Anthony Benezet

“ We seldom mourn over an old man that dies rich, but we lament the young, that are taken away in the progress of their fortune, You your selves look upon me with pity, not that I am going unprepar'd to meet the Judge of the quick and the dead, but that i am to leave a prosperous trade in the flower of my life. ”

“ What pain do you think a man must feel, when his conscience lays all this folly to his charge, when it shall shew him how regular, exact, wise he has been in small matters, that are passed away like a dream, and how stupid and senseless he has liv'd without any reflection, without any rules, in things of such eternal moment, as no heart can sufficiently conceive them. ”

“ This was the State of the Negro Trade when Bosman wrote his Account of Guinea, which, as I have already said, was more than fifty Years ago; since that Time the Trade is prodigiously augmented, there being now more than ten Ships to one that was then imployed in it; and as the Demand for Slaves has augmented, so have the Negroes been the more induced not only to wage War one with another, but also to put in practice the most base and inhuman Methods, in Order to get their unhappy Countrymen into their Power, that they may sell them to the European Traders. ”

“ Hitherto I have considered the Trade as inconsistent with the Gospel of Christ, contrary to natural Justice, and the common feelings of Humanity, and productive of infinite Calamities to many Thousand Families, nay to many Nations, and consequently offensive to God the Father of all Mankind. Yet it must be allowed, there are some well minded Persons, into whose Hands some of the Negroes have fallen, either by Inheritance, Executorship, or even some perhaps purely from Charitable Motives, who rather desire to manage wisely for their good, than to make Gain by their Labour ”

“ OH my friends! a careless life, unconcern’d and unattentive to the duties of Religion, is so without all excuse, so unworthy of the mercy of God, such a shame to the sense and reason of out minds, that I can hardly conceive a greater punishment, than for a man to be thrown into the state that I am in, to reflect. ”

“ WHEN you are as near death as I am, you will know, that all the different states of life, whether of youth or age, riches or poverty, greatness or meanness, signify no more to you, than whether you die in a poor or stately apartment. ”

“ THIS is the wisdom of our manly thoughts. And yet what folly of the silliest children is so great as this?
FOR what is there miserable or dreadful in death, but the Consequences of it? When a man is dead, what does any thing signify to him, but the state he is then in?
OUR poor friend Lepidus dy'd, you know, as he was dressing himself for a feast; do you think it is now part of his trouble, that he did not live till that entertainment was over? Feasts, and business, and pleasures, and enjoyments, seem great things to us, whilst we think of nothing else ”

“ How easy a thing would salvation be, if it could fall into my careless hands, who have never had so much serious thoughts about it, as about any one common bargain that I have made?
IN the business of life I have used prudence and reflection, I have been glad to converse with men of experience and judgment, to find out the reasons why some fail, and others succeed in any business. I have taken no step in trade but with great care and caution, considering every advantage or danger that attended it. ”

“ I might next consider the Trade as it is destructive of the Welfare of human Society, and inconsistent with the Peace and Prosperity of a Country, as by it the number of natural Enemies must be encreased, and the Place of those taken up who would be its support and security: Or I might shew from innumerable Examples, how it introduces Idleness, discourages Marriage, corrupts the Youth and ruins and debauches Morals. ”

“ Evils do not arise out of the Dust, nor does the Almighty willingly afflict the Children of Men; but when a People offend as a Nation, or in a publick Capacity, the Justice of his moral Government requires that as a Nation they be punished, which is generally done by War, Famine or Pestilence. I know there are many Arguments offered in favour of the Purchasers, but they are all drawn from Avarice or ill founded, none will stand the Test of that divine Rule: To do unto all Men, as we would they should do unto us. Without Purchasers, there would be no Trade ”

“ Is there any dream like the dream of life, in which we are amused with vain and empty things? whilst we are neglecting and disregarding that which is subtantially valuable is there any folly like the folly of most men and women, who think themselves too wise, and are too busy to hearken to the voice of Jesus Christ calling in the heart?-which, if carefully attended to, would occasion these serious reflections, but for want of attending to this divine instructor, that enemy of mankind the Devil, is suffered to fill our minds with unreasonable affections and foolish opinions ”

“ CUSTOMS generally approved and Opinions received by Youth from their Superiors, become like the natural Produce of a Soil, especially when they are suited to favorite Inclinations: But as the Judgments of GOD are without Partiality, by which the State of the Soul must be tried, it would be the highest Wisdom to forego Customs and popular Opinions, and try our Deeds by the infalliable Standard of Truth, even the pure Spirit of Grace which leads all those who in Şincerity obey its Dictates into a Conduct consistent with their Christian Profession. ”

“ I might likewise expose the weakness of those Arguments, which are commonly advanced in Order to vindicate the Purchasers, such as their being Slaves in their own Country, and therefore may be so to us, or that they are made acquainted with Christianity in lieu of their Liberty, or that the last Purchaser will use them better than they formerly were: But not to mention, that these are only vain pretences, that the true Motive of encouraging the Trade is selfish Avarice; to say nothing of the weakness of the Argument: That because others do ill, we may do so too ”

“ What must we think of that cruel Wretch who occasioned such a Scene of Misery, or what of those who for the sake of Gain instigated to it.
N. N. Brue, a noted Traveller, a Narrative of whose Travels is to be met with in a new Collection of Voyages, printed by the King's Authority in the Year 1745; tells his Readers; “That the Europeans are far from desiring to act as Peace-Makers, amongst the Negroes, which would be acting contrary to their Interest, since the greater the Wars, the more Slaves are procured.” ”

“ This has often been seen, and to compass it, they desire the Person they intend to sell,to help them in carrying something to the Factory by Way of Trade, and when there, the Person so deluded, nor understanding the Language, is sold and delivered up as a Slave, notwithstanding all his Resistance and exclaiming against the Treachery. ”

“ WE fervently warn all in profession with us, that they be careful to avoid being any Way concerned in reaping the unrighteous Profitarising from that iniquitous Practice of Dealing in Negroes and other Slaves; whereby in the original Purchase one Man selleth another, as he doth the Beasts that perishes, without any better Pretension to a Property in him, than that of superior Force ”

“ By these we shall see, that in order to get Slaves, the Europeans settled at the Factories in Africa, encourage Wars, and promote the Practice of stealing Men, Women and Children, which they readily purchase without any Regard to Justice, Equity or any of the tender Ties of Nature. ”

“ Qr dare we say, that this very Practice is not one Cause of the Calamities we at present suffer; and that the Captivity of our People is not to teach us to feel for others, and to induce us to discourage a Trade, by which many Thousands are Yearly captivated? ”

“ When the Price is agreed upon, which for an able bodied Man, under thirty five Years of age, may be about 5 Pounds, the Women a fifth Part less, and the Children in proportion to their Age, the European Merchants brand them with hot Irons to distinguish them, and locks the poor wretches up in some Prison, Still they can be sent on board ”

“ By the fore mentioned Accounts it appears, how by various perfidious, and cruel Methods, the unhappy Negroes are inslaved, and that mostly, by the Procurement of those called Christians, and violently sent from the tenderest Ties of Nature, to toil in hard Labour, often without sufficient Supplies of Food, and under hard Taskmasters, and this mostly to uphold the Luxury or Covetousness of proud selfish Men, without any Hope of ever seeing again their native Land ”