XIV. THE Scriptural acceptation and extent of the word BONDAGE, and the relatives to it, being thus fixed and ascertained from the very letter and uniform tenour of Scripture itself, no arguments whatever, grounded on the true and real sense in which that word and its relatives are used in the Sacred Page, will ever evince, that a Slave, within the period of any of the Three Difpenfations of true Religion mentioned in the Sacred Annals of the Word of God, not born an Hebrew, was ever bound by contract or otherwise to serve only a limited number of years, at the expiration of which he obtained his freedom, and was left at liberty to chufe for himself.

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SECTION

SECTION III.

Scriptural Refearches on the licitness of the Slave-Trade, fhewing its conformity with the principles of the Christian Difpenfation delineated in the Sacred Writ

ings.

T

1. HE Chriftian Difpenfation, called frequently the Christian Law, the Law of Christ, the Christian Religion, the Law of Grace, the New Law, and the New Covenant or the New Teftament, is that moft fublime and perfect Syftem of Faith and Morality, which the Eternal Wisdom of the Father, Chrift Jefus our Lord, both preached in Perfon, and fealed with his precious blood. As this New Law and Gofpel of falvation is to remain in full force until the confummation of all things, or till time fhall be no more, it is not in the power of any creature to ascertain the exact time of its duration and existence from the first promulgation of it; for Of that day, and that bour knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the SON, but the FATHER (a).

II. THE principal transactions relative to this New Law are registered in the feveral inspired Writings, that compose the Sacred Volume commonly ftyled THE NEW TESTAMENT. The principles and moral duties of perpetual obligation refpecting Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, registered in this Sacred Volume, being evidently dictated by the HOLY SPIRIT of God, and God himself, cannot confiftently with the effential infallibility of his eternal Wisdom, bear the least opposition to the principles and moral duties of perpetual obligation refpecting, in like manner, Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, dictated by the fame

(a) Mark, C. 13. V. 32

fame infallible SPIRIT, and registered in the feveral inspired Writings, that compofe the Sacred Volume commonly styled THE OLD TESTAMENT, comprehending fuch transactions, as relate to both the Natural and the Mofaic Laws.-Were it poffible to be otherwife, God would not be confiftent with himself, and the Religion of the New Testament, instead of being the perfection and accomplishment, would be the reproach and condemnation of both the former Laws, Natural and Mofaic, on the truth of which its very existence depends.

III. FROM this undeniable position it follows neceffarily, that, as the Writings of both the Teftaments have the fame weight of Authority, effentially incapable of contradicting itself, in fupport of thofe principles and decifions, enacted and registered in their respective Records, concerning the intrinfic morality or immorality of human actions, whatever is declared in the One to be intrinfically good or bad, juft or unjuft, licit or illicit, muft inevitably be fo according to the principles of the Other.-If, therefore, the SLAVETRADE appears, as, I truft, it does, from the preceding train of Scriptural arguments, in perfect harmony with the principles and decifions of the Word of God, registered in the Sacred Writings of the Old Teftament, respecting the intrinfic nature of that Trade, this, of course, can bear no oppofition to, but must neceffarily be in equal perfect harmony, with, the principles and decifions of the Word of God refpecting Right and Juftice, registered in the Sacred Writings of the New.

THIS general but forcible argument, were it even unfupported by any collateral evidences from the Writings of the New Teftament, would be fully fufficient to verify my third and laft affertion refpecting

the

the Licitnefs of the SLAVE TRADE, as perfectly con formable to the principles of the Christian Dispenfation. :

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IV. I HAVE been the more particular in bringing this laft part of my Scriptural Researches to this central point of view, as I have more than one reason to apprehend, that feveral of my Readers will be apt to imagine, that, by the establishment of the Chriftian Religion, the Law of Mofes was wholly abolished and annulled in every part of it, and to every intent and purpofe, both typical and moral, of its original inftitution; and that, of course, the arguments drawn in vindication of the SLAVE-TRADE from the Writings of the Old Testament, can have no weight of conviction or authority with persons, who are fubject to no other Laws and Ordinances, but those of a Dispenfation, by which that was entirely laid afide.

V. TRUE as this affertion is with refpect to the ritual, typical, and ceremonial part of the Mofaic Law, which, in this fenfe, is now utterly abolished, and no longer obligatory to the Profeffors of the Gofpel, it is not lefs erroneous and falfe with refpect to those fundamental principles of righteoufnels enacted in that Law, which relate to the intrinfic morality or immorality, licitness or illicitnefs of human actions; which, from the invariable nature of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, must be of perpetual obligation, and as unchangeable as God himself; who never did, nor ever could alter by any Difpenfation whatever those eternal principles and laws, which are the very basis and foundation of true Religion, and confequently of the Religion of Christ.

We have no less an authority in confirmation of this indisputable Doctrine, than the very words of the Son of God, who, in that divine Sermon on the Mount,

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in

in which he gave his Disciples a moft minute and circumftantial account of the principles and tenets of his Gospel, condemned the above erroneous opinion in the moft explicit terms, and forbade them even to think of it: Think not, faid he, that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to deftroy but to fulfil (b).

d

Ir was on the principle of this Doctrine of the Son of God, and on purpofe to guard against every exception to arguments drawn from the Writings of the Old Teftament in favour of the SLAVE-TRADE, which fome persons would be apt to make in confequence of the above erroneous opinion, that I efpecially apprized the Reader in the II Number of the laft SECTION, that the arguments I meant to enforce in that Section in vindication of that Trade, would be entirely grounded, as they certainly are, on fuch written and explicit laws and principles of internal moral rectitude, as conftituted the true morality of the Mofaic Difpenfation, and not on fuch Legal obfervances and practices, as were peculiar to it, and conftituted only the ritual, typical, or ceremonial part of its frame.

VI. THE permanent and indefectible authority of the Old Teftament, and the neceffary conformity of the New with the principles and declarations of the former respecting the intrinfic nature of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice, being thus firmly establifhed and afcertained; I fhall now proceed, for argument's fake, to fubftantiate in a more particular manner the merits of the prefent Controverfy with reference to the principles and tenets of the New Teftament; which, from the unanswerable, though general, argument juft enforced, appears already to give a fanction to the licitnefs of the SLAVE-TRADE, the intrinfic morality of which is fo evidently warranted

(b) Matt. c. 5. V. 17.

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