SLAVE-KEEPERS
That keep the Innocent in Bondage,
A P O S T A T E S
Pretending to lay claim to the Pure & Holy Christian Religion; of what Congregation so ever; but especially in their Ministers, by whose example the filthy Leprosy and Apostacy is spread far and near; it is a notorious Sin, which many of the true Friends of Christ, and his pure Truth, called Quakers, has been for many Years, and still are concerned to write and bear Testimony against; as a Practice so gross & hurtful to Religion, and destructive to government, beyond what Words can set forth, or can be declared of by Men or Angels, and yet lived in by Ministers and Magistrates in America.
The Leaders of the People cause them to Err.
Written for a General Service, by him that truly and sincerely desires the present and eternal Welfare and Happiness of all Mankind, all the World over, of all Colours, and Nations, as his on Soul;
B E N J A M I N L A Y.
PHILADELPHIA:
Printed for the Author. 1737
This is an annotated text of All Slave-Keepers That keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates, published by its author in Philadelphia in 1737. Original spelling, punctuation and page citations have been retained; minor typographic errors have been corrected.
This electronic edition has been prepared for the Antislavery Literature Project, Arizona State University, a public education project working in cooperation with the EServer, Iowa State University. Digitization has been supported by a grant from the Institute for Humanities Research, Arizona State University.
Editorial annotation by Joe Lockard. Digitization by Noel Borde,
Mahesh Bhutkar, Nilesh Ralbhat, Manoj Salvi, and April Brannon. All rights reserved by the Antislavery Literature Project. Permission for non-commercial educational use is granted.
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Benjamin Lay (1677-1759) was a Quaker merchant who, together with Ralph Sandiford and Anthony Benezet, was one of the earliest public opponents of slavery in colonial America. He was born in England, lived ten years in Barbadoes, and moved to the Philadelphia area. Lay attracted great attention during the 1730s in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for his vociferous opposition to slavery and slave-owners within the Quaker community. His physical appearance reinforced this public notice, as he stood only four feet seven inches, had a severely hunched back, and a very large white beard. He was physically ejected from meetinghouses where he vehemently denounced slavery and was disavowed by the Quaker community, although he considered himself a Quaker throughout his life.
Lay had a theatrical talent that accompanied his antislavery rhetoric. On one occasion he threw off his Quaker garb in meetinghouse to reveal a military uniform, denounced slaveholders as men of war, and stabbed his belt with a sword to pierce a bladder containing red fluid. On another occasion he stood barefoot in the snow in front of a meetinghouse to protest slavery. Once he kidnapped the son of Quaker slaveholders to demonstrate how Africans felt when their children were kidnapped; he returned the child when searchers came to his house.
All Slave-keepers that keep the Innocent in Bondage, Apostates (1737) was Lay’s only published work. His friend Benjamin Franklin printed the work. All Slave-keepers is not only one of the earliest antislavery texts of colonial America, but one of the most vehement ever written. Lay viewed slavery as quintessential moral corruption and condemned it as such. Most of the text argues that slavery constitutes a social evil that offends divine justice, although the latter sections contain vast and visionary jeremiads against all forms of worldly evil. Lay’s antislavery writings were frequently viewed as quixotic but had a more pervasive influence on the development of American religious antislavery thought than they have been attributed.
— Joe Lockard
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THE
P R E F A C E
Impartial Reader,
THESE Things following are so far from offending or grieving my very dear true and tender Friends, called Quakers, who love the Truth more then all, that it is by their request and desire that they are made publick; for I can say in the Truth before the Lord, that I love them in & for the Truths sake, and covet their sweet Unity, and pure Fellowship in the Gospel, more than my natural Life, and all things in the World, without it or them, my record is in Heaven.
I say for the Truth, and Friends sake, these things are exposed, and I my
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self likewise , although not without some fear and trembling, for fear I should hurt Truth’s cause, which is God’s cause, I being and seeing myself so very unfit almost everyway, as a Man, yet I can truly say as a Christian, I believ’d it my Duty, but made not haste, for the lord my good God, the Truth knows, that I have prayed unto him earnestly, many Days and Nights, with great concern of mind, that he would be pleased to raise up and concern some worthy Friend or other, of more repute and Esteem amongst Men; for I know my self to be so very mean and contemptible in the sight of Men, almost in every respect, so that I might and do much question the Event, but shall leave that to the Lord, to whom faithfulness and obedience is required; and no true peace without it. For I have found long ago, the saying of Truth verified, He that loves anything more than me, is not worthy of me: I have often thought of Moses’s Prayer, and Gideon’s request, when the Lord was about
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to send them to deliver his People from Captivity, and many other worthy Men, a , and Women too, which are mentioned in Holy writ, and many Thousands more no doubt, which we have no Account of there, for it is believ’d, we have but a very small part of what have been written, and yet full enough, if we will but be faithful; my dear, tender and well beloved Friends, I beg, I pray, and beseech us, let us be more faithful I intreat, in bowels of Love, let us be faithful, let us be faithful to God in all things; and then I know blessed be his pure Name, which is the Truth, that when the Scourge shall come, he will secure us in Life or in Death; and that will be enough for us, so be it, saith my soul, and is in humble request.
BENJAMIN LAY.
Abington, Philadelphia County,
in Pennsylvania, the 17th,
9th. Me. 1736.
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ALL
S L A V E - K E E P E R S, &c.
Some Observations written 1718, by William Burling, now living, for aught I know, on Long Island, concerning Slave–keeping, taken from his Writings. [The same year I was convinced of the same Hellish Practice, I then living in Barbadoes. Benjamin Lay.]
An Address to the Elders of the Church, upon the occasion of some Friends compelling certain Persons, and their posterity, to serve them continually and arbitrarily, without Regard to Equity or Right, not heeding whether they give them any thing near so much as their Labour deserveth.
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My Dear Beloved Friends, and Elder Brethren, whom as it behoves me, I would intreat as Fathers, a weighty concern from the Lord, is and hath been at times for many Years on my spirit, in consideration of this unchristian Liberty, being indulged in the Church, for it is in itself none of the least of the Worlds Coruptions, [no, say I, but the greatest, that ever the Devil brought into the Church in America;] and indeed the Lord by his Spirit, manifested the Evil to me before I was 12 Years of Age, and since from time to time, I have had drawings in mind to reprove and testify against it, nor have I been altogether silent, altho’ much discourag’d by reason of its being practiced by so many friends, yea Elders too, and tho’ I have formerly thought it strange, that the Church did not exclude it, by her discipline, and fix the Judgment of Truth upon it, yet now I am sensible such a thing is not easily done or accomplished, there being so strong opposition in many, that it cannot be brought to the Test, and Judgment brought forth into Victory in the cause at present, without danger of much strife and disorder in the Church, which is
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generally hurtful where-ever it prevaileth; therefore to be carefully avoided; however I hope we are all unanimous in our judgment, that whatever Friend hath anything from the movings of the Spirit of Truth to communicate to his Brethren, either by word or writing concerning this or any other matter, ought to be allowed and received in his Testimony, and borne with by his Brethren, so long as he keeps to the counsel and direction of the Holy Spirit, and therefore delivers nothing but what is according to Truth, altho’ it happens to be never so contrary to the interest or inclinations of the Readers or Hearers.
Now I would such Friends as Practice or Plead for the abovesaid Sin, Evil or Liberty, to consider solidly what Hardship they impose on such as are concern’d to bear Testimony against it; for a while so many Friends continues in said Practice, no one can reprove it, and give it that deserved Character, which is agreeable to its nature, without implicitly condemning many of his Brethren, [Ministers and all say I, for they are the worst Enemies in this case the Church has to War with, or that Hell itself, or Devil can procure in this case. (This is very pinching, B. L canst thou prove thy Allegations?) if
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not, what will become of thee? Never fear, Friend; Fear surprises, thou knows who; but the Truth is stronger than all the Powers of Hell. Blessed forever is the God of Truth, the Truth of God, the Truth which is God: So be it, faith my Soul.
Brethren and Elder Brethren, as Transgressors in this Thing, which is very hard to do, yet if the Lord require such a Thing or Testimony of any Friend be is necessitated so to judge his Brethren, or quench the Spirit in its Motions, in his own Heart; for the case admits of no medium. Again I intreat those who slights and disregards the Testimony of any whom the Lord concerns to appear against this fleshly Liberty, to consider whom thy oppose, and withstand; and the inspired Apostle speaking concerning the Lord’s Instruments, whom he was pleased to make use of, faith I Thess. iv. 8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not Men, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit. O! That I could prevail so far with all my dear Brethren, that none would any more plead for or endeavour to defend the aforesaid unjust Practice; neither endeavour to shield it from the judgment of Truth. We may do well to remember, the Devil is
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the Author of all Sin, and Sin is the Transgression of the Law.
No greater nor no better Law, say I, than to love God above all, and all our Fellow-Creatures as ourselves; these two contain Law, Prophets and Gospel, do to all as we would be done by. No greater Sin Hell can invent, than to prophane and blaspheme the pure and Holy Truth, which is God all in all, and remove God’s Creatures made after his own Image, from all the Comforts of Life, and their Country and procure for them, and bring them into all the miseries that Dragons, Serpents, Devils and Hypocrites, can procure and think of; these things are carried on by Christians, so called, and Ministers too, in the very greatest appearance of Demurity and Sanctity in the whole World, that ever I read or heard of; God which is the Truth, faith we shall not eat this cursed Fruit; our Ministers say we may eat, and lawfully too; which shall we believe?
We pretend not to love fighting with carnal Weapons, nor to carry Swords by our sides, but carry a worse thing in the Heart, as will I believe appear by and by; what, I pray and beseech you, dear
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Friends, by the tender Mercies of our God, to consider, can be greater Hypocrisy, and plainer contradiction, than for us as a People, to refuse to bear Arms, or to pay them that do, and yet purchase the Plunder, the Captives, for Slaves at a very great Price, thereby justifying their selling of them, and the War, by which they were or are obtained; nor doth this satisfy, but their Children also are kept in Slavery, ad infinitum; is not this plainly and substantially trampling the most Blessed and Glorious Testimony that ever was or ever will be in the World, under our Feet, and committing of Iniquity with, both Hands earnestly? Is this the way to convince the poor Slaves, or our Children, or Neighbours, or the World? Is it not the way rather to encourage and strengthen them in their Infidelity, and Atheism, and their Hellish Practice of Fighting, Murthering, killing and Robbing one another, to the end of the World.
My dear Friends, I beg, I would intreat, in all Humility, with all earnestness of mind, on the bended Knees of my Body and Soul; willingly and with all readiness, sincerely, if that would
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do, that you would turn to the Lord, the Blessed Truth, in your Hearts, for Direction, for Counsel and Advice; that you may quit your selves like Men, honourably, of this so Hellish a Practice. Especially, you that have the Word of Reconciliation to preach to the Children of Men; and if you have any true tenderness of the Love of God in you, as I right well know, blessed be the Name of the Lord, all true Ministers have, you my dear Friends, consider waightily of these important concerns, and quit yourselves of yourselves and Slaves; for a good example in you might do a great deal of good, as a bad one will do, and has done a very great deal of mischief to the Truth; for the eyes of the People are upon you, some for good, and some for Evil.
And my Friends, you that have Slaves, and do minister to others in our Meetings, consider I intreat and beseech you concerning this thing in particular. What Burthens and Afflictions, Bondage, and sore Captivity you bring upon your dear and tender Friends, and keep them in, which cannot touch with this vile and Hellish Practice, but are constrained to bear Testimony against it, is one the greatest
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Sins in the World, all things considered; And against you too in some sort, as being in the practice yourselves, of that which is directly opposite to your own Pretensions, and a very great stumbling Block in the way of honest, godly Inquirers, which want Peace to their Souls.
What a great Strait these tender hearted mourning Souls must needs be in, think ye, betwixt Love and Duty; they love you dearly for the Truth sake, and yet think it their Duty absolutely in the Fear and Love of God, to testifie against the Sin, and you for continuing in it.
Dear Friends, what peace can you have, in thus afflicting your Fellow Members; even the same Testimony they have with you in Meetings, where is the Blessed Unity and Fellowship, you have been preaching so many Years, as being sensible of one anothers exercises, Bearers of one another’s Burthens, having a deep sense and a feeling of others infirmities, or afflictions, or troubles.
What is become of this blessed experience, my Friends? Is it all left as to you, if so I must give my judgment, that you? have not your constant dwelling in him, that was touched with a feel-
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ing of our infirmities, tempted in all cases like unto us, yet without Sin, and so are his Saints, for they are all of one, and they live with him Night and Day, in his blessed Kingdom, which is within; and they love him dearly, they cannot avoid it, for he first loved them or us, and we cannot keep back our love from him any more than we can hinder, or stop the Rivers and Streams from running into the Ocean: For we having received all from him, of course all return or run to him again; it is the nature of his essence or divine being.
What from Heaven is, to Heaven tends,
That which descended, the same again ascends.
What from the Earth is, to Earth returns again,
That which from Heaven is, the Earth cannot contain.
The white Stone that has the new Name in it, is given to him that overcomes.
None can Read but he, or she that receives it.
He that overcometh, shall sit with me on my Throne, as I in my Father’s Throne.
He that over-cometh, shall eat of the hidden Manna.
He that overcometh, shall have right to the Tree of Life, which stands in the
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midst of the Paradise of God, in the Heart.
W. B. In his Preface, mentions something of the Lord’s dealing with him, when he was about about 10 or 12 Years of Age, which I suppose is about 50 Years ago, then there was much Discourse about many English and Dutch People, being taken into Turky, or by the Turks into Slavery, and sold in the Market, for Term of Life, as Beasts in the Field. As our brave Christians so call’d do, and have done for many Years in Philadelphia, and elsewhere in America, by the poor Negroes, which is ten times worse in us; all things consider’d; but what crying, wringing of Hands, what Mourning and Lamentations there was then by their Relations, Wives for their Husbands, Parents for their Children, Relations for their Friends, one Neighbour for another! what exclaiming against the Turk for his Tyranny and oppression, and cruel Dealing and Treatment, towards their Friends, and may be cursing and calling for Damnation to him and his God too.
Well my Friends, consider of it, and make an Application suitable to the circumstance of your own Slaves; for I do not believe in my Soul, the Turks are
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so cruel to their Slaves, as many Christians, so called, are to theirs, by what I have seen and heard of, in Barbadoes, and elsewhere; and I give you a reason for it. I was near 18 Months, on board a large Vessel of 400 Tons in a Voyage to Scanderoon in Turkey, with four Men that had been 17 Years Slaves in Turky, and I never did understand by them, that they were so badly used as the poor Negroes are by some called Christians.
Ezra vi. 21, 22.
And the Children of Israel, which were come again out of Captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the Heathen of the Land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat.
And they kept the feast seven Days with joy: For the Lord made them joyful, that had separated from the filthiness of the Heathen.
It is like there was some, which came out of Babylon, and out of Captivity in some sort, which nevertheless would not separate themselves from the filthiness of the Heathen. For long custom had made it so familiar, easy and sweet unto them, that they would not leave it,
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so not for the Joy of the Lord. And some of these were Priests and Levites, for ought we know; for they loved their Heathen Whores, I believe, and other filthiness, which the Heathens allow of, almost as well as our spiritual Priests and Levites, under the gospel of Christ, do their slaves, it is very plain, parallel case, when neither the one or the other will part with them, no not for the Joy of the Lord. Then to be sure not for the comfort and Joy of their Brethren, and Sisters, who have been in sore Bondage, and Thraldom or Captivity on that Sinful Hellish Account, Slave–keeping, for 50 Years and more; and that by their Brethren and Sisters, which keeps them, and will keep them, in spite of them, let them beg or pray, or say, or do what they can or will.
And all this while Preach, as their tender friends do; who cannot touch with that sinful practice to gain the whole World; profess the same Pure Truth, Gospel, Unction, Annoyting, Urim, and Thumim, Measure of the Spirit, pretend they have received the same Manifestation and Dispensation to preach, as their innocent Friends, Brethren, or Sisters have.
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And really to give them their due, they come very near them in Words, for what I and some others can see; for we have observed them strictly as is our duty upon the Truths Account, which suffers so much by them, and their sinful practice, as well as their oppressed, and greatly afflicted Brethren and Sisters.
I say these Nocents, come very near the Innocents in Words, except here and there, they do stretch and strain, rest, part, pervert, misconstrue, and misapply Scripture to serve their covetous Ends, or to justifie the Practice, or to extenuate the Crime. It these things be done by them intentionally, we may say, without Breach of Charity. They shall receive the greater Damnation; as Christ himself said in a case almost as bad. (Matt.xxii. 13,14.)
Many worthy Men have borne Testimony against this soul Sin, Slave-keeping, by Word and Writing; some of which I have noted elsewhere; but especially Ralph Sindiford, amongst many others, has writ excellently well, against that filthy Sin; far beyond what I can or do pretend to, being a Man of so very
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mean a capacity, and little Learning; but as I firmly believing it to be my duty, in the sight of God; I endeavour to do what I can and leave the Event to the Lord.
And as for any Slave-keepers who are not impartial in the case; to say that R.S. writ in a Spirit of Bitterness or that he did not end his Life well. As to the first I have read his Book carefully, with Attention; and I do not remember a Word in it contrary to Truth, or any such sharp invectives, as may easily be found in Holy Scripture, both Old and New Testament; altho’ I have, it’s true, because, I believe in my very Soul the cause does require it, for the nature of those Beasts, is in those Men, which do trade in Slaves; and much worse.
As to the second objection, that he R.S. did not end well; let such be intreated to remember the Man of God, that was sent by the Lord, from Judah, to declare against the Altar; or that of Bethel, and the Miracles wrought by him, the King’s Hand withering, and restored by his prayers; the Altar splitting, and since that his Prophesy fulfilled; of Men’s Bones, being offered or Burnt thereon.
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And yet this Man of God, never came to the Supulchers of his Fathers, by reason an old lying Prophet leading him out of the way. So was slain by a Lyon Judah’s Prophet, had but one Hypocritical lying old Prophet, that we read of, to lead him out of the way. But R.S. had, and we now have, abundance of Old and Young pretended Prophet’s Prophets to lead us, poor Creatures, out of the way.
And so they will many, unwary souls; except the Lord our God be pleased to open our Eyes, to see the Hellish Cheat, and Devilish Delusion; by which many of our poor Friends have been seduced, and lead aside in the Hellish Darkness or Smoak, of the Bottomless Pit; for whom my very Soul is grieved. God Almighty is my Witness.
The 8th Mo. 1736. Benjamin Lay.
R.S. above–mentioned, was in great Perplexity of mind; and having oppression, which makes a wise man Mad, by which he was brought very low, with many Bodily Infirmities, long before he died; his Book largely set out, read without partiality or prejudice, which is always blind, or very short sighted and you may excellent weighy matters
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find in it; he was a very tender hearted Man before he came amongst Friends, as well as after, as I have heard from many honest Friends, that had much dealing and intimate Conversation with him, for many Years, which are now living. But before he died, by reason of his sore Affliction of mind, concerning Slave-keeping, as in his Book largely appear, and Infirmity of Body, he fell into a sort of Delirium: However I do believe if he had lived he would have overcame it; for I went to see him several times, a little before he died; I am not ashamed, nor afraid, to write it, altho’ I be censured for it, as I have been with some others, for going to see him, altho’ in Affliction, the only time for Visiting, as I humbly conceive, if we go in a right mind.
But O! Say the Slave-keepers, and must confess in their Hearts that Book, The Mystery of Iniquity, as it is call’d and titled; it tells Tales to the World, sets forth to the World’s People, what a Parcel of Hypocrites, and Deceivers we are, under the greatest appearance and Pretentions to Religion and Sanctity that ever was in the World; we’ll censure him, and his Book too, into the
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Bottomless Pit, if we can, tho’ we can’t disprove a Word in it, for its undeniable Truth, and so unanswerable; for we never understood, that any one ever attempted it, or so much as spake of it; but what of that, Brethren, if it be sinful we are in the Iniquity, in the practice of Slave-keeping; and our Children by our means, incouragement, and appointment, not only so, but our Fathers before us, worthy Men, in their generating Work; and some of them Ministers and Elders, with all Men of renown. They found the sweetness of it, and so do we, and we will continue in it; let who will or dare say nay; we’ll condemn R. in his Grave, and his Book and all that favour it, or promote its being spread abroad, or being read, that exposes us, and we’ll expose that or especially him that writ it, by Calumnies and Slanders, and Surmises, and by insinuating all that ever we can hear or think of against him, now he is in his Grave; especially we did it before, but now more safely, for he can’t contradict or oppose us now; so that if we can but render him odious in his Character, his Book will be invalidated in course with us that hate it, altho’ we cannot disprove
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a little of it, especially with our Brethren in strict Unity, in this Iniquity, and soulest of Sins, the Negroe Trade.
If this practice can be proved to be the greatest of Sins (as may easily be done) considering its Root and Branch, and all the sad Fruit it brings forth; yet we read Christ died for Sinners, and he can forgive the greatest, as well as the least.
It is true some may say, Christ in his great Love, hath forgiven Sins, committed in time of great Darkness and Ignorance; but if we should commit the grossest of evils now, in the clear light of this Gospel Day, continue in them, and plead for it too, we should withstand spiritual Moses, and our Damnation would be just.
Some indeed may insinuate Numbers xvi. this Chapter against us, but what if Korah the Son of Lobar, did with his Company 250 withstand Moses, they were Princess of the Assembly, famous in the Congregation, Men of renown, as we are many of us: What if Moses did fall on his Face, and weep before the Lord, with Aaron and others? And if the Lord threatened to to destroy the whole Company; What
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of that? he did not: What if the Earth did open, and swallow up Korah, and a Fire from the Lord consumed others; yet we may take notice, the Congregation were not pleased; the rebellious party, for they murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying, Ye, have killed the Lord’s People, or People of the Lord.
It is also true, there was 14700 slain by Plague, of the Murmurers and Rebels, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. But it is not, nor hath been so with us yet, and we have been in this practice, that some few poor Fellows, make such a stir about, above 50 Years; poor People which cannot purchase them, so pretend Conscience in the case, but let them that oppose our practice in Negroes, bring those things upon us as above-mentioned; if they can, then People may believe they are in the Right, and we are in the Wrong.
But let us consider by the way, Brethren, if we go on arguing after this manner, some may be ready to object, that Blasphemous Saying of our Elder Brethren, concerning Christ: If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down
Matt.xli. xxvii, xlii, xliii
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from the Cross, and we will believe in him. It is true the Objection is just, and it may be a Parallel Case: But what shall we do, for People begin to see as clearly as when the Sun is in its Meridian Throne, young People as well as old, That this Practice of ours is as directly opposite to our holy Principles as Light is to Darkness, Christ to Belial, or God to the Devil.
If the Case be thus, dear Brethren, as to be sure it is, how shall we stand our Ground? our Ground, I say. It is true we may keep our Meeting. Houses for a time, and we may join Forces with them that are in the Negro Practice; in strict Unity among our selves, and with any other dear Friends of our own Mind, Relations, Customers, Chapmen, Workmen, or others that we can have any Influence over, Quakers or no Quakers, if they will but come to Meetings and do as we do, if not, say as we say, and plead for said sad Hell-Practice; or atleast, Gentleman-like, connive, palliate and dissemble to extenuate the Crime; and we will with all our Might, Interest and Strength, put forth, keep out, and hinder or prevent coming into our Synagogues, any that will oppose, or condemn
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our Practice, or us for continuing in it. And further, as we have the power of Discipline, our Ministers are forc’d, and must of Necessity come to us for Certificates or Letters to recommend them, which we are very ready to give if they are fit for our Turn and Practice, and very good ones too. If they be but very poorly qualified in Words, and worse in conduct and Life, yet they’ll serve a small Turn. When he or she have got their Passport, one or other of us, a trusty Brother without Doors, will give them the Hint before they go forth, that if they should chance to meet, or go on purpose where they are to be found or heard of, any of the heavenly Party that is against our hellish Practice (or hellish Party that is against our heavenly Practice, for it is heavenly to us, it is Comfort and Joy to us, and we delight in it greatly and will keep in it) and may be, My dear Friend, we will give thee a little Memorandum in thy Pocket of Places and Persons, which will be a great help to thee, poor dear Creature, thy dear mind being so much exercised about other Good Things, that thou mayst chance to forget some other Matters though they be weighty: And wherever thou meets with any such as are
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abovemention’d, when thee comes near their Dwellings, which thee may chance to hear of by strict Inquiry, inform Friends against them whatever thee can; tho’ the Name of an Informer be odious, yet in some cases it is thought necessary, as in this: But be sure when thou comes in thy Testimony thresh’em going, spare’em not; and if any speak to thee after Meeting about it, say, If the Coat fits thee, put it on; I had no Particular in View. This is and has been the Practice of many worthy Friends, so they hide themselves, and strengthen our Party bravely ; so be it, say they.
Matth. vii. 17. Every good Tree bringeth good Fruit, but a corrupt Tree bringeth evil Fruit. Is there any eviler Fruit in the World than Slave-keeping? any thing more devilish ? it is of the very Nature of Hell itself, and is the Belly of Hell.
Verse 18. A good Tree cannot bring forth such cursed evil Fruit as Slave-trading, if this Practice be the worst, the greatest Sin in the World (with what goes and grows with it) as it is, to be sure. But if any should say that good Trees, good Men, may be in this Practice and encourage it, and if they may
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bring forth such Fruit, what Fruit must evil Trees bring forth. This will not hold by a Parity of Reason; comparing Things with Things by an Equality, it will not hold good in any case, much less in a religion sense; there it is very odious, to be sure, and is very soul in Ministers especially. Let them keep on their Sheeps Cloathing, and preach and pray as long as they may, until their Tongues are weary, and their Hearers Ears too; they’ll preach more to Hell, I firmly believe, than they will to Heaven, while they continue in said Practice.
For Custom in Sin, hides, covers, as it were takes away the Guilt of Sin. Long Custom, the Conveniency of Slaves working for us, waiting and tending continually on us, besides the Washing, cleaning, scouring, cooking very nicely fine and curious, sewing, knitting, darning, almost ever at hand and Command; and in other Places milking, churning, Cheese-making, and all the Drudgery in Dairy and Kitchen, within doors and without. And the proud dainty, lazy Daughters sit with their hands before ‘em, like some of the worst idle Sort of Gentlewomen, and if they want a Trifle,
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rather than rise from their Seats, call the poor Slave from her Drudgery to come and wait upon them. These Things have been the utter Ruin of more than a few; and yet encouraged by their own Parents, for whom my Spirit is grieved, some of which were and are Preachers in great Repute as well as others.
Now, dear Friends, behold a Mystery! These Ministers that be Slave–keepers and are in such very great Repute, such eminent Preachers, given to Hospitality, charitable to the Poor, loving to their Neighbours, just in their Dealings, temperate in their Lives, visiting of the Sick Sympathising with the Afflicted in the Body or Mind, very religious seemingly, and extraordinary devout and demure, and in short strictly exact in all their Decorums, except Slave-keeping, these, these be the Men, and the Women too, for the Devil’s purpose, are the choicest Treasure the Devil can or has to bring out of his Lazaretto, to establish Slave-keeping. By these Satan works Wonders many ways. These are the very men, or people of both Sexes, that come the nearest the Scribes & Pharisees of any People in the whole World, if not sincere: For the Scribes were exact and
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demure seemingly in their appearance before men, according to Christ’s Account of them, and yet the worst Enemies the dear Lamb had, or that the Devil could Procure for or against him. And I do surely believe that one such as these, now in this our Day, in this very Country, does more Service for the Devil, and Hurt in the Church, in Slave-keeping, than twenty Publicans and Harlots: For by their extraordinary Conduct, in Hypocrisy, smooth and plausible appearance, they draw into the Snare almost insensibly, and so beguile unstable Souls before they are aware which is sorrowful to consider as well as write, their Example being much more powerful than others.
And Friends, what I touched at a little before, concerning the delicate Damsels, or fine idle Dames, it may be pretty much like it with the young Men, and may be the old ones, that have their Negroes to Plow, sow, thresh, winnow, split Rails, cut Wood, clear Land, make Ditches and Fences, fodder Cattle, run and fetch up the Horses, or fine curious pacing Mares, for young Madam and Sir to ride about on, impudently and proudly gossiping from House to House,
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stuffing their lazy ungodly Bellies. Then old Sir Master calls, Negro, fetch my best Gelding quickly, for me to ride to Meeting, to preach the Gospel of glad Tydings to all men, and Liberty to the Captives, and opening the Prison-Doors to them that are bound; but I’ll keep thee in Bondage nevertheless, help thy self if thee can. I charge thee to work very hard when I am gone, and before be very ready to wait on me & my Children when we come home, if they come with me, or else wait till they do come, and then take their Horses, and look well after them; and then make haste in, all of ye, and be ready to wait upon us, and keep good Fires abovestairs or below, and mind your Business well, or I’ll take a Course with you; don’t think that I’ll give 70 or 80 1. apiece for you, for nothing but to ly lazying about like Gentleman, doing nothing, you shall work now you are young, for when you are very old, you will not do much, I suppose, and then you must be maintained, you and your Wives and Children and Children’s Children; and if you don’t behave your selves well, you’ll be but badly provided for, I believe, when you are past your Labour, whatsoever you are now.
Dear Friends, these Things are True in Fact, and have been the Ruin of many,
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Body and Soul, and will be of more I greatly fear; beside and above all, the Soul Stain it brings upon the pure, blessed, unchangeable TRUTH.
And my Dear, my very dear Friends, I must say, I must say, and it is the Experience and certain Knowledge of my own Soul, that except People will be willing to come to a Separation, a Separation, a Separation, from this Thing, to wit, Negro Practice, they never can nor will see the Evil of it, as it really is in itself.
I say my own Experience when I lived in Barbadoes about 18 Years ago, where we had much Business in Trading, and the poor Blacks would come to our Shop and Store, hunger– starv’d, almost ready to perish with Hunger and Sickness, great Numbers of them would come to trade with us, for they seem to love and admire us, we being very much alike in Stature and other ways; and my dear Wife would often be giving them something for the Mouth, which was very engaging you that read this may be sure, in their deplorable Conditions. Oh! my Soul mourns in contemplating their miserable, forlorn, wretched State
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and Condition that mine Eyes beheld them in then, and it is the same now, and I will remain except the great almighty Being, either immediately or instrumentally shall be pleased to put a Stop to it; for they are yearly by Shiploads poured in upon, and received by the People, many Thousands in one Year, Year after Year, as is thought, up and down America, besides what vast Numbers are increased by Generation daily. O Lord God Almighty, where will this Practice lead us that are called thy People, Dearest God, and make so great a Profession of being lead and guided by the eternal Spirit, which is the glorious Truth unchangeable and precious, and without End. But I trust, dearest One, thou wilt be pleased to stop and end this Practice, that is more like Hell than heaven, to be sure.
I having made a little Digression, may resume the Matter relating to my dear Wife, and the Negroes. She was a tender-hearted Woman, and, as I said, would be very often giving them something or other; stinking Biscuits which sometimes we had in abundance, bitten by the Cockroaches; or a rotten Cheese,
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stinking Meat, decayed Fish, which we had plenty of in that hot Country; so my dear sweet Sarah, she would hand it to them, here and there to those that she thought wanted it most, tho’ all wanted enough, God Almighty knows, except here and there a favourite Slave, one of an hundred or thousand, may be, kept for their Glory and Pride to wait on them, amongst their proud, lazy, dainty, tyrannical, gluttonous, drunken, debauched Visitors, the Scum of the infernal Pit, a little worse than the same that comes off their Sugar when it is boiling, which is composed of Grease, Dirt, Dung, and other Filthiness, as, it may be Limbs, Bowels and Excrements of the poor Slaves, and Beasts, and other Matters, but this I say serves exceeding well to make Rum of, and Molosses, for that is the Use it is put to, with other Ingredients pretty much like it; and these People in the Islands may laugh at us for being ridiculously infatuated, to send away our excellent good Provisions, and other good Things, to purchase such filthy Stuff, which tends to the Corruption of Mankind, and may be send us some of the worst of their Slaves, when they cannot rule them themselves, along with
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their Rum, to compleat the Tragedy, that is to say, to destroy the People in Pennsylvania, and ruin the Country. Dear Friends, or any of my Fellow Creatures, I must confess I am apt to disgress, but when such dangerous Filthiness comes in my way, I think it my Duty to make it appear if possible to others; for it is so to me, exceeding sinful above Measure, I will assure you, more than what I can speak or write abundantly; if it should be so to you, I hope you will endeavour to avoid it, and pray for Heavens Assistance, without which all is nothing. As to what was touched on before, when my dear Sarah had given to them what she thought fit within-doors, we have taken some more of the same sort and thrown it into the Street, stinking as to be sure it was, yet the poor Creatures would come running, and tearing, and rending one another, to get a part in the scramble of that which I am sure some Dogs would not touch, much less eat of, their poor Bellies were so empty, and so ravenous were they, that I never saw a parcel of Hounds more eager about a dead Carcase, than they always were. This Scramble was commonly on First Day, before we went
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to meeting, which was their Market day, as well as their Hallowing-Day, when they are exempted from their Labour, they come down to Town, many Hundreds of them, they that could get or steal any Thing, a little Sugar, or Cotton, Ginger, Aloes, Rum, Cocoa-Nuts, Pine-Apples, Oranges, Lemmons, Citrons, old Iron, Wood for Firing, steal any Thing out of Houses, Yards or anywhere, or any Thing that was not too hot or too heavy, and bring it to Market on a Sunday, as they call it, to get a penny, or something for the Mouth, and they that could not get anything to bring to Market, they would come to Town if possibly they could hold out and keep from falling down and fainting by the Way, being perished with Hunger and hard Labour the Week before; I say these very miserable Objects that could get no Truck in the Country to bring to Market, yet they would if possible come to Town, and see what they could beg or steal there. (Who can blame them if it was ten times worse, they being under such unmerciful Tyrants.) These Wretches being in Town in this miserable Condition, with not a Crum of good or bad to put into their
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Mouths, ready to drop as they walked or crawled along the Streets, they many of them hearing of us, for we were very much known amongst them, they would come to our Door, if they came before we were gone to Meeting, and there they would stand as thick as Bees, but much more like Pharaoh’s lean Kine, and I may say their Appearance was dismal enough to move a very hard Heart; so we used to give them a little of something at Times, as we found some Freedom, considering our Circumstances; But if we gave to some, and did not to all, as to be sure we could not, oh how the poor Creatures would look. I say many Hundreds would come and flock about us; and them that receiv’d, O how thankful, with bended Knees; but them that did not, what Words can set forth the dejected sinking Looks that appeared in their Countenances. Shall I ever forget them?
Many of these Poor Creatures, in Town and Country, were sent to Market by their Masters or Mistresses, at other Times, and they would come to us to lay out their Money, if we had such Goods as they wanted, and when they came in, seem’d to rejoice to see us
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together, we were so very much alike; and would lift up their Hands with Admiration, and say, That little backararar man, for so they call White People, go all over world see for that backarar woman for himself. But we, alas! are parted!
Here Friends you may see and understand the powerful Influence long Custom, Conveniency, Intimacy and Profit has to insinuate itself into our Affections; for I have often heard my dear Wife say in her Life-time, and express the Danger she was in when living in Barbadoes, of being leavened into the very Nature of the Inhabitants, Pride and Oppression: So that dear Creature, she seeing the Evil and the Danger, she was willing and desirous to leave the Island, and indeed so was I.
But, my Friends, here I must come to that that is not very agreeable to Flesh and Blood, which is Confession of Sins: For although I never was Owner of a Slave myself, and all Friends in Barbadoes could never persuade me to purchase one, I humbly bless the Lord my good God for that, and this is now my Comfort and dear Joy and sweet Experience: Yet I must confess, and I have not full Peace without it, yet I may say,
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I have been sorely grieved to see and hear the inexpressible Cruelty, Torture and Misery, these poor Wretches were and are put to, Night and Day, yet although, as I have said, I saw and heard of such very great Barbarity used toward the Slaves, Night and Day, yet for want of dwelling near enough to the blessed Truth, I was leavened too much into the Nature of the People there which are Masters and Mistresses of Slaves, though I never had nor would have any of my own, but by conversing, trading, and living daily amongst them, where there is vast Numbers, abundance coming daily to buy Goods and to beg, some to steal, we had abundance stolen from us at Times, the worth of ten, fifteen, or near twenty Shillings at a time, come into shop whole Droves together, lay the Scheme I suppose, come by Appointment; when many are come in they seem in great haste, one would say, Serve me, another, Serve me, Serve me; come sometimes, by twilight and within Night, there was their Time; so when we were in a hurry, one would run away with one Thing, another with another, and so on. Very much we lost to be sure. Sometimes I could catch them, and then I
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would give them Stripes sometimes, but I have been sorry for it many times, and it does grieve me to this Day, considering the extreme Cruelty and Misery they always live under. Oh my Heart has been pained within me many times, to see and hear; and now, now, now, it is so.
Shall we fetch and steal them out of their own Country, where God Almighty has made them and placed them, and in taking of them murther many, very many, and serve them that we take alive ten times worse; steal Husband from Wife, Wife from Husband; steal the Children from their Parents, bring them here or elsewhere amongst our extraordinary Christians, worse Thieves than the others by far; they work ‘em, whip and starve ’em almost to death, and if the poor Wretch steal a little to satisfy Hunger, he is tormented without Mercy. Be these Christians, and Ministers too, that encourage and plead for these Things? It must be all Lie, and that is of the Devil, for when he speaketh a Lie, it is of himself. Joh. viii.44. I do believe in my Soul, if Christ was here in that very Body, he would say as much to some Quakers as he said to the Scribes
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and Pharisees in the eighth of John; if he the Devil be a Murtherer and a Liar, what are our Slave-Merchants ? Is there a greater Lie in the World? I Joh.ii.4. He that faith, I know him, and keeps not his sayings, is a Liar. ver. 22. Do not all Liars deny the Father and Son? iv. 20. He is a Liar that saith he loves God, and hates his Brother. v.10. He that believeth not God, hath made him a Liar. What does our dear Slaves with their Slaves think of these Things: As Solomon saith, a poor Man is better than a Liar. Luke vi.43, 44. a good tree bears good Fruit, and can a good Tree bear Negro-Trading for Gain?
Matth. vii. 17, 18. A good Tree cannot bear evil Fruit.
Luke viii.14, 15. Not many Slavek----rs bring forth Fruit to Perfection.
Rom.vii.5. I am much afraid Sl--e-k----ng will bring forth Fruits to the Death.
Rom. vi. 20. Are not Sl—e-k—pers the Servants of Sin?
21. Are our S.K. ashamed of their Sin?
22. Are our S.K. free from Sin?
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Tit. i. 9. Are S.K. able to convince the Gainsayers?
10. Are not S.K of the Circumcision, unruly vain Talkers?
11. Do not S.K subvert whole Houses, for filthy Lucre?
12. Are not S.K. Liars, evil Beasts, slow Bellies?
13. Don’t they Deserve to be rebuked sharply, as being very unfound in the Faith?
14. Don’t these give away to Jewish Fables, and turn from Truth? What think ye, my
Brethren?
15. Unto the Pure all things are pure; if literally, then Robbing and Killing, as well as
Slave-keeping.
16. Do not these deny God in works and yet pretend to know him?
Tit. ii. 7. Have these men found Doctrine Gravity and Sincerity?
8. Have not these men of the contrary Part need to be ashamed, when we have so
many evil things to say of them, under very justly too?
Do these adorn the Doctrine of god our Saviour with Slave-keeping? I think in
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my very Soul, it is more agreeable to the Devil.
Prov. xxiv.23,24, 25, 26. He that faith to such wicked ones, thou art righteous;
him shall the People curse, Nations shall abhor him. But to them that rebuke them shall be Delight, and a good Blessing shall come upon them.
But, my friends, you that practise Tyranny and Oppression for Slave-keeping is such, he that assumes in arbitrary Manner, unjustly, Dominion over his Fellow-Creature’s Liberty and Property, contrary to Law, Reason or Equity, He is a wicked sinful Tyrant, guilty of Oppression and great Iniquity: But he that trades in Slaves and the Souls of Men, does so; therefore ----- Beside, Friends, the very Name of the Tyrant is odious, to God, to good men, yea to bad Men too; and the Nature and Practice is much worse.
And Friends, you that follow this forlorn filthy Practice, do you not consider that you are opening the Door to others, or setting them an Example to do the like by you, whenever it shall please the Almighty to suffer them to have power over us, as a Scourge to us for our Sins, what Reason then shall we
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have to complain? If any of you ever read the History of the English Slaves in Algier, how would you like that yourselves? There was some Discourse of its being printed in Philadelphia: I wish it might, for the sake of some. Lam. iv. 3 The Sea-Monsters draw out their Breast to their Young, but you draw out the Sword to young and old, middle-aged and all (save what you cannot come at) or cause it to be done so: and yet them that die by the Sword are better than them you bring away and starve; for these pine away for want of the Fruits of the Field, and by other Severities.
My dear Wife has often spoke of a passage in or near Spikes’s in Barbadoes, going hastily into a very plain-coat outside Friend’s house, there hung up Negro stark naked, trembling and shivering, with such a Flood of Blood under him, that so surprised the little Woman she could scarce contain; but at last a little recovering, she says to some in Family, What’s here to do. They began exclaiming against the poor miserable Creature, for absconding a day or two, may be by reason of his cruel Usage, as by this Barbarity we may imagine.
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Another Piece of Barbarity, of one Richard Parrot a Cooper, which I knew; he used to whip his Negroes on Second-day Mornings very severely, to keep them in awe. It is usual for these miserable Slaves to get together on First days, to bewail and lament their forlorn Condition that they are in one to another. One Says, My Master very bad Man; another, My Mistress very bad Woman. This Parrot’s Negro, a lusty Fellow, a Cooper, and used to get his Master 7 s. 6 d. a day, being valued at 100l. or more; he says, My Master Parrot very bad man indeed, whippe, whippe poor Negro evee Munne Morning for notin tall! me no bear no longer. So he hangs himself on First-day at Night, because he would not be whippe Munne Morning. This was while we lived in Barbadoes. I knew Parrot very well, having been at his House; and abundance more of such like Things while we abode there.
1736, the 29th of the 8th Month, this Morning between 2 & 3 this was written.
It arose in my Mind in Love of Truth, that as the blessed immaculate Lamb was said John i. 14. to be the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace, and full
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of Truth; so Slave–keeping and trading is the only Begotten of the Devil, full of all Ungraciousness and all Untruth. The True Child and Heir of Hell, the only begotten of the Devil, indeed, but not in Truth nor any part of it.
As it is written, Psal. ii.7. Thou art my Son, this Day have I begotten thee; so may the Devil say by Slave-keeping.
As God gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in him might have everlasting Life; so the Devil gives his only begotten Child, the Merchandize of Slaves and Souls of Men, Rev. xviii.13. that whosoever believes and trades in it might have everlasting Damnation.
Again, it is written, I Cor. iv. 15. though you have ten thousand Instructors in Christ, yet you have not many Fathers, I may say so, for in Christ have I Begotten you thro’ the Gospel; so may many of our Ministers say to the Negro-Traders and Keepers, You have we begotten thro’ the Devil, by our Example and Pleading for it, and by our Condemning and Disowning many worthy Friends, of innocent Lives, for testifying against it, and against us for living and continuing in it; but we will do it for all that. What do we care for their Testimony?
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Shall we, our Wives, or Sons, or Daughters, when our Fellow–Merchants (of Mystery Babylon the Great) come to visit us, run to wait on them, their Horses, their Chariots and Equipage, Cooking, Sculling and waiting? No we despite it, and them that do it. We will have our Slaves and Souls of Men to do it for us, as our Mother has and had in all Ages of the World; and it was their Glory, and it is ours, and we will have it; and we, our Wives, Sons, Daughters, Kindred, and our Fellow-Merchants, that are great and honorable, Men of Renown, shall fit and live like Kings and Queens that know no Sorrow.
I must confess, that as Paul had begotten one in his Bonds, for Christ’s Sake to Christ; so those abovemention’d have begotten many, yea very many, in their Bonds, for the Devil and Mammon’s sake to the Devil and his Kingdom.
We may safely say, without breach of Charity, by these Prophets or Ministers before –mentioned, as Micajab said by Ahab’s four hundred false prophets, I Kings xxii.23. that there is a Lying Spirit in the mouths of all them that keep or trade in Slaves, and say it is lawful
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in this blessed Gospel Day; let them pretend to what they will or may; whether Hearers or Prophets, or Preachers, although there be or should be four hundred or four thousand of them, no matter for their great Number, the truth is over them all, although them that are and were out of the Truth have faln, and may fall, by their Means, by their lying Persuasions; I say their great and lying Pretensions, have and may and will cause many more I fear, to fall, as well as the other false Prophets did Ahab and many others, as we may read of in Scripture and elsewhere plentifully, as in Case of Jezabel’s eight hundred and fifty false prophets, which Elijah slew, I Kings xviii. 19.
Jerem. xiv. 14, 15, 16, 17. It is enough to make one tremble to think what will become of those Prophets that prophesy Lies in the Name of the Lord, and teach the people to keep Slaves in this pure Gospel Day; it has and does cause the Eyes of many dear Servants & Handmaids amongst us to run down with Tears, because of this sinful Practice.
I can truly say, I have had large and long Experience since I came into
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America, that many of our Ministers and Elders are not only in the Bond of Iniquity, but also in the Gall of Bitterness, and are as ready to smite as the Son of Immer, altho’ chief Governour in the House of the Lord. Jer. xx.1, 2. or as Zedekiah to smite Micajah on the Cheek, I Kings xxii. 24. Do but reprove for these Things (Slave-Practice) and he or they will, if possible, bring you into Bonds and Fetters, or put you into the Stocks, with or in the high Gate of Benjamin, or some other way, although he dwells near and in the House of the Lord.
Jerem. xxii. 13, 14, 15, 16. Wo unto him that buildeth his House by Iniquity, and useth his Neighbour’s Service without Wages, and giveth him not for his Work. Shalt thou reign because thou encloseth thyself in Cedar?
Jerem. xxiii. 9. Is it not enough almost to break ones Heart, to see this Practice of Slaves lived in and pleaded for by our Preachers and Elders?
ver.14. Dear Friends, do not these greatly strengthen the Hands of Evil-do-ers?
Ver. 15. Is not Profaneness gone forth into all the Land, by their means?
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Ver. 16. My dear and tender Friends, Should we or shall we always hearken unto the Voice or Words of such Prophets that teach Lies in the Name of the Lord?
Deut. xxix. 18. Is not this Practice turning the Heart from the Lord to serve the Idols of the Nations?
Then what a Root of Gall and Wormwood appears in these Negro-keepers when they are reproved, Ministers especially, to my certain knowledge, and long experience.
In his excellent song Moses lively sets forth the tender mercies of God to the faithful; and his Vengeance against the unfaithful Slave-Keepers, all unfaithful that profess Truth.
Deut. 32. 1. Give Ear, O Heavens, the heavenly-minded, and I will Speak.
Ver. 2. My Doctrine shall drop as the Rain, and Dew, but then it is upon the tender Plant, not the old sturdy Oak; it will do no good there, I fear.
Ver. 6. Do ye (Slave-Keepers) thus requite the Lord, for all his Favours, O foolish People and unwise.
Ver. 20. What shall we do, Dear Friends, if the Lord should intirely hide his Face from us, because of this thing Slave-Keeping, and some others almost as bad.
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Ver . 30. How shall one chase a Thousand, while this Trade is practised by us as a People.
Ver. 31. But blessed be the pure Name of our God, the Negroe-Keeping Rock is not our Rock, even our Enemies themselves being Judges; they are Enemies, though called Friends.
Ver. 32. For their vine is the vine of Sodom, and their Fruit bitter as Gall and Wormwood, as is very well known.
Ver. 33. Their Wine, their pleasures, and Profit, gotten by Slave-Keeping, will be as the Poison of Dragons, and the cruel Venom of Asps, in the end, or I am mistaken.
Ver. 41. Will not the Lord whet his glittering Sword, and take vengeance on such Enemies, that pretend to preach Truth, and Practice a Lie, the greatest in the world.
Job xx.12. Though this wickedness Slave-Keeping, be sweet in the Mouth, they can salve it with smooth Words, yet Torment is under the Tongue.
Ver. 13. Though he spare his Sin, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his Mouth; will not confess how it is within him.
Ver.14. Yet his Meat in his Bowels is
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turned, his pleasant Gain, gotten by his Slaves, and swallowed down, it will bite as bad as the Gall of Asps and Vipers Tongue within him, if not repented of and forsaken before Death; for when Death approaches, Sin will sting.
Ver.17. Such without Repentance and forsaking, shall not see the Rivers, the Floods, the Brooks of Honey and Butter, that flow in a pure Conscience, and Holy Souls.
Amos vi. 12. Have not some turned Judgment, in Discipline into Gall, and Hemlock, which is bitter Poison.
Job xxi. 6, to 14. They that think they have the Blessing of God, with Slave-Keeping, because they prosper in this World. Psa. xvii. 10, and lxxiii. 3. Let such be intreated to read these Scriptures, to the end; for says David, I was envious at the wicked, or foolish, when I saw the property of the wicked, and so goes on, very excellently indeed.
Habb. i. 3, 4, 16. Why doesn’t thou show me iniquity, Men are in it, therefore wrong judgement proceedeth.
Isa. xxviii. 15, 17, 18, 19, 29, 21. You that keep Slaves, your covenant with Death, and Hell shall be broken when the over-flowing Scourge shall pass through
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then ye shall be trodden down by it; the Lord hasten the time, faith my Soul; for they lay snares for him that reproves in the Gate.
Matt. v. 19. If they shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, that shall break the least Commandment, and teach Men so to do; Surely they are the greatest in the Kingdom of Hell, that break the greatest, and all of them, them, and teach Men so to do: But Slave Trading Preachers does do so, therefore.
Matt. 21. 28, to 31. He that said he would not, and yet did the Will of his Father was commended. But I believe these that say well sometimes in Meetings, and do ill in Slave Trading; will come far behind Publicans and Harlots.
Luke 14. 33, 34, 35. He that for saketh not all, said blessed Jesus, cannot be my Disciple, Slave-Keepers covet all Body and Soul, Wives and Children of their Neighbours: such unsavoury Salt, good for neither Land or Dunghill. He that hath Ears to hear, let him hear.
9th Month, 1736, as I sat in Concord Meeting House, it was their Quarterly Meeting; I may say it was sweet and comfortable time to me; it came into
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and arose in my mind, in Love of Truth, that is our Slave-Keepers had been, or now would be faithful to God, the Truth, and would bring up their Negroes to some Learning, Reading and Writing, and endevour to the utmost of their power in the sweet Love of Truth to instruct and teach ’em the Principles of truth and righteousness, and learn them some Honesty Trade or Imployment, and then set them free; and all the time Friends are teaching of them let them know that they intend to let them go free in a very reasonable time; and that our Religious Principle will not allow of such Severity, as to keep them in everlasting Bondage and Slavery.
This might according to my way of thinking, beget such Love and tenderness in them, towards their Masters or Mistresses, and to the blessed Truth for their sakes; that it might be a means to convince some of them.
And should they come to receive the pure Truth, in the love of it; as, blessed be the Lord, many of us have, and in that sweet Love, which is constraining, come under a concern and necessity, to go and visit their Brethren, of their own colour, and Country, and Language,
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and preach the Gospel of eternal Salvation unto them, from Sin and Captivity, both of Body and Soul, this would be a glorious work indeed, and well worth our Friends pains, charge and time, that they might spend about it; and the best compensation to God and Man, as I think, that they can possibly make, for being so long in a practice that has so much Wickedness attending of it continually.
Isa. 61.1. As to this Chap. it is very excellent Prophesied of concerning the true anointing, which is the Spirit, and is God and was in Isaiah, and filled him with Love, to preach good tidings to the meek, and is of the same Nature, in all People, in all colours, and Countries.
The many Hundreds of Thousands, that are now in Slavery, were they at Liberty, as we are, had the same Education, Learning, Conversation, Books, sweet Communion in our Religious Assemblies; I believe many of them would exceed many of their Tyrant Masters in Piety, Virtue and Godliness; and their bright Genius, which I know they have, would be inlivened; for I have converst with many of them, for Liberty is Life, and Slavery is Death, nay the very
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thoughts of it to the right thinking Animal, as Man or Woman.
Isa. 61. 1. Is this preaching glad tideings to the meek, as many of them are, and hind up the broken hearted; to proclaim Liberty to the Captives, and opening of the Prison, to them that are bound; and yet keep them in double Bondage, Body and Soul, them and theirs forever more. If there be greater contradiction under the Sun; many dear and tender Friends are mistaken, as well as myself.
Ver. 2. But how does Slave Merchants, proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord? To their Slaves the day of Vengeance they may, and a long Day it is; but I believe the Lord will repay it, tho’ he suffers it long: But I pray and beseech you; you hard-hearted Ministers, of all persuasions in Church and State, that are Christians; how do you comfort all that mourn, and are in Misery, as great for aught I can learn as any are that be under the very worst of Turks, Jews or Infidels, in the known World.
But my dear and tender Friends, how does this cruelty and partiality agree with our Principles as a People, which have been preaching up Perfections in holiness of Life, for near a Hundred Years,
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and the universal Love of God to all People, of all colours and Countries, without respect of persons: Have we forgot this blessed Testimony for which our dear Friends suffered in Old and New England?
The 2d of the 9th Mo. 1736.
IF Two-Weeks Meeting had had any thing material against me, or Monthly meeting; they should have appeal’d to Quarterly Meeting before we came away: But some Friends have been the Instruments of the Death of my Dear Wife I believe. Hath it not been the Practice of the Nocents in all Ages, to lay Traps and Ginns, to intangle and insnare the Innocent? Did you not do so, two or three of you, of the Monthly-Meetings, at the Quarterly-Meetings, Yearly Meetings at Philadelphia and Burlington; when I insisted of having the Letter from Colchester read, did not you strenuously insist, that I should consent that then the matter should be concluded in that Meeting so to go no further; and you had got a strong Party there the same time, to conclude the Business, according to your own minds; is not this laying a Snare? In the same Meeting accusing me falsly,
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for seeking a Party to deter, any from speaking their Minds; and opposed and hindred me from reading a Letter or two from Colchester; which you knew you did not like to hear, because they would have confirmed our Certificate more fully.
How did William Penn and William Mead, at their Tryal, in the Old-Baily, London, like such arbitrary Proceedings, as well as many, yea very many more of our Dear and Worthy Friends and Elders, in the beginning, before and by wicked unjust Judges, in Old-England and New-England too, in particular, as the Book of Sufferings largely sets forth, writ by George Bishop. But these things are forgotten by many, that are doing the same thing themselves, according to their power and ability: Let any Friend read G. Whitehead’s Account of Friends Sufferings, which is written in his Works. How many profuse, profligate Creatures, have come in Servants to this Country, which have been stated not only as Members, but Ministers in full Unity, in less time then I have been here; it is not intolerable then, that three or four Men that has the Mark of the Beast, and the Number of his Name, Slave-
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Keepers, upon them in their Foreheads should have the whole Rule of Discipline, and Govern contrary to all Justice and Equity. Time for such old rusty Candlesticks to be moved out of their Places, who have disowned many less Nocents then themselves; if it is not so now, who will make me a Liar, and my Speech nothing worth. Job. 24. 2, 3, 4, 25.
A B I N G T O N.
The 11th of the 9th Mo. 1736.
WHEN the strong Man armed keeps the House, his Goods are in Peace: Is not this the Devil? Is not Hell in the Soul his House? Is not all his Goods Sin? Is not Slave–Keeping and Trading the greatest Sin in the World, when it is seen in the light of Truth in all its parts? Is not Truth the Light stronger then all? And when this appears in the Heart, and shews the Creature, this Capital Sin, and other Sins to be exceeding Sinful; does not the whole Creation, in the poor condemned or damned Creature groan, to be delivered? Then Hell-Torments, the Smoak and Darkness, of the Bottomless Pit arises and appears in the Soul; the Creature by some Glimmering of the Light sees itself in Darkness, feels itself in Hell tormented, then it cries to
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Light to appear more and more for its help, and to bind the strong Man armed, the Devil and cast him out and spoil his Goods, which is Sin, and is the Devil's Furniture in Hell in the Soul, the Devil's House, where he has had his Residence so long; so when the Devil sees he and his Goods is discovered, which had been so long hid, and Ware appears in the Smoak of the Bottomless Pit; and that he is like to lose one, or some of his chief Subjects and strongest Forces; and his Kingdom, Heads, Horns and Crowns are in danger, and all like to be lost; this puts all Hell in the Soul in an uproar. I know what I write, blessed be the Light, the Way, and the Truth; so here comes to be War in Heaven, Michael and his Angels fight, and the Devil or Dragon, which is one, and his Angels fight; for the Devil, Dragon, makes War with the Saints, and overcomes them that are not faithful, let them have been prosessing and preaching Truth never so long, and never so eminent or highly esteemed of; yet it may be said, Depart from me, I know you not, ye are Workers of Iniquity. Hosea 4. 1, 2 3, 7, 9. Ezek 9. 4, 9. viii. 10, 11, 12.
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I never read in History of the Waldenses, our first Reformers from Popery, that they kept any Slaves; I have understood they were very temperate, not eating Flesh, Milk or Eggs.
Something like John's Locusts and Wild Honey; and Daniel and his three Friends Pulse and Water, Israel's 40 Years Eating Manna, and I think James our Lord's Brother according to Josephus, ate no Flesh, and many Thousands more, I believe, good Men and Women.
William Penn, in his No-Cross-No-Crown, that excellent Book, mentions the Waldenses, with great esteem; as they are worthy.
Acts. 17. 26, 27, 28, 29.
I suppose the pure holy eternal Being, which made of one Blood all Nations of Men to dwell upon the face of the Earth, did not make others to be Slaves to us, any more then we to be so to them; if God has appointed the Bounds of their Habitations, What Man fearing God, dare to remove or receive them when they are removed?
How did many Dear Friends like to be banished from their Native Countries, from Wives, Children and Friends, although but for a few Years, both from
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Old and New England especially? are all these Things forgotten by us, and a thousand times more; are the Progeny in this Age, doing the same Things themselves, which their Progenitors so greatly complained of, and justly too; but this Progeny have been and are acting a Thousand times worse, and more cruelly; for our dear and worthy Friends and Progenitors were Banished from England but for a few Years, and where they might and did Preach and help forward the Gospel of Christ; but the poor Slaves and their Progeny, have been Stolen, Banished, Tortured and Tormented, for ever more; to the great unutterable hinderance of the Blessed Gospel of Peace and Salvation, for which our dear Progenitors, suffered so deeply by their Persecutors.
And this now is carried on, encouraged and done by them, that profess to be lead by the same pure Holy Spirit, as their Progenitors were.
But my dear and tender Friends, you that are clear of this vile practice, I pray and beseech you, especially that you keep so, and have no Fellowship with such unfruitful Works of Darkness,
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but rather, I say, rather reprove them, as being worthy, wherever you come, for the Lord, the Truths sake.
The 22nd of the 9th Mo.
WHEN I have mildly reasoned with some Friends concerning their Hostility, in carrying a Person or Friend, If I may call him so, out of Meetings so often, and keeping of him out by Constable and other ways; as at Philadelphia, Burlington and Concord, & c. without so much as pretending they have used any Gospel Order with him, in any Monthly or Quarterly Meeting, as a disorderly Person.
O But say some, he is a very troublesome Person, and has been so for many Years; and is too censorious about Trading in Slaves, or against Traders in, and Keepers of Slavers; And positively affirms, that no Man or Woman, Lad or Lass ought to be suffered, to pretend to Preach Truth in our Meetings, while they live in that Practice; which is all a lie.
And further, he boldly affirms, that no Person whatsoever has any Right, or ought, according to Truths Discipline,
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to be suffered to have the Rule and Government, or any part of it, in the Church of God, which is the Kingdom of God, while he himself is in League with the Devil, and is managing the Affairs of his Kingdom, which Slave Trading is, as has been proved.
But some that have not, and will not keep Negroes Slaves of their own, may see, we must not be too censorious, for we are often at their Houses, and Eat and Drink bravely, and have their negroes to wait on us, our Horses, Wives and Children.
Besides all these things, we buy, sell, trade, get gain by and with them, we must be careful how we offend our benefactors, and dear Friends, But here is yet a stronger Bond than the other, Pleasure and Profit, we love to Sleep with their Offspring, so they be but rich; for many of us have joined Affinity with these Ahabs (O that hard Word) and Jezabel’s for Gains, by marrying with their rich Children, and if we become Prophets, and can Prophesy such things as they like, we shall be highly favoured, and fed at Jezabel’s Table, though we should be twice 4500 of us.
What if he be as the Lying Spirit in
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the Mouth of all Ahab’s Prophets, and cause him to go up and fall at Ramah, being Damned; what if Jezebel be eaten with Dogs, what care we for that.
What if Jezebel be eaten with Dogs, if we can get into their Estates and Posessions; what care we? When they are dead and gone, they will not remember our Lying Prophesies. I Kings 18.40. Indeed we should be loth to be served as Elijah did the Prophets, at the Brook Kishon.
2 Kings 10. 1, 5, 6, 7. We had rather destroy all the truly Begotten and Born Heirs of God, and joint or equal Heirs with Christ, the Truth, which testifie against us, and our Slave-Keeping Practice.
Ver. 18 to 26. We to be sure would sooner destroy all the Royal Off-Spring of Heaven, as our Elder Brethren, them wicked Elders in Ahab’s time, Slew 70 Innocent Children, for fear of their own dear Lives; but Jehu answered, and served them accordingly: It’s true Ver. 25. and if it should be so with us, its better to die by the Sword than by Famine, as the Scriptures Speak; or especially to be treated as many of our Brethren in this great Iniquity do their Slaves, up
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and down in the World, and their Off-spring, always repeated and repeating for evermore, with all the Torture and Torments that Devil and Dragon, Death and Hell can invent or devise, with all their Accomplices.
But although some of us, that are Negroe Masters and Traders, do allow that the beginning of this Practice was of the Devil, and that he and we his Instruments are now carrying of it on very powerfully, and as it had a beginning there in Hell, so it must have an End.
Matt.8. 28, 29. But the time is not yet come, therefore surely we may be allowed to ask the same Question of Truth now as two of our Elder Brethren did formerly, which were possessed with Devils as well as we, what have we to do with thee; Truth?
Mark, 5, 7, 10, 12. Art thou come hither to torment us before our time? and all the Devils besought him, the Truth, saying, send us into the Swine; and Truth gave them leave, and so he does now; for Truth had rather the Devil should dwell in the Swine than in the Saints, for fear he should make the Saints Swine again, as some were before they were cleansed.
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Upon a time when I was reasoning with an eminent Preacher R. J. at his House in Philadelphia, concerning that great Goliah, Negroe or Slave–Keeping, which hath defied the little Army of the living God so many Years, and still continues so to do.
He the said R.J. was pleased then and there to tell me, that I loved the Negroes better than I did my Friends; and accused me at Stephen Jenkin’s House, before many Witnesses, of being Death of my Dear Wife, and a Persecutor of the Church; but before that I charged him with being instrumental of separating my Dear Wife from me by Death, in Writing for a separate Certificate for my Wife, to a Meeting to which we never did belong, as if he and two or three more had a mind to separate us; which is now brought to pass.
I shall leave them to the great Judge of Heaven and Earth, if he will be pleased to forgive them, I hope I shall in time. But these things must be borne with I suppose, and more; when I have said to some Friends, Negroe-Keepers and their Adherents, that it seemed a little strange or novel, that a Friend should be hurried out of Meetings so constantly and roughly, before he be disowned,
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or some way dealt with for some Disorders to other, contrary to the known and acknowledged discipline of Friends as a People.
If thy Brother is overtaken in a Fault, go to him and tell him his fault, between him and thee; if he hears thee thou hast gained thy Brother; if he will not hear thee, then take two or three with thee; if he will not hear them, then take him to the Church; and if he will not hear the Church, then, not till then, cast him forth. My Dear Friends, have any of these things been done to B.L. and yet still continue to cast him out, cast him out, cast him out, he is a troublesome Fellow, and has been so for many Years. Did our Dear and well beloved Friends in Boston 60 or 70 Years ago, think this is a just way of Proceeding, to be taken into Custody, put into Bridewell, Whipt severely, and Banished the Town, time after time, without any legal Proceedings, only for being obstinate Quakers, as they were pleased to call them; dare to come again when they had Whipt them out of the Town so often. When I have put some Friends in mind of this, concerning our Dear Tender Friends great Suffering in New-England, in a
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Book called New-England Judged, some Friends have been pleased to tell me that George Keith used to say so, or talk after that manner. What he said I cannot tell, but by report, which is not always true; but this of Friends Suffering in Boston is true, for I have been upon the Spot or Lot of Ground, where the Dear Lambs were put to Death, for the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ, the Truth.
As to G.K. he was an extraordinary Man, while he kept to the Testimony of Truth in his own Heart; I do firmly believe, according to the Account of Him by Friends; and a great Sufferer for Truth, by Imprisonment, and other ways, and an excellent Writer, and Ministers in Defence of Truth’s Principles for about 30 Years, as I remember; as many of his Books manifest, to Judgment of men that have read them, of right mind and good understanding in Things relating to God’s Kingdom; as his Revelation not ceased, his Way to the City of God, very excellent indeed, and many more; while he dwelt in the Truth and Walked in Truth, he did well; but when he went from that, he was like the unsavory Salt, good for neither Land nor Dunghill,
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and so it is now with some, or I am mistaken. And so it hath been with the very best of Men and Instruments that ever were in the World, though they had never so much inlightened or illuminated from on High; they grow dark again, as they go from the Light, from God, from Truth, which are one in Nature and Essence, although three Names, for Men as Men do know that have good Natural Eyes, that the further they go from the Light outwardly, the more they go into Darkness until at length they cannot see anything clearly, or at last not at all; and this comes upon Men because they love Darkness, which is Sin, and they live in Darkness, and walk in Darkness, and at last Darkness in Sin seems to be Light unto them. This is a dreadful State indeed: O that it may appear so before it be too late, to some poor Souls, is my true Desire for their eternal Welfare. Which I desire, as for my own Soul. B.L
Now it is written by a Child, a Son and Heir of Light, for the Encouragement of other Children and Heirs of Light: If you walk in the Light as he, God is Light, and Light is God; you shall have fellowship one with another in God the
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Light, and the Blood, the Life, the Light the Truth, shall cleanse from all Sin, all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit. O blessed State indeed.
Now a certain Saint in Light, or an enlightened Saint, the same put the Primitive Saints in Mind to stir up their Memory, and keep them in a watchful frame of Mind; you that were once in Darkness, are now Light, in the Light, or in the Lord, the same bids them walk as or like Children of the Light, and of the Day, which is Light, and is to walk and work in as well as to live and dwell in; and this is in New-Jerusalem, the Church of the first or true Born with God, the Light in Heaven, whose Gates are always open to Saints in Light, no Night, no Darkness there, no need of Sun, Moon, Stars, Candles or Lamps, for the Lord God, the Lamb, the Truth, the Light, is or are the Light thereof, for evermore. Rev. 21.2,3.
And all that follow the Lamb, the Light, wheresoever he goes, are and shall be the Citizens thereof forever. Now you precious Babes, Children, Sheep or Lambs in Light, or by what ever Name you may be called, Ver. 7. yet you have but one Name, and that is
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New, in the Light, and none can read and know, but them that are in our Heavenly Father, New-Jerusalem, the Light, the Father and Mother of us all. And you precious Favourites in or of the Light, although but very few, a little Flock, and very obscure and hid, Rev. 9.11. from the dark Mind, from Darkness, the Devil, and Satan, Abaddon, Apollyon, Dragon, Serpent, Viper or Hell, or by whatever other Name, is all the same; Truth faith, Fear not little Flock, it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom, the Light, which never ends. Ver. 3. The Tabernacle of Light is with these, and in these whether Male or Female, all one, in the Light of the Life, in Truth forever.
You Dear and inward Friends, have Right to feed in the green-Pastures of Light, of Life; where none can make you afraid: No, No, there is Safety and great Security in the Munition of Rocks, the Light, New–Jerusalem, which is Heaven is in God, the Light, and the Light in it, Father, Word, and Spirit, the Light, the Tree of Life in Paradice, in the Light, in God, in Heaven.
Rev. 22. And is Heaven, and Heavenly Food for Saints to feed of freely;
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this is the Tree of Life, which bears twelve Manner of Fruit, and yields her Fruit every Month, always ready, always ripe, fresh, green, pure and lovely to behold, sweet and delicious to the Saints taste, to them that are clean, that have been cleansed by the Light, by the Life of the Lamb, which follows him through many Tribulations, wherever he goes and leads them until he brings them into the Green Pastures of Life beside the still Waters of Life, of Comfort indeed, the pure River of Water, of Life, which is with God, and is God, in his Throne, in sanctified Hearts.
These, these blessed ones have Right to the Tree of Life, to the pure River of Life, to Eat and Drink as much as their Vessels can hold at times, and sometimes running over and flowing out, to them that are in the outward Court, that is trodden by the Gentiles in this our Age; if happily they might be intreated and prevailed with if possible, by tasting some Drops as it were without, to turn into their own Souls, and wait there to be cleansed, that the Fruition, the pure River, clear as Chrystal, might run there freely and sweetly, without Interruption.
If the little Touches, the earnest of this
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Heavenly River be so sweet and precious, as to be sure it is, beyond all worldly Things; What must the ever-flowing Fountain be, which springs continually in Holy Souls in Eternal Life?
O let the Inhabitants of the Tree, the River, the Rock, Sing aloud for Joy; from henceforth for evermore: So be it, Glory, Glory, endless to the All in All, faith my Soul at times. B.L.
The 27th of the 9th Mo. 1736.
THIS is Written in Pure Love, concerning the Pure in Heart, of all Colours and Countries in the whole World; these are the Dwellers in the Rock of Age.
A B I N G T O N,
The 7th Month, 1736.
MY Dear and Well-Beloved Friends; my Joy and the Crown of all my sweet Delights in this World, I can truly say, is the True Unity with my true Brethren, which are the true Church in God the Father, and he in the ever reigning in his own Blessed Kingdom, Body, House, Tabernacle, New-Jerusalem, or a Tent, synonimous Terms; while Israel abode here, no Divination
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could prevail, or inchantments against ‘em; but when Israel, our Dear Friends, went out of their Tents to look at, and long after the Pleasures, Pride, Profit and Friendship of this World, then they came to be snared with this cursed Sin, Negroe-Trading, as well as some other gross Sins, of which this is Chief, considering the Hellish Train of Filthiness, which has, does, and ever will attend it, and is inseparable from it, for it is granted by all sober wife Men that truly fear God, and dearly love the Truth in Sincerity, and are well acquainted with this soul Trade from the beginning, and all its progressions to this Day; I say such as have had a true Account, do know that those that are employed in this Trade, are some of the worst of Men, and withal some of the worst of Thieves, Pyrates and Murtherers, from whence our lesser Pyrates have proceeded. And many of these lesser Pyrates have been punished with Death, and some other ways; but the much greater Villians by far, not only go free but are encouraged, and have been near 50 Years, if not more, by us as a People, by buying of their cursed Hellish-gotten Ware, at a very great Price. And all this Time pretending to the
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most holy pure Religion in the whole World, to do unto all, as we would they should do unto us, and as James writes, to Visit the Fatherless, and Widow, in their Afflictions, and keep ourselves unspotted from the World; but I know no worse Engine Devil has to make Widows and Fatherless Children, and to bring into Affliction and Bondage and sore Captivity indeed, than this Hellish Practice in Pennsylvania, Negroe-Keeping.
But these Hellish Miscreants, these Men-Stealers, pretend they fetch away these poor Creatures, that they may not kill one the other, when they are the Murtherers which sets’em to the Work (a cursed work it is) for as I have had an Account, near 35 Years ago, where 10 or 12 Sail of Vessels come on the Coast of Guinea, and they cannot catch Negroes enough to Freight their Vessels by the Sea side, and in Rivers where they send their Boats in Search and Pursuit of them, where they are acquainted; for they being us’d to the Business known where to go; and to find out some old Negroes that they have been used to trade with, which will bring off in Canoes, their Wives or Children, or their Neighbours
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Wives, and Children if they can catch’em in Woods, or any where else, so bring’em and sell them to our brave Christians, which come there with Ships for that purpose--- O brave! give 30s. for a Negro and sell him for 501. Or 40, 50 or 60, 70, 80, 90, 1001. Or more: Who would not be a Trader in Slave and Souls of Men, altho’ he goes to Hell for it, and in the mean time intail an Iniquity on his own, and his Neighbour’s Posterity to their Destruction and the Ruin of the whole Country beside.
Above 30 Years ago, when I was a common Sailor, I had this account, and likewise, by some Sailors on Board Capt. Reeves, coming this Voyage to Philadelphia, who had been at Guinea, and I suppose had been Pyrates, they did acknowledge they had been taken by them.
These vile Fellows on Board Capt. Reeves, in their Drink used to tell what cursed Work their former Captain and Sailors made with the poor Negroes in their Passage, for their lusts; the Captain 6 or 10 of ‘em in the Cabbin, and the Sailors as many as they pleased; with much more too foul for me to mention, or for chaste Ears to hear.
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But I pray, I beg, and beseech you my Friends, in the pure Love and Fear of God; consider what part have true Believers with such Infidels, or Christ with such Belials, or our Holy pure God with such unholy impure Devils, until we can join these together; now we can never reconcile Slave-Keeping without Principles; we may as well say as Solomon of an Harlot, their Steps go down to Death and their Feet take hold on Hell.
Now my dear Friends, let us consider the matter a little further, concerning these Men-Stealers, and weigh it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, which is Equity and Justice. Consider I say, the different circumstances of times and things; it may be these wicked Creatures have been unhappily brought up to the Black Art, most of their Life time; my Soul pities them on that Account; had they had that good Education, Conversation, Books and Mutual Love, in Holy Illumination, sweet Communion together in our solemn Meetings and Gatherings together, and the Heavenly Showers which many times, yea very often and frequent to my sure and certain Knowledge, and to the great mutual sweet and heavenly
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Comfort of my poor Soul, with many more of my dear Friends; I say the many Heavenly Showers that have dropped as the Dew, and distilled as the small Rain, in our tender Souls immediately, many times, yea innumerable, and instrumentally, by the Blessed Messengers of Peace and Salvation, which were sent by the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity and dwelleth in Light, who had a tender regard Blessed by his Holy Name, to those Poor Men and Women too, that were Poor indeed, and truly contrited, and sat trembling before his Divine and Glorious Majesty, ready to receive him that was and is the Word that made all Things; and when they had received Him, they or we, We were made to rejoice with Joy unspeakable, being filled with him that was, and is, and ever will be the Glory and True rejoicing of his People, and dear Children, all the World over; that can appeal to him that knows all Things, that they Love him more than all things here below, yea than their natural Lives.
Shall we I say as People who have been Blessed with so great Priviledges, and high Favours, forsake the Holy Commandment of Loving God the Truth
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above all, and turn to worship for covetous ends, the worst Idol that ever the Devil set up in the World.
Sure those wicked Men above-mentioned will rise up in Judgment against us; for had they been so highly favoured in all respects, as Friends as People have been, who knows but they might have been as great Saints as any in the Church of Christ at this Day; for had Friends stood faithful in their Testimony against this Practice from the beginning they might have convinced many, and stopt ’em in their career; but now they may say, and that truly too, we have been a means to encourage and strengthen them in their wicked ways; for when they brought in a Cargo of Blacks, who more ready to purchase them, and at a great Price than the Saints, or them that seem so, and would be thought such. Well my dear and tender Friends, although I touch thus close to ease my afflicted mind, which has been tossed as with a Tempest at times, above 17 Years, on this sad Account Slave–Keeping, yet I write not this of all by no means, I know and believe there is many Friends, that dare not touch with it, for any Profit whatsoever. I do hope there is some Thousands
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will not bow the Knee to this Baal, nor kiss his Lips for an Ease or Gain. It has been said, that all do not see it so great a Sin as I and some others make it; and for that reason with others I think it my duty to write and speak the more about it when I come, that Friends and others may be better informed. Some have insinuated, as if the Primitive Saints kept Captive Slaves; this is hellish Censure indeed, to accuse the Greatest of Saints with the greatest of Sins; whose Damnation is just, and their reward shall be according to their Works; for they were without Spot, then free from the greatest spot; holy, as he is holy; perfect, as he is perfect; He that Sanctifieth, and they that are Sanctified, are one. Blessing and Honour, Salvation and Glory to our God, for evermore, Amen, faith my Soul.
Cursing and Dishonour, and Damnation is to the Devil and Satan, and his Instruments, that Preach such Doctrines; for they that are born of God Sin not, neither can they, for his Seed remaineth in them; they cannot Sin, because they are Born of God.
And now my dear Friends and others,
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you that came in Servants to this Country, and Slaves, although for a short time by your own Consent too, for you to plead for Negroe-Keeping, is almost intolerable.
I say, you that came here poor, vile, miserable wretches, destitute and folorn, and here you were kept to hard Labour, which was good for you, and brought you to a sense of your filthy, abominable, undone, and woful cursed condition which you, many of ye had been in, then O then many of you came to consider of your ways, and were wise in turning to the Lord, into your own Hearts by the moving and rising of his own blessed Light, Life, Grace and pure Love there in your own Souls, which was as a Light shining in a Dark Place, your Hearts dark indeed, by reason of Sin, and that filthy Life which you had lived; you came to be burthened with it, and seek relief in turning to the Lord in your Hearts, where he was and is to be found, blessed be his pure Name which is his Essence or Divine Nature, manifest within Men; so when you came to this good experience, you came to love the Society and follow the good example of our worthy Elders, very commendable
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in you to do, which first settled in this Country; you came to live sober lives, and by your industry, the Almighty favouring, some attained to very large possessions here, being a large Country and few People, but now more numerous, so no occasion for Negro-Slaves; for had this Land been covered with ’em as it is now in some Places, and too much here already, how would you have come to this greatness; you might have perished for want of Business to purchase necessaries. Let it never be forgotten by you, I beseech and pray ye for the Lord’s sake, and for your own and your Childrens sake, that are coming up in vast Numbers, as well as them that are, or may become Servants hereafter, with many, yea very many of your own Children, which is very likely by the wicked soul courses many of our Youth take, they may be brought to the same Misery and extremity as you were, by their foolish Lusts and vanities; my Soul mourns in contemplating of it, and is in sore distress and misery, with many of my dear and inwardly beloved Friends, Male and Female, on this sad Account, as well as other gross Sins, many dear tender Souls in our Society, reproachfully called
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Quakers have writ and bore Testimony against this Sin at times, near 50 Years, but were reproached for that likewise; but some are gone to their Graves in Peace; many yet living; as in Pennsylvania, Jersey, Long Island, Nantucket, Old England, which I have been with at their Houses and their Writings are extant at this time to my certain knowledge, although many poor seeking Souls, that are bewildered by this wicked Hellish Sin in our Ministers, Slave-Keeping, will not believe or cannot believe it, but rather believe we approve of it as a People with one consent unanimously. When some Friends have been reasoning with some Sober People of other professions in my hearing, concerning the Pride and Covetousness of their hireling Preachers, and concerning Truth’s Principles, they have had nothing to say for the one, or against the other; but whether shall we go, say they, we do not approve or like keeping Slaves, it is not doing as we would be done by ourselves; and your People are as greedy as any Body in keeping Negroes for their Gain, (it is too true) but not all said I, no say they again, who shall we believe, we are sure and do know, that your Preachers and
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Elders, Chief Leaders have ’em; answer was made, not all, for some have testified against it, as a very heinous Sin, for many Years, Year after Year; and are gone to their silent Graves in Peace, and many yet living amongst us, as above is mentioned. Why then, say they, do you not separate. Here it is thus written, Wherefore come out from amongst them, and be ye separate, faith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 2 Cor.6. 13, 14 to 17, read the next verse with attention, in the fear of the Lord.
I know no worse or greater stumbling Blocks the Devil has to lay in the way of honest Inquirers, than our Ministers and Elders keeping Slaves; and by straining and perverting Holy Scriptures, Preach more to Hell, than ever they will bring to Heaven, by their feigned Humility and Hypocrisy.
Satan put to his last Shift, or the Devil working wonders, by a seeming Gospel Ministry of great repute; for by their keeping of Slaves, they carry on his Work, and uphold his Kingdom. We read, Rev. 12.3. to the end, That the Dragon drew the third part of the
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Stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the Earth with his Tail, the vilest part of the Beast. Let him that reads understand the Stars were Men that had been enlightened, and it has been the Judgment of worthy Men, in many Ages of the World, that a false and fallen Ministry have been the greatest Instruments of Evil, that ever the Devil brought into the Church of Christ, as may be seen in Eusebius’s Church History, Francis Howgil’s Works, G. Fox’s Journal, and in many more beside, which I have by me; does largely set forth that false and fallen Ministers are the worst Devils, and Dragons, and Serpents, the Woman or Church has to War with, by reason of the Power they have with the beastly Nature, in their ignorant Hearers, and foolish bigoted Crowd; such as have itching Ears, and shallow Crowns, carnal Minds, and looser Lives; such being Born after the Flesh, are very ready to join with the Serpent, to persecute him that is Born after the Spirit; it was so, it is so, and it will be so. The Dragon, and the Beast joining Forces, have great Power to make Rents in the outward Church, and Divisions, and sow discord amongst weak Brethren, but the
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truly Wise in Heart, I know will beware.
But as to those Dragon, Slave–Keeping Preachers, that are now making War with the Woman, these fallen Stars they say they have been inlightened, and received part of the Ministry; we will allow it, for God Almighty has been very good and kind to them, and is still long suffering; So Judas their elder Brother was inlightened too, as much and more than they, for ought I know, but he repented, and returned his cursed Gain, and made Confession of his soul Sin, which I fear is more than they will do in haste, so much worse than Judas they are, for they Crucify the Truth daily, and put it to open shame.
I have understood lately, that some have made their Wills when they were Sick, to set their Negroes free at such an Age, 30 or 40, after their Death; that will not salve the Sore, it is too deep and rotten, God will not be mocked so, nor Wise Men neither; they rather think of the old Proverb, it may be.
When the Devil was sick, the devil a Monk would be, But when the Devil was well, the Devil a Monk was he.
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Acts.2. It is written, when the time of Pentecost was fully come, there was People of many Nations gathered together, to hear the Apostles, and all heard in their own Tongue the wonderful Works of God. And if they were now here in Pennsylvania, they might hear and see the wonderful Works of the Devil; Men and Women Preaching up the purest Religion in the World, and live in the greatest of Sins at same time, the mother of Enormities, says B. Lay.
I do firmly believe in the secret of my Soul, before the Lord, that Slave-Keeping and Trading, with what has and now does daily attend and appertain unto it, is as great cause of the Sins of Sodom, as anything is or ever was in the whole World.
The 30th of the 10th Mo. 1736.
I DID not know but I had done Scribling about Slave-Keeping, but this D calling to see our Friend J.R. at his House in Philadelphia, who was newly arrived from Bristol, in Old-England; and he speaking of the Negroe, or Guinea Trade, said, while he was in Bristol four or five Weeks, there was fitted out for
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that Trade nine Sail; and he told me according to Account he had there, that there goes from Bristol about 50 Sail in a Year for Negroes: And I suppose some plain Coat-Men are concerned in it there as well as at Leverpoole, Barbadoes, and elsewhere; now if each of these 50 Vessels carries 300, some carry many more, it comes to 15000 Souls Yearly, Stolen by Bristol Men; and if there should be four times as many Stolen by Vessels from London, Leverpoole, North Britain, Ireland, Barbadoes, Jamaica and some other Places, as I suppose there may, it comes to 75,000 Yearly, Stolen and kept in Iron Furnaces; so that in 50 Years and more some Friends have been concerned in this Practice, beside what has been increased by Generation, comes to 3825000. Is not this ten times worse than the Sins of Sodom and Egypt, Turk, Jew or Infidel?
So I inquired of the Friend what they did with this or such vast Numbers of Slaves; He said, they carried them to Jamaica generally, and sold them to the Spaniard for the Mines, or any Body else, I suppose, that will give most for them, although they keep them and their Posterity, in their cursed Hellish Iron–Furnace for evermore.
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O Brave Christians for the Devil, and Protestants too! is this the way to convince Papists, Turks, Jews and Infidels of their notorious Wickedness and inhumanity, when we encourage them in it all we can, by supplying them with Slaves, for our cursed Gain.
Several eminent Friends amongst us of great Note, have boasted in my hearing of having Servants or Slaves born in their House, alluding to Abraham, for keeping Slaves; but I cannot find in all the Scriptures that Abraham ever had any Slaves; Servants he might have born in his House, and bought with Money for a time; but I do not believe that righteous, perfect good Man would keep his fellow Creatures in Bondage, them and their Off-spring, for evermore. I have a better Opinion of that tender hearted, good virtuous Man, that was stiled the Father of the faithful, by the Lip of Truth, and that rightly too, for so he was; but the unfaithful hypocritical Pharisees, would, for a cloak to their Wickedness, have him to their Father; but Truth told them, if they were Abraham’s Children, they would do the Works of Abraham; but now ye are of your Father the Devil, and his Works ye
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will do. May not Truth say the same thing now, of our Preachers and Elders, Keepers and Traders in Slaves for nothing but their ungodly Gain. But what will our wicked Slave- Keepers get by flying beyond Gospel and Law, to Abraham, to patronize their cursed infernal practice; but what Truth said to the Jews, it will say to them. Ye are of your Father the Devil.
Now Friends, you that are Slaves-Keepers, I pray and beseech ye. Examine your own Hearts, and see and feel too, if you have not the same answer from Truth now within; while you Preach and exhort others to Equity, and to do Justice and love Mercy, and to walk humbly before the Lord and his People, and you yourself live and act quite contrary, behave proudly, do unjustly and unmercifully, and live in and encourage the grossest Iniquity in the whole World. For I say, you are got beyond Gospel, law, Abraham, Prophets, Patriarchs, to Cain the Murtherer, and beyond him too, to the Devil himself, beyond Cain, for he Murthered but one, that we know of, but you have many Thousands, or caused ‘em to be so, and for ought I know many
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Hundreds of Thousands, within 50 Years. What do you think of these Things, you brave Gospel Ministers? That keep poor Slaves to Work for you to maintain you and yours in Pride, Pride and much Idleness or Laziness, and Fulness of Bread, the sins of Sodom: How do these Things become your plain Dress, Demure, Appearance, feigned Humility, all but Hypocrisy, which according to Truth’s Testimony, must have the hottest place in Hell; to keep those miserable Creatures at hard Labour continually, unto their old Age, in Bondage and sore Capitivity, working out their Blood and sweat, and Bowels, youthful strength and vigour, then you drop into your Graves, go to your Places ordained or appointed for you; so leave these poor unhappy Creatures in their worn-out old Age, to your proud, Dainty, Lazy, Scornful, Tyrannical and often beggarly Children for them to Domineer and Tyrannize over, cursing them and you in your Graves, for working out their youthful Blood and strength for you, and then leave ’em to be a plague to us; and then of the abuses, miseries and Cruelties these miserable old worn out Slaves go through, no Tongue can
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express, starved with Hunger, perish with Cold, lot as they go, for want of every thing that is necessary for an Humane Creature; so that Dogs and Cats are much better taken care for, and yet some have had the Confidence, or rather impudence, to say their Slaves or Negroes live as well as themselves. I could almost with such hardened, unthinking Sinful devilish Lyars were put into their Places, at least for a time, in a very hard Service, that they might feel a little in themselves, of what they make so light of in other People; and it would be but just upon ‘em, and indeed why should they be against it, if the Negroes live as well and better than they; but such notorious Lies will never go down well, with any Sober right tender-hearted People truly fearing God, and that love the Truth above all; for such I believe firmly, when they come to see, and rightly consider the vileness of this practice in all its parts, and the cursed Fruit it brings forth, they will never enter into it; and if they are in, will endeavour to get out as soon as they can; for I do believe if all the Wickedness Tyrany, oppressions and abominable Barbarities were written concerning this
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Hellish Trade, it would fill a large Volume in Folio.
Many has said, they do not see it so great an Evil or Sin, that is, Negroe Keeping; who so Blind as them that will not see; but them that are willing to see, I think it my duty to inform them what I can by Word and Writing, and then leave it to the Lord.
There has been that has reflected on me, as if I wanted a Party, and to see what Numbers I could get on my side; the living Lord God Almighty is Witness for me, that I desire no Party, no Number but what is on the Lords side, and his Party, which hold the Blessed Truth in righteousness and holiness of Life, indeed and in Truth. I must confess I rather chuse that Number, though but 5, then 500 that hold the Truth in unrighteousness and in unholiness; and though I could get the Friendship of the World and worldly Spirits, even them amongst ourselves and all their wealth beside; which is gotten by the iniquity of Slave–Keeping or otherwise; my witness is in Heaven; but I must expect a great many more Slanders than these; nevertheless, I may say as it is
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written, of Slave Keeping Ministers, unto the Wicked God saith, Psalm. 50. 16, 18. to the end. What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou should it take my Covenant in thy Mouth; when thou sawest a Thief, then thou consents with him, and hast been partaker with Adulterers. Is not this very applicable to Men-Stealers and Receivers.
But my dear Friends, as to my own part, if the Lord have stirred you up against me, let him accept of an offering; but if it be only Men, I don't fear in the least; but my dearest God, whom I serve with pure Love, fervently, will deliver me, and in his own Blessed time establish me in my Inheritance with Saints in Light. O that the Lord my God would be pleased to raise up some Worthies, that be Valiant for the Truth, upon Earth, and bring them forth into open view, in Sight of all Men, for his Name sake, which is the Truth. Hebrews. 11. 33, 34.
O that we may never sell our Birthright, for a morsel of Meat or any Advantage of this beggarly World; for Truth said of Old, and faith the same now, He that will not forsake all is not worthy of me, all for my sake, deny himself take up the Cross and follow me.
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Doth Truth lead its Ministers to keep their fellow Creatures in Bondage and sore Captivity and their Off-spring for evermore; if it does not, but the practice be proved by the Blessed Truth itself to be contrary and directly opposite to its diving Nature, as to be sure it is. Why I pray and beseech you my dear Friends, are some that seem to be Truth's Ministers, so Angry, in a Rage, and such a Fury, as many have been, are to my knowledge, when they have been reproved for, or opposed in this their wicked Sin, and very great Iniquity; for so it is proved by Truth itself, Do to all others, as you would they should do not you: Truth saith, Whosoever is Angry with is Brother, without just cause, is in danger of Judgment: but who dare judge a Minister, he will be in such a Fury if he is not true or reprove him, although he pretend to be a Servant in the Church to us all. I know what I write by large experience, for many Years, in several Nations, where my lot hath been cast; so that I am not as one that beats the Air in this cause, as concerning false Ministers; but as to Truth's Minister, that always dwells in Truth and follows Truth wheresoever he goes, Truth bears wit--
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ness in me, that I love them and the pure dear Sweet Testimony Truth hath given us, better than all things in this vain World; now as concerning Offerers, Truth faith, If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember, thy Brother hath aught against thee, leave thy gift at or before the Altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then, not before, come and offer thy Gift. O that these