Excerpts from The Negro Christianized.
An Essay to Excite and Assist that Good Work, the Instruction of Negro-Servants in Christianity
by Cotton Mather, 1706
From http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1028&context=etas
Truly, to Raise a Soul, from a dark
State of Ignorance and Wickedness, to the Knowledge
of GOD, and the Belief of CHRIST, and the practice
of our Holy and Lovely RELIGION; ’Tis the noblest
Work, that ever was undertaken among the Children of
men. An Opportunity to Endeavour the CONVERSION
of a Soul, from a Life of Sin, which is indeed a
woful Death, to Fear God, and Love CHRIST, and by
a Religious Life to Escape the Paths of the Destroyer; it
cannot but be Acceptable to all that have themselves had
in themselves Experience of such a Conversion. And such
an Opportunity there is in your Hands, O all you that
have any Negroes in your Houses; an Opportunity to
try, Whether you may not be the Happy Instruments, of
Converting, the Blackest Instances of Blindness and Baseness,
into admirable Candidates of Eternal Blessedness.
Let us make a Trial, Whether
they that have been Scorched and Blacken’d by the Sun
of Africa, may not come to have their Minds Healed by
the more Benign Beams of the Sun of Righteousness.
It is come to pass by the Providence of God, without
which there comes nothing to pass, that Poor Negroes
are cast under your Government and Protection. You
take them into your Families; you look on them as part
of your Possessions; and you Expect from their Service, a
Support, and perhaps an Increase, of your other Possessions.
How agreeable would it be, if a Religious Master
or Mistress thus attended, would now think with themselves! Who can tell but that this Poor Creature may belong to the Election of God! Who can tell, but that God may have sent
this Poor Creature into my Hands, that so One of the Elect may
by my means be Called; & by my Instruction be made Wise
unto Salvation! The glorious God will put an unspeakable
Glory upon me, if it may be so! The Considerations that
would move you, To Teach your Negroes the Truths of the
Glorious Gospel, as far as you can, and bring them, if it
may be, to Live according to those Truths, a Sober, and a
Righteous, and a Godly Life; They are Innumerable; And
if you would after a Reasonable manner consider, the Pleas
which we have to make on the behalf of God, and of the
Souls which He has made, one would wonder that they
should not be Irresistible. Show your selves Men, and let
Rational Arguments have their Force upon you, to make
you treat, not as Bruits but as Men, those Rational Creatures
whom God has made your Servants.
For, First; The Great GOD Commands it, and Requires it
of you; to do what you can that Your Servants, may also
be His. It was an Admonition once given; Eph. 5.9. Masters,
Know that your Master is in Heaven. You will confess,
That the God of Heaven is your Master. If your Negroes
do not comply with your Commands, into what Anger,
what Language, Perhaps into a misbecoming Fury, are
you transported? But you are now to attend unto the
Commands of your more Absolute Master ; and they are
His Commands concerning your Negroes too. What can be
more Expressive, than those words of the Christian Law?
Col. 4.1. Masters, give unto your Servants, that which is Just
& Equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven. Of
what Servants is this Injunction to be understood ? Verily,
of Slaves. For Servants were generally such, at the time of
Writing the New Testament. Wherefore, Masters, As it is
Just & Equal, that your Servants be not Over-wrought, and
that while they Work for you, you should Feed them, and
Cloath them, and afford convenient Rest unto them, and
make their Lives comfortable ; So it is Just and Equal,
that you should Acquaint them, as far as you can, with
the way to Salvation by JESUS CHRIST.
One Table of the Ten Commandments, has this
for the Sum of it; Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self.
Man, Thy Negro is thy Neighbour. T’were an Ignorance,
unworthy of a Man, to imagine otherwise. Yea, if thou
dost grant, That God hath made of one Blood, all Nations
of men, he is thy Brother too. Now canst thou Love thy
Negro, and be willing to see him ly under the Rage of
Sin, and the Wrath of God? Canst thou Love him, and
yet refuse to do any thing, that his miserable Soul may
be rescued from Eternal miseries? Oh! Let thy Love to
that Poor Soul, appear in thy concern, to make it, if thou
canst, as happy as thy own!
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