LESSON I.-Critical examination into the meaning of the Greek word dovλos, doulos, slave, as used both by the sacred and classical writers, 506. LESSON II.-Abolition denunciation of the Bible, 507, 508; tendency to mystery in the human mind; the God of Abraham and Moses, who gave command how to treat slaves, to be trustingly worshipped, 508, 509. LESSON III.-The meaning of dovλos as used by the Greek poets, 510; Valckenaerus on the phonetic relation of Greek words to their derivative, 511 to 514; the argument that dovos could not have meant an unconditional slave, refuted, 515, 516. LESSON IV.-Extracts from Grecian historians, philosophers, and poets, showing the classi- cal sense in which they used the word dovλos and its derivatives, 516 to 536. LESSON V.-The use of the word dovλos by Thucydides, Herodotus, and Xenophon, 536 to LESSON X-Scriptural extracts continued, 562 to 564. LESSON XI.-The Greek word signifying slave-stealers in 1 Tim. i. 5 to 11, 564 to 566; quotation from Xenophon in proof, 566; the appeal of Mr. Barnes to the Dutch, 567; Greek words from freeman and slave, 568. LESSON XIL-Paul on slave stealing, 569 to 572. LESSON XIII.-Reasons for Paul's instructions to Timothy and to Christian slaves re- specting slave-stealing and the duties of the servile condition, 572 to 575. LESSON XIV. The use of the word dovλos by Jesus Christ, 576, 577. LESSON XV.-Use of the word dovλos by Paul, Peter, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, 578 against the facts, the justifications, the religious and litical sanctions of the other. Mr. Fletcher has not only marshalled into his lin impregnable defence the mandates and sanctions of Sacred Writings concerning the slave institutions, bu has drawn powerful auxiliaries from the sources of anc history. His exegesis of biblical passages, in the orig languages in which they were communicated by inspira to the world, shows his sound scholarship, as well as reverence of the literal sense and specific meaning of G holy and unimpeachable standard and rule of life action. The author has also analyzed the fountain of M Philosophy, and detected the bitter waters of error so dustriously infused by the eloquent and magical pens such writers as Dr. Samuel Johnson, Dr. Paley, Dr. Ch ning, Dr. Wayland, Mr. Barnes, and others. He has fined himself to the moral and ethical bearings of question, scarcely touching upon its political aspects, course calculated to render the book far more useful to dispassionate seekers after truth, who may belong to ferent political sects. Neither time nor labour has been spared in the auth ship of the work; and it is believed that, while it is writ with candour and calmness, it will be received by people of the North as well as of the South as a sinc and enlightened endeavour to seek for truth, and thus al the tumultuous and disorganizing fanaticism of those w have not had opportunity to study the subject, and incapable of acting upon it with understanding and t decision. PROEMIAL. PHILOSOPHY knows no obligation that binds one man to another without an equivalent. If one man could be subjected to another, who is not bound to render any thing in return, it would be subversive to good morals and political justice. Such a relation cannot exist, only so far as to reach the immediate death of the subjected. But it has been the error of some good men to suppose that slavery presented such a case. It has been their misfortune also to receive the following succedaneums as axioms in the search for truth: "All men are born equal." "The rights of men are inalienable." "No man has power to alienate a natural right." "No man can become property." "No man can own property in another.” "The conscience is a distinct mental faculty." "The conscience infallibly distinguishes between right and wrong." "No man is under any obligation to obey any law when his conscience dictates it to be wrong." "The conscience empowers any man to nullify any law; because the conscience is a part and parcel of the Divine mind." "Slavery is wholly founded on force." "Slavery originates in the power of the strong over weak." "Slavery disqualifies a man to fulfil the great object his being." "The doctrines of the Bible forbid slavery." "There is no word, either in the Old or the New Te ment, which expresses the idea of slave or slavery." 66 Slavery places its subjects beyond moral and legal ligation therefore, it can never be a legal or moral tion." "Slavery is inconsistent with the moral nature of m "To hold in slavery is inconsistent with the present s of morals and religion." 66 Slavery is contrary to the will of God." "No man can hold a slave, and be a Christian." Fana Averments of this order are quite numerous. receive them; and some others do not distinguish them f truths. At any age, and in any country, where such errors generally adopted, and become the rules of political act morals and religion are always in commotion, and in dan of shipwreck for, although, where man has only proached so far towards civilization that even the enlig ened can merely perceive them as rudimental, yet the g principles that influence human life, morality and relig are, everywhere, and always have been the same. TABLE OF CONTENTS. STUDY I. LESSON I.-Wayland's definition of moral law, page 7 to 8; sin the antecedent of slavery, 9; the abuse of slavery a sin, 10. LESSON II.—Wayland on the elements of consciousness, 10 to 11; the degeneracy of races, and slavery as the scriptural means of reclamation, 12; object of punishment, 13. LESSON III.-Wayland on conscience as a distinct faculty, 14, 15; Channing, Barnes, and abolitionists generally on the same, 16, 17, 18. LESSON IV.-Wayland on conscience as an independent faculty derived from Shaftesbury, Hutchinson, and Reid, 18; combated by Archbishop Secker, 19; argument that conscience is neither a distinct faculty nor infallible, 20 to 23. LESSON V.-Wayland's doctrine, that slavery sacrifices the slave's eternal happiness to the master's temporal, refuted, 23 to 25; the master's interest and the slave's moral improvement identical, 26, 27. LESSON VI.-Wayland's argument, that slavery is at variance with the laws of God, examined, 27; its connection with productive labour and national wealth considered, 28 to 32; Sismondi's theory of labour and capital, 32; Wayland on slavery as impoverishing soil refuted, 33, 34. LESSON VII.-Wayland's doctrine, that the moral principles of the Bible are opposed to slavery, refuted, 34, 35; Secker's authority, 36; Wayland on slavery as a prohibition of gospel privileges and matrimony controverted, 37 to 40; Luther and Melancthon quoted, 39; African practice in regard to matrimony, 40; interest of masters to promote permanent marriages among their slaves, 40 to 42. LESSON VIII.-Wayland, Paley, Channing, and Barnes on the opinion that the sacred writers abstained from condemning slavery on motives of policy, 43 to 47. LESSON IX.-Wayland's doubts, caused by Prof. Taylor, 47 to 50; Wayland's assertion, that the inculcation of the duties of slaves is no sanction of slavery, combated, 51, 52. LESSON X.-Wayland's assertion, that Scripture is opposed to slavery, contrasted with the declarations of the Bible, 53; slavery a desirable and ardently sought condition under certain circumstances-historical proofs, 54 to 57. LESSON XL-Dr. Paley on slavery and the laws of nature, 57 to 61. LESSON XII.-Paley on cruelty as an argument against slavery, 62; Lander's testimony respecting native cruelty in Africa, 63; Paley's slander on Jesus Christ and Paul and Peter repelled, 65 to 67. LESSON XIII.-Slavery in ancient Britain, 67; Dr. Samuel Johnson's argument against negro slavery analyzed, and overthrown by arguments drawn from the laws of nations and the laws of God, 68 to 82. |