Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-03-29
For the Telegraph.
HLAvERY AND THE CHURCH.


ic connected with the slavery question,
which, as II appears to me, is deserving of
a far more serious and extensive considera-
ton than has yet been given to it. allude
to the position occupied by the church, or
by the great body Of nominal Christians,
in respect to Slavery. While multtudes of
these are nobly engaged, at the peril of their
property, their reputation, and even their
personal safety, in advocating the cause of
the oppressed II am still constrained to be-
lieVe that large number of those who, Gin
this country bear the precious name of the
Redeemer, are on the side of the oppressor
and that they are actually sustaining, or
contributing to sustain, by their influence,
whether they intend it or not, one Of the
most gigantic systems Of outrage, violence,
and wrong that ever existed
| Indeed, a very large proportion of the
churches belonging to some of the principal
religious denominations in this country, are
found in the sldre-holding states Many Of
these churches are composed partly of shares,
and partly OF shareholders, and such as,
instead Of reproring the latter, have fel-
borship with them in their evil deeds As
a general thing, the southern churches Ell
Their countendnce slayeholding in theirmem
bers, or al least, do not pursue such a course
in relation to it, as would indicate that they
look upon it as sinful. IL has their conn.,
rance and just so far as the northern
churches are dndre Of this fact, and vet
neglect to lift up their voice of 0d7tonition,
they are partakers in the guilt of their
southern brethren. Just so far as they suf-
fer sin in their brethren to pass unreproved
and unnoticed, through fear OF the conse-
quences Of faith ulness, they involve them
selres in condemnation.
My object in this communication, is,
briefly to invite the attention Of your readers
to few facts, concerning our oqcn connex-
ion, as denomination of professed chris
tians, with southern slavery. find from
the last Baptist Triennial Register, that a
large majority Of the regular Baptists in
this country, are resident in slaveholding
states. In 1885, we had 365 Associations,
Of which there were 40 in the free states,
and 1875 in the slave states, giving to the
latter majority Of IS. OF 6,319 churches
embraced in our denomination the same
year, the free states had 1921, while the
= slave states had 1898, or majority Of AT
} And Of 452, 900 commandments, belonging
, to these churches, the free states had 1876,
D GAL, while the slave states had ESQ, O59, or ;
ma ority Of COILS! Here is one fact; ant
if l have not entirely misjudged in respec
, to the character of the Southern churches
generally, it Is fact which affords matter O
serious and prayerful consideration among
the churches Of the North. There can BE-
, no question that our sister hes,-thost
whom we have been accustomed 10 numbe
with ourselves, and to embrace in the arm:
\ Of christian fellowship and fraternal sym
pathy,-with very few if any exceptions
f. are at this moment tolerating among then
O the sin Of slaveholdng.
q We have no means Of ascertaining will
Il precision, what proportion Of the member
IS embraced in our Southern churches, arr
/ 'rhite, and what proportion are coLored
n how many Of them are shareholders, ant
y how many are slaves. The instances ar
n fen, IN which distinctions of this sort ap
pear to have been noted in the associations
n returns. A statement is given of the mum
e Der Of colored members in three out Q
l. twenty-five Associations in Virginia; viz
d the Albemarle, the Middle District, and tn
- Salem Union. These contained, in 1873;
~ an aggregate of 6,932 members of whor
3,543, or something more than hulf tn
whole number, were colored. In FIVE Assc
= Citations in South Carolina, $50 far as tn
churches distinguished between white an
a colored members in their annual returns
:. there were in 1885, 1854 white, and "a
10 colored members. (Sec the Triennial r,
to gister, PIP. 156, and 1S4.) If the propG,io
b. of colored members in other Association
a. and states, is similar to the above, it wi
ID follow that not less than about one half
re- the whole number Of communicates in Ii
- slaveholding region, belong to the prescribe
is race. This may be, and probably is, tc
he high calculation but allowing it to be s
ey we cannot doubt, with these official stat
al n"nts before US, that the number of bIacl
We IN the Southern churches, is Gerry great
c Here, then, is another fact, for the consi
'e Grafton of Northern Baptists.
" And now, how many of these colore