I read again from 1. Timothy, vi, 1, 2:

"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not 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."

Once more: 1. Peter, ii, 18;

"Servants be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.”

Now the question arises, were the "masters " here referred to, slave-holders? The word kurios, translated master, signifies possessor, owner, master. When used, as here, in connexion with servant, it means "owner or possessor of servants, or slaves." In its proper sense it always implies authority, arising from an existing relation. Let me read you a brief quotation from an article in the Biblical Repository, from the pen of Professor Stuart, pages 737,

and 741.

In his remarks on the meaning of the word kurios in the Septuagint, he says-"1. Kurios, then, means, owner, possessor; e. g. Ex. xxi, 28, and xxi, 29, 34. 2. It signifies husband, lord, in the sense of being the head of a family; e. g. Gen. xviii, 12, &c. 3. It is used as an appellation of respect and civility. 4. Kurios is very frequently employed to designate the relation of a master to his servants or slaves; e. g. Gen. xxiv, 9, 10, 12, 14, &c. In this sense the word is employed many scores of times in the Septuagint; as may be seen in Tromme's Concordance. Indeed, so far were the Seventy from recognizing the usual classic distinction between despotes and kurios, as stated by Passow, that they have scarcely used despotes at all in the sense to which I now advert, &c. 5. It is employed, in numberless instances, to designate the only living and true God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as the supreme ruler, governor, master,

owner, and rightful lord and possessor of all things, having them all under his control," &c.

Professor Stuart, one of the ablest critics and most learned expositors in this country, or in any other, says,

"As used in the New Testament, the word kurios has the following meanings: 1. It designates the owner or possessor of any thing; as Matt. xx, 8, &c. 2. It signifies the head or master of a family or household; e. g. Mark xiii, 35, &c. 3. It is used as an appellation of respect and civility; Matt. xviii, 21, &c. 4. It is em ployed as designating the relation of a master to a servant or slave; Matt. xxiv, 45, 46, 48, 50, Eph. vi, 5, 9, Col. iv. 1, iii, 32, and often elsewhere."

Abolitionists tell us, that despotes is the proper Greek word to signify an owner of slaves, but that kurios has not commonly this meaning. Professor Stuart, however, who is one of the ablest critics in our country, states, that the authors of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint, do not make any distinction between these words, but that they almost uniformly use the word kurios, when they mean the master of slaves. On page 758 he says—“I proceed to note a few other instances, in which Paul used the word kurios in the common secular sense, as denoting the master of servants. Thus Rom. xiv, 4, Eph. vi, 5, and vi, 9, Col. iii, 22, and iv, 1, are plain instances of this nature; and I may add, these are among the very numerous class of examples in the Septuagint and New Testament, which go to show that the classical distinction made between despotes and kurios was not at all regarded by the Hellenistic writers."

It appears, then, that the Hellenistic writers—of whom were the apostles of Christ-did not make a distinction between the words kurios and despotes, but that they generally used kurios to signify a master or owner of slaves. In the Septuagint translation, Potiphar is called Joseph's kurios or master. Will the gentleman inform us, whether Joseph was Potiphar's slave?

Robertson, who is a lexicographer of standard authority, defines kurios thus: "lord, master, owner-generally as the possessor, owner, master, of property; Matt. xx, 8, xxi, 40, &c. The master or possessor of persons, servants, slaves; Matt. x, 24, xxiv, 45, &c."

It is clear, then, that the word kurios, translated master, does commonly signify an owner of slaves. And now I proceed to prove, that the corresponding word, doulos, translated servant, means a slave; or that the persons addressed by the apostles as servants, were slaves.

To satisfy the minds of the unprejudiced on this point, I will refer to some standard authorities; for I pretend not to such learning as to expect the audience to depend upon my assertions.

Robertson defines doulos-"a slave, a servant-spoken of involuntary service, e. g. a slave in opposition to eleutheros, free." Douleia, he defines, slavery, bondage. Douleuoto be a slave or servant, to serve. Douloo-to make a slave, to bring into bondage.

Bretschneider, one of the most learned German lexicographers, defines doulos—“servus, qui sui juris non est, cui opponitur ho eleutheros; 1 Cor. vii. 21 ”. —a SLAVE, one who is not under his own control, to which is opposed HO ELEUTHEROS, free. Douloo-to make a slave, reduce to slavery.

Donnegan defines doulos, "a slave, a servant, as opposed to despotes a master. Douloo, to reduce to slavery," &c. Groves defines doule, a female slave; doulos, a slave, a servant; douloo, to enslave, reduce to slavery.

Greenfield defines doulos, a man in a servile state, male slave, or servant. Douloo-to reduce to servitude, enslave, oppress by retaining in servitude.

Such are the definitions of doulos, and its cognate terms, given by lexicographers of standard authority; men who, though regarded by the gentleman as weak and timid, may, nevertheless, be supposed to have some considerable acquaintance with the Greek language. They all agree, that the

primary, proper, and ordinary meaning of the word doulos,

is slave.

It is important here to remark, that the Greek language has a word which does definitely signify a hired servant, viz., misthotos—a word commonly used in this sense, both in the Septuagint and the New Testament; but this word is never used by the apostles addressing servants.

Having thus ascertained how the lexicographers understand the word doulos, I now invite your attention to a few quotations from the classics, showing that profane Greek writers uniformly used it to mean a slave.

Herodotus "Rhodope was born in Thrace. She was the slave (doule) of Jadmon-the fellow-slave (sundoule) of Esop," b. ii, sec. 134. Again-"Our affairs have come to this crisis, O lonians, that we must be either free (eleutheroi) or slaves, (douloi,”) b. vi, sec. 11. Again-"Argos was deprived of so many men, that the slaves (douloi) usurped the government. The expelled slaves (douloi) seized Terinthe. Cleander persuaded these slaves (doulois) to attack their masters, (despotais,) ib. sec. 83.

Plato "As to the things connected with tame living animals, the rearing and managing of flocks embraces all except slaves, (doulous.") There remains, then, the class of slaves, (doulon,) and all other servants (hupereton.) What servants do you mean? Those that have been purchased or made property in any other way, whom we may unquestionably call slaves, (doulous.)

Harpocration, speaking of the Helots, says, "they were not naturally the slaves (douloi) of the Lacedemonians, but were the first of the inhabitants of Helos subdued." Pausanias says, "They were the first slaves (douloi) of the Lacedemonians." Eustathius says, "The Helots labored for the Lacedemonians, and were slaves (douloi)." Julius Pollux says, "They were not slaves, (douloi) but in a condition between slaves and free men, (eleutheron kai doulon.") Xenophon says, "Certainly, it is necessary, that a sufficiency of heat and cold, of food and drink, of labor and sleep, be allowed to

slaves, (doulois.") Cyrop, ch. vi, p. 423. Again, "Or because we have now obtained slaves (doulous) shall we punish them, if they be dishonest ?" Again, "It is proper that there should be this difference between us and slaves (doulon) that, as slaves (douloi) unwillingly obey their masters, (despotais,) we, if we deem ourselves worthy to be free men, (eleutheroi,) should willingly do that which is most praiseworthy."-Ibid. ch. vii, p. 430.

I have read these quotations to prove to the unlearned, as well as to the learned, that the ancient Greek writers used the word doulos, as the proper word for slave. And can any one doubt it, after hearing these passages from their writings?

I now proceed to prove, that the inspired writers used this word in the same sense in which it was employed by the Greek writers. For this purpose I will quote some passages in which it occurs. John viii, 31, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage (dedouleukamen) to any man: how sayest thou, ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin, is the servant (doulos) of sin. And the servant (doulos) abideth not in the house,” &c. In this passage it is evident that the Saviour represents wicked men as the slaves of sin; and truly the service of sin and of the Devil, is a most degrading slavery.

In the same sense the word is used by Paul the Apostle. Rom. vi, 17, 18. "But God be thanked that we were the servants (douloi) of sin: but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." In 1. Cor. xii, 13, it is used literally for slaves, thus: "For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or gentiles, whether we be bond or free (cite douloi, eite eleutheros)—that is, whether we be slaves or freemes. We find the word used in precisely the same sense, in Collos. iii,