His CAPTORS. 233 



How to be stopped. Where lies the Guilt ? 



are averse to have it otherwise. Owners, cap- 

 tains, officers, and men are alike the willing 

 participators in this gross violation of the Lord's 

 day, for the sake of the gain they think it brings 

 them ; else either of these parties, by assert- 

 ing their right to the Sabbath, and refusing to 

 own or sail in ships that violate it, could easily 

 prevent it. 



But while there is an individual participation 

 in this sin, the guilt of it rests especially upon 

 owners and captains, and it is they who are 

 chargeable with it, and who are to be arraigned 

 at the bar of public opinion, as they will be at 

 the tribunal of Almighty God. It is they whom 

 we charge with being at the bottom of a sys- 

 tematic and most gross violation of one of the 

 plainest commands of the Decalogue, and with 

 willfully involving a great many others, willing- 

 ly or not, in the same sin. 



The only pretexts of reason we have ever 

 heard urged to defend it are, This is the busi- 

 ness by which I get a livelihood for myself and 

 family. If I neglect to take whales when God 

 offers them, my family and employers will be 

 likely to suffer for it. I am necessarily absent 

 a long time from home, and I ought to use ev- 



