Bishop William Fleetwood defends Slavery, 1711

 On receiving the Codrington Estates in 1710, William Fleetwood, Anglican bishop of St. Asaph, gave the annual sermon before the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. As slaveowners, the SPG had a material investment in preserving the institution of slavery. Fleetwood, and other SPG officials, opted to use theological justifications for the trade in enslaved Africans. This sermon addresses three primary arguments used by slave owners to avoid baptizing their slaves: the fear that baptism would grant freedom, concerns that Christian slaves must be treated with more compassion, and economic interests related to the legality of selling baptized individuals. Fleetwood refutes these claims by emphasizing that baptism does not alter the legal status of an enslaved person but instead grants spiritual liberty.

To the First of these Pretences, namely – That should they suffer their Slaves to be Baptized, they would immediately become Free – We may answer, that were this true, the Mischief of it would be no greater in our Plantations abroad than it is at home, where there is no such thing as Slavery, but all our Word is done by hired Servants; for good Wages and good Usage will always invite Servants, even to the hardest Labours. And if this would not turn to a good Account ‘twere better the World should pay much dearer for the Pleasures and Conveniences those Places afford, than Purchase them so cheaply at the Expence of so much Misery, such Cruelty and hard Treatment of Men, as good as our selves, and at the Hazard of their Souls. But allowing this would be some Inconvenience to the Civil Government, with respect to Trade, is there any Question, whether the Blessing of God upon their Piety and good Designs in furtherance of his Glory, in the Salvation of Mens Souls, would make an ample Compensation for all the Inconveniencies and Loss it might sustain, by making their Slaves, or letting them be made Christian? But after all, what considering Man would run the Hazard of being under God’s Displeasure, by hindring other from becoming Christians, for all the Profit, Honour, and Advantage in the World? But Secondly, there is no fear of losing the Service and Profit of their Slaves, by letting them become Christians: Their Avarice and Cruelty are grounded on a certain Mistake: They are neither prohibited by the Laws of God, nor those of the Land, from keeping Christian Slaves; their Slaves are no more at Liberty after they are Baptized, than they were before. There were People in St. Paul’s time, that imagin’d they were freed from all former Engagements by becoming Christians; but St. Paul tells them, this was not the Meaning of Christian Liberty; the Liberty wherewith Christ had made them Free, was Freedom from their Sins, Freedom from the Fears of Death, and everlasting Misery, and not from any State of Life, in which they had either voluntarily engaged themselves, or were fallen into through their Misfortune. Let every Man (says he, I Cor. 7. 20.) abide in the same Calling, wherein he was called. Let every Man know, that his being called to the Faith of Christ, does not exempt him from continuing in the same State of Life he was before; it make no alteration of his Condition in this World; the Liberty of Christianity is entirely Spiritual. Art thou called, being a Servant ? care not for it ; but if thou mayst be made free, use it rather. Art thou Baptized and made a Christian, being a Slave ? min it not ; be not much concerned at it; but if thou canst obtain thy Liberty, by fair and honest Means, use it rather, take the Opportunity: If Liberty comes legally, or by the Favour of thy Patron, accept of it by all Means; thou mayst thereby be better enabled to serve God, when thou art at thine own Disposal. Brethren, let every one wherein he is called, therein abide with God. In a Word, the Law of Christ made no changes of this Nature, but left Men under all the Obligations and Engagements that it found them, with respect to Liberty or Bondage: Nor do the Laws of the Land hinder People from being Slaves when they become Christians. Christianity has so long prevailed in these Parts of the World, that there are no Advantages or Privileges now peculiar to it, to distinguish it from any other Sect or Party; and therefore whatever Liberties the Laws indulge to us, t hey do it to us as English-Men, and not as Christians: If therefore it be lawful in our Country, to have or keep any Slaves at all, it is equally lawful to have or keep them so, tho’ they are Christians: The Laws do not distinctly favour Christianity in this Point: And if they should see fit to do it here at home, where there is no Occasion for such Slaves, what need were there yet of doing it abroad, where there is great Occasion for them?

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The Second Pretence is this: That should their Slaves continue Slaves after their Baptism, yet they should be oblig’d to use them with less Rigour, than the nature and necessity of their Service will admit, if their Masters must be Gainers by them. This indeed is somewhat for the Honour of Christ’s Religion, that it commands the Exercise of all Compassion, Kindness, and good Nature towards Christians, but this, I think, is common to most Religions with it, which equally favour their particular Professors; and Christianity distinguishes it self from them, by commanding Mercy and Compassion to be shewn to all the World alike, without respect to Sect or Party, unless where there is an unavoidable Occasion of Preference. We are commanded to follow His Example, who is rich in Mercy towards all, whether Jew or Gentile, Bond or Free. Should some Necessity compel us to deal hardly with either Jew or Christian; our Love to Christ, and Honour to His Name, would soon determine where the Hardship were to fall; but where there is no occasion for any Preference, the Christian Religion does as strongly and certainly oblige to shew Mercy and Compassion to Jews and Gentiles, as to Christians. The Commands of Christ do certainly bind us to pity all Mankind, so do to all Men, indistinctly, all the good we can, an not to Christiansonly; for that would be to fall into the Partiality of the Jews, who would only shew kindness to Jews, which Christ himself reproves, and condemns as a straitness and narrowness of Mind, and falling very short of His extensive Charity: So that to deal more rigorously with an Infidel than with a Christian is to compliment our Saviour with Disobedience; to do some Honour to his Name, which He would have us pay to his Nature, in shewing Kindness to our Fellow Creatures: It is therefore a great Mistake to treat a Savage, and an Infidel, with Inhumanity and Rigour; but ‘tis a strangely cruel and most wicked Absurdity that is built on this Mistake: I may not use a Christian Unmercifully; therefore I will not let this Savagebe a Christian, for fear I may not use him afterwards unmercifully. What a Mockery would it be, pretend that I cannot relieve a Man, because he is not qualified for my Charity, when I know at the same time, t hat I hinder him from being qualified least I should find my self obliged to relieve him. What is this but to hinder him, as much as in you lies, from being happy for ever, for fear he should be a little more at Ease in this Life? Be true to your Religion; and go through with it so it obliges you to shew Pity and good Nature even to the Bodies of your Slaves; and then when that is settled and believed, you will find your selves disposed to shew all Mercy to their Souls; since the best Reason you can find for being cruel to their Souls, is fetch’d from the Fear of being afterwards disabled from being Cruel to their Bodies.

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The Third and last Pretence, is built upon the same Bottom, i.e. that of Interest. For since they bought their Slaves for Money, they should be Losers by permitting them to be made Christian since after that, they could not part with them for Money, it being, they say, Unlawful to sell Christians.

Away with all these Honours, that are so hurtful to our Lord! I dare engage He parts most freely with them: He well remembers, how he who betrayed Him, gave Him first a Kiss; and could never since endure, that a seeming Respect should do Him Mischief, and debar Him of a real Advantage. A Christian must not, it seems, be Sold; but then he shall not be a Christian, because he may not afterwards be sold. This is too like to – Hail King of the Jews, and Buffeting Him, bowing the Knee before Him, and then Spitting at Him. If Christ might be the Advocate for these poor People, He would consent, He would intreat they might be Sold, condemn’d to Bonds, to Stripes, Imprisonment, and Death, rather than live the Slaves of Sin and Unbelievers, the freest and most arbitrary Princes of their Country. He was Himself both Sold and Bound, and loves a virtuous and religious Slave, rather the better for his Chains or Clog. Let but the Soul be free from Sin, and the Hands clean from all Unrighteousness, and He regards not how the Body is encumbered with its Weights, nor how those Hands are worn with Bonds and Labours.

But after all, ‘tis far from certain, that the Laws forbid a Christian to be Sold: If Men had truly a Propriety in their Slaves before they were Baptized, and could dispose of them as they do of other Goods and Cattel for Money, or its worth, I dare be positive, the Laws of Christ will not deprive them of this Property; and I am very sure, the Laws of the Kingdom [of Britain] take not away the Right of such a Sale, upon receiving Baptism, if it were justifiable before.