Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-08-04

and in favor OF crimes which are the same in
principle. The sects and priesthoods of
Great Britain do nothing now Tor the illumi-
nation and improvement Of their race. They
do something for the extension of their sects,
for the increase of their power, but nothing
for general illumination and improvement
T.ey do nothing for cheap literature, for free
libraries, for liberal education, or for thorough
reform in political matters. The books they
publish are very seldom good for any thing,
and they are generally dearer than even the
books Of acknowledged infdels. Their be-
n~evolent institutions, as they call them, are
based on the most exclusive and selfish prin-
ciples; and their influence, even in %institu-
tons that are based on more generous foun-
d~ations, is always corrupting in its tendency.
They are enemies to truth, and friends of en-
ror. They hate the light, and love the dark
ness. They connive at sin in its most hor-
rible shapes in their supporters and thunder
against innocent diversities of opinion as it
they endangered the salvation Of the universe.
There are individuals among the sects, and
here and there perhaps an individual among
some of the priestL Gods, that favor reform,
that are friendly to truth, that plead for free
dom, that rebuke iniquity but they are very
rare and in every sect and priesthood, the
man that departeth from evil, and labors to
do good with all his soul,-that renounces
error, and pleads for truth-that refuses TO be
a slave to others, or TO have others in bondage
to him, maketh himself a prey. The prefer
ence Of truth to established creeds, and of
righteousness to sectarian laws, and of the
good of mankind TO the interests and power
ola sect or priesthood, is the objectionable
offence, in every denomination in the land
IL a clergyman refuses to obey his bishop,
though the bishops command be foolish or
wicked, he is admonished, suspended, or dis
missed. But if a priest be a fornicator, an
adulterer, or something still worse,-if he be
a drunkard, a liar, a brawler, a fighter, e.
-, he is allowed to retain his living, and
pass along even without rebuke, provided he
speak highly Of the church and the priest
hood to which he belongs, and be loud in
his denunciations of dissent and heresy.
And it is much the same among the Me-
thodist, and Independents. If a preacher be
known to express an opinion at variance with
the established creed, or 10 take a step for
hidden by the laws or usages Of the sect TO
which he helongs,-if he manifest a DISPOSE
ton 10 act freely, like a man, without regard
to the authority of any one but God, and truth,
and conscience, he is dealt with as an often
der without delay, and unless he can make up
his mind TO sacrifice his concience to the will
of the ruling party, he is expelled, and de-
nounced as a hereto, a rebel, a blasphemer,
or an inidel. But a man may be caught in
the company Of lewd women, he may be fol-
lowed from time to time to an house of ill
fame, he may be- known 10 have been seen
staggering along the streets in a state of
Drunkenness, or even TO have been SO drunk
in the pulpit as to be unable to give out a
hymn, or 10 read a chapter correctly, and yet
be dealt with with the utmost leniency.-
True, if his crimes have been so public and
so revolving, as to have brought dishonor on
the priesthood or the sect with which he is
connected, he must be punished in some way,
but never severely.
You are acquainted with the New Connex-
ion, and you remember that several preachers
were expelled, not because their opinions
were believed to be erroneous, or their con-
duet immoral, or their proceedings at variance
with the rules Of The Connexion, but simply
on the ground that they were known TO be
friends to me, and to disapprove of my ex-
~pulsien. They were expelled simply be-
cause they believed that my expulsion was
unjust, u~ncalled for, unconstitutional. Well,
how have they acted since? ! l.
a travelling preacher in the same Connexion,
but a Jealous upholder of Conference power,
and a loud declaimer against heresy and in
subordination, first seduced a young female,
then abused and beat his own wife, then re-
moved to another circuit, where he formed an
adulterous connection with another female /;
he repeated his crime at H; was station
ed after that at Truro, where he formed an
adulteGous connection with another female (;
and all these crimes were known. They
were known to thousands. published some
of them in my letter to Cooke. | published
them again in my Christian. | offered to
prove them before a public meeting in the pre-
sence of William Cooke and the whole Con-
ference. Still the rulers of the sect refused
to investigate the matter. At length, the
conduct of Nj became so generally and
so thoroughly known, that tho reputation OF
the whole Connection was endangered. They
then appointed a commission TO investigate
the matter, and the following Conference, al.
ter listening to a filthy adulterer and systa-
matte seducer for a full five hours, expelled
him. But mark how | and my friends were
treated, who were turned out for a regard tc
conscience and the will of God. How did
| lltl pIOCttu III Jul Edots iuC1 CdlICu DC
cret meetings, wrote private letters, address
sed circulars to the leading and Influential
men throughout the Connection, bespeakinG
their aid in the contemplated attack on u.s.
Ia Conference, we were not allowed to speal
without perpetual interruption; nor were W.
allowed to proceed to occupy half the TINT
in stating and defending our views of truth
and duty, that j. Nj, the wholesale a
dulterer, was allowed to occupy and in thu
end, they took the opportunity, while WI
were obliged 10 be absent from the Confer
ence a little, to pronounce our expulsion, anC
then refused us admission to their assembly
even to state our objections to their proceed
ings. And then, to complete the business
i, they refused to pay us our claims upon thu
funds of the ConneXion. They are debtors
to myself to this hour. And they never de-
, MED the debt; but refused to discharge it
simply because had nrefered the dictates n