SECTION VII.

The Apostles not only recognized negatively the ethical propriety of the relation of master and slave, but expressly denounced those "who teach otherwise" than that slaves shall obey their masters, as heretics, from whom true ministers of the Church must withdraw fellowship.

BUT perhaps the most conclusive evidence that the foregoing argument contains the true teachings of the Scriptures on this subject, will be found in the special instructions of Paul to Timothy, in reference to such as, from either Judaizing or humanitarian tendencies of mind, deny the obligation of slaves to give their masters all honor and due service. For such instructions imply that precisely such questions on the subject were raised then as are raised now: and that an Apostolic decision has been had on actual cases made. In the instructions to Timothy (1 Tim. 6: 1–5) the Apostle directs, "Let as many slaves as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not

well as that of subjects, for they imagined that their Christian liberty set them free from their unbelieving and cruel masters. To this the Apostle answers: Servants, be subject." Henry, Com. 1 Pet. 2: 18.

"This was another notion of the Jews, that because they were the seed of Abraham they ought not to be the servants of any. Hence the Apostle Peter here, as the Apostle Paul frequently elsewhere, inculcates the duty of servants to their master." Gill, Com. 1 Pet. 2: 18.

"In the time when the gospel was first preached, servants for the most part were slaves, and as many of them were converted to Christianity with or without their masters, it was feared lest they should take too much upon them and think too well of themselves," &c. Dr. Jortin on 1 Pet. 2: 18.

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BIBLICAL DISCOURSE

blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise,... he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy-perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. FROM SUCH WITHDRAW thyself."

It appears, therefore, that, just as has been presumed in this argument, from the peculiar law of Moses prohibiting the enslaving of a Hebrew permanently, which law was still read in the Churches and made the foundation of Apostolic sermons, controversies arose touching this question of the relation of master and slave. And men taught that converted slaves should not any longer submit to the yoke; and especially that masters pretending to be Christians, and still claiming rights over their slaves as masters, must be insincere and hypocrites. Beyond all doubt too, the selfish passions of the human heart, even partially sanctified, would make this a very acceptable doctrine to other than Jewish slaves. Clearly this tendency to make religion a plea for subverting the rights of masters, was somewhat general, and the heresy regarded as a dangerous one from the prominence given the matter in this brief letter of Pastoral instructions. As before he had taught didactically the contrary doctrine concerning master and slave, so now here he not only reasserts his former opinion of the duties of slaves and the rights of masters, and in connection therewith takes occasion to portray the character of these noisy philanthropists in no very gentle terms; but also ordains that the ministers of

the Church shall give them no countenance. "From such withdraw thyself." *

It is upon the ground of this authoritative instruction to all ministers of the Church, through Timothy, that I

* In order that this argument from this important passage may be thoroughly justified, numerous but brief citations are here made, to establish, beyond all possibility of doubt, that the construction here put upon the place, is in precise accordance with that of the wisest and most learned men of God, in the Protestant Church, from the Reformation Era down to the present:

"In the beginning of the sixth chapter he gives a command to slaves, where the young should remember that the common rule is confirmed which is so often repeated-that THE Gospel does NOT So we see here THAT

ABOLISH ESTABLISHED ORDER.

SLAVERY IS APPROVED, SUCH AS WAS THEN LAID DOWN IN THE LAWS." -(Melancthon on 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

"As every man is disposed, with a false estimate, to arrogate superiority to himself, there is no one that bears with equanimity that others should rule over him. All of this sort

of disputations, however, the Apostle cuts off with one word, when he exacts a willing subjection from all who are under the yoke. For he signifies that the inquiry is not whether they are worthy of such a lot; because it is enough that they are held fast in this condition."-(Calvin, Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

"If Christianity finds servants under the yoke, IT CONTINUES THEM UNDER IT, for the Gospel does not cancel any obligations any lie under, either by law of nature or by mutual consent."―(Henry, Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

"Civil rights are never abolished by any communication of God's Spirit. The civil state in which any man was before his conversion is not altered by that conversion, nor does the Grace of God absolve him from any claims which either the state or his neighbor may have upon him."-(Clarke, Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

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For, though all Christians are equal as to religious privileges, slaves are inferior to their masters in station. Therefore, let them serve their masters more diligently, because they who enjoy the benefit of their services are believers and beloved of God.

"If any one teach differently, by affirming that, under the Gospel, slaves are not bound to serve their masters, he is puffed up with pride, and knoweth nothing, either of the Jewish or the Christian revelation, although he pretends to have great knowledge of both. FROM SUCH IMPIOUS TEACHERS WITH

have denounced the present general departure of the Churches from these teachings of the word of God, and the ideas of the Church of God during all the ages of inspiration, under the lead of a mere humanitarian philan

DRAW THYSELF and DO NOT DISPUTE WITH THEM.”—(McKnight, Com. 1 Ep. Tim. 6: 1.)

"THE DUTY OF SLAVES IN OPPOSITION TO THE FALSE TEACHERS. 'Let as many under the yoke as are (slaves).' The exhortation is natural, as there was a danger of the Christian slaves inwardly feeling that they were above their heathen masters," &c.

"Blasphemed." "Heathen masters would say 'What kind of God must be the God of Christians, when such are the fruits of His worship?' But the opposition is between those Christian slaves, under the yoke of the leathen, and those that have believing masters.”—(Fausset, Port. Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

"Similar exhortations are found in Epist. 6: 5; Col. 3: 22; and Tit. 2: 9; Com. 1 Cor. 7: 21; all apparently directed against the very plausible misconception that Christianity was to be understood as putting master and bond-servant upon an equality, or as interfering with existing relations, &c.

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"Believing,' i. e. Christian masters; slightly emphatic, as the order of the words suggests. The slaves who were under heathen masters were positively to regard their masters as deserving of honor, the slaves under Christian masters were negatively not to evince any want of respect.-(Dr. Ellicott, Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, Critical and Grammatical Commentary 1 Tim. 6: 1— New work, 1865.)

"And first to the duties of Christian slaves. Let as many as are slaves under the yoke.' This verse obviously applies only to those slaves who had unbelieving masters. This is brought out by the reason given, and by the contrast in the next verse," &c.— (Alford, Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

"St. Paul here combats and condemns the false teaching, which, under the color of preaching the doctrine of UNIVERSAL LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY in Christ, enlisted the passions of slaves against their masters, and subjects against their rulers; and thus exposed the name of God and the doctrine of the Gospel to re proach and blasphemy from the heathen, as if it were a religion of anarchy and sedition, and ministered to man's evil appetites and love of lucre, under the name of piety and goodness, &c.

"The great Apostle had, therefore, a difficult task to perform, in vindicating and maintaining, on the one side, Christian liberty against some of the Judaizers; and in asserting and upholding the

thropism from without, as apostasy from the faith. What I have shown to have been the faith of the Church on this subject during the two thousand years of the Church's history, from the covenant with Abraham to the closing labors of Paul the Apostle, you will find, from the elaborate and conclusive argument and evidences of the venerable Bishop Hopkins, continued to be the steadfast faith of God's people, almost without exception, for near another two thousand years between the death of the Apostle and the opening of the nineteenth century. If the views of the Scriptures presented in this argument are the true views-and remember, I have made no new and original interpretations, but presented in every case simply the results of the best biblical learning, and the judgment of the wisest and most orthodox commentators-then very plainly the current popular opinion without and the current sentiment within the Church, is amazingly aside from the spirit and teaching of our great Protestant standard of all religionthe Bible. If therefore this argument, laying its foundations in the great covenant of God, which organized a Church visible as a separate society on earth, and woven out of the successive revelations made to that Church, age after age, through Moses and the Prophets, Jesus and

duty of Christian subjection, on the other hand, against those of the same class who abused the sacred name of liberty into a plea for licentiousness.

"The false teachers ingratiated themselves with slaves and other dependents by flattering them, that because all men are equal, and brethren in Christ, therefore they need not be subject to their masters," &c.-(Rev. Canon Wordsworth, Com. 1 Tim. 6: 1.)

It is to be presumed that such a catena as this, extending through the learned and pious men of the church from the Reformation to 1860, will surely silence, once for all, the miserable slang about pro-slavery interpretations." It makes it very difficult to see how those who interpret differently can sincerely hold to the inspiration of the Scriptures.