An Essay on Slavery, proving from Scripture its Inconsistency with Humanity and Religion

by Granville Sharp

An Essay on Slavery, proving from Scripture its Inconsistency with Humanity and Religion

By Granville Sharp

We must acknowledge, say they, that the branch of trade here under considera­tion, is a species of traffic which we have never been able to reconcile with the dic­tates of humanity, and much less with those of religion. The principal argu­ment in its behalf seems to be, the neces­sity of such a resource, in order to carry on the works in our plantations, which, we are told, it is otherwise impossible to perform. But this, though the urgency of the case may be very great, is not by any means sufficient to justify the prac­tice. There is a farther consideration which has a plausible appearance, and may be thought to carry some weight; it is, that the merchant only purchases those who were slaves before, and possi­bly may, rather than otherwise, render their situation more tolerable. But it is well known, that the lot of our Slaves, when most favourably considered, is very hard and miserable; besides which, such a trade is taking the advantage of the ig­norance and brutality of unenlightened na­tions, who are encouraged to war with each other for this very purpose, and, it is to be feared, are sometimes tempted to seize those of their own tribes or families that they may obtain the hoped for ad­vantage: and it is owned, with regard to our merchants, that, upon occasion, they observe the like practices, which are thought to be allowable, because they are done by way of reprisal for theft or damage committed by the natives. We were pleased, however, to meet with a pamphlet on the other side of the ques­tion; and we entered upon its perusal with the hopes of finding somewhat ad­vanced which might afford us satisfaction on this difficult point. The writer ap­pears to be a sensible man, and capable of discussing the argument; but the li­mits to which he is confined, rendered his performance rather superficial. The plea he produces from the Jewish law is not, in our view of the matter, at all conclusive. The people of Israel were under a theocracy, in which the Supreme Being was in a peculiar sense their King, and might therefore issue forth some or­ders for them, which it would not be warrantable for another people, who were in different circumstances, to observe. Such, for instance, was the command given concerning the extirpation of the Canaanites, whom, the sovereign Arbiter of life and death might, if he had pleased, have destroyed by plague or famine, or other of those means which we term na­tural causes, and by which a wise Provi­dence fulfils its own purposes. But it would be unreasonable to infer from the manner in which the Israelites dealt with the people of Canaan, that any other na­tions have a right to pursue the same me­thod. Neither can we imagine that St. Paul's exhortation to servants or slaves, upon their conversion, to continue in the state in which Christianity found them, affords any argument favourable to the practice here pleaded for. It is no more than saying, that Christianity did not particularly enter into the regulations of civil society at that time; that it taught persons to be contented and diligent in their stations: but certainly it did not forbid them, in a proper and lawful way, if it was in their power, to render their circumstances more comfortable. Upon the whole, we must own, that this little treatise is not convincing to us, though, as different persons are differently affected by the same considerations, it may prove more satisfactory to others.

IN another place they observe, since we are all brethren, and God has given to all men a natural right to Liberty, we al­low of no Slavery among us, unless a per­son forfeits his freedom by his crimes.

THAT Slavery is not consistent with the English constitution, nor admissable in Great Britain, appears evidently by the late solemn determination, in the court of King's Bench at Westminster, in the case of James Somerset, the Negro; and why it should be revived and continued in the colonies, peopled by the descendents of Britain, and blessed with sentiments as truly noble and free as any of their fellow subjects in the mother country, is not easi­ly conceived, nor can the distinction be well founded.

IF natural rights, such as life and Li­berty, receive no additional strength from municipal laws, nor any human legistature has power to abridge or destroy them, un­less the owner commits some act that a­mounts to a forfeiture; If the natural Liberty of mankind consists proper­ly in a power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or controul unless by the law of nature; being a right inhe­rent in us by birth, and one of the Gifts of God to man at his creation, when he en­dued him with the faculty of free will: If an act of Parliament is controulable by the laws of God and nature; and in its consequences may be rendered void for absurdity, or a manifest contradiction to common reason: If Christianity is a part of the law of England; and Christ expressly commands, 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them,' at the same time declaring, for this is the law and the law and the prophets, And if our forefathers, who emigrated from Eng­land hither, brought with them all the rights, liberties, and privileges of the British constitution (which hath of late years been often asserted and repeatedly contended for by Americans) why is it that the poor sooty African meets with so different a measure of justice in England and America, as to be adjudged free in the one, and in the other held in the most abject Slavery?

WE are expressly restrained from mak­ing laws, "repugnant to," and directed to fashion them, as nearly as may be, agreeable to, the laws of England. Hence, and because of its total inconsis­tency with the principles of the constitu­tion, neither in England or any of the Colonies, is there one law directly in fa­vour of, or enacting Slavery, but by a kind of side-wind, admitting its existence, (though only founded on a barbarous custom, originated by foreigners) attempt its regulation. How far the point liti­gated in James Somerset's case, would bear a sober candid discussion before an impartial judicature in the Colonies, I cannot determine; but, for the credit of my country, should hope it would meet with a like decision, that it might appear and be known, that Liberty in America, is not a partial privilege, but extends to every individual in it.

I MIGHT here, in the language of the famous JAMES OTIS, Esq ask, Is it possible for a man to have a natural right to make a Slave of himself or his posteri­ty? What man is or ever was born free, if every man is not? Can a father super­sede the laws of nature? Is not every man born as free by nature as his father? a There can be no prescription old enough to supersede the law of nature, and the grant of God Almighty, who has given to every man a natural right to be free. b The Colonists are by the law of na­ture free born, as indeed all men are, white or black. No better reason can be given for the enslaving those of any co­lour, than such as Baron Montesquieu has humourously assigned, as the foundation of that cruel Slavery exercised over the poor Ethiopians; which threatens one day to reduce both Europe and America to the ignorance and barbarity of the darkest ages. Does it follow that it is right to enslave a man because he is black? Will short curled hair like wool, instead of Christians hair, as it is called by those whose hearts are hard as the nether mill­stone, help the argument? Can any lo­gical inference in favour of Slavery, be drawn from a flat nose‖ a long or a short face? Nothing better can be said in fa­vour of a trade that is the most shocking violation of the laws of nature; has a direct tendency to diminish every idea of the inestimable value of Liberty, and makes every dealer in it a tyrant, from the director of an African company, to the petty chapman in needles and pins, on the unhappy coast.

To Those who think Slavery founded in Scripture, a careful and attentive perusal of the Sacred Writings would contribute more than any thing to eradicate the er­ror, they will not find even the name of Slave once mentioned therein, and applied to a servitude to be continued from parent to child in perpetuity, with approbation. —The term used on the occasion in the sacred text is Servant; and, upon a fair construction of those writings, there is no necessity, nor can the service, consistent with the whole tenor of the Scripture, be extended further than the generation spo­ken of; it was never intended to include the posterity.

THE mistaken proverb which prevailed in that early age, The fathers had ea­ten four grapes, and the childrens teeth were set on edge, was rectified by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who de­clared to the people, that they should not have occasion to use that proverb any more;—Behold all souls are mine, as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son, the soul that sinneth it shall die;—the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son;—the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. And the apostle Peter assures us, after the ascension of our Saviour, that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him is ac­cepted of him. It is also remark­able, that at that time, an Ethiopian, a man of great authority, was ad­mitted to the freedom of a Christian, whatever we may think of the colour now, as being unworthy of it.

But admitting Slavery to be established by Scripture, the command of the Sove­reign Ruler of the universe, whose eye takes in all things, and who, for good reasons, beyond our comprehension, might justly create a perpetual Slavery to effect his own purposes, against the enemies of his chosen people in that day, cannot be pleaded now against any people on earth; it is not even pretended to in justification of Negro Slavery, nor can the sons of Ethiopia, with any degree of clearness, be proved to have descended from any of those nations who so came under the Di­vine displeasure as to be brought into ser­vitude; if they are, and those denuncia­tions given in the Old Testament were perpetual, and continue in force, must we not look upon it meritorious to execute them fully upon all the offspring of that unhappy people upon whom they fell, without giving quarter to any?

MANY who admit the indefensibility of Slavery, considering the subject rather too superficially, declare it would be im­politic to emancipate those we are possessed of; and say, they generally behave ill when set at liberty. I believe very few of the advocates for freedom think that all ought to be manumitted, nay, think it would be unjust to turn out those who have spent their prime of life, and now require a support; but many are in a fit capacity to do for themselves and the public; as to these let every master or mistress do their duty, and leave conse­quences to the Disposer of events, who, I believe, will always bless our actions in proportion to the purity of their spring. But many instances might be given of Negroes and Mulatoes, once in Slavery, who, after they have obtained their li­berty, (and sometimes even in a state of bondage) have given striking proofs of their integrity, ingenuity, industry, ten­derness and nobility of mind; of which, if the limits of this little Piece permit­ed, I could mention many examples; and why instances of this kind are not more fre­quent, we may very naturally impute to the smallness of the number tried with freedom, and the servility and meanness of their education whilst in Slavery. Let us never forget, that an equal if not a grea­ter proportion of our own colour behave worse with all the advantages of birth, education and circumstances; and we shall blush to oppose an equitable emanci­pation, by this or the like arguments.

LIBERTY, the most manly and exalt­ing of the gifts of Heaven, consists in a free and generous exercise of all the hu­man man faculties as far as they are compati­ble with the good of society to which we belong; and the most delicious part of the enjoyment of the inestimable blessing lies in a consciousness that we are free. This happy persuasion, when it meets with a noble nature, raises the soul, and rectifies the heart; it gives dignity to the countenance and animates every word and gesture; it elevates the mind above the little arts of deceit, makes it benevolent, open, ingenuous and just, and adds a new relish to every better sentiment of huma­nity. On the contrary, Man is bereaved of half his virtues that day when he is cast into bondage.

THE end of the christian dispensation, with which we are at present favoured, ap­pears in our Saviours words, The spi­rit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the bro­ken hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives; and recovery of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.