remainder of wrath he will restrain."

I know that this doctrine of obeying _God_, rather than man, will be
considered as dangerous, and heretical by many, but I am not afraid
openly to avow it, because it is the doctrine of the Bible; but I
would not be understood to advocate resistance to any law however
oppressive, if, in obeying it, I was not obliged to commit _sin_. If
for instance, there was a law, which imposed imprisonment or a fine
upon me if I manumitted a slave, I would on no account resist that
law, I would set the slave free, and then go to prison or pay the
fine. If a law commands me to _sin I will break it_; if it calls me to
_suffer_, I will let it take its course unresistingly. The doctrine
of blind obedience and unqualified submission to _any human_ power,
whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and
ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians.

But you will perhaps say, such a course of conduct would inevitably
expose us to great suffering. Yes! my Christian friends, I believe it
would, but this will _not_ excuse you or any one else for the neglect
of _duty_. If Prophets and Apostles, Martyrs, and Reformers had not
been willing to suffer for the truth's sake, where would the world
have been now? If they had said, we cannot speak the truth, we cannot
do what we believe is right, because the _laws of our country or
public opinion are against us_, where would our holy religion have
been now? The Prophets were stoned, imprisoned, and killed by the
Jews. And why? Because they exposed and openly rebuked public sins;
they opposed public opinion; had they held their peace, they all might
have lived in ease and died in favor with a wicked generation. Why
were the Apostles persecuted from city to city, stoned, incarcerated,
beaten, and crucified? Because they dared to _speak the truth_; to