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Show 218 LIBERTY AND SLAVERY. ing; and with him many others have agreed. No man can look at the simple continuity of logic in the passage without feeling that there is force in the appeal." Yet the fact should not be concealed, that Stuart himself is " not satisfied with this exegesis of the passage;" which, acccording to his own statement, was the universal inte•·pretation from "the early ages" down to the sixteenth century. This change, says he, "seems to have been the spontaneous prompting of the spirit of liberty, that beat high" in the bosom of its author. Now have we not some reason to distrust an interpretation which comes not exactly from Heaven, but from a spirit beating high in the human breast? That is certainly not an unen ·ing spirit. We have already seen what it can do with the Scriptures. But whether it has erred in this instance, or not, it is certain that it should never be permitted to beat so very high in any human breast as to annul the teachings of the apostle, or to make him contradict himself. This has been too often done. We too frequently hear those who admit that St. Paul exhorts "shtves to continue in slavery," stil' contend that "if they may be made free," AROU:\fENT FROM THE SCRIPTURE S. 219 they should move heaven and earth to attain so desirable an object. They "should continue in that state," and yet exert all their power toescape therefrom! Conybeare and Howson, who are acknowledged to be among the best commentators on the Epistles of St. Paul, have restored "the continuity of his logic." They translate his words thus : " Nay, though thou have power to gain thy freedom, seek rather to remain content." This translation certainly possesses the atlvantage that it makes the doctrine of St. Paul perfectly consistent with itself. But let us return to the point in regard to which there is no controversy. It is on all sides agreed, that St. Paul no less than tln·ee times exhorts every man to continue in the condition in which Providence has placed him. "And this rule," says he, "ordain I in all the churches." Yet-would any man believe it possible? -the very quintessence of abolitionism itself bas been extracted from this passage of his writings! Let us consider for a moment the wonderful alchemy by which this has been effected. We find in this passage the words: "Be not Y' the servants of men." These words nre |