*Chapter xxi., vv. 2 to 6. Leviticus, chap, xxv., vv. 44 to 46. In these verses we find slavery acknowledged, and its continuance provided for by the law of God. The offering a slave his liberty on condition that he abandoned his wife whom he loved, and his children who are of his flesh and blood, is a piece of refined cruelty. Perhaps God did not know that a slave was capable of love, perhaps God was not aware that the slave in his hovel may have as true and as warm an affection for his wife and children as the king in his palace, or the noble in his fine mansion. Is a slave a man with a man's passions and feelings, or is he an inferior animal? If the Bible is to be examined before replying to the question, and if we are to govern our mode of answering by the words we find there, it ceases to be a matter for wonder that there are slave States in Christian countries. It is a beautiful theory this, and worthy of a place in a revelation from an all-wise and all-good God--i. e., that a man may be a religious man and yet keep his brother and sister as male and female slaves, breeding and begetting other slaves. How did this slavery originate? before the flood slaves are not mentioned. If God made all men originally free, how did any become slaves? {58} Verse 6 is contradicted in Leviticus, chap, xxv., w. 39 to 42. Verses 7 to 11. These verses contain a provision for the sale by a man of his own daughter. And for what purpose? Our translators have endeavoured to hide the real meaning of the text. Verse 7 reads, 'And if a man sell his daughter to be a maid-servant, she shall not go out as the _men servants_ do.' In the Douay it is, 'If a man sell his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as _bondwomen_ are wont to go out.' The 8th verse in our translation reads--'If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed to sell her to a strange nation; he shall have no power seeing _he hath dealt deceitfully with her_.' In the Douay, 'If she displease the eyes of her master to whom she was delivered, he shall let her go, but he shall have no power to sell her to a foreign nation _if he despise her?_ In the Breeches Bible the whole truth is revealed, for we find the last words of the 8th verse translated, '_seeing he hath deflowered her_.' Lest there should be a mistake, I will further contrast the translation of verse 10. In our version it is, 'If he take him another _wife_ her food, her raiment, and her _duty of marriage_ he shall not diminish.' In the Douay, 'If he take another wife for him, he shall provide her a marriage, and raiment, neither shall he refuse the _price of her chastity_.' In the Breeches Bible, 'If he take him another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her raiment, and _recompense of her virginity?_