although the New Testament does not show such condemnation, does it necessarily follow, that they were silent, in relation to these sins?  Or, because the New Testament does not specifically condemn Greek and Roman slavery, may we, therefore, infer, that the Apostles did not specifically condemn it?  Look through the published writings of many of the eminent divines, who have lived in modern times, and have written and published much for the instruction of the churches, and you will not find a line in them against gambling or theatres or the slave-trade;—­in some of them, not a line against the very common sin of drunkenness.  Think you, therefore, that they never spoke or wrote against these things?  It would be unreasonable to expect to find, in print, their sentiments against all, even of the crying sins of their times.  But how much more unreasonable is it to expect to find in the few pages of the Apostles’ published letters, the whole of which can be read in a few hours, their sentiments in relation to all the prominent sins of the age in which they lived!  And far greater still is the unreasonableness of setting them down, as favorable to all practices which these letters do not specifically condemn.

[Footnote A:  Prof.  Hodge says, if the apostles did abstain from declaring slavery to be sinful, “it must have been, because they did not consider it as, in itself, a crime.  No other solution of their conduct is consistent with their truth or fidelity.”  But he believes that they did abstain from so doing; and he believes this, on the same evidence, on which he believes, that they abstained from declaring the races, games, &c., above enumerated, to be sinful.  His own mode of reasoning, therefore, brings him unavoidably to the conclusion, that these races, games, &c., were not sinful.]

It may be, that the Saviour and the Apostles, in the course of their teachings, both oral and written, did specify sins to a far greater extent, than they are supposed to have done.  It may be, that their followers had much instruction, in respect to the great sin of slavery.  We must bear in mind, that but a very small part of that Divine instruction, which, on the testimony of an Apostle, “the world itself could not contain if written,” has come down to us.  Of the writings of our Saviour we have nothing.  Of those of his Apostles a very small part.  It is probable, that, during his protracted ministry, the learned apostle to the Gentiles wrote many letters on religious subjects to individuals and to churches.  So also of the immense amount of instruction, which fell from the lips of the Apostles, but very little is preserved.  It was Infinite Wisdom, however, which determined the size of the New, as well as of the Old Testament, and of what kinds and portions of the Saviour’s and the Apostles’ instructions it should consist.  For obvious considerations, it is made up, in a great measure, of general truths and propositions.  Its limited size, if no other