Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1840-12-09

Such design, anu tAat I ala Los
should preach on that subject every Sab
hath. nor at all, unless he saw fit-that
nv object was TO know whetherthe men,
hers Of the church considered the Sabbath
. nroner time to have the claims Of the |
slave presented, He said if that was my |
object, the resolution should be drawn
up quite differently, or to that effect.
told him | was wiling 70 amend or alter
it, but would like TO- have the different
points taken, up, and such as the church
thought right, adopt, and the others re-
! 9ect Some of the members seemed to be
on fire, AMI wanted the subject dismissed,
and others wished me to poithdraa0. L
told them was willing to withdraw for
the purpose Of amendment, which was t.
naliy done, ard subsequently, the day SCI,
for presenting it for discussion arrived
! This time was at the close Of our usual
church meeting, and near the close of Ju-
fEv, When the time had arrived, and the
meeting was opened. MIR. Curtis had pre-
pared, and presented memorial Tor the
Church to adopt, to be sent to the Con-
vention, which was to assemble in Au-
gust. He spoke an hour on that, and the
general subject-against some abolition
measures, &C., before had chance of
presenting my resolution. The members
adopted his memorial, but would do moth
ing towards giving the amended resolu-
, ton fair hearing. One of the Deacons,
, e lawyer by professional took the ground
that because the Vt. A. S. Society had
voted that the slave should be remember
: Ell when at the polls, ministers were not
e under obligation to preach against slave
holding on the Sabbath.
: Ifthis position of his be true, it appears
to me, that, on the people of Brandon get,
: ting together, and passing a resolution
. declaring that all sinful practices should
+ be remembered when the voters should &C
? to the polls, and that they should &C
It against these sins by their votes, the cler
II gy would be released from preaching a
aH and the country be saved immens.
0 sums Of money now paid out for building
n meeting houses, and for supporting those
Z who oficiate as preachers of the gospel
=" For if the Sabbath is not the day to preach
e against sin, know not what day is
}, Drunkenness, slavery, whoredom, extor.
S ton. and every vice might prevail, ant
e the preachers skirts would be clear, be.
!. cause somebody said these were political
q questions. The resolution, as amended
II and presented this time, commenced as be
fore, and ended as follows -: That it is
) our duty to acquaint ourselves with their
, circumstances and wants-that the house
of God is 0n appropriate place to have
their claims presented in a suitable man
i ner, and that the Sabbath is proper time
to have them placed before u.s. Another
: amendment was, The house of God is
: not an improper place, nor the Sabbath an
improper time, &C. But one was as bad
as the other, and nothing must be done
with them. I saw 50 much sensitiveness
: manifested, thnt | concluded to press the
: subject no farther at that time. Bat tho't
at some future day, when the pastor and
members should have time to cool down
little, and reflect upon the magnitude of
the subject, [ would again ask them the
simple question, whether it was our dutv
as church to speak out plainly and en-
PhaticalIy against slavery-in favor ofdo-
ing what we could to remove the evil. and
let the world know that we thought the
Sabbath to be as proper for preaching
against the sin Of slavery, as against anv
other sin.
A few months had elapsed, when Mr..
| Curtis declared 10 me that had the first
resolution passed, he would uersr again
h@oe occupied that pulpit, while that res
olution stood, or to that effect. bowev-
ef thought ought not to be awed into 81
Ience by such declarations, but, would, af.
ter suitable lapse of time, and when the
members as we'll as the pastor should have [
suf1letent time for reflection and investiga- !
tlon' again present the subject. l accord
mgy waited until the 18th of March
(e'gh months from the second attempt to