Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-12-18
RellgiOnS Demag0gneiSm.

oil the political parties following their trade,
as some of them drive a thriving business in
the name of religion, instead of patriotism,
falsely calling themselves christians. And
as political ~denagogues profess a great love
for the dear people, so do these church DEM
agogues profess a great love for souls. Per-
haps there are but few better exemplihcations
of religious dcm%agogueism, than has been
exhibited in the formation of The 2ud Babtist
Church in Salom.
If we have been Tightfully informed a num-
Der of the members of the LIST Baptist Church
in Salem, it being then the only Baptist
Church in the place, becoming dissatisfied
with the rest of the congregation, determined
to secede from it and form a new church,
This they carried into effect. But as their
number was small, they felt that it was ne
cessary to adopt some expedient in order to
increase their number. As Professor Coch-
ran once said, when the time had arrived for
their periodical revival meetings, alt is time
to raise a smoke,'' so they wanted 6 y to raise
a smoke" The necessary eXpedient natu-
rally suggested itself, in the extensive exist
ing anti-slavery sentiment in Salem. Hence
they commenced their operations by appealing
to that sentiment, and by making the aboli-
tionists believe that the secession from the
old church was on account of slavery and
that their consciences were too tender to re-
main in fellowship with the pro-slavery
members of the LIST Baptist Church. They
induced quite a number of these to Join them.
And not until a considerable length of time
elapsed after they had joined, and disputes
began to arise among the members did some
of them discover that other causes than the
ostensible one, effected the secession. But
when the test of principle vas applied, and
the h%ollowness of their professions were ex-
posed, the abolitionists who loved principle,
the right and the true, better than sect left
the church; but those who had formed strong
attachments for the sect, attachments para
mount to their love of truth, and their regard
for principle, remained. And when the time
came, as come it did, when the church could
no longer make capital by It's professions o.
: aboIitionism, it tore away the veil which had
Q concealed its Madonna features, an. exhibit
ed them to the gaze of The public, and some
l we are told have since declared, that slavery
= was not the occasion of the separation from
I, the old church.
We once heard him who now ohiciatcs as
Priest in the end Baptist Church, in a long
discussion with S. II. Gay, maintain with
all his ability and ingenuity, that this church
was an Anti Slavery church fully and I'M
reseryedly {; and that it had no ecclesiastical
connections whatever with any other church.
< or at least, with any church that was in the
least pro.slavery. But when this church
S wanted to ordain, as a Priest, this same indi.
vidual, who was one of its converts, the mask
having been thrown aside, the Old Baptis.
D Church was invited to assist in the ceremo
5 ny; and WI are told that on that occasion
Abner G. Kirk, the candidate for ordination,
4 who before joining the church would plead
feelingly for the slave, but who now calls on
L abolitionism a VIOLIN sleeps clothing, whei
! questioned as to whether he believed in pub
t lie disputations, he with the office of th
n Priesthood before him, as a temptation
S replied that he did not. Had he and other:
5 in that church, a few short years back bee
told that they would have been where the
are, fellowshipping pro-slavery churches, tn
reply would have been, no doubt, in The spi
it of him Of old, who said, SIS thy servant
$ dog that he should do this thing?"
Ma cunnnea tb.t - al, .;... - a.
who joined. the church because gifts Anti-sIj
very, will not deny that j. is on the most Int
mate terms of fellowship with the Old Bal
list Church and is even shaking hands wit
y the NJ. Z. Church in Salem, or if not e,
changing pulpits exactly, the door Gifts hou'
" is thrown open to the NJ. L. Priest, to Ell
ter and preach TO them!
oor Thus, by a stroke Of d~emagogueism, hay
le abolitionists been drawn into a religious fc
lowship with slaveholding churches, an
brought under their influence, churches whic
j. they once looked upon as the hold of ever
%unclean thing.
l. How different must the state of thing
to have been now, if the Second Baptist Churc
30 of Salem had been in deed, and in practic,
honestly anti-slavery, and at the same tim
had been a faithful testimony against all oil
W err iniquiiies, refusing to compromise prime
pie to conciliate the good will of pro-slaver
re churches. In all probability ere this it woul
have rescued the honest memb ers Of the prC
slavery churches in the place-those men an
women who know not what they do-frol
their false positions. S.
u or The Pennsylvania Freeman is to