Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-04-30

Friends in C'ark county, and STATE IF OhiO,
10 he members IF the Society 9 Friends ia
the United States.
DEAR FRIENDs:-
Two beautiful and instructive passages &C.
cur in the scriptures; "God is %love;'' s'God
is light" What is love but the embodiment
Of all the virtues? What is light but the
power which reveals? Upon the same au.
thority we are reminded that man was crca.
ted in the image Of God, ushered into the
family Of the Highest, and constituted an
heir of immortality. Intercommunication al
once established between the created and the
Creator, man is thus essentially constituted
a social being. 1t not being designed for
him to dwell alone, there is open before him
a circle OF duties towards his fellows and the
Supreme Intelligence. This is an interesting
field of investigation. Man is either natural
ly a religious being or he is not. If he is
not, he cannot be accountable. If he is, then
it follows unequivocally, that Creative wis
dom designed him 10 be obedient to Divine
laws, happiness being the result Of obedience.
Is this an arbitrary arrangement? Is there
aught compulsory, a single element of force
in the arrangement of the Divine Governor !
What saith the benefcicnt Father even 10 the
children Of diS0dedicnee? "Come lei US rea-
son fogeihsr." Being love, he moves upon
the world Of mind by the potrer Of persuasion.
Being light, he Eliminates the understand
ing, exhibits the beauty Of holiness. "For
there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration
Of the Almighty giveth them understandings"
IF it be true then, that man is constituted a
social being, a religious being, his reason en-
lightened by revelation, can we escape the
conclusion that the principles embodied in
the Divine Government as rercaled TO us,
should be our standard Of action in our inter
course with each other? Is any thing erer
rereaied that conflicts with the law Of lovel
Then We admit instability in the unchange-
able One. Can there be an emanation from
God fastening us to ancient landmarks 3
Then is the principle of progression destroy
cd. Is not light a principle of progression?
Look back %"across the ages"-did true re-
former ever live without mourning the dis
pleasure of the time serving! The records Of
both the Jewish and Christian scriptures are
clear as The sun on this subject. Abraham,
Moses and others anticipated the coming of
the great prophet. They lived in ages when
moral darkness shrouded the people. The
Messiah came, "proclaiming liberty to the
c%aptives, and the opening of the prison doors
to them that were bound" Contemporary
with him a class lived who were satisfied
the progressive principle, and while they
chung to the skirts of tho dead, denied the
principle which influenced those whom they
professed 10 honor. 1t was the business of
these sons Of the morning to testify against
an idolatrous worship, in favor of the true
God. They were each hey md their age
The Son of Mary, filled with the Holy Spir-
it, living a God-liko life, walking in Heaven
ly light, influenced by unconquerable love,
clothed with wisdom, while he recognised
Moses as a prophet, refused to endorse his
wars and Gghtings, but taught more erceAent
way. Those who listened to his powerful
ministry, were referred 10 Truth for guidance
for the present and the future. How God
like the sentence he uttered, "the Truth shall
mahe you free" In view of the danger of
following men instead of light, how pertinent
the exhortation of the Apostle, "Stand fast
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made
you free, and be not entangled again in the
yoke of bondage" A reference to the histo-
ry of the Society of Friends satisfactorily set
ties the question that it was thus based
Hence when its lamp burned with ~lustre, it
grappled with popular sins and was mighty
through God in exposing the corruptions Of
an hireling priesthood. Having declared in
favor Of a free gospel ministry, it did not rest
upon its lees. The eye being single, the bo-
dy was filled with light. 1t scanned other
im%pediments in the way Of a worlds redemp.
ton. The waste of human life upon the field
Of battle was weightiIy before it. After lift.
ing up a testimony against the shedding OIL
human blood, did the Society plant its stakes
and refuse to go farther? Did they not heal
the cries Of the manacled slavel Did not thu
voice of the spirit whisper, "ye are verify
guilty concerning your brother" for this sin
was cherished in their midst, their garments
were 'spotted with the flesh" The discus
sion produced agitation, such as had not been
known before-brolher withstood brother to
the face. Arduous and long was the strug-
gle. Truth tfiumPhed-the manacles fell.
As naturally as the vine sends out new b9ughs,