(6) Christian Principles. Although the con dition of the Roman slaves was no doubt improved under the emperors, the early effects of Christian principles were manifest in mitigating the hor rors, and bringing about the gradual abolition of slavery.
The laws which the great Deliverer and Re deemer of mankind gave for the government of his kingdom, were those of universal justice and benevolence. and as such were subversive of every system of tyranny and oppression. To suppose, therefore, as has been rashly asserted, that Jesus or his apostles gave their sanction to the existing systems of slavery among the Greeks and Romans. is to dishonor them. That the reciprocal duties of masters and servants (500-yot) were inculcated, admits, indeed, of no doubt (Col. III :22; iv :1; Tit. ii :9: 1 Pet. ii :18 Eph. vi :5-9). But the performance of these duties on the part of the masters, supposing them to have been slave-mas ters. would have been tantamount to the utter subversion of the relation. There can be no doubt either that 'servants under the yoke.' or the slaves of heathens, are exhorted to yield obedience to their masters (I Tim. vi :1). But this argues no approval of the relation ; for ( t), Jesus, in an analogous case. appeals to the paramount law of nature as superseding such temporary regulations as the 'hardness of men's hearts' had rendered necessary (see Slavery at the Cope of Good Hope, by the Rev. W. Wright. M. A., 1831, p. 58); and (2), St. Paul, while counseling the duties of con tentment and submission under inevitable bondage, inculcates at the same time on the slave the duty of adopting all legitimate means of obtaining his freedom (I Cor. vii :18-20).
'It is not,' says Robertson, 'the authority of any single detached precept in the Gospel, but the spirit and genius of the Christian religion, more powerful than any particular command, which has abolished the practice cf slavery throughout the world.' Although, even in the most corrupt times of the church, the operation of Christian principles tended to this benevolent object, they unforunately did not prevent the revival of sla very in the European settlements in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, together with that nefarious traffic, the suppression of which has ren dered the name of Wilberforce forever illustrious. Modern servitude had all the characteristic evils of the Roman, except, perhaps, the uncontrolled power of life and death, while it was destitute of that redeeming quality to which we have referred, its tendency being to perpetuate the condition of slavery. It has also been supposed to have in troduced the unfortunate prejudice of color, which was unknown to the ancients (Linstant's Essai, 1841). It was the benevolent wish of the philo sophic Herder (History of Mon, 1788) that the time might come 'when we shall look back with as much compassion on our inhuman traffic in negroes, as on the ancient Roman slavery or Spar tan helots.' This is now no longer a hope, so far as the United States is concerned, as she not only set the example of abolishing the traffic, but evinced the soundness of her Christian principles by the greatest national act of justice which his tory has yet recorded, in the total abolition of slavery throughout all her borders. (See SERV ANT.) W. W.