lso again earnestly to exhort all to
avoid, in any manner, encouraging that practice of making slaves
of our fellow-creatures.

Now, dear friends, if we continually bear in mind the royal law
of doing to others as we would be done by, we should never think
of bereaving our fellow-creatures of that valuable
blessing--liberty, nor endure to grow rich by their bondage. To
live in ease and plenty by the toil of those whom violence and
cruelty have put in our power, is neither consistent with
Christianity nor common justice; and, we have good reason to
believe, draws down the displeasure of Heaven; it being a
melancholy but true reflection, that, where slave-keeping
prevails, pure religion and sobriety decline, as it evidently
tends to harden the heart, and render the soul less susceptible
of that holy spirit of love, meekness and charity, which is the
peculiar characteristic of a true Christian.

How then can we, who have been concerned to publish the Gospel
of universal love and peace among mankind, be so inconsistent
with ourselves, as to purchase such as are prisoners of war, and
thereby encourage, this anti-Christian practice; and more
especially as many of these poor creatures are stolen away,
parents from children, and children from parents; and others,
who were in good circumstances in their native country,
inhumanly torn from what they esteemed a happy situation, and
compelled to toil in a state of slavery, too often extremely
cruel!

What dreadful scenes of murder and cruelty those barbarous
ravages must occasion in these unhappy people's country are too
obvious to mention. Let us make their case our own, and consider
what we should think, and how we should feel, were we in their
circumstances. Remember our blessed Redeemer's positive
command--to do unto others as we would have them do unto
us;--and that with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to
us again. And we intreat you to examine, whether the purchasing
of a negro, either born here or imported, doth not contribute to
a further importation, and, consequently, to the upholding of
all the evils above mentioned, and to the promoting of
man-stealing, the, only theft which by the Mosaic law was
punished with death;--He that stealeth a man and selleth him or
if he be found in his hand, he shall surel