Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-22
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN.
From The EmancPator.
Duty Of Churches,

It is time that the matter of the duty OF church,
es and of ministers on the subject of slavery
should be deeply pondered and thoroughly under
stood bv the churches and ministers themselves
MANY are in the right path and much light has
shone upon. them but truly many more both oil
the churches and their ministers, are still gropmg
in darkness. and shutting their eyes and ears a.
oainst the knowledge which is waiting to be re-
ceyed It is not sufficiently felt by ALL that sla-
very is in truth, the great stumbling block which
is breaking down the unity and harmony, and
DESTROYING the usefulness of all the churches,
and that It is the great ulcer that is eating away
their vitality. The heart of the nation is deeply
moved on the subject of our fellow men IN bon
dage; the conscience of the people is greatly
and sorely awakened to a sense of our national
! sin; and when men turn to behold what the
church of Christ is doing, and what its ministers
are teaching, they see that while there are many
of the churches which have not yet bowed the
4 knee to Baal while many, and IN increasing num-
bers, of its Worthiest ministers and brightest
lights arc bearing constant and faithful testlmo-
ny against our nations sin, and curse, and shame,
and are calling aloud for repentance and reform
alton, still there are more, far more among the
ablest and most influential of the clergy, and
numbers of the largest churches Of all denomi-
nations, who are either silent on the subject, OF
utter but faint and feeble reinsurance. Anc
$ what is the effect of such a course Truly il
saps the faith Of man, and destroysthe reverence
and confidence of more it enfeebles the church
t it produces lax morality among the people, i
: propagates, nurses, and spreads in6delity, and
brings scorn and contempt on the religion of ou
| God. Let then the whole religious community
in all their churches arouse fully upon this sub
iect 1t will not wait nor take denal-it viii
J be understood and attended to; the churches ant
their ministers must meet the question OF slavery
4 they must meet it now they must meet it fully
T. they must all meet it. If they do not it will NEE
!, them and rend them assunder. Whence arise
r the present disturbance IN almost every denOmlna
y ton /? Why are some great denominations al
t ready divided into church North, and churc
south, and why is secession and separation threat
d ened and expected in all? What has done a
this Slavery has done it, slavery, that has creT
If into every thing everywhere, where the entranc
/ has not been strictly guarded by faithful sentine
y and trusty watchmen; slavery which had entere
it even the inner portion of the temple and elaine
Is for itself the sanctions of religion and the smile
" Of heaven. This was too odious to be endured
Is the moral sense of numbers, both of hearers an
- of their minister's could bear no longer an
It, when they turned to meet the evil and cast it on
m 10 it had laid hold of the very horns of the a
" tar, and like the ivy about the oak it had e.
twined itself around the churches to the destru
'e ton of many, Blessed be God the churches al
IT, at last waking up, and will purify themselv
b. from the evil, and wash clean their carmen
ne from the pollution of the foulest blot that has e
er stained the Christian name and falsely elaine
| the countenanceo of the religion of our Redeeme
he May the time soon come, when, in all the leng
and breadth of our land the churches shall be
a united, and earnest, and efectual testimon
when the plague spot of slavery shall have Il
our land forever, and when we shall be, in pr
fesson and in action, in appearance and realit
v a free, Christian and happy people; prospe
Il Gus because we are strong, and great becau
cd we are just and good