George Keith
Moore, George, ed. The First Printed Protest Against Slavery in America, Reprinted from "The
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography." Philadelphia: n.p., 1889.
This Document is on The Quaker Writings Home Page.
Therefore we judge it necessary that all faithful Friends should discover themselves to be true
Christians by having the Fruits of the Spirit of Christ, which are Love, Mercy, Goodness, and
Compassion towards all in Misery, and that suffer Oppression and severe Usage, so far as in them
is possible to ease and relieve them, and set them free of their hard Bondage, whereby it may be
hoped, that many of them will be gained by their beholding these good Works of sincere
Christians, and prepared thereby, through the Preaching the Gospel of Christ, to imbrace the true
Faith of Christ. And for this cause it is, as we judge, that in some places in Europe Negroes
cannot be bought and sold for Money, or detained to be Slaves, because it suits not with the
Mercy, Love & Clemency that is essential to Christianity, nor to the Doctrine of Christ, nor to the
Liberty the Gospel calleth all men unto, to whom it is preached. And to buy Souls and Bodies of
men for Money, to enslave them and their Posterity to the end of the World, we judge is a great
hinderance to the spreading of the Gospel, and is occasion of much War, Violence, Cruelty and
Oppression, and Theft & Robery of the highest Nature; for commonly the Negroes that are sold
to white Men, are either stollen away or robbed from their kindred, and to buy such is the way to
continue these evil Practices of Man-stealing, and transgresseth that Golden Rule and Law, To do
to others what we would have others do to us.
Therefore, in true Christian Love, we earnestly recommend it to all our Friends and Brethren,
Not to buy any Negroes, unless it were on purpose to set them free, and that such who have
bought any, and have them at present, after some reasonable time of moderate Service they have
had of them, or may have of them, that may reasonably answer to the Charge of what they have
laid out, especially in keeping Negroes Children born in their House, or taken into their House,
when under Age, that after a reasonable time of service to answer that Charge, they may set them
at Liberty, and during the time they have them, to teach them to read, and give them a Christian
Education.
Some Reasons and Causes of our being against keeping of Negroes for Term of Life.
First, Because it is contrary to the Principles and Practice of the Christian Quakers to buy Prize
or stollen Goods, which we bore a faithful Testimony against in our Native Country; and
therefore it is our Duty to come forth in a Testimony against stollen Slaves, it being accounted a
far greater Crime under Moses's Law than the stealing of Goods: for such were only to restore
four fold, but he that stealeth a Man and selleth him, if he be found in his hand, he shall surely
be put to Death, Exod. 21. 16. Therefore as we are not to buy stollen Goods, (but if at unawares
it should happen through Ignorance, we are to restore them to the Owners, and seek our Remedy
of the Thief) no more are we to buy stollen Slaves; neither should such as have them keep them
and their Posterity in perpetual Bondage and Slavery, as is usually done, to the great scandal of
the Christian Profession.
Secondly, Because Christ commanded, saying, All things whatsoever ye would that men should
do unto you, do ye even so to them. Therefore as we and our Children would not be kept in
perpetual Bondage and Slavery against our Consent, neither should we keep them in perpetual
Bondage and Slavery against their Consent, it being such intollerable Punishment to their Bodies
and Minds, that none but notorious Criminal Offendors deserve the same. But these have done us
no harm; therefore how inhumane is it in us so grievously to oppress them and their Children from
one Generation to another.
Thirdly, Because the Lord hath commanded, saying, Thou shalt not deliver unto his Master the
Servant that is escaped from his Master unto thee, he shall dwell with thee, even amongst you in
that place which he shall chuse in one of thy Gates, where it liketh him best; thou shalt oppress
him, Deut. 23. 15. 16. By which it appeareth, that those which are at Liberty and freed from their
Bondage, should not by us be delivered into Bondage again, neither by us should they be
oppressed, but being escaped from his Master, should have the liberty to dwell amongst us, where
it liketh him best. Therefore, if God extend such Mercy under the legal Ministration and
Dispensation to poor Servants, he doth and will extend much more of his Grace and Mercy to
them under the clear Gospel Ministration; so that instead of punishing them and their Posterity
with cruel Bondage and perpetual Slavery, he will cause the Everlasting Gospel to be preached
effectually to all Nations, to them as well as others; And the Lord will extend Peace to his People
tike a River, and the Glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Stream; And it shall come to pass, saith
the Lord, that I will gather all Nations and Tongues, and they shall come and see my Glory, and
I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations, to
Tarshish, Pull and Lud that draw the Bow to Tuball and Javan, to the Isles afar off that have not
heard my Fame, neither have seen my Glory, and they shall declare my Glory among the
Gentiles, Isa. 66. 12-18.
Fourthly, Because the Lord hath commanded, saying, Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant
that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy .Brethren, or of the Strangers that are in thy Land
within thy Gates, least he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee; Thou shalt
neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt, Deut. 24. 14,
15. Exod. 12. 21. But what greater Oppression can there be inflicted upon our Fellow Creatures,
than is inflicted on the poor Negroes! they being brought from their own Country against their
Wills, some of them being stollen, others taken for payment of Debt owing by their Parents, and
others taken Captive in War, and sold to Merchants, who bring them to the American Plantations,
and sell them for Bond Slaves to them that will give most for them; the Husband from the Wife,
and the Children from the Parents; and many that buy them do exceedingly afflict them and
oppress them, not only by continual hard Labour, but by cruel Whippings, and other cruel
Punishments, and by short allowance of Food, some Planters in Barbadoes and Jamaica, 'tis said,
keeping one hundred of them, and some more, and some less, and giving them hardly any thing
more than they raise on a little piece of Ground appointed them, on which they work for
themselves the seventh days of the Week in the after-noon, and on the first days, to raise their
own Provisions, to wit, Corn and Potatoes, and other Roots, &c. the remainder of their time
being spent in their Masters service; which doubtless is far worse usage than is practised by the
Turks and Moors upon their Slaves. Which tends to the great Reproach of the Christian
Profession; therefore it would be better for all such as fall short of the Practice of those Infidels,
to refuse the name of a Christian, that those Heathen and Infidels may not be provoked to
blaspheme against the blessed Name of Christ, by reason of the unparallel'd Cruelty of these cruel
and hard hearted pretended Christians: Surely the Lord doth behold their Oppressions &
Afflictions, and will further visit for the same by his righteous and just Judgments, except they
break off their sins by Repentance, and their Iniquity by shewing Mercy to these poor afflicted,
tormented miserable Slaves!
Fifthly, Because Slaves and Souls of Men are some of the Merchandize of Babylon by which the
Merchants of the Earth are made Rich; but those Riches which they have heaped together,
through the cruel Oppression of these miserable Creatures, will be a means to draw Gods
Judgments upon them; therefore, Brethren, let us hearken to the Voice of the Lord, who saith,
Come out of Babylon, my People, that ye be not partakers of her Sins, and that ye receive not her
Plagues; for her Sins have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities; for
he that leads into Captivity shall go into Captivity, Rev. 18. 4, 5. & 13. 10.
Given forth by our Monthly Meeting in Philadelphia, the 13th day of the 8th Moneth, 1693. and
recommended to all our Friends and Brethren, who are one with us in our Testimony for the
Lord Jesus Christ, and to all others professing Christianity.
THE END.