N34072:18
Baxter's directions to slave-holders, revived; first printed in London, in the year 1673
Baxter's directions to slave-holders, revived; first printed in London, in the year 1673. : To which is subjoined, a letter from the worthy Anthony Benezet, late of this city, deceased, to the celebrated abbe Raynal, with his answer, which were first published in the Brussels gazette, March 7, 1782.Baxter's directions to slave-holders, revived; first printed in London, in the year 1673. : To which is subjoined, a letter from the worthy Anthony Benezet, late of this city, deceased, to the celebrated abbe Raynal, with his answer, whch were first published in the Brussels gazette, March 7, 1782.
Philadelphia: printed by Francis Bailey, 1785
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
"A nominal Christian, who by wickedness forfeiteth his life or freedom, may penally be made a slave as well as an Infidel; and a poor and needy Christian may sell himself into a harder state of servitude than he would choose, or we could otherwise put him into; but to go aspirates, and catch up poor Negroes, or people of another land, that never forfeited life or liberty, and to make them slaves and sell them, is one of the worst kinds of thefts in the world, and such persons are to be taken for the common enemies of mankind; and they that buy them, and use them as beasts for their mere commodity, ⟨p. 7⟩and betray, or destroy, or neglect their souls, are fitter to be called incarnate Devils, than Christians.
"A nominal Christian, who by wickedness forfeiteth his life or freedom, may penally be made a slave as well as an Infidel; and a poor and needy Christian may sell himself into a harder state of servitude than he would chuse, or we could otherwise put him into; but to go aspirates, and catch up poor Negroes, or people of another land, that never forfeited life or liberty, and to make them slaves and sell them, is one of the worst kinds of thefts in the world, and such persons are to be taken for the common enemies of mankind; and they that buy them, and use them as beasts for their mere commodity, ⟨p. 7⟩and betray, or destroy, or neglect their souls, are fitter to be called incarnate Devils, than Christians.
He then queries; "But what if men buy Negroes, or other slaves, of such as we have just cause to believe did steal them by piracy, or buy them of those who have no power to sell them, and not hire, or buy them by their own consent, or by the consent of those who had power to sell them, nor take them captives.