The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25

bondman, refusing to touch his CALLING yoke with
even the tips of their fingers Soon indifference
was converted, in many instances, into scofiDg
hate and relentless prescription; so that If one
dare speak as the founder of the body once did
il was at the peril Of his ecclesiastical life A
little iesven leayened the whole lump. So
with the Presbyterian church They have had,
for more than half century, their talks, their
sermons their memorials, and resolutions They
have preached principles: 70 and what have they
done AS in the Methodist church, their acts
of fellowship neutralized their words, and slavery
grew and spread itself over the membership, as
far as statesmen and politicians would let IL. At
length division took place and from that time
TO the present in their collective capacity and at
their highest courts, slavery still finds a shelter
Lately some individuals and churches are be-
ginning to come out. Many in the New School
body, after the division, had hopes that that body
would purify itself and thought to remain in the
church, and aid in the work But, to their morti-
fcation, they saw slavery under this banner, too,
regularly increasing its slave territory and null
tiplying its slsveholdng members. At last indi-
viduals presbyteries, and synOds, seeing that the
policy of staying in the church to purify it is
inefficient policy, have determined TO take Gods
plan Of coming out, and have done so Many
others are purposing to do the same And unless
that Assembly shall speedily take decisive meas
ures TO free herself from slaveholding, she will
find, kindled in her midst, magazine that will
blow her into ten thousand fragments.
The same work of secession is now going on in
the Methodist church. Many are now seeing that
discipline is impossible and that the controlling
influence is pro-slavery, and are obeying God by
coming out some az Independent Methodists,
others as True Wesleyans, &c. The work is
also going on in the Baptist church Among the
Free Will Baptists, six hundred and sixteen min
listers, with their still more numerous churches
have declared that they will sustain no relation
and perform act, that will couutenance the sys-
ten, or imply indifference TO its multiplied enormi-
ties' They say further, that slavery is direct
violation of the law of God and that by refusing
to support slavery its principles its advocates,
and by wUhholdHg Christian and church fellowship |
from all gully Of ths yin Of dartry, and by re-
membering those in bonds as bound with them J
we wiSH',J '*ssnF nan,is SfStSs> gum OF This
iniquity"
These open separations from slaveholding bodies
are doing immense good They are not only dig
ging out and holding up truth on the subject of
secession, and thereby forming public sentiment
and waking public conscience, but they are en-
couraging and inducing many others TO follow
their example; 80 that already the old bodies
are beginning to look about for their members.
Selfpreservation begins to look them earnestlyin
the face And if these bodies are ever reformed,
it will he hundred fold more by the enlighten-
ing, drawing, and driving influence Of those who
have and shall come out, rather than the stulti-
fed preaching of those who stay in. If they are
not reformed they will bury in their fall the few
Erasmuses, Fenelons, and Bakers they may have.
Notwithstanding the foregoing truths, many,
argument for staying in the church, say,
pervertingly, "a little leaven leavens the whole
lump They mean to assert that those who are
pure and have truth on their side, should stay
in the church, to pour truth upon error, and
thereby purify the church We reply
l. Then God was in error, when he said TO his
people, Come out"
TO BE CONTINUED