They likewise claimed that St. Paul, while he preached the gospel to slaveholders and slaves alike in Rome, yet used his calling to enable him to return to slavery an escaped human being--Onesimus.( 1) The advocates of domestic slavery justified it as of scriptural and divine origin. From the Old Testament they quoted other texts, not only to justify the holding of slaves in perpetual bondage, but the continuance of the slave trade with all its cruelties. "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. . . . "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. "Thou, therefore, and thy sons, and they servants shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in _the fruits_, that thy master's son may have food to eat," etc. "Now Ziba had fifteen sons and _twenty servants_."--2 Samuel ix., 2, 9-10. "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 comest thou? and she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. "And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself to her hands."--Gen. xvi., 8, 9. "A servant will not be corrected by words; for though he understand, he will not answer."--Prov. xxix., 19. And from the New Testament they triumphantly quoted: "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather."--I Cor., vii., 20-22. "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ," etc. "And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."--Eph., vi., 5-9. "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God."--Col. iii., 22. "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven."--Col. iv., 1. "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrines be not blasphemed," etc.--I Tim., vi., 1, 2. "Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."--Titus ii., 9, 10.