The Sun.
London, England, 1840-06-15 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION.

Paul- say to masters ? What wag involved in
the words, " The labourer is worthy of his hire ?"
What in the words, "Let no man go beyond and
defraud his brother in any matter, for the Lord will
be the avenger of all such ?" What, again, in that
grand Christian rule that drunkards and other bad
characters, including extortioners, should have no place
in the Church ? He contended, that if the teachers of
Christianity acted on those principles, they would be
bound to break the fetters of the slave, and he found
an illustration cif the manner in which those principles
were understood by the primitive Christians, in the
fact that, three centuries after the establishment of
Christianity, slavery was unknown throughout the
west of Europe. He had made those remarks in con-
sequence of the statement of Mr. Binney, that slavery
had existed in the early Church. He would. next pass
to the matter more immediately under the considera-
tion of the meeting, namely, the propriety of nominating
a Committee for the purpose of drawing up certain re-
solutions recommending Christian Churches to make
slave-holding a matter of Church discipline. Such a
recommendation would be no novelty to the Church on
the other side of the Atlantic. They already exercised
such a power on many subjects by no means so im-
portant in his (Mr. Thompson's) estimation as slave.
holding. Many of them exercised Church discipline
in reference to persons who distilled or vended
ardent spirits, and they excluded such parties
from their communion.—(Hear.) Many of them
would not allow gamblers a place in their Church, nor
would they allow it to those who dug up and sold the
bodies of the dead ; and yet they would receive among
them those who ran away with and sold the living men.
—(Hear, hear.) Their respect for the inanimate corpse
of the negro was greater than their respect for the ani-
mated and intelligent being who might stand before
them.—(Hear, hear.) It would, he repeated, be no
new thing to the Churches of America to receive such
a recommendation as that to which he had referred, for
they had already received similar recommendations from
assemblies far less august than that which he had then
the honour to address. Some denominations had acted
on those recommendations. The Reformed Presby-
terians, so early as the year 1801, had agreed to exclude
from their body those who were guilty of slave-holding ;
and the Free-will Baptists had more recently adopted a
resolution to the same effect. Since he (Mr. Thompson)
had left America the cause of abolition had been win-
ring its wideniag way there down to the present time,
a hen they had met together from so many various
parts ; and now the eyes of the Churches of America
were on them. Slavery in the abstract had already been
denounced by many of those Churches, but they had
mill continued in this world of abstractions to permit
the slavery of their fellow-men. Let them, then, quit
the world of abstraction, and come to the world of
every-day life. Let them cease to discuss principles
whieh were admitted in the abstract by their ad-
versaries in common with themselves. Let them
descend from the sublime regions, in which
theme adversaries were ready to accompany them. Let
them stigmatize as unchristian the act of slave-holding.
bearing with therm, like thondex-units from the clouds
:3 which they had so long dwelt, those principles which
might smite the enemies of the rights of man.—
(Cheers.) They would have to deal with a large body
of Christians in America, who were misled by thoso to
whom they lopked up for counsel and example. There
were multitudes of the common people there who were
content to he slave-holders, because Dr. A. or Mr. B.
were slave-holders too, and because those gentlemen,
after flogging their slaves well at home, went to Church
and preached equally well—(Laughter.) They had
there representatives from all the great Christian denomi-
nations, and, if they followed the eourse which was then
proposed, they would extort a respect for their opinions
nut only from the common people, but from those who
moved in higher spheres. One word more about St.
Paul. Suppose the Apostle had gone into an American
church, and found his own writings spread out on the
desk from which Christianity was preached, would he,
alter his precepts had been so long reverenced, and
after they had been raised to the highest place in the
judgment and the retention of men, have gone hack
to first principles, and contented himself with merely
laying the foundation of true morality ? No, he would
" lay righteousness to the line, and judgment to the
plum-net," and he would overturn the whole fabric of
slavery, from its summit to its lowest fhundatioo.—
(Hear, hear). The question before them was the
most important, he considered, that could Ise
brought under rhea- consideration,— ( Hear, hear,
hear). They would, by adopting the resolution,
pronounce slavery to he essentially sinful. They should
also calf on every Cnristian to abandon it, and on every
Christian denomination to exert its prerogatives over
those who ,had neglected the weightier matters of the
• law, "judgment, justice, and mercy ;" and if they did
so, his own impression was that they would direct the
attention of tbocsands on the other side of the Atlan-
tic to the subject, and that they would convert the
pulpits of America, now the most successful pedestals
from which the, demon of slavery exerted its influence,
into fitting receptacles for those who were representa-
tives of that gr eat Master, who came to preach delivei,.-
ance to captive es, and the opening of their prisons to
them that were in chains.—(Loud cheers.)
'The Rev. C. Bowe said, that the slavery of the pre-
sent uay, was unquestionably of a totally different cha-
racier from that of former times ; and the Apostles had
no doubt laid do wn principles which were calculated is
their progress to overturn slavery of every kind. In
the city of b'ristol, the members of the communion to
which he bel °raged, had framed a formal resolution to
the effect that they would not extend their fellowship
to any Arrierk• ins who might come among them, unless
they were ready to profess, not only their abhorrence
of slavery in time abstract, but also their determination
of using all thei 'r influence for its extinction in America
and throughout the rest of the world. He was certainly
most anxious tF sat the subject then under their conside-
ration, should a a) before a committee, and be would gilaa
his cordial suppo rt to the resolution.
It being then two o'clock—
Mr. TuaN'BUI r,L moved that the meeting should, ad-
journ till four, a sith an understanding that the subject.
should come uns er discussion again.
Alter a short; conversation, the question of the ad- i
journm, nt of th ea meeting was put, and negatived by a. '
large majority.
A discussion then arose as to whether the meeting:
should immedi ttely proceed to divide on the mai n
question.
The CiTAIRM :As said, that he had certainly put %lie
question of the adjournment with the impression that,
it' it were not c irried, the meeting, should immediately
divide on the o ther question.
Several Del, ;gates wished to know if there would be
a further oppn rt unity of discussing the subject wheal the
Report of the C omrnittee tees brought in.
The CIIAIRN tAN said, that he apprehended there
would he an opi )ortunity for such discussion.
Mr. G. 'l'HO3 EPSON waa also of opinion that the prin-
ciple would agai n come under their consideration.
Mr. Boooicso . said, that there could be no doubt, as
he thought, that slave•holders were not entitled to be
received into communion with their fellow-Christians.;
but it was another question to decide whether such a
declaration should come from that meeting.
The Rev. Mr.:STovuee thought that all objections
might be met by denouncing the system of modern
slavery only, according to the suggestion of the Rev.
Mr. Binney.
Captain STEWART said that it should be observed
that the primitive Christians were but subjects, while
they were legislators. The primitive Christians sub-
mitted to slavery, while the Christians of the prese
day created it. He thought that was a distinction wh.rch
should not be forgotten.

Mr. TURNBULL proposed that Mr. O'Connell, and
others, should be added to the Committee whr.ch was
to ,-;onsider the suggestions of the Rev. Mr. St Jvcli.
The proposal was negatived, as the meeting was of
opinion that any addition to the °C;ommittec could only
be attended with inconvenience.
'rae CHAIRMAN then put the bmenchnent on the rnain
question, which had but tour supporters ; and the ori-
ginal motion, on being put, wias carried with only four
dissentients.
The resolution was then agreed to, and th. meeting
adjourned till four o'clock..

-- __
S ri IPWRECKS.—TAe_
bazque Elizabeth, from
Sing,allore to this place,' aith
was totally wrecked in laage,saiclargo of sugar, silks, and cigars,
, Swan River, in the be-
ginning of October ; .And the Laoandel from the Mauritius for
, was also wrecked
this place, with a Car g 0 of sugar,
in the Stragglers at the same time.
intended for There was 4,000/. in
specie on board file Lander,
which went to the bottom with the rest of this
place, all of
hull and cargo were sold for 161., the purchasercargo. The
chance of finding the specie, and saving what t,e having the
cargo. The crews and passengers of both vesse'lac"id of
the
The Shephurd from London, and the Elizabeth,
arrivedvfre saved.
were also ashore, but gof off without damage. The
e here,
F
frtim Launceston, and the lVestbrook, from Sydney, arrived at
the Swan in October—the latter vessel proceeded to the at
Mau.
ritius.—South Australia's Register, Nov. 30.

Miss STRICKLAND'S LIVES OF THE QUEENS
or E!.:GLAYD.—The appearance of the third vhrtoolumetiomf this.
highly-popular work has been delayed for a s
order that, the accomplished authoress might include somees:ermy
important and interesting documents relating to Margaret of
Anjou,Anu, for which she has been indebted to the kind inter-
ference of M. Guizot, the French Ambassador. It will, how-
ever, certainly be published in the course of the present mo h
ht.
The volume will, we understand, comprise the followingfe-
male sovereigns :—lsabella, widow of Richard II„ whose life
has never yet been ziven to the public; Joanna of Navarre,
consort of Henry IV. ; Catherine of Valois, Queen of Henry
the Fifth ; Margaret of Anjou, consort of Henry the Sixth,
containing a variety of curious particulars that have never yet
appeared in print, as well as a tine portrait, from the original
in Angers Cathedral ; and Anne of Warwick, consort of
Richard the Third. The first three volumes of this work will
thus irrlude the complete series of Anglo-Norman and Planta-
genet Queens. At a recent drawing-room, Miss Strickland
had the honour of being presented, by the Hon. Lady Stour-
ton, to her Majesty, who had already been graciously pleased
to express her approbation of the above able work.
LONGEVITY.—Amidst the healthful mountains
in the peak of Derbyshire, at Darley Dale, near Matlock, there
are row living three women, named Mary Hodkinson, Hannah
Fentem, and Ellen Bowler, whose united ages amount to 265
years. The salubrity of the climate tends materially to pre-
serve persons, and to extend their lives to an extreme age. _
Doncaster Gazette,