Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-06-18
R ELIGI0 U s..
Religious Conference on Slavery

During the late Anniversaries in Boston, there
meeting of ministers and church members" at MARI
boro Chapel for consultation on the best means of uni
ting Christians throughout the country for the removal
of slavery through the fundamentally of the Gospel
Rev. N. Cover presided,
I he first address was made by Rev. Joshua Leavitt
who observed that to bring the minds of brethren to
point, he would give an account Of the Convention
held in this city in February last. At that meeting
declaration and pledge were adopted, based upon the
following questions:
81. Why the gospel has not long since abolished
American slavery? 2. Where lies the blame that it
has not? 3. Are we authorized to expect that the
gospel will yet abolish it? A. If so, when ?-Ilow
By what agency? s. What ought we to do for this
end? g. How shall the gospel be so administered as
to secure the abolition of slavery on Christian inAuen-
ces Z"
These questions, continued Mr.. L. cover the whole
ground of Christian responsibility and Christian duty
with regard to slavery "Why has not the gospel
long since abolished slavery" Here is a question of
momentous Importance. Whose fault is it that while
for seventy years slavery and the gospel have stood
side by side, the former still exists? Have we no aul-
thory to expect that the gospel will abolish slavery
or is slavery too hard for God? If as believers we
neither doubt the power of the gospel to remove this
sin-nor the power of God-then the inquiry comes,
When will the gospel accomplish the work? How will
it be done !? Have we anything to do? Does any one
deny that the gospel and slavery have existed side by
side for seventy years? The who denies that we
have Christian ministry and the means of grace is
fool in the Bible sense of that term. The gospel has
been preached thus long, and slavery has increased
until now, through its operation we are involved IN waI
with sister republic Has the gospel COPIED with
slavery and failed? No. The struggle is not yet
commenced The gospel has not Intentionally been
administered with reference to the abolition of slavery
The purpose has not been taken ups the work has not
been entered upon; the principles of the gospel have
not been applied to the evil with the intention of
curing It's removal. We are now to apply the divine
instruction with the design and purpose of aboshng
slavery. The gospel for long time, stood side by
side with intemperance, and yet this evil increased in
magnitude until there was the prospect that every
third boy in the street would become drunkard.-
Why did not the gospel remove this evil Not be-
cause it could not cope with the sim When the Cos
pei began to be applied in the proper manner to the
removal of intemperance, the victory was soon gained
and deverance from the shackles of the monster
effected And Just so will it be with regard to slave
ry. The gospel which has thus far been preached III
this land has the tendency to establish slavery. Mer
who have gone out from u.s. carrying our principles
practices and views, and have planted slaveholding
churches in the South, have come back and received
our hearty approval We are responsible for the ex
stence of slavery IN the church. We must undo al
this. We do not meet the requirements of duty whe1
we have declared our disfellowship from shareholders
we must undo the evil we have DONE Mr.. l.. her,
remarked that communication recently appeared il
the New York Observer, establishing clearly the RICH
of slaves to the Bible! At the last meeting of TIN
American Bible Society," it was decided to give the Bi
bic to the Slaves irrespective of the prohibition of civ
: il law. The reasons adduced were the following
"Frs God requires the slave as well as all others
search the Scriptures, and it is right and proper 70
the slave to meet the command of God; secondly
you give the slave the Bible, you place in his hand
the eecual means of moral and intellectual elevation
l When the American Bible Society," and every othe
Bible society, does what it was formed to do-wha
God expects it to d. the slave will become too big 70
his CHAINS
r Mr.. L. also alluded to the recent call of th
+ Evangelical Alliance" to be held in London in whic
no shareholders have been invited meeting ha
been recently held in New York. calling on the Lor
T don Convention to declare "that God has given tn
Bible to all the world and therefore it should be eli