carry with it the right of civil liberty. "To me," says God, "the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I have brought forth out of Egypt, they shall not be sold for bond-men."

Whether the word Hebrew used in the law, be used in the national or ecclesiastical sense, does not alter the case. The consequence of being circumcised and joined to the Lord, placed the stranger on the same footing with their own people. There was to be one law, and one custom, and one manner to the home-born and the circumcised stranger.

Paul, who was of the Jewish race, was still a Roman citizen, and claimed all their privileges. Foreigners who become naturalized in this country, are called Americans, and recognized in law as American citizens.

The term Hebrew was that by which Israel was usually designated, at the time they came out of Egypt, _when the law limiting service to six years was given. It was there often, if not usually, used in the ecclesiastical sense, to designate that people as the covenant people of God. The covenant was made with the nation; the nation was the church; and in its relation to God as his visible people, was the covenant of Sinai made, of which the limiting law is a part. That covenant must have been made with all who were circumcised; of course it embraced the bought servant, and while the law of circumcision placed him on equal footing with native-born members, the limiting law gave him as well as them liberty in six years.

The case then stands thus:-Israel had been reduced to slavery, and for many years held forcibly in that condition, and compelled to serve without wages. God heard their groans, and delivered them. In giving his law to the same people soon afterwards, God reminded them again and again of their bondage, and charged them not to deal thus with others. For certain crimes, however, and in some cases for debt, persons might be sold and held to service; but none were to be made to serve more than six years.

Severe or cruel usage gave liberty at any time. The stealing of a person or holding such in bondage, was punished with death. Those taken in war might be held in

bondage; this, in the then usages of war, would prevent much bloodshed, and they were allowed to buy of the nations about them; but in both of these cases, they must confine themselves to those that would renounce idolatry, embrace the true religion, and receive circumcision-the token of the covenant; and when they did this, they were to be recognized as brethren, and the law gave them freedom in six years.*

* Of much additional matter which goes to prove that the limitation law applied to all servants, the following is selected.

1. It may be argued from the meaning of the word Hebrew. It is not the name of a patriarch, and used to designate his descendants, but a word expressing a character or condition of persons. It means pilgrim, passage, &c., and was first applied to Abram, after he was living as a pilgrim and stranger in Canaan. Gen. xiv. It came to designate the holy family who lived as pilgrims in Canaan. Gen. xxxix. They lived thus by faith, confessed they were pilgrims, and for this cause God was not ashamed to be called their God." Heb. xi. Those associated with them by circumcision, were equally strangers and pilgrims.

2. God often calls himself the God of the Hebrews, in his messages to Pharaoh. Not, however, in the sense of creation; he is in that sense equally the God of all people. Nor as to their personal holiness and salvation. Israel at that time gave little proof of piety. But they were God's visible covenant people. The circumcised stranger was, however, as much in covenant with God, as any of them. Now the law limiting the service of the Hebrew servants to six years, was a part of the covenant, and embraced all whom that covenant embraced: of course it embraced the circumcised stranger.

3. It is a fact that strangers were incorporated with Israel. Jephennah the father of Caleb, was a Kennezite, yet Caleb was a prince of Judah. Gen. xv. 19. Joshua xiv. 6-14. The Kenite, the relation of Moses, joined the tribe of Judah and is counted in their genealogies. Judges i. 16. 1 Chron. ii. 55. Rahab joined the tribe of Judah, with her father's house, and was married to the prince of that tribe. Joshua vi. 25. Mat i. 5.

Ruth the Moabitess held the property of her husband and husband's brother, and was married by Boaz according to the requirements of the Levitic law. Ruth i. xvi. iv. 10–13.

Obededom the Gittite was joined to the tribe of Levi, and became porter. 1 Chron. xiii. 13, 14. xxvi. 4-5. These are but a few of the many cases on record.

4. I know not that we can account for the great increase of Israel during their stay of 215 years in Egypt, but by admitting that others were joined with them. At the birth of Moses, and

Servitude, thus limited, was stripped of all that deserves the name of slavery. With respect to their own people, it was chiefly as a punishment for crime; and with respect to the heathen, it opened a door for their coming to the knowledge of the true religion, and being joined to the people of God, and then their chains fell from off their hands, and they went out free. It did not reach their children.

Yours, &c.

possibly for some time after, the male children were destroyed. There were, however, 600,000 men able for war. If these men were one-sixth, their whole number was above three millions and a half. This would have required them to double in fourteen years. But they took down servants with them into Egypt. They had just before destroyed Shechem, and took the women and children captives. Gen. 34. If they kept them, as it is intimated they did, they must have embraced the true religion and been united to them.

5. The reason of the law forbidding God's people to be held in bondage is, that they are God's servants: "For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants, therefore they shall not be sold for bond-men." This reason, however, was as applicable to the circumcised stranger as to their own people.

6. The names Hebrew, Israel, Jew, circumcised, &c. are both in the Old and New Testament applied to all God's visible people. "Many people of the land became Jews. He is not a Jew that is one outwardly." Esther viii. 17. Romans ii. 28.

7. The prophet Ezekiel in foretelling the restoration of Israel, declares (xlvii. 22) that "the stranger shall receive an inheritance in the tribe to which he is joined, and be as those born in the land."

This we may infer from Exodus xii. 48. was from the first intended. Caleb the Kennezite was an example. It is, however, here specially directed by the prophet.

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LETTER VIII.

CHRISTIAN BRETHREN,

THE principal difficulty that lies against the above interpretation of the Mosaic law respecting slavery arises from what is said in Leviticus xxv. 44. 66 Thy bond-men and thy bond-maids shall be of the heathen; of them thou shalt buy, and shall leave them as an inheritance to your children, and they shall be your bond-men for ever."

This passage, I readily admit, does at first view look like a permission to practise slavery, and that for life. And were it the only passage in the Mosaic law that related to slavery, we would very naturally be led to take it in that sense. There are, however, many other passages that relate to it, and when we compare it with those formerly quoted, which I must request you to do, it will at once appear, that if taken to justify unqualified slavery, it will be at variance both with their letter and spirit.

It is undeniable, that many of those quoted above speak of the slavery of Israel themselves; that they call it oppression, affliction, burdens, cruel and hard bondage, and in direct reference to it, Israel is charged, again and again, not to deal so with others-no, not with the stranger: ye shall not oppress a stranger, for ye know the heart of a stranger; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. If thou afflict them, and they cry at all unto me, I will hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword."

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This simple statement of the case makes it our duty, if we believe Scripture to be consistent with itself, to examine whether an explanation may not be given to Leviticus xxv. 44, which will be consistent with God's judgments on the Egyptians for enslaving Israel, with the many warnings given Israel against dealing with others as the Egyptians dealt with them, and with the guards against slavery in the limitation laws above quoted.

However plainly it may at first view appear to permit slavery, a little examination of the nature of the case, and comparison of it with other passages, may satisfy us that there are various explanations of it, and on principles on

which generally admitted explanations of other difficult passages are made, that will perfectly reconcile it with those many passages that condemn slavery. Several of these explanations I will notice.

1. This passage immediately follows the command to treat their brother, who might be sold unto them, not as a bond-servant but as a hired one; that is, as I understand it, not only to treat him as an equal and brother, but retain him no longer than his debt was paid; reckoning with him as a hireling and allowing him wages as such.

A rule somewhat less lenient was permitted in the case of those bought of the heathen. This is plain. But what was the nature of the servitude in which those bought of the heathen should be held, and especially its duration, is not certain from this passage. It does not follow from the use of the word hy (olem), rendered for ever, that it might be perpetual; yea it does not follow that it might be to the next jubilee. For it will be admitted that this word stands for various durations; some longer or shorter according to the nature of the subject to which it refers. In the case of the servant whose ear was bored, which law we have in two places, it is said both times that he should serve (olem) for ever. Ex. xxi. 6. Deut. xv. 16. It is, however, generally admitted, that said servant might go out at the jubilee and usually believed, that he could not be transferred, nor held to serve by any but the master who bored his ear.

y

This word, although it immediately follows bond-servant, does not necessarily relate to the length of service of any individual, but may refer to the whole rule. Part of the rule relates to their brother, when sold unto them; part to their buying a stranger; and part to the redemption of their brother, when sold to a stranger. It may relate to the whole law as their standing rule respecting slavery.

We have several passages, in which it, or words expressing duration, are used in this sense.

God said to Abraham, " Thy seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years." Stephen referring to the same case says, They should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years." Gen. xv. Acts vii. The four hundred years, in both these passages,

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