Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-05-21
10 the AnIi-Slavery PreSbyterianS of
The United States,
CONNECTED WITH THE OLD
SCHOOL GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
(C~onchded.)


y. The ultimate and ineritGJh dirision Of
our churches. :
One of the weightiest reasons 10 be urged
against our Withdrawing from the church is,
that 1t would divide congregations, and as il
is TO be remembered that anti-slavery senti-
ments and action, cannot take the place OF
fdith In Jesus Christ, we should keep in view
the grand leading object of all means and or
dinances-the salvation Of the soul. But the
congregations that are now favored with an
ti-slavery ministers, must eventually separate.
Suppose these ministers to die. Would the
anti-slavery people in their congregations vote
for a pro-slavery minister, or would the pro-
slavery people vote for an anti-slavery minis
ter! No. Then there will ultimately be a
division, and that under circumstances much
more unfavorable than such division would
be noto. Generally speaking, the anti-slave-
ry people in The churches have been made
such, by the plain, faithful preaching of their
ministers. In some cases, there is a minori-
ty and a majority on the subject, and the min
lister keeps his situation of pastor, because he
has gained the personal respect of his oppo-
nents for experience ~testlfies that men, Who,
on account of their prejuoices or party spirit,
have not enlisted in the anti-slavery cause,
and may even oppose it, nevertheless respect
III COHhu Ill tilOSc WiTlSteTS VINO nOnPStJV
and boldly advocate the cause of the orpress-
ed. Such ministers have the consciences Of
all men on their side, and consequently their
respect; while those who are openly pro-
slavery, or pro-slavery and anti-slavery both /;
are secretly despised, as traitors 10 God and
liberty, by the very men who would take adj
vantage of their teachings for political and
party purposes. Therefore. by Withdrawing
now, and stating solemnly and affeclionately
the causes which compel a separation, the di-
vision, if any should occur, would take place
without any personal feeling. Whereas, if
this event be put off till the churches wran-
gle through an election or two for new pas
tors, all the fruits of the spirit will PERISH
Now, is it magnanimous and Just, in those
ministers who have large numbers of anti
slavery men in their congregations, converted
20 those views by their own labors, to leave
the world. and allow their own children as it
we've, 20 be disinherited after their death q
Is ii not better and more courageous, to look
the difficulty in the face n0lU, and obviate it,
rather than leave their beloved focks to be
Torn and scattered by pro-slavery men! The
confidence that anti-slavery people repose in
their pastors, should be more kindly treated
than this.
VI. Consistency requires Of US TO Oiihdraw
from the communion gf the Church.
As citizens interested in the welfare of our
country, we have left the old political parties,
and formed a new one, which has accom-
plished a great deal already, and which is
destined, We hope, to work out the Liberation
of the Government from the dominion of The
Slave Power. Why was this done! Be-
cause both the Wing and Democratic parties
had lapsed from their professed principles,
- -. , - H. .,,,. - 49,, TLo
organization of the Liberty Party, was there
fore a measure of necessity, growing out Of
this fact. But these old political parties are
made up of good, had, and Indifferent, the
last two classes composing the majority and
being thus constituted, it is no wonder they
should swerve from the principles which
their names import. You cannot keep i'm
proper persons from being connected with
them. But the church is a body, selected by
examination from the world. No fragrant
transgressor can force himself upon, nor re-
main, in her communion. If he be found
there, criminality rests upon the church Off
GERS. There is, therefore, no excuse for the
existence of outrageous and notorious crimes
in the church, while there may be some ex-
cuse for the existence of such things in the
political parties. Yet, we seeded from those
parties after an Intellectual struggle TO reform
them, and have set up a new organization
which has done more in the way of reform
by r~elexive influence, than we ever accom-
plished within them. But the church, as be-
fore proved, has apostatized from her princi.
piles on the great subject of Human Rights,
and has become more hopeless, on this score,
than either Of the old political parties. They
are exhibiting some signs of life of late.-
Revolution and dismembermen will soon pre-
Hxz.o al c. ,I,air Recommendation -, ,oro
bining the homogeneous and forming them
into a new organization. But the church, in
this respect, has put on the appearance Of
death. We see no symptom of reform fol
to annul the action of 1915, and say, with oui
fathers, that slavery, being a gross crime, is
an insurmountable bar to Christian coInmun.
ion, would be an admission that the Assem-.
bly, of lS45 was either not honest OF not intel.
Rgent, and this requires too much humility
for a General Assembly to display. 1t is
said, however, that the church cannot be en-
tirely pure in this world. Very true. De.
manding Immaculate holiness among fallible
men, was the great fault of the Anabaptists
of old, against whom Calvin in his Institutes
defends himself and us at such length. But,
brethren, because we cannot have entire per-
lection in the church, is that a reason why
we should commune with the perpetrators OF
u crime, which involves the breach of every
precept of the Decaloguel Strange logic,
this. To tolerate the greatest sins, because,
from the infrmities of human nature, we can.
not avoid the smallest! Now, if duty to God
and truth called us to leave the old political
parties on account of the corruptions which
were scarcely avoidable, does not duty in a
louder tone call US to leave the church, when
it has gone over hopelessly to the sanction
ing and committing Of crimel With what
consistency can we censure the old political
parties, and call upon the true hearted to leave
them, while we maintain our present position