Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-05-28
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MISCELLANEOUS.
THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVEN.


congregations connected with the respective
churches; ard to all candid men.
Apainful division has taken place in The
NJ ssionary operations of the American
Bap,ists.s We would explain The origin,
the principles and the objects Of that d.
vision, or The peculiar circumstances IN
4 which. the Organization of the Southern
Baptist Convenliod became necessary. !;
Letnot the extent of this d'sunion be
exaggerated. AT the. present time II In
wolves only the Foreign and Domestic
Missions of the denominations. Northern
and Southern .Baptists are still brethren.
They differ in no article Of the faith. They
are guided by The same principles OF gos-
pei order. FanatIcal attempts have indeed
heen made, in some. quarters, TO exclude
! US oflhe South from christian fellowship.
!! We do moi relorr these attempts and be
lieve their extentt to be comparatively linz
ited., Our christian fellowship is mol, as
| we feel, matter to he obtruded on any
one. We abide by that of our God, his
dear Son, and all his baplised followers.
| The few ultra Northern brethren oswhom
we allude, must take wha, course they
please. Their conducl has nol influenced
US in this movement. We do not regard
the. rupture as extending TO foundation
principles, uor eau we think thai the great
body-of our Northern. brethren will so re-
gard it,. Dlsunion has proceeded, how
ever, .deplorably far. The first part of
our tluty isio show that its origin is with
others. This is its hisIory.,,,... -
Il. The General Convention Of the Bap
:tist denomination of the United States acas
composed of brethren from every part of
the American Republic. Its constitution
knows no difference between Shareholders
and Shareholders. Nor during the pc.
riod of its existence for the last thirty years
has it, in practice, known any Thing of this
distinction. Both parties have contributed
steadil, and largely (if never adequately
to those funds which are the basis of its
constituency both have yielded its office
hearers of all grades; its missionaries and
transla,ors OF Gods word. its men of Tolls
many, and of prayers nol unavailing.
abroad aud at home. The honorei 4dead;
of both h.t.iese classes have walkad 10 clo-a
sest sy mpalhy with each other aniicipa
ting in the Board room and in the month
Iy Concert, that higher, but not holier un-
ion now in their case consummaled.-
Throughout The entire management OF lis
early affairs, the whole struggle with lis
early difficulties, there was no breath Of
discOrd between them. lis Richard Fur
man and its William Stsughrnn, lis Jesse
Mercer. and. its Thomas Baldwin led on
The sacrimpnlal host shoulder 10 shoulder.
and hear to heart. Their rivalry being
only in earnest efforts fnr a common cause,
| their entire avprsi"ns ami eumiIies were
directed with all the strength of their
souls. ageins the common foe. And 10
The last, did they not cherish the long he
lief that they left M other enmities or
aversinns no other rivalry. to their sue
cessor,?
In particular. q special rule Of the con
s,ltution defines '0hn may be missionaries
viz: "Such persons only as are 10 full com
munion with some church in our dennml,
lion, and who furnish satisfactory evidence
of genuine piety. good talents, and frrve.t
zeal for the Redeemer's cause" Now,
while under This rate the stakeholder has
been, in his turn, employed as a mission.
airy, tits not alleged that any other per-
sous than those above described, have been
appointed Moreover The important post
of a superintendent of the education ot
native missionaries has been assigned,
with universal appreciation, 10 the pastor OF
one Of our largest slaveEoldng churches.
But an evil hour arrived Even our
humble efforts in the couqurst of The world
Ia God excicd the accuser of our breth
rem to cast discord among US; aud in The
last two TrienniaI Conventions, slavery
aud anil slavery men began to draw oil
on different sides. How did The nobler
spirits OH each side endeayor 10 meet this!
They proposed and carried almost unani'
mously, The following explicit resolution
"Resotued, That in CO operating to
gether, as members of this Convention IN
tho work of foreign missions, we dsclainl
all sanction, either expressed or implied
whether Of slavery or anti. slavery but as
individuals, we are free 10 express aud to
promote, elsew here, our views on these
subjects, in christian manner and spirit"
Our successors will find il difficult 10
I believe that so important aud plain dec.
laration had become, before the close oI
the first year of the lriennial period, per.
feet nulIly. In December last The acting
Board of the Convention. al Boston, adop
led new qualification for missionaries, a
new special rule, viz-that "lf any one
who shall offer himself for missionary
having slaves, should insist on retaining
them as his property, they could not ap'
point him" Zone thing is certain" ".hey
continue, I'VE could never be party 10
any arrangement which implies approba-
tion Of slavery"
We pray our Brethren and all candid
men 10 mark the date Of This novel rule
the close of The first six months Of their
| three years power, date al which the
Com promise resolution could scarcely
have reached our remoter Mission sta.
lions. lf usurpalon had been intended
could it have been more ftly timed? An