e Christian religion which we profess, obliges us
to wish well to the souls of all men, and that religion may not be made
a pretence to alter any man's property and right, and that no persons
may neglect to baptize their negroes or slaves, or suffer them to be
baptized, for fear that thereby they should be manumitted and set free:
_Be it therefore enacted_, That it shall be, and is hereby declared
lawful for any negro or Indian slave, or any other slave or slaves
whatsoever, to receive and profess the Christian faith, and be thereunto
baptised. But that notwithstanding such slave or slaves shall receive
and profess the Christian religion, and be baptised, he or they shall
not thereby be manumitted or set free, or his or their owner, master or
mistress lose his or their civil right, property and authority over such
slave or slaves, but that the slave or slaves, with respect to his or
their servitude, shall remain and continue in the same state and
condition, that he or they was in before the making of this
act."--_Grimke, p. 18. Brevard, vol. 2, p. 229._

In 1667, the following statute was passed in Virginia:

"Whereas, some doubts have arisen whether children that are slaves by
birth, and by the charity and piety of their owners made partakers of
the blessed sacrament of baptism, should by virtue of their baptism be
made free; _It is enacted and declared by this grand assembly, and the
authority thereof_, that the confering of baptism doth not alter the
condition of the person as to his bondage or freedom; that divers
masters, freed from this doubt, may more carefully endeavor the
propagation of Christianity by permitting children, though slaves, or
those of greater growth, if capable to be admitted to that
sacrament."--_Hening's Statutes, vol. 2, p. 260._]

[Footnote 10: Hening, vol. 2, p. 283.]

[Footnote 11: Hening, vol. 5, p. 547-8.]

[Footnote 12: In 1753 Virginia passed a statute, occupying some twelve
or fifteen pages of the statute book, and intended to cover the whole
general subject of slavery. One of the sections of this act is as
follows:

"That all and every other act and acts, clause and clauses, heretofore
made, for or concerning any matter or thing within the provision of this
act, shall be and are hereby repealed."--_Hening's Statutes, vol. 6, p.
369._

No reservation being made, by this section, of rights acquired under
former statutes, and slave property being a matter dependent entirely
upon