Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-04-06
A1tsstonarp Department.
The Policy Of the American Beard,

ministry and for church fellowship, that the American
Board of Foreign Missions when requested to with
hold support from slaveholding Missionary, and 9th
ers, who, although not Shareholders, admit slavehold
ers to the Church. refused to take any action the
subject on the ground that it would be exercising
cesiascal authority, which authority, they said, they
do not possess. So they passed it by. Slavery with
its ten thousand ills could not be touched for want of
authority. man in the sacred Office, holding the
poor in the bondage and selling upon the fruits of
their tolls without rewarding them must be sustained
by hem because the right of Judging his conducts ex
cuded from him. Others laborng at their charge may
admit coveous sayehoding cxtortoners to the bosom
of the church, and to all the privileges of her sacred
ordinances without rebuke, or the slightest intimaton
that gracious request from the Executive Committee
will ever greet them-to ask dismisson from the
services of the Board lest the peace of the mission
be hazarded. No, Interference with slayeholdmg
interests, would be assuming ecclesiastical au-
thority. These evil-doers, denomnated by DR..
Jonathan Edwards, the younger, manstealers and es
teemed far more wicked by him than ornicators, and
whose practice was declared by Wesley to be the sum
of all villanes must be admitted to the embrace off
the churches, because the Board have authority to
instruct their missionaries in respect to the qualfca
tons of church fellowship.
Very well. Be it so, if they will abide it. If they
will adopt some principle and act upon it, and altho'
it be bad one will respect them for consistency
But this shutting of expedency, which shapes the ac
ton to suit the circumstance, without regard to right
is any thing but worthy of our respect It may suit
the convenience Of the erring to turn off an unwel-
come subject and to silence the reprOols Of the up
right. But by the honest hearted who has but one
rule, the will of God, and is resolved to follow that
rule and leave the result with him. who sees the end
from the beginning, all such dishonest dealing must
be held in adherence
When the excuse of no authority was given by the
Board, the better informed well knew it but
1t8c to gain time and elude the question, inasmuch
they had previously acted in opposition to it, refusing
to send missionary abroad not only without the ac-
ton Of an ecclesiastical body, founded their action
on the decision of such body Was this the case in
the instances of the Rev. Messrs Lafon Brewer and
Merrck? We have never understood it. They did
nothing on which such body could found any action
which would demand recall.
But we have in our mind a case, which anti-slavery
lovers of missions should not let pass without serious
notice. We refer to the dismisson from the services
of the board, of Rev. Jesse Coswe Of the Siam Mis-
sion who was appointed in 1897 and has been labor
ing in the field about years. His native place was
Niddlotown Vt, He graduated at Middlebury College
in 1882 3, and spent year at Andovcr, and two
at Lane Seminary. As a student, he possesses those
characteristics which ensure success-system and
perseverance. In close reasoning, few will surpass
him. In doing good he is constant and untring As
teacher he has great tact. Decision of character is
fully developed in him. For Christian integrity and
conscientious regard for the right, and for faithful
discharge of duty in public, and in private far as
man can Judge, we must say we have seldom met his
equal. His religion is of the every day sort. 1t seems
to enter his soul and regulate his entire conduct But
we will not euogize him. This much it was noces-
sory to say in order that people may rightly estimate
the action of the Board in his case This brother they
have requested to ask his dsmssion and retire, lest
the peace of the mission be interrupted And for what?
Was there ought in his sentiments conduct funda-
mentally erroneous? For it but just to the Board to
state that they claim the right of Withdrawing patron
age from those, who are in error fundamentals mean
inc by it, such as forbids the hope of Christian char
acter.
Had he adopted any such error? Certainly not
He may hold sentiments with which the Executive
Committee do not agree. But this is doubtful. lie
holds that God has made provision in the gospel for
the perfect sanctfcation of believers in this life He
does not assert that any have will attain to this
state He does not pretend that have any proof IN
the Bible that this will be the actual attainment OF any
here. lie indeed denies that we have any proof in
the scriptures that do attain to it. But he Is OK
pcit in stating that he does not believe that evidence
of such attainment can be had on earth He only as
serts that full provision for it has been made,if the
means are faithfully applied, it will be secured For
this he is recalled Bear in mind that it is for the
illogical opinion, which especially demands the action
of an ecclesiastical body, if anything does Yet the
Executive Committee of the Board sit in Judgment up
on him, without the slightest action of the body to
which he stands amenable. There seems to be no
want of authority here. Not at ALL Slavery is not
concerned in it. 1t is an error in opnionfundament-
al forsooth But no. They have not this to Plead
lhey admit MN 10 DC gOOu man, us l1eF no our
methodist brethren who hold to the actual attainment
of perfect holiness and it may be they sympahse with
the christian Alliance, combining in one hallowed
union every grade of sentiments this point and re-
cognsing all as Evangelical. What, then, is the
fault of the brother? Let us hear Dr. Woods Of And
over, who certainly is orthodox "We hold, that in
the common acceptaton of the term complete holiness
is attainaJle in this life. When assert that a
thing is dtanaJLe, or mag be attained our meaning Is
that proper use of the means will secure IT. that we
shall obtain it, if we do what we ought; and that, II
we fail to obtain it. the fault will be our own" Rib
Repos 1871, p. IT'S. Has Mr.. Caswe asserted more?
He may in a detailed statement differ somewhat from
the venerable DIR. But it will certainly trouble
wise man to tell the difference the subject is set
forth in thesis Yet the Committee can sit in Judge
ment decide in the premises and proceed to act upon
: their decision without at all waiting for the action OF
an ecclesiastical body.
Now we ask the friends of MISUNDERSTANDING
men especially -whether the Board have any claims
on their patronage while they refuse to exercise then