Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-08-14
CORRESPONDENCE.
For the Freeman.

'Ie"''''''
MEssRs. EDIroRs-Brother Grdley has hand
ed you some antisayery resolutions passed by
the Congregational Conventions in past years.
See the Freeman of July 18th. His object is to
palliate the profound silence of that body on the
subje Of slavery, at Danve. Will the reso-
lutions have this effect? l think not Neither
the resolutions nor the apologies in the Chroni-
Gle will help the case in the least. They rather
go to prove retrograde feeling in the body, and
also a determination to give no offence to the
proslayery Presbyterian church of the SOUTH
What noble opportunity lost to rebuke sin
gle church before all the world and to make an
effort to recover that church from its gross err
rors on our great national sin! Perhaps It's as
well as it is; for to pass and to keep passing an
tislayery resolutions, which has been the practice
for years past, by the two political bodies, and
all denominations of protesting christians, both
in this and other States, and then going up to
the ballot box, almost en- mass, and voting in IA.
vor of slavery is unfolding system of frauc
and falsehood, of base hypocrisy and cruel tan
talizing injustice to the poor slave On such ;
course a holy, a just God; God of truth, can
not smile. No, he must lrown;-and is not oul
congregational body at this moment suferin!
under that irown? think then, that while THU
denomination intend to keep its present position
and connection with slavery, profound silence
on the subject is far more consistent than pass
ing resolutions against slavery and then actin!
for slavery---than curslng and reprobating it il
resolutions, and then sanct(ying and supportin!
it at the ballot box. A man of my acquaintance
last summer, very consistently desisted from
praying for the poor slave for three long months
He felt it to be so inconsistent to vote for Mr.
Clay, STAKEHOLDER, and then pray for the liber
alton ofthe slave that he had to drop one or tn,
other; so he dropped the case of the ha pies
bondman
When | speak Of the proslavery position o
our Congregational body in this State refer tc
those well-known and deeply to be deplored facts
they form part, and no inconsiberable part, il
point both of numbers and influence, of one O
the two political bodies, the wings; and they
have endorsed all their party sins, from the hare
cider campaign down to the Garland forgery, anc
all their fearful proslavery acts and deeds during
their four years administrations also they are in
strict fellowship with all the slaveholding Pres.
byterian churches of the south and, as a body
say as body, are resolved to keep this position
Is this position scriptural! Is it consistent with
the rules of personal holiness and church disci
pline, with the principles of Justice mercy and
| / Al. NJ n I
seriously and affectionately ask my Congrega
tional christian brethren these questions, -Ough
christian churches to maintain and stand in such
an unhallowed position as this! No; the New
Testament teaches the christian church to OBJ
serve such rules of moral conduct and disc
pline as these "and have no fellowship with the
unfrutfui works of darkness, but rather reprove
them," Eph S: l |; and slavery is darkness itself;
hell in its deeds is not darker "See that none
render evil for evil unto any man, but ever fol-
low that which is good, both among yourselves
and to all men," Thes S: Is. Is there any
thing good in slavery "But now have writ
ten unto you not to keep company, if any man
that is called a brother, be fornicator, or
covetous or an idolater, a railer or a drunkard,
or an extortioner with such one we are not to
eat" Cor. 5: IL. This passage forbids all
christian fellowship with men who rample on
the laws of Godl And do not shareholders do
this1 "Abstain from all appearance of evil" 1
Thess. 5: %. And is there anything but evil
in slavery? Not to follow the important subject
any farther, kind reader, just turn to Eph. A: s.,
n uy.. n q. E,I
5: ~, and host moro of such passages, and
mark the kind of company we who profess to be
christians are to keep and countenance, and the
kind of morality we must practice to be at all
consistent with our profession. SectarianS are
very jealous of their churches and very fearful
lest their charter should sink; let all men know
that churches must be New Tsstansnt-liks, they