to the system to behave in it as Christ would act in his place!

"'Onesimus escapes, we will say, from a gang of murderers, or from a
company of thieves, and the Apostle's preaching is the means of his
becoming a good man. Paul writes a letter to the chief murderer of the
gang, or to the captain of the robbers, sends Onesimus back, and
"beseeches" the brigand for "his son Onesimus," telling him that now he
receives him "forever," and then calls the desperado "our dearly beloved
fellow-laborer"! Why not, with equal propriety, if slavery be,
necessarily, as our brother describes