As the terms civil society, government, &c. appear to
bewilder some persons, and beget in them an opinion that
with their permission things may be done without sin,
which otherwise would be very wrong; it possibly may
serve to dispel those intellectual mists, were such persons
to substitute for civil society, government, &c. the expres-
sion, the will of the majority. That will, regularly ex-
pressed, is the law of our land ; and will any one for a
moment say that the morality of a matter is to be fixed by
a majority of votes ? that our obligation to obey God's law
depends on the will of the majority ?

As it has been settled in our civil constitutions, that men
may be of what religion they please, or if they prefer it,
be of no religion at all, it would follow, if moral duty de-
pends on the permission of the civil law or the will of the
majority, that we are now under no obligation to obey
God ; for that is a matter about which the law of the land
permits us to do as we please. It is left, as slavery is
left, to the will of individuals.
If a man professes religion, he is protected in its exer-
cise ; and if a man holds slaves, he is protected in so



148 LETTERS ON SLAVERY.
