Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-06-06
From The Ohio Stale JourHet
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE
pEopNnInrA c,rrrrrc.1r
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

we dHhOdHCtd yesterday tbff QtcRlOu OH
the subject Of Slavery as affecting church
membership, &c. Notice was given on the
next day, by Mr.. Robertson, of his inlcn-
ton on behalf Of himself and Others, to ell
ter dissent, with reasons, from The dpci-
sion Of the General Assembly. The follow
ing is the report and resolutions referred to
as having been adopted.
The Committee, 10 whom was referred
the memorials on The subject of Slavery,
beg leave to submit the following reporE
The memorials may he divided inte three
classes, Wis
l. Those which present the system Of
Slavery as it exists in these United States,
as a great evil, and pray this General A.
| sembIy to adopt measures for the alnciora-
ton Of the condition OF heSlaves.
2. Those which ask the Assembly to re-
ceive memorials on the subject Of Slavery,
10 allow full discussion of it, and 70 en-
join upon the members OF our Church, re.
siding in States whose laws forbid the
Slaves being taught to read, to seek by a
lawful means the repeal of those laws.
8. Those which represent Slavery as a
moral evil, heinous sin in the sightof God,
calculated to bring upon the Church the
curse Of God, and calling for the exercise
of discipline in the case Of those who per-
sist in maintaining Or justifying the rea-
ton of master 10 slaves,
The question which is now unhappily
agitating and dividing other branches Of the
Church, and which is pressed upon the at
tention Of the Assembly by the three class.
es of memorialists Just named, is, whether
the holding OF Slaves is, under all circumA
stances, heineus sin, calling for the dis.
cipline of the Church.
The Church Of Christ is a spiritual body,
whose jurisdiction extends only to the reii-
gious faith, and moral conduct of her mem-
bers, She cannot iegislate where Christ
has hot legjslated, nor make terms Of mem
bership which he has not made, The ques-
tor, therefore, which this Assembly is call
ed upon to decide, is this: Do the Scriptures
teach that the holding Of slaves without re-
! gard to circumstances is sin, the renunci-
alton of which should be made condition
Of membership in the Church Of Christ
ltis impossible 10 answer this question
in the affirmative, without contradicting
some Of the plainest declarations of thr
Word Of God. That slavery existed in the
days Of Christ and his Apostles is an admit
ted fact. That they did not deaounce the
relation itself as slHfdl, as inconsistent with
Christianity; that shareholders were admits
ted to membership in the Churches orgaui-
zed by the Apostles; that whilst they were
required TO treat their slaves with kindness
and as RATIONAL accountable, immortal bee
ngs, and if Christians, as brethren in the
Lord, they were not commanded 10 eman-
cipale them; that slaves were required to he
"ohedient 10 their masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, with single
ness of heart as unto Christ" are facts
which meet the eye of every reader Of the
New Testament. This Assembly cannot,
therefore, denounce the holding of slaves
as necessarily a heinous aud scandaous
sin, calculated 10 bring upon the Church tn"
curse of God, without charging the Apos-
ties Of Christ with conniving at such sin,
introducing into the Church such sinners,
and thus bringing upon them the curse Of
the Almighty
In SO saying, however, the Assembly are
not to I've understood as denying that there
is evil connected with slavery. Much less
% they approve those defective and oppres-
sive laws by which in some Of the States
it is regulated. Nor would they by any
means countenance the traffic Of slaves for
the sake of ganI the separation Of hus-
bands and wives, parents and children for
the sake of "flthy lucre," or for the con-
venence Of the MASTER or Of cruel treat
ment of slaves in any respect. Every
chris ian and philanthropis certainly yshouId
seek, by all peaceable and lawful means, the
repeal of unjust and oppressive laws, and
! the amendment OF such as are defective,
so as to project the slaves from cruel treat
| ment by wicked men, and seCtlre to them
the right to receive religious instruction.
Nor is this Assembly to he understood as
countenancing the idea that masters may
regard their servants as mere property, not
as human beings, rational, accountable, i'm
mortal. The Scriptures prescribe not only
the duties of servants, but Of masters also,
warning the latter to discharge those duties,
"knowing that their masterisin heaven, mel |
lueI 10 lIltIG lVNPtCt VI PVloOH' WIN nun
The Assembly intend simply to say, that
since Christ and his inspired Apostles did
not make the holding Of slaves a bar to
communion, we, as a court OF Christ have
no authority to doso; since they did not ats
tempt to remove it from the Chruch by leg
islation, we have no authority to IegisIate
on the subject. We feel constrained fur
ther to say that however desirable it may
be 10 ameiiorate the condition Of the slaves
in the Southern and Western States, or to
remove slavery from our country, these OBJ
iects, we are fully persuaded, can never be
securea by ecclesiastical legislation. Much
less can they be attained by those indis.
crimnate denunciations against slave-hol-
ders, without regard to their character or
circumstances, which have, to so great an
extent, characterized the movements of
modern Abolitcnists, which, so far from re-
moving the evils complained of, tend only
10 perpetuate and aggravate them.
The Apostles of Christ sought to amelio-
rate the condition Of slaves, notify denoun-
-