Examination of the Rev. Mr. Harris's scriptural researches on the licitness of the slave trade

In the late 1780s a clergyman penned a measured rebuttal to a fellow minister who claimed the Bible sanctioned the slave trade. This pamphlet aims to equip anyone called upon to answer that controversial scriptural justification. Its tone is scholarly yet polemical.

The author begins by reminding readers that biblical commands were often bound to particular societies and not universal moral laws. He cites shifting regulations on diet and the story of Lot to illustrate how context can overturn a literal reading. By contrasting the trade’s violence with the gospel’s golden rule, he exposes a stark moral inconsistency.

The pamphlet remains concise, avoiding dense theological jargon while delivering pointed critiques. Listeners gain a clear picture of how scripture was marshaled in early abolitionist debates and are invited to consider the difficulty of applying ancient texts to modern ethics. It offers a thoughtful entry point into the era’s moral discourse.