[ 28 ]
The second branch was, If he be found in his hands, he surely shall be put to death. This is the third and fourth clause of the before cited verse in Exod. If he be found in his hands. This is to be understood in two senses, either found in the Ship-master's hands who stole him, or bought, as he say, or in the person's hands who purchases him. As to the first of these senses in which this passage may be taken, if the laws of God, yea, even of man, were to be put into execution, he, the stealer, or even the buyer, would be punished with death, for it is clear as to Man-stealing, that it deserves death, by the above passage of Scripture, and it is no less with regard to buying: But why do I say buying? For no money can be equal to the worth of a man: Buying, I admit that word because Ship-masters and others in this Trade, say, for their justification that they purchased the Negroes, but as there are no laws, either of God or man, for the buying and stealing of Africans, I am inclined to think it cannot be supposed, but they justly deserve death. And in the second sense, the man who buys the Africans or Negroes is full as culpable as the stealer, and liable to the same
