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The Quakers Assisting to Preserve the Lives of the Indians - 12

vince, I say, shall this be called War, no it is not War; it is an insulting Act of Rioters and no other,---then where is the War on the other Side of the Question, can any Nation or People defend themselves in that of actual defensive war, when there is no Opponent, what a fallacious way of Argument is this, besides, can it be thought morally possible than any religious Society of People, could suppress such an act of Cruelty in Speculation or they could never think it would be perpetrated, is that a sufficient Reason for a Society to establish a Rule, whereby every member, thus acting must be disown’d,---we’ll suppose the Case is as follows---why not a Member of that Society must ever use any Endeavours, even to save the Life of a tender Mother or a sucking Infant, least he should be thrown over the Hedge. One of the Prophets speaking in the Name of the Lord, concerning Israels offering their Children to Molac. sayeth, “I never thought of such a thing, neither hath it entered into my Heart.” There is no religious Society in the know World that can make such a Rule to forbid themselves assisting in saving the Lives of their fellow Creatures; let the Number of the Destroyers be small or great: But there is no such Rule. Then I ask, how it’s possible to deviate from or transgress a Rule, which has no Being under Heaven. The Apostle Paul sayeth, “where there is no law, there is no Transgression.’

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