Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-01-14

I1f'rrV..lf, n0 i,,-,l,1',~
IV'!O"'"IP VI S'd' 'iOilcjo'
The CHRISTIAN WoRLD answers the crps.
tion,-"Shall we exclude Shareholders from
our Church fellowship" in tie ns.atiuc! 1t
says: ave kn0w that many shareholders
are as honest, sincere and generous, as rea-
dy 10 make sacrifices when duty calls. as we
are ourselves-what right have we then 10
say that they are not Christians q" But in
order TO prove that Shareholders nav be
Christians, the World has 10 reduce Chris
iianity to its lowest possible terms, and in
our opinion, 10 destroy entirely It's distinct
i've characteristics character as a system of
positive and absolute truth and righteousness.
1t says: "lf it Christianity consists in a
general purpose to do rhythm acting up 10
our light, as we have il, and seeking more
then many a Shareholder will come under this
category And it takes for granted that
this is Christianity What then is the use
Of the term ! Why not substitute for it Iy-
sander SpoonPr's term ''naturai Justice" or
'%'natural law? There would then be no
seeming exclusion of atheists even from the
true church. Atheists, we suppose, some
times 'act up to the light they have, and
seek more There is, at least. as much ev-
lhtiANt ~ OAi lillIA lNGt lllhtF u iItW LD. rs
there is that any Shareholders do. But viii
the World be consistently charitable enough
to admit that The atheist may therefore be a
Christian! We rather think not. Nor does
charity require any such admission. Such n
man may not be a bad man, he may be a We
ry worthy man, and have a claim to our res
pect and affections, but to say that he is n
Christian, merely because he J0iiows hi.
light, Is 10 make Christianity a nuliity.-
Saul Of Tdrsus followed his light in urrse-
cutting the early church OF the Savior-was
he therefore a Christian at that time ! No
enc will pretend this, and nothing appears to
us farther from the truth than the position
that ''ehrfsFonffy cons'Sts in y eener6l pur-
Pose 10 do right" If it does, then Christi
anlty is as old as man, and not a special sys-
tenn OF Religion founded by Jesus Of NdZa-
reth. But TO be Christians, we must follow
the light that was an Chrit-the light Of his
example, spirit, precepts. ali any one have
not his spirit, he is none OF his though he
follow his own light even unto martyrdom.
The world contends that III excluding a
slaVehoIuer VINO follows he llght he has,
and seeks more" tlom Christian fellowship,
I'VE really exclude him for his opinions, not
his actions. wen, where Is the harm OF
excluding men from Christian fellowship Tor
their opinion, when that opinion IS, that men
may be lnnocentIy plundcTed of all their
rights, and held In the worst form OF bond
age the sun ever looked upon? This is an
unchrlstlan and dlabollcal opinion. and If
universally reduced to practice, would make
the earth a he'll. 1t Is a sin for a man 10
hold such an opinlon-an evidence of an in
human, unchrlstidn heart. But it Is not for
their opinions merely that AboIltIonists
would have Shareholders excluded from
Christian fellow ship; 1t Is Tor their "actlsns'
also-tor their actually holding their BROTH
ers as slaves-and by the use OF the SWORD,
which is the only way they can be held.
But what does the World mean by "ChrlS-
tan fellowship - If 1t simply mean Chris
tan courtesy, kindness, love, then we also
would 90 against excluding shareholders or
any body else from it. We would mingIe
with ''publicans and sinners" in the spirit
and for the purpose in which and for which
Christ mingled with them. But this IS not
the sense in which the term "Christian fell
lowship" is generally used. 1t is generally
used to express those acts by which we re-
cognize a man as a Christian, a tru3 disciple
OF Jesus. And we say that they who TEL
lowship shareholders In this sense, give res
pectability and therefore peTmanency to sla-
very. They ought not then to be received
into a Church, or at a Communion Table
not, we mean, j such receptions q them are
considered as endorsemenfs 9 Me'r Chr'Sf'GH
character. Butlhe ORD says: "il "A drunk
ard, if pirate, If a murderer wishes to come
into cur Christian Society ana have our sym