Chapter 3: Doubtful Actions are Sinful are resolved to indulge in the use of wine and strong beer, and they will not listen to anything calculated to convince them of the wrong. It shows that they are determined to indulge in sin, and they hope to hide behind their doubts. What better evidence could they give that they are hypocrites?
Who, in all these United States, can say, that he has no doubt of the lawfulness of slavery?
Yet the great body of the people will not hear anything on the subject, and they go into a passion if you name it, and it is even seriously proposed, both at the north and at the south, to pass laws forbidding inquiry and discussion on the subject. Now suppose these laws should be passed, for the purpose of enabling the nation to shelter itself behind its doubts whether slavery is a sin, that ought to be abolished immediately will that help the matter?
Not at all. If they continue to hold their fellow men as property, in slavery, while they doubt its lawfulness, they are condemned before God, and we may be sure their sin will send them out, and God will let them know how He regards it.
It is amazing to see the foolishness of people on this subject; as if by refusing to get clear of their doubts, they could get clear of their sin. Think of the people of the south: Christians, and even ministers, refusing to read a paper on the subject of slavery, and perhaps sending it back with abusive or threatening words. Threatening! for what? For reasoning with them about their duty? It can be demonstrated absolutely, that slavery is unlawful, and ought to be repented of, and given up, like any other sin. But suppose they only doubt the lawfulness of slavery, and do not mean to be enlightened, they are condemned of God. Let them know that they cannot put this thing down, they cannot clear themselves of it. So long as they doubt its lawfulness, they cannot hold men in slavery without sin; and that they do doubt its lawfulness is demonstrated by this opposition to discussion.
We may suppose a case, and perhaps there may be some such in the southern country, where a man doubts the lawfulness of holding slaves, and equally doubts the lawfulness of emancipating them in their present state of ignorance and dependence. In that case he comes under Pres. Edward's rule, and it is his duty not to fly in a passion with those who would call his attention to it, not to send back newspapers and refuse to read, but to inquire on all hands for light, and examine the question honestly in the light of the word of God, till his doubts are cleared up. The least he can do is to set himself with all his power to educate them and train them to take care of themselves as fast and as thoroughly as possible, and to put them in a state where they can be set at liberty.
4. It is manifest there is but very little conscience in the church.
See what multitudes are persisting to do what they strongly doubt the lawfulness of.
5. There is still less love to God than there is conscience.
It cannot be pretended that love to God is the cause of all this following of fashions, this practicing indulgences, and other things of which people doubt the lawfulness. They do not persist in these things because they love God so well. No, no, but they persist in it because