Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-07-23
The Free Church Of Scotland and A.
meriCln Slavery.

" 'he venerable the General Assembly Of
the Free Church of Scotland, indicted 10
meet at Edinburgh, on the goth day of May,
1917, the Petition of the undersigned, E.
ders, Deacons, Members, and Adherents of
the Free Church,
HUMBLY SHewETu,
That whereas your Petitioners believe that
God hath made of one blood all nations of
men, and that the holding of rational beings
IN forced and continuous servitude without Il
direct PERMISSION from God, and especially
where liberty has not been forfeited by any
crime against society, is totally rreconcIlable
WIN the ilrst principles OF equity and human
ny; opposed TO the letter of the moral law,
and TO the spirit Of Christianity and that no
small confirmation Of this appears in the fact,
that modern slaveholding has anxiously re-
lied Tor It's support on the exclusion of scrip
tural knowledge from the mind Of the slave;
and that the claim Of property in man, as In
goods and chattels, has been maintained other
wise by the outrageous disregard of the most
sacred rights Of human beings, especially by
the disallowance or Infringement of the mar
rage tie, and reckless violation Of all doInes-
tic and spiritual relations-your Petitioners
deem it to be the duty of every Christian, to
aim at the immediate and total subversion of
a system, proved 10 be not merely vicious in
its abuses, but necessarily sinful in ITSELF
And in an especial manner do they deem it
10 be the duty of Christi IN Churches, situa-
ted where such slaveholding exists, Gas in
the United States of America,) to use their
influence for its extinction, both by faithful
and persevering remonstrance with the civil
powers, and more directly, by a righteous in
depreciation Of Gods word, and impartial APP
pi%ication Of Church discipline.
That your Petitioners deeply lament that
the Presbyterian Church in America is, in
this matter, to a fearful extent, walking dis
orderly inasmuch as that Church has lifted
up no faithful testimony against the practice
of slayeholding, and, in its last letter to your
venerable body, has proclaimed its firm de-
termination mot to NEEDLE with it-inas-
much as that Church is, without resistance
or even remonstrance, obeying laws the most
uaholy, the most dramatically opposed TO the
commands of the great Head of the Church,
md is thereby betraying its dearest rights,
alto co@teHtedly leaving millious of fellow
counirymen in a condition OF inability to
search the scriptures, wherein is TO be had
eternal Ilfe-inasmuch as that Church has
publicly declared, that holding our fellow
men in slavery is no sin calling for Church
censufe or discipline, and accordingly admits
TO its communion shareholders as such, gene
rally, whatever BIZ the circumstances in which
they continue to hold in bondage their fellow
beings.
That in the opinion of your Petitioners,
Christian Churches throughout the world are
called upon 10 unite in attempting, by solemn
remonsIrance and rebuke, to rouse the Pres
byterian, and other slaveholding Churches
Ill America 10 a sense Of their sin and respon-
sibllity.
That it consists with the knowledge of
your Petitioners, that an assertion has been
made in the General Assembly Of the Amer
lean Presbyterian Church, to the effect that
the Free Church of Scotland holds precisely
the same views on slavery as are held by the
American Presbyterian Church and that it
is with concern your Petitioners have observ-
ed the influence of the Venerable Assembly,
if not positively employed in favor of such
interpretations Of Scripture as the friends Of
slavery proceed upon, at least not eXerted in
opposition 10 them.
That if the Bible recognizes, by its perma-
nent precepts, the relation Of STAKEHOLDER and
slave, your Petitioners do not see how, as a
Church, you can consistently oppose slavery
at all; or how the fellowship you have pledg-
ed 10 the abettors of that system may not be
prolracied indefinitely, to the great discour-
agement of the best friends of religion and
liberty In America, as well as elsewhere
even OF whole evangelical bodies that have
long ago taken their stand on the position,
That the system of slavery is sinful and anti
scriptural. Your Petitioners think it worthy
OF reconsideration by the Assembly, whether
IN these circumstances, the spirit Of the rule,
Lay hands suddenly on no man. is fully
observed by a Free Church, So readily recog-
nlzlng The pledged advocates or apologists of
oppression and your Petitioners farther think
that whatever may be alleged in favor of an
lndulgent course towards such parties, from
the fact of British Churches having failed in
other days to act out more decided principles,
II surely is not permitted you to repeat the
sin oil a too passive treatment Of so great a
question, if you have been guilty of it; and,
ledst oil all, are you, at this time of day call
ed upon TO take up the cause Of Churches,
when have this peculiar to themselves, that
they have receded from the testimonies they
once bore against slavery-are legislating
(which British Churches never did, for the
continuance and tolerance of a system Of mi.
qul!y-and pertinaciously adherlng to much
IaNliy of Bible Interpretation and Church dis.
clpline, after the most thorough discussions
on the subject, and in the face OF the testi.
mony of ChIis,endom and of the civilized
world.
That it is the opinion Of your Petitioners,
that, in existing circumstances. your venera-
BILE body is imperatively called upon to send
10 the Presbyterian Church in America, an
address containing
]. A plain declaration Of the doctrine, shat
svery r:sn is naturally possessed Of an !Aa.-