Good Shepherd, with a band of slaves liberated at death, and pleading for them at judgment. In a.p. 312 a law was passed declaring as homicide the poisoning or branding of slaves, and giving them to be torn by beasts. The advance of a healthier sentiment may be seen by comparing the law of Augustus, which forbade a master to emancipate more than one-fifth of his slaves, and which fixed one hundred males as a maximum for one time—and the unlimited permission to emancipate con- ceded by Constantine. Each new ruler enacted some measure which facilitated emancipation. Every obstacle was thrown by the law in the way of separating families. Under Justinian all presumptions were in favor of liberty. If a slave had several owners, one could emancipate him, and the others must accept compensation at a reduced valuation. The mutilated, and those who had served in the army with their masters’ know]l- edge and consent, were liberated. All the old laws which lim- ited the age at which a slave could be freed, and the number which could be emancipated, were abolished. A master’s mar- riage with a slave freed all the children. Sick and useless slaves must be sent by their masters to the hospital.
Great and deserved praise has been bestowed on this letter. Bengel says: “A familiar and exceedingly courteous epistle concerning a private affair is inserted among the New Testa- ment books, intended to afford a specimen of the highest wis- dom as to how Christians should arrange civil affairs on loftier principles.” Franke, quoted by Bengel, says: “The single epistle to Philemon very far surpasses all the wisdom of the world.” Renan: “A true little chef-d’oewvre of the art of let- ter-writing.” Sabatier: “This short epistle gleams like a pearl of the most exquisite purity in the rich treasure of the New Testament.” *
* Other testimonies may be found collected by Lightfoot, ‘Commentary on Philemon,” Introduction, and Farrar, ‘‘ Paul,” ii., chs, l., li. See also Dr. Hackett’s article on the epistle in Smith’s ‘‘ Dictionary of the Bible.” The letter of Pliny the Younger to Sabinianus, which is often compared with Paul’s, is given in full by Farrar, vol. ii., excursus v. Also by Lightfoot, Introduction.