1700
AN EARLY ANTI-SLAVERY TRACT
by Samuel Sewall
Electronically Enhanced Text (c) Copyright 1996, World Library(R)
An Early Anti-Slavery Tract
For as much as liberty is in real value next unto life: None
ought to part with it themselves, or deprive others of it, but upon
most mature consideration.
THE numerousness of slaves at this day in the province, and
the uneasiness of them under their slavery, hath put many upon
thinking whether the foundation of it be firmly and well laid; so
as to sustain the vast weight that is built upon it. It is most
certain that all men, as they are the sons of Adam, are coheirs;
and have equal right unto liberty, and all other outward comforts
of life. "God hath given the earth [with all its commodities] unto
the sons of Adam," Psal. cxv. 16. "And hath made of one blood, all
nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath
determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their
habitation: That they should seek the Lord. Forasmuch then as we
are the offspring of God," etc. Acts xvii. 26, 27, 29. Now although
the title given by the last Adam doth infinitely better men's
estates, respecting God and themselves; and grants them a most
beneficial and inviolable lease under the broad seal of heaven, who
were before only tenants at will: yet through the indulgence of God
to our first parents after the fall, the outward estate of all and
every of their children remains the same, as to one another. So
that originally and naturally there is no such thing as slavery.
Joseph was rightfully no more a slave to his brethren, than they
were to him; and they had no more authority to sell him than they
had to slay him. And if they had nothing to do to sell him, the
Ishmaelites bargaining with them, and paying down twenty pieces of
silver, could not make a title. Neither could Potiphar have any
better interest in him than the Ishmaelites had. Gen. xxxvii. 20,
27, 28. For he that shall in this case plead alteration of
property, seems to have forfeited a great part of his own claim to
humanity. There is no proportion between twenty pieces of silver
and liberty. The commodity itself is the claimer. If Arabian gold
be imported in any quantities, most are afraid to meddle with it,
though they might have it at easy rates, lest if it should have
been wrongfully taken from the owners, it should kindle a fire to
the consumption of their whole estate. 'Tis pity there should be
more caution used in buying a horse, or a little lifeless dust,
than there is in purchasing men and women: whenas they are the
offspring of God, and their liberty is,
-Auro pretiosior Omni.
And seeing God hath said, "He that stealeth a man and selleth
him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to
death." Exod. xxi. 16. This law being of everlasting equity,
wherein man-stealing is ranked among the most atrocious of capital
crimes, what louder cry can there be made of that celebrated
warning,
Caveat Emptor!
And all things considered, it would conduce more to the
welfare of the province, to have white servants for a term of
years, than to have slaves for life. Few can endure to hear of a
negro's being made free; and indeed they can seldom use their
freedom well; yet their continual aspiring after their forbidden
liberty renders them unwilling servants. And there is such a
disparity in their conditions, color and hair, that they can never
embody with us and grow up into orderly families, to the peopling
of the land: but still remain in our body politic as a kind of
extravasate blood. As many negro men as there are among us, so many
empty places there are in our train bands, and the places taken up
of men that might make husbands for our daughters. And the sons and
daughters of New England would become more like Jacob and Rachel,
if this slavery were thrust quite out of doors. Moreover, it is too
well known what temptations masters are under, to connive at the
fornication of their slaves; lest they should be obliged to find
them wives or pay their fines. It seems to be practically pleaded
that they might be lawless; 'tis thought much of, that the law
should have satisfaction for their thefts and other immoralities;
by which means, holiness to the Lord is more rarely engraven upon
this sort of servitude. It is likewise most lamentable to think
how, in taking negroes out of Africa and selling of them here, that
which God has joined together men do boldly rend asunder; men from
their country, husbands from their wives, parents from their chil-
dren. How horrible is the uncleanness, mortality, if not murder,
that the ships are guilty of that bring great crowds of these
miserable men and women! Methinks, when we are bemoaning the
barbarous usage of our friends and kinsfolk in Africa, it might not
be unseasonable to inquire whether we are not culpable in forcing
the Africans to become slaves among ourselves. And it may be a
question whether all the benefit received by negro slaves will
balance the account of cash laid out upon them; and for the
redemption of our own enslaved friends out of Africa. Besides all
the persons and estates that have perished there.
Obj. 1. These blackamoors are of the posterity of Chain, and
therefore are under the curse of slavery. Gen. ix. 25, 26, 27.
Answ. Of all offices, one would not beg this, viz., uncalled
for, to be an executioner of the vindictive wrath of God: the
extent and duration of which is to us uncertain. If this ever was
a commission, how do we know but that it is long since out of date?
Many have found it to their cost, that a prophetical denunciation
of judgment against a person or people would not warrant them to
inflict that evil. If it would, Hazael might justify himself in all
he did against his master, and the Israelites, from II. Kings viii.
10, 12.
But it is possible that, by cursory reading, this text may
have been mistaken. For Canaan is the person cursed three times
over, without the mentioning of Cham. Good expositors suppose the
curse entailed on him, and that this prophecy was accomplished in
the extirpation of the Canaanites, and in the servitude of the
Gibeonites. Vide pareum. Whereas the blackamoors are not descended
of Canaan, but of Cush. Psal. lxviii. 31. "Princes shall come out
of Egypt [Mizraim] Ethiopia [Cush] shall soon stretch out her hands
unto God." Under which names, all Africa may be comprehended; and
their promised conversion ought to be prayed for. Jer. xiii. 23.
"Can the Ethiopian change his skin?" This shows that black men are
the posterity of Cush, who time out of mind have been distinguished
by their color. And for want of the true, Ovid assigns a fabulous
cause of it:
Sanguine tum credunt in corpora summa vocato
'thiopum populos nigrum traxisse colorem.
Metamorph. lib. 2.
Obj. 2. The nigers are brought out of a Pagan country into
places where the gospel is preached.
Answ. Evil must not be done, that good may come of it. The
extraordinary and comprehensive benefit accruing to the Church of
God, and to Joseph personally, did not rectify his brethren's sale
of him.
Obj. 3. The Africans have wars one with another: our ships
bring lawful captives taken in those wars.
Answ. For aught is known, their wars are much such as were
between Jacob's sons and their brother Joseph. If they be between
town and town, provincial or national, every war is upon one side
unjust. An unlawful war can't make lawful captives. And by
receiving, we are in danger to promote and partake in their
barbarous cruelties. I am sure, if some gentlemen should go down to
the Brewsters to take the air and fish, and a stronger party from
Hull should surprise them and sell them for slaves to a ship
outward bound, they would think themselves unjustly dealt with;
both by sellers and buyers. And yet 'tis to be feared we have no
other kind of title to our nigers. "Therefore all things whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this
is the law and the prophets." Matt. vii. 12.
Obj. 4. Abraham had servants bought with his money, and born
in his house.
Answ. Until the circumstances of Abraham's purchase be
recorded, no argument can be drawn from it. In the meantime charity
obliges us to conclude that he knew it was lawful and good.
It is observable that the Israelites were strictly forbidden
the buying or selling one another for slaves. Levit. xxv. 39, 46.
Jer. xxxiv. 8. 22. And God gaged his blessing in lieu of any loss
they might conceipt they suffered thereby. Deut. xv. 18. And since
the partition wall is broken down, inordinate self love should
likewise be demolished. God expects that Christians should be of a
more ingenuous and benign frame of spirit. Christians should carry
it to all the world, as the Israelites were to carry it one towards
another. And for men obstinately to persist in holding their
neighbours and brethren under the rigor of perpetual bondage, seems
to be no proper way of gaining assurance that God has given them
spiritual freedom. Our blessed Saviour has altered the measures of
the ancient love-song, and set it to a most excellent new tune,
which all ought to be ambitious of learning. Matt. v. 43, 44. John
xiii. 84. These Ethiopians, as black as they are, seeing they are
the sons and daughters of the first Adam, the brethren and sisters
of the last Adam, and the offspring of God, they ought to be
treated with a respect agreeable.
THE END
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