Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-07-02
COBgregaliOnaIiSt Convention.

U0ngftgdilOIdllSC UOnFtHIlUh
Below are the anti-slavery resolutions adopted at
the late convention of Congregatlonast Ministers and
Churches in Vermont holden at Middlebury as we
find them in the Boston Recorder. They are evidently
in advance of the former declarations of that body and
in many respects are faithful testimony against the
sin of slaveholdng But why is it that after branding
slavery "nherently and utterly sinful before God
incurabe, and before heaven and earth abomnaDle,
that the door of Christian fellowship is left wide open
to the stakeholder? Why suspend the rod OF church
censure over the heads of those who belong to our
churches and engage in oppression, while the saveho
ding minister of the South is welcomed to our pupts
the saveholding delegate to our conventions and the
saveholding christian to our communion tables? Why
is not this sin ofsaveholdng placed in the same cate
gous with the sins of intemperance sabbath breaking,
profanity &c; and if in any cese circumstances are
such as to exculpae the offender let this be the er
cption and not the rule? What popriey or christian
consistency is there in thus bitterly denouncing slave
holding while the stakeholder goes unrebuked-lnstead
of putting him upon that couse of bible discipline
which would attest to the sincerity Of professions,
and give promise of his repentance and reformation
The fourth resolution, which recommends ministers
IL preach upon the nature and remedy of slavery is
long stride in advance, and, if followed but result
in great good to the cause of humanity.
"Whereas omission on the part of this convention
to bear such testimony against slavehodng, as we
have on similar occasions repeatedly borne, is liable to
be msconstrued both by the opponents and friends OF
that institution and thus to be made an occasion of in
jury both to ourselves and others therefore esoved
LIST. That this convention still believes and maintains
fthat the great system of American slavery is, in its
fundamental principles contrary to the spirit and gos-
pei OF Christ, and utterly sinful before God; that the
laws which support it unrlghteous, and cruelty OPP
pressive that the tendency of the system is and must
be- to degrade demoraze and destroy the souls of the
enslaved, and to bring divine condemnation and wrath
upon those who thus ensaye and wrong them; to dis
turb continually the peace which should subsst be-
tween the different states of our Union, and thus to
greye from the Spirit of God, and to hinder deplor
ably the prosperity of his kingdom both in this and
other lands that these evils are not incidental but
inherent in the SYSTEM making utterly incurable and
before heaven and earth abominable and that fol
these reasons all men, especially all christian men
ought to lift up united voice of strong remonsranct
against system raught with SO much guilt and mis-
cry, and to do whatever they rghtuly and udciousl
can, to bring it to final and speedy termination.
Resolved, I'd. That in any of the members o
our churches involve themselves, while holding con
necton with us, in the guilt of unfolding the slave
system, by trading in the bodies and souls of their fe
owmen, or extortng their involuntary and unrequitet
services they ought to be considered and dealt with az
guilty of conduct hagrantIy unchrlstan
ReSolued Sd. That deeply sympathise with al
individuals churches and larger ecclesiastical bodies
especially in the savehoding portion Of our land, who
are faithfully and judciously endeavoring to deliver
themselves from the sin and curse Of slavehodng ant
to raise the down trodden to the enjoyment of civil anC
religious freedom; that we wish them God speed il
their great and good undertaking. and hold ourselves
in readiness to give them any such christian counte
nance and encouragement as God in his providence
shall enable us to afford
! ReSolucd 4th, That in the view of this convention thu
ministers of the gospel may render an important ser
vice to the cause Of philanthropy and religion by oc
FGasionlly preaching on the subject of slavery ant
showing their people what it is, both in the nature ant
tendency and what should be done for its peaceful re
moval from our land and world
" Resolved .fnaLly, That the voice of remonstrance
(which we now, in the fear of God ard we hope in thu
f spirit of the gospel, lift up against savehodng will
all its manifold evils is addressed not only to owl
churches, but to all those ecclesiastical bodies witt
hold christian correspondence with especially suc
, Of them as tolerate slaveholding among themselves
and that beseech them to do what in them lies TO
the speedy ana entire removal of this evil among then
that the down-trodden may rejoice with us and ther
in the enjoyment of civil and religious freedom, an
the power Of religion be revived and made glorious
the earth" +