Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman (SRSC 12)

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Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman

though he was sensible of many imperfections in the course of his life, yet his experience of the power of truth,* and of the love and goodness of God from time to time, even till now, was such that he had no doubt that on leaving this life he should enter into one more happy. The next day his sister Elizabeth came to see him, and told him of the decease of their sister Anne, who died a few days before; he then said, “I reckon Sister Anne was free to leave this world?” Elizabeth said she was. He then said, “I also am free to leave it”; and being in great weakness of body said, “I hope I shall shortly go to rest.” He continued in a weighty frame of mind, and was sensible till near the last. About this time, a person at some distance lying sick, his brother came to me to write his will. I knew he had slaves, and, asking his brother, was told he intended to leave them as slaves to his children. As writing is a profitable employ, and as offending sober people was disagreeable to my inclination, I was straitened in my mind; but as I looked to the Lord, he inclined my heart to His testimony. I told the man that I believed the practice of continuing slavery to this people was not right, and that I had a scruple 5 in my mind against doing writings of that kind; that though many in our Society* kept them as slaves, still I was not easy* to be concerned in it, and desired to be excused from going to write the will. I spoke to him in the fear of the Lord, and he made no reply to what I said, but went away; he also had some concerns* in the Refusing to Write a Will; Publishing “Considerations” Part I (1753–1754)

5 Scruple – A conviction or a “check in one’s spirit,” often regarding a matter of conscience.