Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-07-17
TIL E FIRE L NJ AN.
For The Freeman.
The Church and Slavery, Nos,
BY REV. KAN BAILEY.


10 the Ministers and Churches Of New England
DEAR BRETHREN:-
Satan is said to be the accuser of the brethren,
and he must be well pleased when he can fasten
the charge upon the whole church, and by his ar
tifice induce even her champions to admit that the
charge is just. How any being but the devil, or
some one inspired by him, could ever have accus-
ed the apostles of having conniyed at, and even
tolerated, in the church, the system of Roman
slavery, is marvellous. But it is more astonishing
that Christian ministers and expostors should adj |
init the charge to be true; and fear that the great
er t4Tt Of the ministers and churches in our land
are, even now, ready to admit the charge, and to
plead this fact as an excuse for southern slavery.
How is this? Could blacker charge be brought
against the apostles and early christians? They
knew what Roman slavery was. Did they, in
their hearts, love this system of impurty, injustice
and blood, aud invite it into the church, Were
they afraid to attack this giant SIM Did their
courage fail and the sword of the spirit tremble
in their hands when they saw this stronghold of
Satan rising before them? Did the apostles, as a
matter of expediency, open the doors of Christ's
house, and invite to his table the system of Roman
slavery, or its advocates? Never was a blacker
charge made against the apostles of our Lord
And those who can admit such a charge, need net
finch from admitting any charge made by modern
nfdels or heather philosophers II one charge is
true, there is no reason to doubt the other. And the
primitive churches were in fact synagogues of
Salan, not temples of the Holy Ghost. All this
, monstrosty is swept away by DR.. Fuller. He de-
MES the hoid assumption, Vindicates the apostles,
, and boldly declares "That the apostles, with the
f weapons of truth, did at once extirpate from a
mong christians the Roman system of slavery .
Noble declaration! can breathe easier now
The pollution of savery-ROman slavery--is nc
l longer harbored among christians. Will not nor
t hern ministers and churches, for once, receive in
struction from southern Shareholder, and give
him the credit OF opening their eyes to see tina
the apostles were not the servants of sin? Anc
when northern christians admit this plain fact, ant
cease to heap upon the apostolic churches ant
even the apostles themselves, charges Of an infa
nous nature there will be no need of their show
ing how Christ and Satan could be so agreed a
TO dwell in ono family, and sit down at on
- table. The fact being admitted that Roman slave
ny was, by the apostles, extrpated from among a
. real Christians, it must follow, that any system
= slavery which is essentially like the Roman sya
TEN should be extirpated from all christian church
=. es. There should be no connection, sympathy, q
II intercourse between them. The gospel Shout
y now condemn and extirpale every system of slave
ny that is related to Roman slavery, as the gospt
- did in days of old. If the apostles drove Roma
- slavery out ofthe church, those who now preac
y the same gospel, and follow their example, mu
and will exterminate from the church of Chri
~ any and every system of slavery that agrees e
sentiallv with the Roman system. The same go
pei that extirpated the one, must extrpate II
y other This fact no reasonable man can disput
= We ure then plainly brought to this point: Is So
r thern slavery as bad, or worse, than Roman slav
- ry? Ifso duty is as plain as the light of the su
~ every christian church, and every gospel minist
81 should treat it, the primitive churches and
ST. postles treated Roman slavery. They should e
tirpate it at once from all who receive the gosp
nv 1t should have no room in the hearts, the house
'"' or the churches of christians. Here we stand
~ strong ground aud shall not easily be driven fire.
Id it. Mr.. Wesley says, " Southern slavery is t
'o- vilest that ever saw the sum- And every reasu
OH able man will allow that it is essentially the sal
ny as the Roman system. 1t should then, be treat
ell by real christians rs Roman slavery was treat
DOT by the apostles and primitive christians. 1t shot
as be put out of the church WHY NoT' If t
churches are built upon the same foundation
De- the apostolic churches, why not treat southe
ms slavery as the apostolic churches treated Rom
She slovervp These are onestions of SOLEMN imno
ain and should be weighed With great seriousness.
&c, As the question has been started whether N
er- sonares to the heather should receive or exclu
ose slavery from the churches established in heath
ana lands, the answer obviously is, Follow the exa
ave pie of the posos;-preach they preach
IAN, treat dolatry and slavery as they did. Exclt
ce all such systems of inquiry, cruelty, selfshne
and immortality from the church, and insist that
who believe must be holy, and show forth the
cellency of the gospel by their holy lives. CHI
tan missionaries will encounter idoatry,
on slavery, and RIGHTEOUSNESS in some form in ev
can heather nation, and must treat them as the APP
ar ties did-muke war upon them, and eXirp
cen c..- n ..... a.
YER They must not war after the flesh, nor be COVE
F.. ed by worldly wisdom, but use those weap
.ne which, through God, are mighty to the pull
me- down of strong holds, casting down imaginatic
nds and every high thing that exalteth itself aga
the the knowledge of God, and bringing into capti'
every thought to the obedience of Christ. Fol
pom this rule, and every thing like Roman slavery
rln- be extrpaed from all who receive the bles
EP- gospel, and can never enter missionary churcl
tive system of injustice, oppression, cruelty, lie
kind tiousness and blood will have no place, co
the tenance i'll the churches of God gathered from
. NJ mong the heather, and could no more live am
rive them than Satan could in heaven. The churc
heh would be standing witnesses against such sys
re- Of wickedness. Others would see their g
on > works, Public sentiment would, by degrees
,e- moulded by the example of christians, and