,university of ,michigan's ,making of   
,america collection47                   
,transcriber's ,note4--,italics in the  
original are rendered as underscores4   
,the letter 'a' with a macron is shown  
as a4 ,greek characters in the original 
have been transliterated and appear as  
word4 ,transliterated ,hebrew words     
appear as ,,word1 using the author's own
 transliteration throughout4 7,for more 
on the ,hebrew1 and a list of errata1   
see the end of this document47          
,no4 #de4                        ,,is   
,,slavery ,,sanctioned ,,by             
,,the ,,bible8   ,if there is one       
subject which1 above all others1 may be 
regarded as of national interest at the 
present time1 it is the subject of      
,slavery4 ,wherever we go1 north or     
south1 east or west1 at the fireside1 in
 the factory1 the rail-car or the       
steamboat1 in the state legislatures or 
the national ,congress1 this ghost that 
will not down obtrudes itself4 ,the     
strife has involved press1 pulpit1 and  

forum alike1 and in spite of all        
compromises by political parties1 and   
the desperate attempts at non-committal 
by religious bodies1 it only grows wider
 and deeper4  ,but the distinctive      
feature of this1 as compared with other 
questions of national import1 is1 that  
here both parties draw their principal  
arguments from the ,bible as a common   
armory of weapons for attack and        
defense4 ,on the one side1 it is claimed
 that slavery1 as it exists in the      
,united ,states1 is not a moral evil2   
that it is an innocent and lawful       
relation1 as much as that of parent and 
child1 husband and wife1 or any other in
 society2 that the right to buy1 sell1  
and hold men for purposes of gain1 was  
given by express permission of ,god1 and
 sanctioned by ,christ and his apostles2
 that this right is founded on the      
golden rule2 and says ,dr4 ,shannon of  
,bacon ,college1 ,ky41 ,i hardly know   
which is most unaccountable1 the        
profound ignorance of the ,bible1 or the

 sublimity of cool impudence and        
infidelity manifested by those who      
profess to be ,christians2 and yet dare 
affirm that the ,book of ,god gives no  
sanction to slaveholding4 ,all these    
affirmations are fairly summed up thus3 
,as slavery was practiced by the        
patriarchs1 received sanction and       
legality from ,god in the ,mosaic law1  
and was not denounced by ,christ and his
 apostles1 it must have been right4 ,if 
right then1 it is so still2 therefore   
,southern slavery is right4  ,on the    
other hand1 it is contended that chattel
 slavery is nowhere warranted or        
sanctioned by the ,bible1 but is totally
 opposed both to its spirit and         
teachings4  ,it will be the object of   
the present discussion to determine     
which of these opinions is correct4     
,,slavery ,,defined4  ,what1 then1 is   
chattel slavery as understood in        
,american law8  #a4 ,it is not the      
relation of wife or child4 ,in one sense
 a man may be said to possess these2 but

 he can not buy or sell them4 ,these are
 natural relations2 and he who violates 
them for the sake of gain is branded by 
all as barbarous and criminal4  #b4 ,not
 the relation of apprentice or minor4   
,this is temporary1 having for its      
primary object1 not the good of the     
master or guardian1 but that of the     
apprentice or minor1 his education and  
preparation for acting his part as a    
free and independent member of society2 
but chattelism is life bondage1 for the 
sole good of the master4  #c4 ,not the  
relation of service by contract4 ,here a
 bond or agreement is implied1 and      
therefore reciprocal rights1 and the    
mutual power of dissolution on failure  
of either in the terms of mutual        
agreement2 but chattelism ignores and   
denies the ability of the slave to make 
a contract4  #d4 ,not serfdom or        
villeinage4 ,the serf or villein was    
attached to the glebe or soil1 and could
 not be severed from it1 deprived of his
 family1 or sold to another as a        

chattel2 being retained as part of the  
indivisible feudal community4 ,but the  
chattel slave is a thing incapable of   
family relations1 and may be sold when1 
where1 or how the master pleases4       
,chattelism is none of these relations2 
its principle is property in man4 ,its  
definition is thus given in the law of  
,louisiana1 7,civil ,code1 art4 #ce37 ,a
 slave is one who is in the power of his
 master1 to whom he belongs4 ,the master
 may sell him1 dispose of his person1   
his industry1 his labor2 he can do      
nothing1 possess nothing1 acquire       
nothing1 but what must belong to his    
master4  ,south ,carolina says1         
7,prince's ,digest1 #ddf17 ,slaves shall
 be deemed1 sold1 taken1 reputed1 and   
adjudged in law1 to be chattels personal
 in the hands of their owners and       
possessors1 and their executors1        
administrators1 and assigns1 to all     
intents1 purposes1 and constructions    
whatsoever4  ,judge ,ruffin1 giving the 
opinion of the ,supreme ,court of ,north

 ,carolina1 7case of ,state v4 ,mann17  
says a slave is one doomed in his own   
person and his posterity to live without
 knowledge1 and without the capacity to 
make any thing his own1 and to toil that
 another may reap the fruits4  ,we now  
come to the point at issue3 ,does the   
,bible sanction this system8            
,,old ,,testament4                      
#a4 ,hebrew ,terms4  ,the ,hebrew terms 
used in reference to this subject are   
,,auvadh1 auvadh1 to serve2 the noun1   
,,evedh1 evedh1 servant or bondman1 one 
contracting service for a term of years2
 ,,saukir1 saukir1 a hired servant daily
 or weekly2 ,,aumau1 aumau1 and         
,,shiphechau1 shiphechau1 maid-servant  
or handmaid2 but there is no term in    
,hebrew synonymous with our word slave1 
for all the terms applied to servants   
are1 as we shall show1 equally          
applicable and applied to free persons4 
,the verb ,,auvadh1 auvadh1 according to
 ,gesenius1 signifies primarily1 to     
labor2 then1 to labor for one's self1   

for hire1 or compulsory labor as a      
captive or prisoner of war4 ,gen4 #b3e1 
#ae2 #c3bc2 #bi3ae4 ,ex4 #bj3i2 #ba3b4  
,next1 national servitude as tributary  
to others2 as ,sodom and the cities of  
the plain to ,chedorlaomer1 ,gen4 #ad3d2
 ,esau to ,jacob1 ,gen4 #be3bc2 the     
,israelites in ,canaan to surrounding   
nations1 ,moabites1 ,philistines1 and   
others1 ,judg4 #c3h2 ,jer4 #bg3g1 #i4   
,next1 national and personal servitude  
or serfdom1 as of the ,israelites in    
,egypt4 ,lastly1 the service of ,god or 
idols1 ,judg4 #c3g1 c4 ,from these and  
similar passages we see that neither the
 generic nor specific meaning of the    
term1 taken in its connections1 implies 
chattel slavery1 but labor1 voluntary1  
hired1 or compulsory1 as of tributary   
nations or prisoners of war1 whose claim
 to regain1 if possible1 their freedom  
and rights1 is ever admitted and acted  
on2 showing that freedom is the normal  
state of man1 subjection and compulsory 
servitude the abnormal and unnatural4   

,but it is objected that1 though the    
proper meaning of the verb to serve does
 not imply chattel slavery1 it is       
certain that the derived noun ,,evedh1  
evedh1 translated servant and bondman in
 our version1 is frequently used to     
designate involuntary servitude1 the    
service of one bought with money1 and   
therefore a chattel slave4 ,we reply1   
,by far the most frequent use of this   
term1 as is well known1 represents      
either the common deferential mode of   
address of inferiors to superiors1 or   
equals to equals1 used then and to-day  
in the ,east1 or the political          
subordination of inferior to superior   
rank invariably existing in ,eastern    
governments4 ,otherwise we have ,jacob  
saying to ,esau1 ,the children which    
,god hath graciously given thy slave2   
and ,joseph's brethren saying to him1   
,thou saidst to thy slaves1 ,bring him  
down to me4 ,when we came up to thy     
slave my father4 ,saul's officers and   
soldiers are his slaves1 ,david is      

,jonathan's1 and vice versa2 ,abigail1  
,david's wife1 is his slave2 his people1
 officers1 and even embassadors are all 
his slaves2 all are slaves to each      
other1 and none are masters1 unless it  
be the king4  ,how1 then1 can we        
properly define the meaning and status  
of the term servant in any particular   
passage8 ,we answer1 only by the context
 and the usage of the particular time   
and place1 so far as known4             
#b4 ,the ,curse of ,canaan4  ,we first  
meet with the term servant in the       
oft-disputed passage1 ,gen4 #i3be-bg3   
,cursed be ,canaan2 a servant of        
servants shall he be unto his           
brethren4444 ,blessed be the ,lord ,god 
of ,shem1 and ,canaan shall be his      
servant4 444 ,now1 as we have no state  
of servitude in the context or the usage
 of the times with which to compare     
this1 and as only ,canaan and his       
descendants are included in the curse1  
we must look to their subsequent history
 for the fulfillment of the prophecy1   

and the kind of servitude there implied4
  ,we find the descendants of ,canaan   
and their land defined in ,gen4         
#aj3ae-bj4 ,they were not the ,africans1
 as some ignorantly assert1 but the     
,canaanites1 who dwelt in ,canaan1 and  
were there destroyed by the ,israelites1
 or rendered tributaries1 except the    
,gibeonites1 who were doomed to be      
hewers of wood and drawers of water1 the
 serfs of the temple service4 ,josh4    
#i3bc1 #bg4 ,there is not one word of   
buying and selling individuals--no      
chattelism1 or any sanction of it2 there
 is a performing of the service of the  
temple1 or paying tribute1 but never    
slaves or chattels4 ,canaan thus became 
the servant 7not slave7 of ,shem2 and   
when afterward ,israel was oppressed and
 rendered tributary to other nations1   
the ,canaanites became thus not only    
servants1 but servants of servants4     
#c4 ,patriarchal ,servitude4  ,the next 
example of the word servant brings us to
 that epoch in relation to which the    

,harmony ,presbytery of ,south ,carolina
 says1 ,slavery has existed from the    
days of those good old slaveholders     
,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 7who are  
now in the kingdom of heaven17 to the   
time when the apostle ,paul sent a      
runaway home to his master ,philemon1   
and wrote a ,christian and paternal     
letter to this slaveholder1 which we    
find still stands in the canon of the   
,scriptures4  ,the account we have of   
,abraham's servants is briefly as       
follows3 ,that he had men-servants and  
maid-servants1 ,gen4 #ab3af2 #ad3ad2    
#ag3bg1 7not slaves1 for we have shown  
above by numerous passages that to give 
such a definition to the term servant is
 false and absurd1 unless sustained by  
the context or the usage of the times27 
that they numbered some two thousand    
persons1 7reckoning by the number of    
fighting men among them1 generally one  
in five of the population17 were trained
 and accustomed to arms1 ,gen4 #ad3ad2  
could inherit property1 ,gen4 #ae3c1 #d2

 in religious ordinances were perfectly 
equal with the master1 ,gen4 #ag3aj-ad2 
had entire control not only over the    
property1 but also the heirs of the     
household1 ,gen4 #bd3b-aj2 lastly1 they 
were invariably considered as men1 not  
slaves or chattels4 ,gen4 #bd3cj1 #cb4  
,and the man 7servant of ,abraham7 came 
into the house1 and he ungirded his     
camels1 and gave straw and provender for
 the camels1 and water to wash his feet 
and the men's feet that were with him4  
,but1 it is objected1 some of these     
servants were 'bought with money2'      
therefore they must have been possessed 
as 'chattel slaves4' ,this conclusion   
depends partly on the meaning of the    
,hebrew verb ,,kaunau kaunau1 to buy2   
and asserts that whenever this term is  
applied to persons1 it implies the      
relation of chattel slavery4 ,the       
primary definition of the verb1 given by
 ,gesenius1 is1 to erect2 then1 #a4 ,to 
found or create2 #b4 ,to get1 gain1     
obtain1 acquire1 possess2 #c4 ,to get by

 purchase1 to buy4  ,let us see the     
meaning of this term1 applied to persons
 in other passages4 ,in ,gen4 #ca3ae1   
,rachel and ,leah say of their father1  
,he hath sold us1 and quite devoured    
also our money1 referring to ,jacob's   
long service for them2 were they        
chattels8 ,gen4 #dg3bc1 ,joseph bought  
the ,egyptians2 were they chattels8 ,ex4
 #ba3b1 ,if thou buy a ,hebrew servant1 
six years shall he serve1 and in the    
seventh he shall go out free1 for       
nothing2 was he a chattel8 ,ruth #d3aj1 
,ruth the ,moabitess have ,i purchased  
this day to be my wife2 was she a       
chattel8 ,these passages clearly show   
that the simple application of the term 
bought with money does not imply        
property and possession as a chattel4   
,the phrase bought with money relates1  
in the case of wives1 to the dowry usual
 in ,eastern countries2 in the case of  
servants1 to the ransom paid for        
captives in war1 and paid by the        
individual on adoption into the tribe2  

or to an equivalent paid as hire of time
 and labor for a limited period1 either 
to parents for their children as        
apprentices1 c41 or to the individual   
himself1 as ,jacob to ,laban4 ,gen4     
#ca3da1 ,thus have ,i been twenty years 
in thy house2 ,i served thee fourteen   
years for thy two daughters1 and six    
years for thy cattle1 and thou hast     
changed my wages ten times4 ,thus       
,abraham could acquire a claim on the   
service of a man during life by purchase
 from himself2 could acquire the        
allegiance of a man and his family1 and 
all born in it1 by contract1 not to be  
broken but by mutual agreement2 and in a
 few years have a vast household under  
his authority1 born in his house1 and   
bought with money1 yet not one of them a
 slave4  ,another general proof already 
alluded to is1 that the terms ,,evedh1  
servant1 and ,,naar1 naar1 young man1   
are applied synonymously and equally to 
servants and free persons4 ,gen4 #ad3bd1
 ,abraham calls his servants young men1 

and again in ,gen4 #ag3bc1 #bg4 ,so in  
,job #a3ae-ai1 the term ,,naar is       
applied alike to ,job's servants and    
sons4 ,also in ,judg4 #g3aj2 #ai3c1 #aa1
 #ai2 #a ,sam4 #i3c1 #e1 #aj1 #bb1 and  
numerous other places1 these terms are  
applied indiscriminately to servants1   
showing that they were always regarded  
as men1 never as chattels4  ,but we are 
not left to conjecture in regard to the 
status or condition of ,abraham's       
servants2 we will bring proofs showing  
that it could not have been chattel     
slavery4  ,two of the fundamental       
characteristics of chattelism are1 ,the 
status of the mother decides that of the
 child1 and ,the slave1 being property1 
can not inherit or possess property4    
,was this the condition of servants in  
patriarchal society8 ,if so1 then these 
characteristics brand them as chattels2 
but on the contrary1 if no record is    
found of their being sold1 7the buying  
we have already reasonably accounted    
for27 if the children of these servants 

were reckoned free1 if they and their   
children could inherit property1 then   
even ,american slave law and custom     
declare them free persons1 and not      
chattels personal4  ,take the case of   
,hagar4 ,we read1 ,gen4 #af3a1 she was  
an ,egyptian handmaid1 maid-servant1    
perhaps one of those referred to in     
,gen4 #ab3af4 ,abraham1 at ,sarah's     
instigation1 makes her his concubine4   
,the usual bickering of ,eastern harems 
ensues4 ,hagar leaves the tribe1 is sent
 back by the angel1 ,ishmael is born1   
and this son of a slave 787 is regarded 
not only as free1 but heir of the house 
of ,abraham4 ,years pass1 and the wild1 
reckless ,ishmael is seen ridiculing    
,isaac1 his puny brother and coheir4 ,at
 the sight1 all the mother and the      
aristocrat again rise up in ,sarah1 and 
she cries out to ,abraham1 ,cast out    
this bondwoman and her son1 for he shall
 not be heir with my son1 even ,isaac2  
and ,abraham1 so far from regarding them
 as chattels personal1 and selling them 

south1 sends off the wild boy to be the 
wild1 free ,arab1 whose hand will be    
against every man1 and every man's hand 
against his4  ,take the case of ,bilhah 
and ,zilpah1 given by ,laban 7,gen4     
#bi3bd1 #bi17 as handmaids 7,,aumau7 to 
his daughters ,leah and ,rachel4 ,gen4  
#cj3d-ad4 ,they become ,jacob's         
concubines1 and bear him four           
sons--,dan1 ,naphtali1 ,gad1 and ,asher4
 ,here the case is plain2 the mothers   
are servants1 they have children1 and   
these1 instead of being 7as in similar  
cases daily at the ,south7 reputed and  
adjudged in law to be chattels personal1
 are recognized as free and equal with  
the other sons1 ,reuben1 ,judah1 c41 and
 become1 like them1 heads of tribes in  
,israel4 ,in these cases1--and they are 
all which relate to the point at        
issue1--either the status of these      
servants did or did not decide that of  
their children4 ,if it did1 then1 by the
 laws of chattelism1 the children being 
free prove the mother 7though servant7  

to be free2 if it did not1 then the     
mother was held only by feudal          
allegiance1 while the children were     
always free4 ,in either case the        
conditions of chattelism did not exist2 
they were not slaves1 but free persons  
in the same condition as members of     
wandering ,arab and ,tartar tribes to   
this day4  ,did the second fundamental  
condition of chattelism mentioned above 
exist8 ,the slave1 being property1 can  
not possess or inherit property4 ,in    
,gen4 #ae3c we find ,abraham complaining
 to the ,lord1 ,behold1 to me thou hast 
given no seed1 and lo1 one born in my   
house is my heir6 ,the same term is used
 here as in speaking of ,abraham's other
 servants2 and yet this servant is      
declared by ,abraham his acknowledged   
heir4 ,here there is a manifest         
contradiction of the conditions of a    
chattel slave4 ,they can not inherit    
property2 this man could2 therefore he  
was not a slave4 ,it is an entirely     
gratuitous assumption to assert that    

,abraham's dependents were slaves2 for  
similar cases occur daily in nomadic    
tribes1 as formerly they did in         
,scottish clans4 ,if the chief has no   
child capable of succeeding him in      
office1 he chooses from his dependents  
some tried and trusty warrior1 and      
adopts him as lieutenant or henchman1 to
 succeed him as heir or chief4 ,just so 
,abraham1 then nearly eighty years old1 
despairing of a son to take his place as
 chief of the tribe1 adopted some young 
warrior 7perhaps a leader in the battle 
of ,hobah7 as his heir1 with the proviso
 of resigning in favor of a son if any  
be born4 ,but in the case of ,jacob's   
four sons the conclusion is             
self-evident--children of servants or   
handmaids1 yet recognized as free like  
the other sons1 sharing the property of 
the father equally with them2--the      
conditions of a state of chattelism did 
not exist4  ,these things prove         
conclusively that the term servant never
 meant slave in patriarchal families2   

that the term bought with money referred
 only to feudal allegiance or service   
for a time agreed on by both parties4   
,these servants could possess and       
inherit property2 their children were   
free2 they were trained to the use of   
arms2 in religious matters master and   
servant were alike and equal2 and they  
were always considered and called men1  
never slaves or chattels1--all which are
 directly contrary to the principles and
 express enactments of ,american slave  
law1 and are the characteristics of free
 persons even at the ,south4 ,add to    
this the significant fact that not one  
word is said in the patriarchal records 
of selling any of these servants1 7the  
only act mentioned of selling a human   
being is that of ,joseph by his         
brethren1 so bitterly reprobated and    
repented of by them soon after17 though 
frequently bought2 that no fugitive law 
existed1 in fact could not exist in a   
wandering tribe1--and the natural       
conclusion is1 that they were not       

slaves1 but free men and women2 and     
therefore the records of patriarchal    
society conclusively deny the existence 
of chattel slaves or slavery as one of  
its institutions4  ,years pass1 and we  
find the ,israelites reduced to a       
servile condition as the serfs of the   
,egyptians4 ,god1 in his purposes1      
allowed them to remain thus for a time1 
and then1 instead of sanctioning even   
this modified form of slavery1 demanded 
their instant release2 and on refusal1  
with terrible judgments on their        
oppressors1 he led forth that army of   
fugitive slaves1 and drowned their      
pursuers in the ,red ,sea4              
#d4 ,mosaic ,laws4  ,we come next to the
 sanction and authority of chattel      
slavery claimed to exist in the laws and
 economy of these people just escaped   
from bondage1 and framed by him who had 
shown his displeasure against slavery by
 nearly destroying a nation of          
slaveholders for holding and catching   
slaves4 ,the arguments for this claim   

are--#a4 ,that the term servant or      
bondman used in the ,mosaic law means   
chattel slavery2 #b4 ,that in certain   
cases the ,hebrews might hold their     
brethren as slaves for ever2 #c4 ,they  
might buy slaves from the heathen       
around1 and hold them for ever4 ,these  
positions1 we admit1 have some          
plausibility1 and have doubtless had    
great weight in producing the opinion   
that chattelism is sanctioned by the    
,bible4 ,we propose to consider the     
condition of the classes of servants    
referred to in their order4  #a4 ,hebrew
 servants4 ,these were of four          
kinds--servants under contract or       
indenture for six years1 probably from  
one sabbatic year to another3 servants  
held till the year of jubilee1 or for   
ever3 children born in the house1 or    
hired out by their parents3 convicted   
thieves2 and afterward1 though          
sanctioned by no law1 debtors4  ,in     
respect to the first of these classes1  
the law is found in ,ex4 #ba3b-f2 ,deut4

 #ae3ab-ah4 ,if thou buy a ,hebrew      
servant1 six years shall he serve1 and  
in the seventh he shall go out free1 for
 nothing4 ,here the term buy can only be
 applied to the service1 sold by the    
servant for six years1 7or perhaps to   
the sabbatic seventh year1 as daily or  
weekly service ended with the ,sabbath17
 for it is applied to a state which no  
ingenuity whatever can construe as      
chattelism4  ,the second class of       
,hebrew servants is mentioned ,ex4      
#ba3e1 #f4 ,if the servant shall plainly
 say1 ,i love my master1 my wife1 and my
 children2 ,i will not go out free2 then
 his master shall bring him to the      
judges3 he shall also bring him to the  
door or to the door-post1 and he shall  
bore his ear through with an awl1 and he
 shall serve him for ever4 ,deut4       
#ae3ag1 the same law adds1 ,and also to 
thy maid-servant shalt thou do likewise4
 ,but in ,lev4 #be3ci1 #dj1 #ec1 it is  
expressly enacted that one who served   
longer than six years was not to be     

treated or considered as an ,,evedh1    
evedh1 one contracting for a term of    
years1 but as a ,,saukir1 saukir1 a     
hired servant1 to be well treated and   
compensated for his services4 ,thou     
shalt not compel him to serve as a      
bond-servant1 but as a hired servant and
 as a sojourner he shall be with thee4  
,the servant must plainly say1 ,i will  
not go out2 it must be voluntary        
service2 but chattelism is involuntary1 
forced1 and directly contrary to the    
case before us4 ,he shall serve him for 
ever1 not his sons after him1 not giving
 the right of transfer or sale of       
service to a third person1 ,he shall    
serve1 not his wife or children1 but    
himself1 till death1 or his master's    
death1 or the jubilee4 ,this1 then1 was 
not chattelism1 for it was voluntary1   
without purchase or sale1 ending with   
the life of the servant1 the master1 or 
the year of release--the jubilee4  ,the 
third class of                          
servants--children--appear during       

minority to have been1 as now in all    
,eastern countries1 entirely at the     
service or control of their parents1 and
 might by them be hired out1 ,neh4      
#e3b-f1 but1 when of age1 were of course
 independent of parental acts and       
control4 ,john #i3ba4 ,that the         
offspring of servants in patriarchal    
times were free we have already proved2 
that they were so among the ,israelites 
is shown by the case of ,abimelech1 the 
son of a maid-servant1 ,judg4 #i3ah1 yet
 free as his brethren1 and afterward    
king of ,israel2 also of ,sheshan4 #a   
,chr4 #b3cd1 #ce4 ,no service1 indeed1  
could be recognized or demanded1 in     
,jewish law1 of grown persons1 except as
 the result of contract or crime4  ,in  
respect to the fourth class1 it is plain
 from the language used that only       
sufficient service could be required of 
them to cancel the obligation of        
restitution4 ,ex4 #bb3c4 ,he should make
 full restitution2 if he have nothing1  
then he shall be sold for his theft2 in 

case of debt1 ,matt4 #ah3cd1 till he    
should pay all that was due to him4  #b4
 ,servants obtained from the heathen4   
,these were1 first1 captives4 ,from the 
account of the first taking of captives 
by the ,israelites1 ,num4 #ca3g-dg1 we  
learn1 verse #g1 that they marched into 
,midian1 slew all the males1 and seized 
the women1 children1 flocks1 and herds4 
,on their return ,moses reprimanded them
 for disobeying ,god's command by       
preserving the grown women2 and         
thereupon they killed all but the       
virgins and children1 reserving them for
 adoption into the families of the      
nation4 ,in ,deut4 #bj3ad and #ba3aj-ad1
 we have these commands and regulations 
given1 with an express prohibition of   
the enslavement of these captives1 in   
case of repudiation by the captors4 ,it 
shall be1 if thou have no delight in    
her1 then thou shalt let her go whither 
she will2 but thou shalt not sell her at
 all for money2 thou shalt not make     
merchandise of her1 because thou hast   

humbled her4 ,now1 all slaveholding     
tribes and nations1 when they seize     
captives for slaves1 aim to obtain as   
many strong and vigorous men as         
possible2 must it not1 therefore1 fairly
 be inferred from this regulation that  
,god1 by prohibiting instead of         
sanctioning the most productive mode of 
slave-making1--the enslavement of       
prisoners of war1--did not intend1 but  
positively prohibited1 the ,israelites  
from becoming a slaveholding nation8    
,secondly1 bought with money4 ,the law  
referring to these is ,lev4 #be3dd1 #df4
 ,both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids    
which thou shalt have shall be of the   
heathen round about you2 of them shall  
ye buy bondmen and bondmaids4444 ,and ye
 shall take them as an inheritance for  
your children after you1 to inherit them
 for a possession2 they shall be your   
bondmen for ever4 ,as we have already   
stated1 the ,hebrews had but two terms  
for servant--the generic term evedh1 one
 under contract for a term of years1 and

 saukir1 one hired by the day1 week1 or 
year4 ,now1 the term here translated    
bondman is the generic ,,evedh1 evedh1  
elsewhere translated servant1 and       
therefore should have been thus         
translated here1 unless a different     
rendering is required by the context4   
,the more literal reading of the ,hebrew
 is1 ,and thy men-servants and thy      
maid-servants which shall be to thee    
from the nations around you1 of them    
shall ye procure the man-servant and    
maid-servant4 ,what1 then1 was the      
difference between the ,hebrew and      
heathen evedh8  ,this4 ,the ,hebrew     
could only be an evedh1 a servant by    
contract1 for six years1 ,ex4           
#ba3b--,six years shall he serve1 but in
 the seventh he shall go out free2      
7longer service could not be contracted 
for1 but must be voluntary1 ,ex4 #ba3e27
 or as a hired servant or sojourner till
 the jubilee1 but never beyond4 ,lev4   
#be3aj1 #ci-da4 ,but a heathen could    
bind himself as an evedh for longer than

 six years2 and thus his service1 unlike
 the ,hebrew1 could be bought as an     
inheritance for your children after you1
 but1 like the ,hebrew voluntary for    
ever servants1 they were bondmen for the
 longest time known by the law--till    
death or the jubilee4  ,is it objected  
that the terms buy1 possession1 for     
ever1 are used1 and indicate chattelism8
 ,we answer1 ,all admit the ,hebrew was 
not a chattel2 for his service expired  
at the seventh year1 the death of       
himself or his master4 ,he shall serve  
him for ever2 but1 if both lived on1    
this service1 though voluntary1 as has  
been shown1 expired with all such claims
 at the jubilee4 ,since the same terms1 
and1 as we shall show directly1 the     
jubilee1 applied equally to both1 if it 
does not prove the one a chattel1 it    
does not the other2 therefore both are  
equally voluntary contractors4 ,the     
service1 and not the bodies1 were       
bought2 and both were equally free at   
the jubilee4  ,two objects were         

accomplished by this law4 #ast4 ,to     
permit the ,hebrews to obtain that      
assistance in tilling the land1 which   
otherwise they would not have been      
allowed to do4 #b;d4 ,to increase the   
numbers of the commonwealth1 since the  
,hebrews1 in obedience to the ,abrahamic
 covenant1 ,gen4 #ag3aj-ad2 ,ex4        
#ab3dd-di1 were bound to circumcise     
these indented servants bought with     
money1 thus making them part of the     
household during their period of        
service1 and also naturalized citizens  
of the state1 members of the            
congregation1 partakers of all the rites
 and privileges common to the mass of   
the people4 ,ex4 #ab3dd-i4 ,num4        
#ae3ae-cj1 ,one ordinance shall be both 
for you of the congregation1 and also   
for the stranger that sojourneth with   
you1 an ordinance for ever in your      
generations2 as ye are1 so shall the    
stranger be before the ,lord4 ,lev4     
#ai3cd1 ,the stranger that dwelleth     
among you shall be as one born among    

you1 and thou shalt love him as thyself4
 ,in accordance with the                
frequently-repeated injunction of this  
law of equality1 they were invariably   
recognized as citizens1 and alike with  
,hebrew servants1 were amenable to1 and 
received protection from1 the laws of   
the state4  ,in further proof of this1  
and in direct opposition to chattelism1 
is the fact1 that the laws regulating   
the relation of master and servant are  
each and all enacted for the benefit and
 protection of the servant1 and not one 
for that of the master4 ,again1 when    
property is spoken of1 oxen1 sheep1 c41 
the term owner is always used1 master   
never2 when servants and masters are    
spoken of1 master is always used1 owner 
never4 ,ex4 #ba3bi1 ,the ox shall be    
stoned1 and his owner also shall be put 
to death1 ,ex4 #ba3cd1 ,if an ox or ass 
fall into a pit left uncovered1 the     
owner of the pit shall make it good1 and
 give money to the owner of them4 ,but1 
,deut4 #be3ae1 ,thou shall not deliver  

to his master the servant which is      
escaped from his master unto thee4  ,the
 inference from all this is plain4 ,no  
such thing as property in man is        
recognized in the ,mosaic law2 but ,god1
 finding polygamy and the law of serfdom
 existing among the ,israelites1 did not
 see fit to abolish them at once1 but so
 hampered and hedged them about by      
restrictive statutes as gradually and   
finally to abolish them altogether4     
#e4 ,restrictive ,laws4  ,but lest      
oppression should trample upon the      
rights of the laboring classes1 and aim 
at their enslavement1--which actually   
happened afterward1 and was one of the  
principal items of ,god's indictment    
7,jer4 #bb3c2 #cd3h-bb7 against the     
,jews prior to their destruction by     
,nebuchadnezzar1--three special         
enactments were made to prevent such    
iniquity1 and break up any attempt at   
chattel slavery in the nation4  ,first4 
,the law against kidnaping4--,ex4       
#ba3af1 ,he that stealeth a man and     

selleth him1 or if he be found in his   
hand1 he shall surely be put to death4  
,thus the one great means of obtaining  
slaves is forbidden4 ,he who 7no matter 
where7 seizes a human being1 7no matter 
whom17 and reduces him to involuntary   
servitude1 shall die2 for he seeks to   
take away the rights and privileges of  
freedom1 all that goes to make up life2 
seeks to make property of man1 to       
extinguish the man in the chattel4      
,but1 it is said1 this only refers to   
stealing slaves4 ,mark the logic3 a man 
could seize and enslave another with    
impunity2 but if1 afterward1 the father1
 brother1 or friend of the enslaved     
should attempt to rescue him1 he must   
die6 ,glorious argument for slaveholders
 and slave-catchers6 ,it is also said   
this refers to ,hebrews1 not strangers4 
,let ,god answer4 ,lev4 #bd3bb1 ,ye     
shall have one manner of law1 as well   
for the stranger as for one of your own 
country2 for ,i am the ,lord your ,god4 
,this is his interpretation of the      

breadth of the law given in the         
preceding verse1 ,he that killeth a man1
 he shall be put to death4 ,the law1    
therefore1 is unrestricted and          
universal2 ,hebrew or heathen1 he that  
killeth a man and he that stealeth a man
 shall alike die2 thus putting slavery  
and murder on the same footing1 as      
equally criminal4 ,now1 if ,god         
sanctioned slavery1 why did he make such
 an inconsistent law as this forbidding 
it8  ,second4 ,the law concerning       
fugitives4--,deut4 #bc3ae1 #af1 ,thou   
shalt not deliver to his master the     
servant which is escaped from his master
 unto thee2 he shall dwell with thee1   
even among you in that place which he   
shall choose in one of thy gates where  
it liketh him best2 thou shalt not      
oppress him4  ,there is no equivocation 
here2 thou shalt not deliver unto his   
master4 ,it is imperative2 they were to 
receive him among them as a citizen1    
and1 if need be1 protect him from his   
master2 mark1 not a heathen or ,hebrew1 

servant1 but the servant1 heathen or    
,hebrew1 whoever should fly from the ill
 treatment or injustice of a hard       
master4 ,compare for a moment the       
,hebrew and ,american fugitive laws4    
,the ,hebrew says1 ,thou shalt not      
deliver to his master the servant that  
is escaped4 ,the ,american says1 ,thou  
shalt deliver him up to his master1 or  
be fined one thousand dollars1 and      
suffer six months' imprisonment4 ,the   
,hebrew says1 ,he shall dwell with thee 
444 thou shalt not oppress him4 ,the    
,american law says1 ,the commissioner   
who tries the case shall get five       
dollars if he fails1 and ten if he      
succeeds in 'delivering to his master'  
the fugitive1 on the simple affidavit of
 the former that he is his slave4  ,what
 are the deductions from this law of    
,moses8 ,the return of stray property is
 expressly commanded in ,deut4 #bb3a-c2 
the return of servants is expressly     
forbidden here2 the servant could leave 
a hard master at any time1 and the state

 could not compel him to return3 it did 
not recognize the condition of forced1  
but only voluntary servitude1 and thus  
rendered the existence of chattelism    
impossible4  ,the third great protective
 law was that of the ,jubilee4--,lev4   
#be3aj-ee1 ,and ye shall hallow the     
fiftieth year1 and proclaim ,,liberty   
throughout all the land unto all the    
inhabitants thereof2 it shall be a      
jubilee unto you1 and ye shall return   
every man unto his possession1 and ye   
shall return every man to his family4   
444 ,here the expression is emphatic1 no
 reservations are made1 no restrictions 
allowed4 ,as the sound of ,,yoval1      
,,yoval1 ,yoval1 ,yoval1 sounded through
 the land1 and was echoed back from hill
 and village1 from hamlet and town1 the 
cry was taken up1 and borne along by the
 laboring thousands of ,israel1 many of 
whom had been toiling under contract for
 years1 by the unfortunate debtor1 and  
those whom poverty had compelled to part
 with the old house at home1 all        

returned1 all were free4 ,liberty1      
liberty6  ,it is vain to assume that the
 benefits of the ,jubilee were          
restricted to a particular class4 ,to   
what class8 ,not the six years'         
servants2 they were freed in the        
seventh4 ,not to debtors2 there was no  
law compelling them to serve at all2    
therefore they could only serve         
voluntarily to pay their debts4 ,not to 
thieves2 they could only be compelled to
 make restitution of the thing stolen1  
or its value2 that paid1 they were free4
 ,the only other classes to whom the law
 could apply were all the inhabitants of
 the land who served the longest time1  
the ,hebrew for ever servants1 and the  
heathen servants1 thus preventing the   
possibility of the rise and growth of a 
servile class1 the curse of any country4
 ,in this way only can we account for   
the fact that ,jewish history never     
mentions the existence of a large       
servile class1 or a servile insurrection
 in ,israel1 so common and disastrous an

 occurrence in the history of ancient   
slaveholding communities4  ,some object 
here1 that the term inhabitants implies 
all the ,hebrews1 and excludes the      
strangers1 ,canaanites1 c42 but by      
admitting that all the ,hebrews were    
freed at the ,jubilee1 they admit that  
those who1 in ,ex4 #ba3f1 are servants  
for ever1 are also freed1 and thus to   
serve for ever only implies till the    
,jubilee4 ,if1 then1 for ever means only
 till the ,jubilee in one case1 it means
 no more in the other4 ,and if we show  
that the strangers and ,canaanites were 
considered inhabitants of the land1 then
 the ,jubilee referred to ,hebrew and   
stranger alike1 and both were free4 ,in 
,ex4 #cd3ab1 #ae1 ,take heed to thyself1
 lest thou make a covenant with the     
inhabitants of the land whither thou    
goest2 and ,lev4 #ah3be2 ,num4          
#cc3eb-ee1 ,moses calls the heathen the 
inhabitants of the land2 and as he was  
likely to understand the meaning of the 
term pretty well1 he either refers in   

the ,jubilee law to ,hebrews1           
,canaanites1 and all1 or he meant       
,canaanites and heathen alone1 which is 
still more decisive4 ,again1 in #b ,sam4
 #aa3b-bg2 #bc3ci1 we find one of these 
strangers1 ,uriah the ,hittite1 not only
 an inhabitant of ,jerusalem1 but one of
 ,david's best officers1 and his wife   
becoming queen of ,israel and mother of 
,solomon2 and in #b ,sam4 #bd3ah-be1    
another1 ,araunah the ,jebusite is a    
householder1 and more1 is praised as    
acting like a king toward king ,david1  
who bought property of him whereon to   
build an altar2 and yet1 forsooth1 they 
were not inhabitants6  ,but1 as if to   
prevent equivocation1 ,moses defines the
 phrase all the inhabitants2 ,ye shall  
return every man to his possession1 and 
ye shall return every man to his family4
 ,not every ,hebrew1 but every man1 the 
same generic term as in the law against 
killing or stealing a man2 it is        
unqualified and universal4 ,thus with   
one blow this noble law strikes down the

 two principal sources of social        
oppression--monopoly of land and        
monopoly of labor4 ,all who had by      
poverty been compelled to part with the 
old farm and homestead received it back2
 all claims of service against any      
person1 however mean and humble1 were   
canceled2 and the land and its          
inhabitants were again free as ,god had 
made them4  ,these accumulated          
arguments1 each separately weighty and  
forcible1 but collectively              
insurmountable1 we think prove          
conclusively that the form of servitude 
among the ,israelites was not chattel   
slavery1 and that there is no sanction  
or authority for it in the ,mosaic laws 
and regulations4  ,thus in ,jewish      
history we see the ,israelites groaning 
under ,egyptian bondage1 and ,god's arm 
outstretched to rescue them when        
fugitives1 and punish their pursuers--a 
warning to all such thereafter2 we see  
laws enacted to prevent the existence of
 chattelism among them1 by restricting  

the master's power1 and securing the    
servant's freedom at regular intervals1 
and the opposite doctrine of equality   
among men asserted2 we see the          
,israelites disobeying these commands1  
and adopting1 with the idolatry of their
 neighbors1 their slavery also1 and     
,god's fiery wrath denounced on them for
 it by ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 and ,ezekiel1
 and fulfilled by ,nebuchadnezzar in the
 destruction and captivity of the state4
                           ,,new        
,,testament4                            
,teachings of ,christ4  ,ages pass1 the 
,jews are restored to their land1 but   
the ,roman eagle overshadows it and all 
the civilized world4 ,despotism is      
enthroned2 and the idea that the world  
and its people are the property of ,rome
 and its citizens is questioned only in 
murmuring whispers4 ,all the relations  
of ,roman life partake of this idea of  
absolutism2 slavery is every where1     
liberty nowhere4 ,then the glad tidings 
of ,messiah's coming is announced to an 

expectant world4 ,whom will he side     
with--the crushed and despairing        
millions1 or the aristocratic and       
haughty few8 ,will he adopt and develop 
the idea of equality found in ,jewish   
law1 or the principle now               
ascendant1--,might makes right1--the    
,roman slave law8 ,let him answer4      
,standing in the synagogue at ,nazareth1
 the home of his boyhood1 amid his      
expectant friends and relations1 he     
reads 7,luke #d3af-ba7 from ,isaiah1    
,the spirit of the ,lord is upon me1    
because he hath anointed me to preach   
the gospel to the poor2 he hath sent me 
to heal the broken-hearted1 to preach   
deliverance to the captives1 and        
recovering of sight to the blind1 to set
 at liberty them that are bruised1 to   
preach the acceptable year of the ,lord4
 ,and he closed the book and sat down1  
444 and began to say to them1 ,this day 
is this scripture fulfilled in your     
ears4 ,there is his commission and the  
constitution of his kingdom4 ,can any   

thing be more explicit8  ,christ himself
 comes with glad tidings for the poor1  
to destroy slavery and oppression1 and  
establish liberty4 ,rejoice1 ye poor1   
taught hitherto that ye were made only  
for the service of the rich2 there is   
glad tidings for you4 ,rejoice1 captives
 and slaves1 bruised with the lash and  
fetter2 ,god comes to preach deliverance
 to the captives1 liberty to them that  
are bruised1 and the acceptable year    
7the ,jubilee7 of the ,lord4  ,how did  
he fulfill this commission and pledge8  
,no code of laws and dogmas1 terse and  
dry1 were issued by him for the         
government of his kingdom2 but the great
 principle was proclaimed of a common   
brotherhood as children of ,god our     
,father1 and of love to him as such4 ,in
 his sermon on the mount1 the parables  
of the lost sheep and silver piece1 the 
good ,samaritan1 the prodigal son1 the  
,pharisee and the publican2 in his      
private teachings to his disciples2 and1
 above all1 by his daily example he     

taught and illustrated1 as the leading  
characteristics of his kingdom1 love to 
,god1 the brotherhood of man1 the rights
 of all1 however poor1 degraded1 or     
despised4 ,more1 he makes this idea of  
brotherhood and equality even with      
himself1 the great test in the judgment4
 ,matt4 #be3dj1 #de3 ,and the king shall
 answer1 and say unto them1 ,verily ,i  
say unto you1 ,inasmuch as ye have done 
it unto the least of these my brethren1 
ye have done it unto me4 ,what will     
those who now boast of their large      
churches1 composed almost entirely of   
slaves1 ,christian ministers1 and church
 members1 bought1 sold1 lashed1 and     
treated like cattle1 answer the ,king in
 that great day8  ,but to return3 the   
result of such teachings was soon       
evident4 ,the common people heard him   
gladly1 hung on his steps and words by  
thousands1 and hailed him as deliverer2 
while ,scribes and ,pharisees1 priests  
and rulers1 denounced him as a friend of
 publicans and sinners1 only seeking    

popularity among the masses1 to disturb 
the public peace1 and revolutionize the 
government4 ,mark1 it was not simply    
religious1 but political interference   
and teaching they charged him with1 and 
on this charge they finally compassed   
his death4  ,in his private teachings to
 his disciples he strongly inculcated   
this truth4 ,striving among themselves  
for the supremacy1 he charges them1     
,matt4 #bj3bf-bh1 and many other places1
 ,it shall not be so among you2 but     
whosoever will be chief among you1 let  
him be your servant2 even as the ,son of
 man came not to be ministered to1 but  
to minister1 and to give his life a     
ransom for many4 ,the law thus          
explicitly laid down1 and in ,john #ac  
enforced by his example1 is the very    
opposite of chattelism4 ,in his church1 
none were to claim supremacy over       
others1 much less enslave them2 none to 
despise labor and the laborer1 much less
 condemn others to it while themselves  
lived in idleness4  ,thus ,christ1 so   

far from sanctioning chattelism or      
property in man in any shape or form1 by
 precept and example taught the         
opposite1 the dignity of labor and the  
laborer1 the common brotherhood of man1 
and consequent equality1 political and  
religious4 ,did his apostles indorse    
this doctrine1 or1 fearing the result1  
did they side with the all prevalent    
system of class legislation and slavery8
                      ,teachings of the 
,apostles4  ,the result of their        
teaching in ,judea is given in ,acts    
#d3cb-ce--;,and the multitude of them   
that believed were of one heart and one 
soul2 neither said any of them that     
aught of the things he possessed was his
 own2 but they had all things common4   
,neither was there any among them that  
lacked2 for as many as were possessors  
of lands or houses sold them1 and       
brought the prices of the things that   
were sold and laid them down at the     
apostles' feet1 and distribution was    
made to every man according as he had   

need4 ,they not only believed in        
liberty1 equality1 and fraternity1 but  
practised its extreme--not only equality
 of rights1 but equality of property1   
among the brotherhood4  ,but this was   
comparatively easy in ,judea1 where the 
principle of equality was already partly
 recognized1 and the existence of       
chattelism prevented by the action of   
the ,mosaic code4 ,the apostles only    
fairly came in conflict with the spirit 
of caste and slavery when1 filled with  
love and the ,spirit1 they entered      
heathen countries1 preaching the glad   
tidings of the kingdom1 and establishing
 every where the glorious brotherhood of
 humanity1 whose primary law is1 ,a new 
commandment ,i give unto you1 ,that ye  
love one another as ,i have loved you4  
,by this shall men know that ye are my  
disciples1 if ye have love one to       
another4 ,john #ac3cd-e4 ,and ,paul     
expounds it to the ,gentiles1 #a ,cor4  
#ab3ac--;,for by one ,spirit are we all 
baptized into one body1 whether we be   

,jews or ,gentiles1 whether we be bond  
or free1 and have been all made to drink
 into one ,spirit4 ,gal4 #c3bf-bh3 ,ye  
are all the children of ,god by faith in
 ,christ ,jesus2 for as many of you as  
have been baptized into ,christ have put
 on ,christ4 ,there is neither ,jew nor 
,greek1 there is neither bond nor free1 
there is neither male nor female2 for ye
 are all one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,again1 
,col4 #c3aa1 ,there is neither ,greek   
nor ,jew1 circumcision nor              
uncircumcision1 barbarian nor ,scythian1
 bond nor free2 but ,christ is all and  
in all4  ,can language be more express  
and conclusive than this8 ,the          
distinctions here dissolved by the      
waters of baptism1 and blended into one 
in ,christ ,jesus1 are not1 as our      
southern brethren assert1 simply        
religious1 but ,,national1 ,,political1 
,,and ,,social--slavery1 and the spirit 
of caste and clan which upholds it1     
alike forbidden1 and liberty1 equality1 
and fraternity1 social1 political1 and  

religious1 proclaimed as the rule of    
,christ's kingdom4  ,principles like    
these came upon the world like the      
morning sunlight1 scattering the mists  
of superstitious ignorance1 melting the 
icy pride and selfishness of the mighty1
 permeating all classes and relations of
 society with their secret influence1   
and blending all into one harmonious    
brotherhood of love and peace4          
,apparently they were subject as others 
to the laws of the state1 but in secret 
were bound by stronger ties1 and        
governed by higher1 nobler laws1 than   
the world outside dreamed of4  ,instead 
of the ,roman law of marriage1 regarding
 the wife as the husband's slave1 he    
must love her as himself2 more1 as      
,christ loved the church4 ,instead of   
the tyranny on one side1 and the        
retaliating disobedience on the other1  
of the ,roman parental relation1 it     
became the image of our heavenly        
,father's love1 and our trusting        
obedience to him4 ,the relation of      

slave1 pro nullo1 pro quadrupedo1 pro   
mortuo1 7as a nobody1 a quadruped1 a    
dead man17 to his master1 became the    
relation of brethren1 the one to render 
true and faithful service1 ,eph4 #f3e1  
the other never to threaten1 ,eph4 #f3i1
 much less punish2 not to regard them as
 chattels1 as under the ,roman law1 but 
to give them just and equal compensation
 for their service1 ,eph4 #f3i2 ,col4   
#d3a1 knowing that ye also have a       
,master in heaven1 neither is there     
respect of persons with him4 ,the legal 
deed of manumission was unnecessary2 for
 as1 when master and slave land in      
,england1 they may remain connected as  
master and free servant1 never as master
 and slave1 so1 on admission into the   
brotherhood of the church1 the waters of
 baptism1 as shown above1 dissolved the 
relation of slavery1 and substituted    
that of freemen and brethren4  ,again1  
believers were members of ,christ's     
body4 ,he dwelt in them2 and therefore  
every indignity and injury done to them 

was done to him in their person4 ,to    
enslave1 buy1 and sell them was to      
enslave1 buy1 and sell ,christ himself4 
,inasmuch as ye have done it unto the   
least of these my brethren1 ye have done
 it unto me4 ,who1 then1 would dare hold
 a brother ,christian as a slave8 ,what6
 make merchandise of the person of      
,christ8 ,never6 the cry of ,judas would
 ring around them as they were driven   
ignominiously from the church4  ,why1 it
 is objected1 did not the apostles      
preach immediate emancipation1 instead  
of indorsing slavery by defining its    
duties--',servants1 obey your masters1' 
c48 and ,paul even sent back a slave4   
#a4 ,the primary object of the apostles 
was not simply to preach liberty to the 
captives2 this was but a branch of the  
tree planted for the healing of the     
nations4 ,their object was to sow the   
principles of faith1 love1 justice1 and 
equality1 well knowing that1 when these 
took root and flourished1 among the     
first fruit would be liberty to all the 

inhabitants of the land4 #b4 ,had this  
been their great object1 they took the  
best and speediest plan for its         
accomplishment4 ,attacking the system   
directly1 the appearance of the         
,christian missionary would have been   
the signal for servile war and untold   
bloodshed1 the slave against the master1
 the poor against the rich2 and the     
heathen rulers1 eager for a pretext to  
crush them1 would have denounced them as
 lighting the torch of rebellion and    
war2 and the further spread of the      
gospel would have been drowned in the   
blood of its founders4 ,but they took   
the very course which ,god adopted among
 the ,israelites in regard to servitude1
 not directly prohibiting it1 but       
inculcating principles of social        
equality and progress1 restricting the  
master's power1 and protecting the      
servant's rights1 till1 master and slave
 blended in one1 the name of slave was  
lost in that of ,christian4 #c4 ,the    
relation and duties of master and       

servant are defined by the apostles     
exactly as they might be to-day in      
,england or the free states--as those of
 men1 never as owner and property2 on   
the contrary1 all ownership of man by   
other than ,god is expressly denied4 #a 
,cor4 #f3ai1 #bj1 ,what6 know ye not    
that your body is the temple of the     
,holy ,ghost in you1 which ye have of   
,god1 and ye are not your own8 ,for ye  
are bought with a price2 therefore      
glorify ,god in your body and your      
spirit1 which are ,god's4 ,there the    
ownership is clearly asserted2 how can  
man claim it8 ,render to ,cesar the     
things that are ,cesar's1 and to ,god   
the things that are ,god's1 lest you be 
found robbing ,god himself4 ,again1 #a  
,cor4 #g3ba1 #bc1 ,art thou called1     
being a servant8 care not for it2 but1  
if thou mayst be made free1 7dynasai    
genesthai1 canst become free17 use it   
rather4 ,what can be more explicit than 
this8 ,first1 ownership of man is denied
 even to himself1 much more to another4 

,next1 the exhortation to slaves is1 if 
they can not get free from this great   
wrong1 to bear it as such1 but1 if they 
can1 use it rather2 and the reason given
 is followed by a rule of action to be  
adopted wherever possible4 ,verse #bc1  
,ye are bought with a price2 ,,be ,,not 
,,ye ,,the ,,servants ,,of ,,men4 ,if   
this be not express prohibition of      
chattelism1 and command to slaves to    
free themselves from it1 then the       
language is totally contradictory and   
unintelligible4  ,contrast these laws of
 ,paul with the laws of most of the     
southern states1 forbidding even the    
master to free his slaves1 while states 
and ,congress unite in hounding back to 
whip and task the poor slave who dares  
obey that command2 nay1 offer large     
rewards for men1 even ,christian        
ministers1 when attempting to obey it4  
,but ,paul sent back ,onesimus to his   
master1 and therefore sanctioned the    
sending back of fugitives4 ,we answer1  
there was no sending back at all4 ,paul1

 a prisoner1 could not send him back3 a 
,jew1 he was forbidden by his religion  
to do so4 ,deut4 #bc3ae4 ,it was simply 
a recommendatory letter sent with       
,onesimus1 returning voluntarily to     
,colosse and his master4 ,let us look at
 the letter4 ,verse #h begins1          
,wherefore1 though ,i might be much bold
 in ,christ to enjoin thee that which is
 convenient1 yet1 for love's sake1 ,i   
rather beseech thee4 ,i beseech thee for
 my son ,onesimus1 444 which in time    
past was to thee unprofitable1 but now  
profitable to thee and to me2 whom ,i   
have sent again1 444 not now as a       
servant1 but above a servant1 a brother 
beloved1 c4 ,here ,onesimus is described
 as having been1 while heathen1 an      
unprofitable trouble to his master1 and 
had either run away or been sent away by
 him4 ,converted at ,rome1 ,paul heard  
his story1 and in his letter1 instead of
 thinking he is doing ,philemon a favor1
 has to earnestly beseech1 almost       
command1 his reception as a favor to    

himself4 ,not one word of property or   
right in him1 save the right of love as 
one of the brotherhood4 ,,not ,,now ,,as
 ,a ,,servant1 but above a servant1 a   
brother beloved1 especially to me1 but  
how much more to thee6 ,onesimus had    
left the slave in his heathenism2 in    
,christ he became the brother of        
,philemon and ,paul4 ,instead of        
sanctioning chattelism1 it positively   
denies it by affirming voluntary        
service1 the equality of men as         
brethren1 to be loved as ,christ        
himself4  ,thus ,christ and his         
apostles1 so far from upholding         
chattelism in their teachings1 denounced
 the ownership of man by any but ,god1  
and inculcated its opposite--love1      
liberty1 equality1 and fraternity--by   
precept and example4 ,and subsequent    
history showed the result4  ,christ said
 of the teachings of the ,pharisees1 ,by
 their fruits ye shall know them4 ,apply
 this test to the teachings of the      
apostles and the primitive churches in  

regard to slavery4 ,when they went      
forth1 darkness covered the earth1 and  
gross darkness the people2 slavery sat  
enthroned in might over ,europe2 and the
 cries of the oppressed millions had    
only had a hearing on the battle or     
before the throne of ,god4  ,when the   
,reformation came slavery had           
disappeared in ,europe2 and the voice of
 the people was heard asserting their   
rights1 feebly1 indeed1 at first1 but   
ever since growing stronger and stronger
 as the voice of many waters4 ,what has 
caused this change8  ,historians1       
,protestant and ,catholic1 ascribe it to
 the influence of the church1 not by    
direct emancipatory decrees1 but1       
following the example of ,god through   
,moses1 by gradually restricting the    
master's power1 and protecting the      
slave2 by girdling the poison tree till 
it withered and fell1 though1 sad to    
say1 the ruins still disfigure too much 
field1 of the fair fields of ,europe and
 ,america4  ,no fact is more patent in  

history than the truth expressed by     
,paul to the ,corinthians3 ,where the   
,spirit of the ,lord is1 there is       
,,liberty4 ,the whole tendency of the   
,bible and true ,christianity1 direct   
and indirect1 is to the liberty and     
advancement1 never the slavery and      
degradation1 of man2 and those who have 
attempted to shield the monster curse of
 our country and age with the garb of   
the gospel may find too late1 when that 
awful voice shall ring in their ears1   
,inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
 the least of these my brethren1 ye have
 done it unto me1 that ,christ came not 
only to preach deliverance to the       
captives and to set at liberty them that
 are bruised1 but also the day of       
vengeance of our ,god4                  
99       99       99       99       99  
,,american ,,tract ,,society1           
#bh ,cornhill1 ,boston4                 
99       99       99       99       99  
,,extract ,,from ,,mr4 ,o',,conor',s    
,,argument            ,before the ,new  

,york ,court of ,appeals1 on the ,lemmon
                              ,slave    
,case4   ,i submit most respectfully    
that the only desire ,i have manifested 
here or elsewhere1 in reference to the  
question1 has been to draw the mind of  
the court and the intelligent mind of   
the ,american people1 to the true       
question which underlies the whole      
conflict1 and that is the question to   
which my friend 7,w4 ,w4 ,evarts1 ,esq47
 has addressed the best1 and1 in my     
judgment1 the finest part of his very   
able argument4 99 99 99 ,my friend      
denounces the institution of slavery as 
a monstrous injustice1 as a sin1 as a   
violation of the law of ,god and of the 
law of man1 of natural law or natural   
justice2 and in his argument in another 
place1 he called your attention to the  
enormity of the result claimed in this  
case1 that these eight persons--and not 
only they1 but their posterity to the   
remotest time--were1 by your ,honors'   
judgment1 to be consigned to this       

shocking condition of abject bondage and
 slavery4 ,why1 how very small and      
minute was that presentation of the     
subject6 ,my friend must certainly have 
used the microscope or reversed the     
telescope1 when1 in seeking to present  
this question in a striking manner to   
your ,honors' minds1 he called your     
attention to these few persons and their
 posterity4 ,why1 if your ,honors       
please1 our territory embraces at the   
least estimate three millions of these  
human beings1 who1 by our laws and      
institutions1 as now existing in these  
states1 99 99 99 are not only consigned 
to hopeless bondage throughout their    
whole lives1 but to a like condition is 
their posterity consigned to the        
remotest times4 99 99 99 ,it is a       
question of the mightiest magnitude4    
,but the reason why ,i call your        
,honors' attention to its magnitude is  
this3 that you may contemplate it in the
 connection in which my learned friend  
has presented it2 that it is a ,,sin--a 

violation of natural justice and the law
 of ,god2 that it is a monstrous scheme 
of iniquity for defrauding the laborer  
of his wages--one of those sins that    
crieth aloud to heaven for vengeance2   
that it is a course of unbridled rapine1
 fraud1 and plunder1 by which three     
millions and their posterity are to be  
oppressed throughout all time4 ,now1 is 
it a sin8 ,is this an outrage against   
divine law and natural justice8 ,if it  
be such an outrage1 then ,i say it is a 
sin of the greatest magnitude1 of the   
most enormous and flagitious character  
that was ever presented to the human    
mind4 ,the man who does not shrink from 
it with horror is utterly unworthy the  
name of a man4 ,it is no trivial        
offence1 that may be tolerated with     
limitations and qualifications2 that we 
can excuse ourselves for supporting     
because we have made some kind of a     
bargain to support it4 ,the tongue of no
 human being is capable of depicting its
 enormity2 it is not in the power of the

 human heart to form a just conception  
of its wickedness and cruelty4 ,and     
what1 ,i ask1 is the rational and       
necessary consequence1 if we regard it  
to be thus sinful1 thus unjust1 thus    
outrageous8                           99
       99       99  ,dr4 ,hopkins1 of   
,newport1 being much engaged in urging  
the sinfulness of slavery1 called one   
day at the house of ,dr4 ,bellamy in    
,bethlem1 ,connecticut1 and while there 
pressed upon him the duty of liberating 
his only slave4 ,dr4 ,b41 who was an    
acute and ingenious reasoner1 defended  
slaveholding by a variety of arguments1 
to which ,dr4 ,h4 as ably replied4 ,at  
length ,dr4 ,hopkins proposed to ,dr4   
,bellamy practical obedience to the     
golden rule4 ,will you give your slave  
his freedom if he desires it8 ,dr4 ,b4  
replied that the slave was faithful1    
judicious1 trusted with every thing1 and
 would not accept freedom if offered4   
,will you free him if he desires it8    
repeated ,dr4 ,h4 ,yes1 answered ,dr4   

,bellamy1 ,i will4 ,call him then4 ,the 
man appeared4 ,have you a good1 kind    
master8 asked ,dr4 ,hopkins4 ,oh6 yes1  
very1 very good4 ,and are you happy8    
,yes1 master1 very happy4 ,would you be 
more happy if you were free8 ,his face  
brightened4 ,oh6 yes1 master1 a great   
deal more happy4 ,from this moment1 said
 ,dr4 ,bellamy1 you are free4           
,transcriber's ,note1 ,continued4--,the 
following minor errors have been        
corrected3 the word in missing before   
spite on p4 #a 7and spite of all        
compromises 44471 a superfluous         
quotation mark on p4 #e 7,that he had   
men-servants 44471 a missing d in       
praised on p4 #ag 7is praise as acting71
 is used for in on p4 #be 7now existing 
is these states 44471 and on p4 #f1     
where the first two characters of ,,naar
 were transposed4 ,also note that the   
author used ,ashkenazic pronunciation   
for his transliteration1 and that it    
would not be considered accurate by     
modern standards4 ,alternative          

transliterations are3    #a4            
auvadh--avad   #b4 evedh--eved   #c4    
saukir--sakhir   #d4 aumau--ama   #e4   
shiphechau--shifcha   #f4 kaunau--kana  
#g4 naar--na'ar   #h4 ,yoval--,yovel