section, that the inhabitants of Canaan, whom the Jews were to destroy, were of the genealogy of Ham, including the whole seven nations of that country, and were the direct descendants of this man through Canaan, a son of his, as all this has been done in the fourth section of the work, and elsewhere.
On this account, our labor is therefore straight before us, namely, to ascertain whether, in the law of Moses, the curse of Noah against Ham and his people, is actually recognized, indorsed, and acted upon as judicial, in relation to their enslavement, in the strict and literal sense of the word.
In a certain chapter of the book of Leviticus, namely, the xxvth, are found sundry directions embodied in the law of Sinai, respecting servants of various kinds. Here it is found written, that any Hebrew having bought, not hired, a Hebrew servant, should not be oppressed, or ruled over with rigor, as they would rule over or oppress a bondman, not derived from the Hebrew stock.
From the 35th to the 46th verse inclusive, of the above named chapter, it is written as follows, except the words included in brackets, which are inserted to carry out, and to distinguish the true meaning, and to prevent confusion:
"And if thy brother [a Hebrew, one of the twelve tribes] be waxen poor, and fall into decay with thee [or in thy midst], then thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger [far from his own tribe], or a sojourner [one who had come from another tribe], that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him, or increase, but fear thy God [in this thing]
