All slave-keepers that keep the innocent in bondage, apostates pretending to lay claim to the pure & holy Christian religion; of what congregation so ever; but especially in their ministers, by whose example the filthy leprosy and apostacy is spread far and near; it is a notorious sin, which many of the true Friends of Christ, and his pure truth, called Quakers, has been for many years, and still are concern'd to write and bear testimony against; as a practice so gross & hurtful to religion, and destructive to government, beyond what words can set forth, or can be declared of by men or angels, and yet lived in by ministers and magistrates in America. The leaders of the people cause them to err. / Written for a general service, by him that truly and sincerely desires the present and eternal welfare and happiness of all mankind, all the world over, of all colours, and nations, as his own soul; Benjamin Lay.

Title: All slave-keepers that keep the innocent in bondage, apostates pretending to lay claim to the pure & holy Christian religion; of what congregation so ever; but especially in their ministers, by whose example the filthy leprosy and apostacy is spread far and near; it is a notorious sin, which many of the true Friends of Christ, and his pure truth, called Quakers, has been for many years, and still are concern'd to write and bear testimony against; as a practice so gross & hurtful to religion, and destructive to government, beyond what words can set forth, or can be declared of by men or angels, and yet lived in by ministers and magistrates in America. The leaders of the people cause them to err. / Written for a general service, by him that truly and sincerely desires the present and eternal welfare and happiness of all mankind, all the world over, of all colours, and nations, as his own soul; Benjamin Lay.

Author: Lay, Benjamin, 1677-1759.

Collection: Evans Early American Imprint Collection

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O Brave Christians for the Devil, and Protestants too! is this the way to con|vince Papists, Turks, Jews, and Infidels of their notorious Wickedness and in|humanity, when we encourage them in it all we can, by supplying of them with Slaves, for our cursed Gain.Several eminent Friends amongst us of great Note, have boasted in my hearing of having Servants or Slaves born in their House, alluding to Abraham, for keeping Slaves; but I cannot find in all the Scriptures that Abraham ever had any Slaves; Servants he might have born in his House, and bought with Money for a time; but I do not believe that righ|teous, perfect good Man would keep his fellow Creatures in Bondage, them and their Off-spring, for evermore. I have a better Opinion of that tender hearted, good vertuous Man, that was stiled the Father of the faithful, by the Lip of Truth, and that rightly too, for so he was; but the unfaithful hypocritical Pharisees, would, for a Cloak to their Wickedness, have him to their Father; but Truth told them, if they were Abra|ham's Children they would do the Works of Abraham; but now ye are of your Father the Devil, and his Works ye 0