Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1841-10-06
Vermont Baptist AntiSlayery
Convention.
Waterbury, Sept. 90, 184l.

At ten O'Clock, A. M. the Convention was
called TO order by o. S. Murray.
Appointed brother JOHN IDE, of Orwell,
Moderator, and o. S. Murray, Clerk
Prayer by brother J. W. Sawyer, OF Shafts
bury.
Voted, That the voters in this Convention
consist of such as signed the Call published
in the Telegraph, and such others as APP
prove of the Call; and that all our brethren
and friends present be invited to participate
in the discussions of the meeting.
Voted, That the Rules by which this
meeting shall be governed shall be, the
usual parliamentary rules, as understood BY
the Chairman.
! ResoIred, That Committee Of FIVE be
appointed TO draft and report resolutions !;
and o. S. Murray, J. w. Sawyer, w. G..
Johnson, A. Beecher, and w. II. French,
were appointed that Committee.
The Committee on Resolutions reported
the following, with the recommendation
that they be taken up il the order in which
they stand: .- ..
1. RESOLVED, That slavery is sinful, under all
possible circumstances.
| z. ReSoLDed, That where there are sins there
are of course sinners.
8. Re8olued, That to commit an enormous sin
is to be an enormous sinner.
| 4. ReSoiUed, Therefore, that inasmuch as slave
holding involves. so far as human discernment
can 60, the highest crimes which it is possible for
men TO commit against their Maker or their fell
lows, it follows that those who commit these
chimes are among the highest criminals before
God and the universe. -. ~.
5. ReSOIDed, That whatever is sinful in those
who are not reckoned as christians is more sinful
in those who make pretensIons to christianity and
hoIiness-inasmuch as the character Of the sin is
aggravated in proportion 10 tine light enjoyed
and these, on their own showing enjoy Iedter
light than any 0thers-and furthermore, inasmuch
as these set themselves up aud are followed as
examples. :. - 49," g..
} 6. Resolred, Therefore. that slave holding min
listers and church members sinners above all
other shareholders.
2. Resolced, That the Church can not be the
salt of the earth OF the light of the world, while
it is itself corrupted and darkened with this sin.
8. ResoEred, That, from all these considera
tons and others, there rests fearful responsible
ity on the church in relation to this SIN, and the
strongest obligation all protesting christians
individually and collectively, to use efficient and
unremitting exerions for its removal
9. ResoiUed, That such legitimate results oil
slavery as theft, robbery, adultery, and murder
2 are those fragrant violations Of the law of Goo
and the rights of man, which the Bible every
+, where condemns, and which, separate from
slavery, everywhere excludes those who ART
guilty OF themfromthe pale of the christian church
:, 10. ReSOIeed, Therefore, that consistency re
| qures those who withhold christian FELLOWSHIP;
from such as commit any one of these sins, muci
5 more to withhold it from such support system
involving them all.
! H. ResoFued, That to do this, is to institute
no new test--that the test is as old as Christ an
ity, and identical with its most legitimate work
d ings and its most commonly received practices.
s Il. ReSolUed, That it is not the province o
, the tests of christian fellowship 10 undertake t
L reach the heart, otherwise than through the con
n duet, according to the rule given by our Savior
Eye shall know them by their fruits, and tina
e to exclude from christian fellowship for man
j stealing, IS judging the heart no more than f
exclude from christian fellowship for horse-seal
l. ing.
Is. Resolred, That the advocates and abettor
of slavery at the North at least as cuiuahIe
4 the shareholders at the South
IA ResolUed That those Baptists at th,, Mort
/ who gave their influence and aid 10 Jonatha
s Davis, in his late shameful course in the fire.
States against the Cause of emancipation. are a
e least equally criminal with Davis himself
A Is Res0iDed, That it is essential to christia1
character, not only not to hold slaves Or conn,y
J. at slave-hoding, but likewise 70 advocate imme
date repentance and forsaking of the damninl
sin
o IS. ResolUed That those who refuse to adyo
cate the cause of the peTishing, unit! their caus
= becomes popular, or until those are crushed O
|. removed who have rendered themselves odiou
by its early advocacy, until some other of thei
Q selfish propensiies are gratihed, are in high re
belIion against Jehovah, and recreant to the hes
sympaihies of our common nature.
7 H. ResoiUed, That the true question is. no
4 "have any of the rulers believed !"-nor no,
many viii unite with us2-but, are we ION IN
J. Lords side.''-what do his truth and his RICH,
Il eousness, and the relations between him and u
and between US and our fellow beings require q
e usi