'
"That a slave having escaped from his master could not rightfully be
sent back into bondage, was evident from these considerations:
"All men are born free and equal, and have an inalienable right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If a slave sees fit to walk off,
or run off, or ride off on his master's beast, or sail off in his
master's boat, he has a perfect right to do so. Slavery is violence;
every man may resist violence offered to his person, except under
process of law; the person cannot be taken except for crime, or debt, or
in war; every man owns his body and soul; the person cannot become
merchandise, except for the three causes above named, which he
acknowledged were justifiable causes of involuntary servitude at
present. But to forcibly seize a weaker man, or race, and hold them in
bondage he declared to be in violation of the laws of nature, and
contrary to the Christian religion.
"If it should be replied that Paul the Apostle countenanced slavery by
sending back Onesimus, he would answer, that Paul was a Jew, and was not
yet freed wholly from Jewish practices and associations of ideas.
Gnosticism has supervened upon the rudimental childhood of spiritual
truth.
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