Francis Jackson Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison, 1805-1879; the story of his life told by his children: volume 2

‘ [112] to enforce its observance, as a peculiarly “holy day,” by pains and penalties, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is positive tyranny, which ought to be resisted by all the Lord's freemen, all who are rejoicing in the glorious liberty of the sons of God.’ In support of this position he cited the authorities just enumerated (in the letter to Henry Benson), whom he confessed he had consulted for the first time after his review of Dr. Beecher, being ignorant till then of the views of any commentator.

He had, as he expected, brought down upon himself ‘the mint-and-cummin editors of the Vermont Chronicle, New Hampshire Observer,’ and their kind. The Observer, in order to injure the anti-slavery cause through him, had alleged that he did not belong to the Church of Christ. This was true: ‘On account of many religious scruples, we have not felt at liberty in conscience to become the partisan of a religious sect, nor to bind ourselves by a human creed, nor to unite in the observance of certain forms and ceremonies.’ The Observer had furthermore charged that he kept his eye fixed intently on one object. ‘Not exactly,’ replied Mr. Garrison; ‘he is watching all the great moral and benevolent movements of the age, as any one “with half an eye” may see, on examining the file of the Liberator from its commencement.’ However, he meant not to be deviated from the abolition cause, and, so far as the Liberator was concerned, then and there took leave of the Sabbath controversy; but, considering the effort making to sanctify the first day of the week as a holy day, he should probably without much delay present his thoughts elaborately in a pamphlet.¹

His clerical foes, however, would not relax their pursuit of him. Not only his Quaker views of the Sabbath, but his Quaker non-resistance and so-called non-government doctrines, as set forth in his article on Peace, were open² to attack. The Vermont Chronicle warned the Liberator's³