▁bapt ism ▁would ▁not ▁man um it ▁a ▁slave . ▁ ▁They ▁summar ised ▁the ▁following . ▁ ▁We ▁are ▁of ▁opinion , ▁that ▁a ▁slave ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁West - Ind ies ▁to ▁Great - B rit ain ▁or ▁Ireland , ▁with ▁or ▁without ▁his ▁master , ▁d oth ▁not ▁become ▁free , ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁master ' s ▁property ▁or ▁right ▁in ▁him ▁is ▁not ▁thereby ▁determined ▁or ▁varied ; ▁and ▁that ▁bapt ism ▁d oth ▁not ▁best ow ▁freedom ▁on ▁him , ▁or ▁make ▁any ▁alter ation ▁in ▁his ▁temporal ▁condition ▁in ▁these ▁kingdom s . ▁We ▁are ▁also ▁of ▁opinion , ▁that ▁his ▁master ▁may ▁leg ally ▁comp el ▁him ▁to ▁return ▁again ▁to ▁the ▁plant ations . ▁ ▁The ▁opinion ▁c ited ▁no ▁authorities , ▁and ▁set ▁out ▁no ▁legal ▁r ationale ▁for ▁the ▁views ▁expressed ▁in ▁it , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁widely ▁published ▁and ▁re lied ▁upon . ▁ ▁The ▁opinion ▁was ▁largely ▁accepted ▁in ▁England ▁as ▁a ▁definit ive ▁statement ▁of ▁the ▁law ▁for ▁nearly ▁ 4 0 ▁years . ▁Cur iously , ▁the ▁opinion ▁made ▁no ▁reference ▁either ▁to ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁trade ▁in ▁ser fs ▁of ▁ 1 1 0 2 ▁by ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁West min ster , ▁or ▁to ▁the ▁decision ▁in ▁In ▁the ▁matter ▁of ▁Cart w right , ▁ 1 1 ▁Elizabeth ; ▁ 2 ▁R ush worth ' s ▁Coll ▁ 4 6 8 ▁( 1 5 6 9 ), ▁a ▁case ▁often ▁c ited ▁as ▁authority ▁for