Having already appealed to the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, we turn to that of the New, where we learn that slavery existed in the earliest days of the Christian Church, and that both masters and slaves were members of the same Christian congregations. Slavery was an institution of the State in the Roman Empire, as it is in the Southern States of this confederacy, and the apostles did not feel at liberty to denounce it, if, indeed, they felt the least opposition to it—a thing we deny.
But, before we appeal to the irresistible authority of the New Testament, we will submit a few only of a great many passages from the Old Testament—not having quoted as extensively as may have been deemed necessary:
"And he said, I am Abraham's servant."—Gen. xxiv. 34.
"And there was of the house of Saul a servant, whose name was Ziba; and when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he."—2 Sam. ix. 2.
"Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul, and to all his house."—Verse 9th.
"Thou, therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat, &c. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants."—Verse 10th.
"I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also, I had great possessions of great and small cattle, above all that were in Jerusalem before me."—Eccles. ii. 7.
"And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai."—Gen. xvi. 8.
"And the Angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself to her hands."—Verse 9th.