Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-08-06

began to inctease the Slaveholding interest
by receiving into union self-constituted Sv-
mods. And the reception Of every such Sv-
nod is an indirect pledge on the part of The
Assembly that Slaveholding shall be admit
ted to communion. Can ii be expected that
the Assembly, after receiving Slaveholdinp
Synods, will devise means to exclude them
The reception of such Synods is the strono-
est evidence that it is the settled policy of the
Assembly 10 tolerate Slavery in communion.
The case Of Mr.. Graham, decided by the
last Assembly, gives evidence that such is
the established policy. MIR. Graham pub-
lished a work against Abolitionists in which
he taught that the Bible jusiifes holding pro.
perry I'D human beings; and that Slavery is
a dtvIrre institution, incorporated with the
laws and institutions of the Christian system.
For this teaching he was regularly CHARGED
before the Presbytery of Cincinnati. The
charges he admitted as true with the excep-
ton of a single specification, and plead insii-
fcation by the Bible. The Synod of Gin
%cinnati, upon a regular reference from the
Presbytery, after a full hearing, and long and
patient investigation, decided that he had
taught &c great and dangerous errors" admon-
ished and exhorted him to repent, and, after
waiting a whole year, pronounced upon him
the sentence of suspension. This decision
the late Assembly declared to be null and
void, which was, in fact, a restoration of Mr..
Graham for that which is null and void, can
be Of no binding force. Now had the AS
sembly been in the least disposed to remove
Slavery from the church by the exercise Of
discipline, it would have approved this sem
tence. But such was the anxiety to reach
and reverse this case, that the Assembly
transcribed its constitutional limits in exer-
cising power over the judicial acts of the Sy-
nod and put a construction upon the consti-
fulton ~paIpably false, making ii, instead of
the scriptures, the rule Of action. The reso-
buttons OF the Assembly, on Slavery, are in
accordance with this Interpretation. In one
of these il is distinctly announced that there
are to be no new tests of communion. Slave
holders always have been admitted to COM
1union, and therefore Slaveholding must not
be made a test. The resolutions are just up
on the old plan of condemning the crime and
protecting the criminal. Thus the very resolu-
tons that declare Slavery enthusiastically I'M
righteous and oppressive" show a fixed de-
termination 10 sustain Shareholders as ever
before. In The communion of the church,
The late Assembly, in the case Of Graham,
decided that it was unconstitutional to sus-
pend a minister for teaching that Slavehold
ing is right, and yet refused to send down an
overture 10 the Presbyterios TO have the con-
%stitutlon altered on that point. Thus, by the
oCOiSiOu VI 'HC 4ASSeHloly. we are DOunu by
the constitution to suffer Shareholders TO re-
main in the communion of the church, let the
Bible speak against it as it may This pla-
ces the constitution above the Bible, and e-
tablishes a prominent principle of Popcry.-
No former Assembly did so much to sustain
Slavery in the communion of the church,
According to its decision ministers have a
constitutional right 10 teach that Slavery is n
divine institution, and that the decision of
the Synod of Cincinnati to the contrary, is
null and void.
We have made these statements to show
that we have long borne with the evils of
which we complain, and have not hastily,
nor for small considerations, dissolved our
connexion with the church within whose
pale we have been born and educated. 1t
has been with us a matter of long and ma
ture deliberation. We did not leave until a
perseverance in wrong-doing against protrac-
ted discussion and the clearest light. had ia
ken away all hope of reformation. What can
be hoped Of a body that will declare a prac-
tice is intrinsically sinful, and yet declare
that it shall not be a test of communion and
allow Its ministers TO teach that it is a divine
institution What could we expect in such
a connection, but 10 lie under the wrath of
God, as partakers of other mems sins, in pro-
noting a system of oppression that has redu-
ced three millions of human beings to mere
%chattels, and shut them out from learning TO
read a single sentence Of the word of Life.
ITO be C~0ntinued.)