eBook David Walker's Appeal - Journal of Pan African Studies

Suffice it for me to say, that the name of this very man (Richard Allen) though now in obscurity
and degradation, will notwithstanding, stand on the pages of history among the greatest divines
who have lived since the apostolic age, and among the Africans, Bishop Allen's will be entirely
pre-eminent. My brethren, search after the character and exploits of this godly man among his
ignorant and miserable brethren, to bring them to a knowledge of the truth as it is in our Master.
Consider upon the tyrants and false Christians against whom he had to contend in order to get
access to his brethren. See him and his ministers in the States of New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, carrying the gladsome tidings of free and full salvation to
the coloured people. Tyrants and false Christians however, would not allow him to penetrate far
into the South, for fear that he would awaken some of his ignorant brethren, whom they held in
wretchedness and misery--for fear, I say it, that he would awaken and bring them to a knowledge
of their Maker. O my Master! my Master! I cannot but think upon Christian Americans!!!--What
Kind of people can they be? Will not those who were burnt up in Sodom and Gomorrah rise up
in judgment against Christian Americans with the Bible in their hands, and condemn them? Will
not the Scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem, who had nothing but the laws of Moses and the
Prophets to go by, rise up in judgment against Christian Americans, and condemn them, I mean
those whose labours for the good, or rather destruction of Jerusalem, and the Jews. Ceased before
our Lord entered the Temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers;
who, in addition to these have a revelation from Jesus Christ the Son of the living God? In fine,
will not the Antediluvians, together with the whole heathen world of antiquity, rise up in
judgment against Christian Americans and condemn them? The Christians of Europe and
America go to Africa, bring us away, and throw us into the seas, and in other ways murder us, as
they would wild beast. The Antediluvians and heathens never dreamed of such barbarities.--Now
the Christians believe, because they have a name to live, while they are dead, that God will
overlook such things. But if he does not deceive them, it will be because he has overlooked it
sure enough. But to return to this godly man, Bishop Allen. I do hereby openly affirm it to the
world, that he has done more in a spiritual sense for his ignorant and wretched brethren than any
other man of colour has, since the world began. And as for the greater part of the whites, it has
hitherto been their greatest object and glory to keep us ignorant of our Maker, so as to make us
believe that we were made to be slaves to them and their children, to dig up gold and silver for
them. It is notorious that not a few professing Christians among the whites, who profess to love
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, have assailed this man and laid all the obstacles in his way
they possibly could, consistent with their profession--and what for? Why, their course of
proceeding and his, clashed exactly together--they trying their best to keep us ignorant, that we
might be the better and more obedient slaves--while he, on the other hand, doing his very best to
enlighten us and teach us a knowledge of the Lord. And I am sorry that I have it to say, that
many of our brethren have joined in with our oppressors, whose dearest objects are only to keep
us ignorant and miserable against this man to stay his hand.--However, they have kept us in so
much ignorance, that many of us know no better than to fight against ourselves, and by that
means strengthen the hands of our natural enemies, to rivet their infernal chains of slavery upon
us and our children.
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David Walker’s Appeal by David Walker
The Journal of Pan African Studies 2009 eBook