The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1845-08-07
From The Liieng and Evangelical Magazine.
Inquiry Into The Manning Of The word DOulos
In The new festamfnt.

soA VIC htietaIy ena ENangencal Magazine.
Inquiry lnis the Manning Of The word DoulOs
In the New Testament.
The relations OF domestic seryi,ude, as
they exist in some parts Of this country,
are exciting unusual attention and feeling.
IL is the opinion Of some, and Of the wri-
Ter Of this article among them, that the SUBJ
ject is incautionsly treated, and that in
jury may result from the well intended ef.
forts Of jealous philanlhropists. Paticu-
larry il is thought that religion is made by
many, in the present day, to bear with too
direct an influence on this extremely diff
cult and delicate affair: and the object Of
this inquiry is TO give cautions and warn
ings, which appear 10 be greatly needed.
The term Doulos, as il occurs in The
New Testament, IS often so translated as
to mislead persons not acquainted with the
original. The inquiry then, is, what does
il mean as used by the inspired writers!
]. 1t is placed in opposition 10 eleuthe-
ros. What then is the true sense Of this
last wordl By consulting the Greek Tes-
lament, il clearly appears that il is used in
a civil sense 10 denote three particular con-
ditions,--born free-free by manumission
sisss 4gHb Safif 81 SSaigafqpSSs raE I'M
example Of the first Of these in Gal. iv. %,
%, 80, 3l,-of the second in 1 Cor. vii.
81, 22,--and Of the third in Matt. xvii, 20.
The first two cases are sufficient for my
present purpose. II donlos is opposed TO
in the first instance, then il must
mean the opposite Of born free. j. e. not
born free: if in the second. il must mean,
not fnanumifted. Now every person
knows what 10 the civil state of person
NOT born free, or NOT emGncipated. He is
a slave. 49,.
2. The precise meaning and force Of q
word used by particular writer is best
understood by ascertaining the way in
which it was generally used by the peo-
pie to whom he wrote, and among whom
he lived. And if that word describes the
civil condition Of persons, the laws of
lhe state respecting those persons will
show exactly the meaning of the term in
question. To illustrate this subject, let
Is suppose that christian teacher, who
lad spent great part Of his life in South
Carolina or Georgia, on being called to an
,ther region, should write letters of admo-
lition and advice to the societies among
which he had lived and labored: and far
her, that in these letters, he adverts, in
he use of common terms, to the relations
If domestic servitude; who for moment
Gould doubt what meaning ought TO be gi-
ven to his word! Who, on reading the
avs of these states respecting persons of
his character, could hesitate as to their si-
uation!
An inquiry then into the laws of Greece
md Rome, and to the use of terms among
hem expressing the actual condition o.
ervants, will, if successful, perfectly de-
ide the whole question. 1t is to be re-
marked that the inquiry respects the cirii
ondition of persons called doulos. The
vord has, in the New Testament, mean
ngs which do not apply to civil condition,
md therefore are irrelevant. The only
question with us is, what idea had Greek
r Roman on hearing or seeing the word
Ioulos used in relation to domestic servi-
lde! As TO the Roman law, the point is
ettled at once by referring 10 the Insti-
ltes of Justinian. The following extracts
re sufficient for my purpose. de Jure
ersonarun,, Til. iii. Summa itaque d.
isio de iure ,rsonarum hec est: quod
mnes homines, aut liberti stunt aut servi.
i libertas quidem Eek qua. etiam hberi
ocanter) est naturalis facultas ejus, quod
uique facere Tibet. nisi quid vi aut jure
rohibetur. Servitus autem est constitutio
iris centrum. qua quis dominic alieno con-. ).
ia naturam subjicimr. Servi autem ex oe
ppellati stunt, quod imperatores captiyos
endere, ac per hoe servare, nee occidere
client, uui etiam mancipia dict stunt, co
luod alb hostibus manu- capiuntur. Sirvi
.utem nascuntur, aut fiunt nascuntur ex an
ILLS nostris; funt autem jure gentium, i'd
st ex cap,iyitate, aut jure civil, cum liber
lomo major yiginti annis ad pretium partici-
,andum sese yenundari passus est. In SER
Drum condi,ione nulla est differentia, in