Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-04-03

'N'"ihS dHoilSh hINS hdRTdDL YlOIdUOn
Of every principle Of mercy, justice and hu.
manity. Yet we blush to tnnounce to vo,
and TO the world, that this warning has been
often disregarded, even by those who hold to
our communion. Gases bare occurred IN otr
o1cn denomination, tchere professors Of The Re.
hgion Of Mercy hare Torn The mother from he,
chtidren and sent her info a merciles, and "a.
furnIess erie. Yet acts of discipline have
rarely followed such conduct" Here. Mr..
Moderator, are two important facts brought
to light. First, that slaveholding is in the
Judgment of this Synod Z" flgrant violation
of every principle Of mercy, justice and bu.
Inanlty and second, that this " fragrant"
abomination is tolerated IN the Pre.byferion
church. Mark their language" Gases have
occurred In our own denomination'-and vet
acts Of discipline rarely jOHotc"-"r areE."
probably never-it is believed, that not one
case can be found on record, where disci.
pine has been applied for these sins.
And now, sir, what has the Presbyterian
church done, to redeem itself from the euils
oil uPholding and tolerating slavery within its
bounds! What has the General Assembly
done, to carry out the doctrines it declared in
1874 and in 1918. Nothing, ab,olutely moth.
ing. For the last ten years, the Assembly
has been entreated, year after year, to declare
against this great crime, but instead of ut.
terlng Its protest against the guilt of the
STAKEHOLDER, it has actually framed apologies
and excuses for his sin
And now, sir, of this whole history. vb,,
IS the sunni Plainly this, that the General
Assembly, both Old School and New School.
have refused, clearly and positively, to dc.
clare that slaveholding is a sin. Openly and
knowingly have they tolerated the most 'rfa,
grant violation of every principle of mercy,
Justice and humanity" Ope nly and know.
ingly have they trampled their own rules and
and laws in the dust! To please the guilty
STAKEHOLDER, and to keep him snugIy seated
within the pale of the church, they have toll.
Grated, designedly and wilfully, for about 80
years, under their ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
unrebuked, an enormous crime, which In
1918, they declared to be "a gross violation
oil the most precious and sacred rights of hui
man nature; as utterly inconsistent with the
law Of God and as totally irreconciIeable
with the spirit and precepts Of the gospel Of
Christ" Here then, sir, is guilt, great
guilt; this cannot be denied. Here is a most
hagrant and notorious sin-a bloody Moloch.
consuming his tortured victims, within the
bounds of the General Assembly, and some
of its members and Doctors of Divinity min.
istering at his bloody altar! And vet, the
General Assembly will not rebuke this wick.
edness, though continually urged to do so
for the last ten years! In vain is the excuse
plead, that the General Assembly has no
power to act in the case. If it has power to
rebuke other sins, as it has done, then it car
rebuke this sin. If it can declare that Sab.
bath breaking is a sin, and that dancing is a
sin, it can also declare that slaveholdine il a
sin. And if it will not SO declare, then the
guilt of the unrebuked iniquity rests upon IL.
The potoer Of administering such a rebuke 10
clearly conveyed in the constitution of the
church. In the 18th chap, 9Th sec., it de-
ciares that to the General Assembly be.
ie'gs the power of reproving, warning, or
bearing testimony against error in d~octrine,
or immortality in practice, in any church.
Presbytery or Synod and in general, of re.
commencing and attempting reformation Of
manners, and the promotion OF charity, truth
and holiness, through all the churches under
their care" Is there here no po,oer given to
rebuke the sin of slaveholding in tho churchs
Would not the declaration, that slavsholding
is a disciplineable offence, be "reproving"
the STAKEHOLDER, or bearing testimony against
immortality in practice! Would not a faith.
full rebuke of the practice of buying, selling,
whipping and working" without wages" in
nocent men, women and children, be "re-
commencing and attempting reformation Of
manners, and the promotion Of charity, truth,
and holinessF" Yes, verify; and the Gen.
eral Assembly, therefore, has the power Of
rebukIng these sins, clearly conveyed in the
constitution Of the Presbyterian church
Upon the Assembly, then, must come all the
innocent blood shed under its jurisdiction bv
slaveholdlng, for want of such a rebuke to
it belongs most ~fearfully the declaration OF
the Psalmist, When thou sawest a thief,
then thou consented'st with him, nnd hast
been parfaker with adulterers."
But, MIR. Moderator, we must pass 10 an.
other point in this argument. We have seen
that slayeholding is a sin not 10 be tolerated
in any Christian church that it is a viola.
ton of the gospel, and Of the unrepsaled
laws OF the General Assembly. But we
have seen also, that this enormity still exists
in the Presbyterian church, undisciplinsd,
and noW for many years ufHebuked; and
therefore, that the Assembly is deeply laden
with guilt. And now, sir, we proceed Ia
say, that the Assembly does not bear tlIIs
guilt alone. Every Presbytcry, North az
we'll az South. which retains its connection
with the General Assembly, shares in tina,
burden. The Presbyteries are component
parts of the Assembly, and, retaining their
connection, must each share in the RESPONSE
bility Of its public, corporats character. II
there 10 long Standing guilt resting upon the
General Assembly, that guilt, when rightly
distributed. belongs 10 the Presbyteries ,hai
compose it. Against any dagrant wicked
mesa Of the General Assembly, = Prssbytssy