Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-11-27
COMMUNICATIONS.
wesleyan Consistency

'NoiNJUh OOhDlDNNiOls
Almost every day we find something to
call forth the oft repeated sentence, "Consis-
,ency thou art a jewel" Happy the man
the church-the connection, who posses it.
l sometimes feel afraid TO prefer the charge
Of inconsistency against my brethren, lest I
who am but as other men, should be found
really guilty myself.
Educated as we have been, surrounded by
influences as we are, it is a long time often,
before we see, and see our true position.-
Then some do not seem to possess the facul-
ty for seeing much at a time, or understand
ing the bearing Of one act upon another
But how any Of my Wesleyan brethren should
so far betray themselves, and the anii-slav-
cry cause, as the brethren al Columbiana Camp
meeting did | cannot tell.
To invite pro-slavery priests to preach at
an anti-slavery camp meeting is an anomily.
I am glad the,frst TO whom they applied re-
fused. He could see why it would be in
consistent for a pro-slavery, Free Mason, 10
preach for an anti-slavery, Anti-Masonic
church, if the others could not. l suppose
brethren did not know what to do. They
did not think they could hold a camp meet
ing without preachers, or that they could
strike their tents and go nome again!
But | think l can tell the reason why my
brethren pursued this course. Very early in
our history the question came up, "Having
left a pro-slavery church because of her sins
can we fellowship members of said church,"
This question has been answered as follows:
eff we go to their communion, we fellowship
them as a church; if they come to ours, we
fellowship them as individuals; and vice
verse"
Upon this principle many Of US acted from
the beginning, although we were never salts
fed with it. Now and for some time past,
| believe the ground untenablc, for the, to
my mind, all powGul reason, that a pro-slav-
cry church is an unchristian church, and that
churches are made up of individuals, and the
parts cannot be better than the whole. 1t
may seem uncharitable, yet | cannot look up
on any Of the sects who cherish Slavery, no
matter what their professions, as having any
claim to christian character. l can regard the
members of those bodies as other men, ! can
cooperate with them in any or all the radical
measures Of the day, if they are disposed 10
cooperate with me. But l cannot recognize
.bo,, nc tho anrocaptatiroe of tho ro1;o;o, of
Jesus. | will not consent to uniting Christ
and Beelzebub till the devil be cast out. The
great difficulty with the professed anti-slav-
cry religious community is, they try in all
their movements and operations to keep the
good word Of their enemies. They are will
ing to 'come outs and form another sect, but
they are not willing to entirely discOnnect
themselves, they wish to keep as near to the
sold church. as possible, instead of getting
as far away as they can, instead of going
further from her every day, they begin to
sneak back as though they wanted warmth
from her embrace. They want to act so as
&C., instead of striving to act so as to merit
the name Hetrodox, Infdel, &c. have no
sympathy with evangelical baby stealing or
with Orthodox soul crushing. | believe the
churches are "the Bulwarks of Slavery
(sin,) and am Of course an ''anti- church
man. / believe the government is the pro-
duct of said churches, and as the stream car
not rise higher than the fountain, ! am "no
government man.
You ask if "those are the kind of Wesl, v
ans We have in Cleveland!" | answer, we
have some Of that kind and some Of the 9TH
or, I think.
I w WALKER