Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-02-25


it OUR Judge Eternal, who condesceDdS 10 |
wear our common nature, in the person OF
Jesus Christ, on his throne? and to call ev-
cry man his brother-such emphatically, If
he loves the Savior? and to be represented |
on the earth, by the poor and the oppressed?
And the King shall GslSa1eT and sag unto
them, Verify I sag unto yoat, ip0sn1uch as
ye haze done 1t unto ONE OF THE LEAST OF
THESE, MY BRE rHREN, YE HAVE DONE 1T UN-
TO ME.
The application Of these reasonings, or Of
this principle of non-commun1on, Is, as | !
have said, another matter. ] shall view it as
related to those who are actual slavers in |
some way, and to those who advocate and
approve their cause. Of these, inversel y
l. In reference to the speculative slavers,
or the pro-slavery advocates, In church and
state, especially among us here at the North,
l think, on the principl that light gradu-
ates guilt, our church discipline must proba
bly, begin with them. We must not be par
takers Of other mems sins. We must have
no fellowship with evil works, but rather
TeproUe them. Now, our old MAXIM IS
sound one: The PARTAKER Is AS BAD AS che
THIEF. | say it is sound for so says God
himself When thou SdaDeSt a thief then
thou co7sentedst ecith him, declares the Ho-
ly Ghost, in the fifth Psalm: where the day
Of judgment is described in its principles, &
anticipated in its decisions and where God
condemns the castaways, on the principle
that they approved the evil that others did.
Thus the apostles charged promiscuous
audience, with the crimes that other hands
than theirs perpetrated, against the life Of
Jesus Christ. Ye denied the Holy One and
the inst, and desired a murderer to be
granted unto you; and killed the Prince
Of Life, arhom God hath raised from the
dead: arhereof ace are oritnesses. On the
same principle, we have all justified his
murderers, appropriated their crime, and cru
CITED HIM ourselves. And what is their
| plea for doing this among us, in the matter
of slavery? Whatever be its form or its in
genuity, it is all, so far as have yet seen,
an excuse framed on the principle Of expedi-
ency. 1t is all a short-sighted, time-bound
ed, truth-denying plea of convenience.
should think then that it may be expedlent to
sin against God, in certain instances and
circumstances What fools the martyrs
were If their "noble army" could only
have gone to school to certain modern casu-
lists, they might have learned how to fear
never come, nor the gospel spread its genu-
inc influences in our own country, nor mis-
sions prosper, till the total system Of slavery
is abolished O, what sin is slavery!
We must do more than not approve, or
any other negative. We must wisely but
firmly, testify against it; or, calm conscience
Alright, for excepting, from our testimony a
gainst sin, one Of the greatest Of its systems.
We must let our light shine, if we have any
We must practically interpret Heb. xiii. g.
Psalm XII. 1-3 James ii. 4-9, Matt. xviii
l9, 20, Rom. i. IA. A very great divine in
New-England, just after was mobbed in
Newly ork for plying the poor-through the
influence Of the piouS editors of daily pa
per in that city-them and their satellites
wrote me letter, the sum of which was
that had nothing to do with slavery, anC
had better say nothing about it, as minister
of the gospel, or as man. replied, main
ly requesting an answer to these two ques
tons: Is the system of slavery, as it exists
concretelv-not in the abstract-in our coun
try, morally wrong, or morally right, or NOR
ally characterized at all lift is any of these
how can it be proved that minister of thu
gospel, Christian, or a man, in this country
: has no moral relation to it? He sent me
verbal message Of thanks for my answer
promised reply to it; but eighteen month
nearly have passed without its reception.
g. In reference to actual slavers in GU
country. the application Of the non-commun
E ion principle to their case, is one of solemn
I moment. 1t will have to be discussed; an
Y not lately have first considered it. But m
Y paper, see, is too near its limits. to author
r lie me in this communication properly to en-
ter Oh it. This | may employ an early op
q portunity to do in another paper Then tn
/, magnitude Of its relationships palliatin
!: circumstances OF our southern brethren in re
|, spect to 1.-THE progress of light-the natur
e Of sins Of ignorance, and the proper seaso
It and manner Of action on our part will com
n to be considered in the treatment of the ques
y ton. am very far from wishing 10 say Q
g do one rash thing, subject Of thrilling an
|, never-to-be-slighted interest.
a In what remains of this paper, I woul
| dwell on the enormity of the whole syster
|, of slavery, both as to its original sin, and a
e to our innumerable actual transgressons ths
t. flow from it. 1t is founded in man-thef
e which is high felony and piracy by the law
IS of all civilized nations. The ancestors
$ all our colored brethren, were diabolicall
Y stolen in Africa, and cruelty forced over tn
J. ocean, and sold. Because they were bough
= in our country; they and their ofsprin
IS with them, pTospectively, to the last gener'
IS ton Of time; were purchased, and conhrme
Of to their owners and their heirs forever! Nov
4 as to the equity of the title Trace the streal
n TO its source. Can man-theft make equity
Apropos-it is just year, on the Sd instan
OF since ahe Rev. Mr.. Ludlow, of Newly or
OF known and honored for his hearty faithful
OF ness in this, and every other good cause,
st myself, were taking tea in that city at tt
OF house of one Of my beloved tamllles-for
es was then a pastor-when villain or tV
W slipt into the hall and stole our oVer-coats,
w the twinkling of an eye. The next day, '
he entered description Of them at the poll
or office, in some dubious hopes OF their rest
re ration. About three days after, called alor
re. and had the pleasure to identify his, in thu
", capacious wardrobe. 1t was strangely foan