guilty of that bring great Crowds of these miserable Men and Women. Methinks when we are bemoaning the barbarous Usage of our Friends and Kinsfolk in _Africa_, it might not be unreasonable to enquire whether we are not culpable in forcing the _Africans_ to become Slaves amongst ourselves. And it may be a question whether all the Benefit received by _Negro_ Slaves will balance the Accompt of Cash laid out upon them; and for the Redemption of our own enslaved Friends out of _Africa_. Besides all the Persons and Estates that have perished there. "Obj. 1. _These Blackamores are of the Posterity of Cham, and therefore are under the Curse of Slavery_. Gen. 9, 25, 26, 27. "_Ans._ Of all Offices, one would not beg this; viz. Uncall'd for, to be an Executioner of the Vindictive Wrath of God; the extent and duration of which is to us uncertain. If this ever was a Commission; How do we know but that it is long since out of Date? Many have found it to their Cost, that a Prophetical Denunciation of Judgment against a Person or People, would not warrant them to inflict that evil. If it would, _Hazael_ might justify himself in all he did against his master, and the _Israelites_ from _2 Kings 8, 10, 12_. "But it is possible that by cursory reading, this Text may have been mistaken. For _Canaan_ is the Person Cursed three times over, without the mentioning of _Cham_. Good Expositors suppose the Curse entailed on him, and that this Prophesie was accomplished in the Extirpation of the _Canaanites_, and in the Servitude of the _Gibeonites. Vide Pareum_. Whereas the Blackmores are not descended of _Canaan_, but of Cush. Psal. 68, 31. _Princes shall come out of Egypt_ [Mizraim]. _Ethiopia_ [Cush] _shall soon stretch out her hands unto God_. Under which Names, all _Africa_ may be comprehended; and their Promised Conversion ought to be prayed for. _Jer. 13, 23. Can the Ethiopian change his Skin?_ This shows that Black Men are the Posterity of _Cush_. Who time out of mind have been distinguished by their Colour. And for want of the true, _Ovid_ assigns a fabulous cause of it. _Sanguine tum credunt in corpora summa vocato AEthiopum populos nigrum traxisse colorem_. Metamorph. lib. 2. "Obj. 2. _The_ Nigers _are brought out of a Pagan Country, into places where the Gospel is preached_. "_Ans._ Evil must not be done, that good may come of it. The extraordinary and comprehensive Benefit accruing to the Church of God, and to _Joseph_ personally, did not rectify his Brethren's Sale of him. "Obj. 3. _The Africans have Wars one with another: Our Ships bring lawful Captives taken in those wars_.