Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-05-14

plain and carry his case throuob presbv,ar,
and Synod up to The Assembly. The court ~
the last resort, that court has already declared
mat slaveholdlng is no bar TO christian com.
! munion' tie has his christian character en-
uorseo Dy That decision, and comes down 10
me chuTch at whose door he knocked for ad.
mission and was refused, with instructions 10
'"e session 10 receive him, or be censured fur
contumacy.
There is no method of guarding our com.
nunlon tables from the approach of slave.
holders, so long as we are bound bv the de
c%lsions Of the higher courts. The Assem-.
oily, and not the session, settles the terms Of
communion; and as the Assembly has decided
mat holding slaves is no fault in a mans reli.
glous character, sessions are bound 10 receive
such characters, or else incur the CHARGE OF
rebellion and notification. How often is it
the case that a session susppnds a church
member because his moral character has been
proved, 10 their satisfaction, TO be IMMORAL;
ana yet a higher court SENDS him back in
good and regular standing against the Enosc-
ledge and clear conviction Of the session.
According TO our system. the session of a
particular church is only the agent appoint
ed by the General Assembly to examine and
admit TO communion such az the Assembly
has decided may omnune. The only relief
we have from such a situation is in Withdraw
Ing IRON the authority and supervision of the
higher courts, which have, contrary to the
word Of God, imposed such a yoke upon the
Lords faithful people.
This position is strengthened BY the fact,
mat the Assembly is a representative body,
and all the individual members Of the various
churches are its constituents. The Assem-
bly,, when 1t speaks on any matter Of doctrine
or duty, speaks for the entire church, with
out exception. Now its language in 1915,
as all the world knows, is DrO-siureru.-
That language then, is, legally and according
u the principles Of representation. our voice,
and our speech uttered in the ear of the
world. Can, therefore, an anti-slaverv min
lsler, having promised = subsection 10 his
brethren in the Lord" preach a sentiment
however important, in opposition 10 the de-
clared sentiment of the whole church uttered
In General Assembly, without manifestinr
the existence If a breach of the unity which
characterizes a Presbyterian church! The
doctrine OF representation is a clear doctrine
OF the Bible, and wherever you find it redu-
ced to practice, whether in religion or poli-
ucs' 1t identifies, not personally, but in re-
Sp0nSi6iHty, the constituent with the represen-
tafire. True, our ministers preach aoainst
the sin of slavery, Notwithstanding the deci-
sion OF the Assembly of IS45, but it is be-
cause they choose 10 obey God rather Than
man. Obedience to God and the dictates of
thelr own consclences, requires them to DISC
Dey their brethren who have so wrongfully
driven them to the alternative. Let God
Judge between them and us.
III. Such withdra,oai from the communion
q tie Presbyterian CAurcA as a. present or
sa"iSed, as u step forced upOn US by The schis-
maf'cGF proceedings 9fhe .ISsemLiy Of 1915.
We have all and properly been fearful Of
he SIN OF schism. But what is schism D.
From Cor. /, 10, it is plain that schism
Is a breaking up of the unity of judgment
and feeling that bound the individual parts
OF the church together. Our Democratic
MELONS concerning the omnipotencc of a
majority, have led us practically, 10 attribute
lntalllbiIlty TO the majority, not remember
Ing that mlnorilies have rights, and not dis
tlngulshlng between what IA majority could
do and what it ought 10 do. Hence, the
common idea that schism is a sin always
commltttd by a few. But The truth is, who
ever dlstuTbs the unity of Judgment and
feeling which constitutes the bond of real
union In the church, is a schiSmalic. This.
obviously, may be done by "a n.qjoriiy, as
well as by a minority of one. Now the
doctrines OF the Presbyterian Church, from
Its existence in this country, up to 1915,
were .lnfi- SGpery. No human language
could more forcibIy express such sentiments,
than the resolutions Of 1918, already allu-
ded TO. We, in believing those sentiments,
and In obeying the injunction of our fathers,
to use our earnest and unwearied endeav-
ors to eiiace this blot from our holy relirion,"
nave proved ourselves 10 be the legitimate
sons OF the church., jealous for her honor and
purity. But the Assembly Of 1915, by an
overwhelming majority, virtually revoked and
annulled the resolutions Of 1918, by proclaim |
ing that slavery, which had all along been pro-
nounced a gross crime, was 'no bar to chris
tlan comaIunion," but actually formed the
bond of union in the church ever since lis or
ganlzation. The ground on which we stood
as anti-slaveTy Presbyterians. was swept
away by this action. An article was put in
TO our creed, which, true TO God and Liberty
as our fathers were, we abominale and detest,
The Assembly of 1915 were -schismoHcs.-
The guilt OF schism lies at their door, not
ours IL we leave the church, it will only
De Withdrawing from those, who are not the
old Presbyterian Church as it formerly was
but a new tangled, hybridous anomaly, which
has caused the world to open its ewes in leer.
ing wonder-Pro-Slarery Pres5yferianism
Tyranny and oppression always found in
Scotland and on this continent, a sworn and
sleepless enemy in Presbyterianism, until the
year 1919, when American Presbyteriapism.
went over IN form as well as fact, to tho sup
port OF the most unJustifable system of op-
the world ever saw. Roman slave
~ was the condition Of men made prisoners
by the fortune Of war, whose forfeited lives
are doomed to the alternative of slavery. But
we have gone to Africa and stolen her chill
dren who never warred against us, and for no
have subjected them 10 the condition
Of slaves. The perpetuation Of this outrage
is declared by the Assembly TO 30 " no bar
to christian communion" Can We then, he