The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-23


18th. Again the objector says {" do not agree
with my church and my preacher in their views
about slavery but then ! must not give up all
else in my church for the sake Of getting clear
Of this one evil"
/. Then God was wrong in requiring his peo-
pie to come out of mystical Babylon. The members
of that church could have used the same objec-
tion which the objector uses, and with the same
propriety.
@ What is there in your church peculiarly ex-
cellent and essential to sal vation which you cannot
find in charchss not slaveholding1 Perhaps the
distinctive feature or excellence is the doctrine
Of election and reprobation, or the opposite doc
trinea Or the rite of baptism in some particular
form-as by immersion or sprinkling a talented
preacher, or wealthy and large churches; or some
thing of the kind. Are any Of these essential 10
SALVATION? And will you suffer gross immoral
ity to be practiced by your church and to be
taught by your preacher Fundamental prlncl-
pie of Christianity to be violated Will you see
souls around you deceived with corrupt reli-
gion, and sent down to hell for God says no
extortioner shall enter the kingdom Of Heaven
Will you see the church crippled in her energies,
the cause of God languishing-will you by your
influence uphold the wrong, and withhold it from
those whom you admit are struggling for essen
tial right2 Will you zee and sanction by your
fellowship the bondage of Christ in the least of
his creatures, and the sale of the temple Of the
Holy Ghost for price, rather than give up your
little non essentials
And suppose your preacher, or your church, or
both, should teach that idolatry is right, and
quote the example of Rachel and Leah, with
their fathers household gods. Suppose they
should teach that drunkenness is right, and quote
the example of pious Noah. Suppose they should
teach that adultery and fornication are right and
quote the example Of David, Lot aud his daugh-
ters They could do it, and bring you, just as they
do for slaveholding, perverted "Bible argu
ments" What would you do, brother-sister?
Would you not excaim, lawful preposterous.
plain violation of Gods word Can man
love God with all the heart and his neighbor as
HIMSELF and do these thingsl An essential prn-
ciple of Gods religion is struck down. must
not sanction such thing for a moment! How
can meet my God in peace, if do2 My little
matters Of taste must give up, to save q funda-
mental principle All and is not slaveholding
as plainly violation of the fundamental princi-
pie Of Gods religion-love-as idoatry or adul-
tery2 Is it not q contempt for Coda want Of
love- when we load his innocent image with
chains, and barter the temple of the Holy Ghost
for pricei And is it not a violation of love TO
| our neighbour when we plumber from him his
dearest rights-rght to himself, his wife, his
child1 Yea, even to sanction it by our fellow
ship, though we do not the deed directly yet we
help others to do it by our sanction and presence.
| Reader you hold, whilst the master beats and
robs Go read Matthew xxi, $40; Luke K,
| 25-37 Isaiah i, 27 ii, 10, l6; l Cor xiii;
John iii, H. s The deed, the action is necessary,
AS evidence Of love- And will you suffer an es-
sential principle of Gods religion to be struck
down, rather than give up your little matters Of
taste or prejudice-these non essentials Did all
men do a. You DO reform rould neuer be accom-
plihed The talents would be hid in q napkin,
and the enemy would continue to make encroach-
ments after encroachments, until true religion
| would be driven from earth Blessed will it be
for you, dear reader, il you can say as Ell jah to
his God" am jealous for thy word"
And are you doing duty to the slave9 Sup
pose you were in bonds held by that church, or by
that minister; or your mother, your husband, your
wife, or your child, was in bonds, held by that
church would you feel that you must give your
name and means to uphold that church, or that
minister, in doing the work-robbing the poor en-
shaved mother and perverting the religion of your
God? Yea, il the church members were silent
in view of the outrsges done In the name Of reli-
giou, would you uphold them No. you would
not. Then do as you would be done by.
18th Says another: "Say what you will, | am
not going to leave my church, These were the
words of a beloved brother, who has been for
many years mourning over the condition of the
slave, and has long been regarded as an Anti
Slavery man. His expression is the sentiment of
many others; and when put in plain English,
runs thus: 81 know there are other churches free
from the sin Of slaveholding and churches hold.
ing in other respects the same fundamental doc
trincs that my own does, and churches in whose
connection should not have to alter my religious
belief, nor my practice, an iota; yet | have had
such happy seasons in my church. or it is so or
thodox, or 10 efficient and large that though
have to fellowship slaveholding, one Of the worst
of sins--as Wesley said, the sum of all villa
nes-and though the foot Of my example is upon
the neck of the poor slave, and though have to
fellowship those who bind my Saviour in the
person Of his poor, yet | cannot give up my
church, The difficulty with such is, that they
love "ismp-their denomination than
righteousness, and they are taking happy sea-
soss, or supposed orthodoxy, as evidences Of reli-
giou, instead Of trve lore and obedsacs.
This love of "ism," together with prejudice,
and fear of public sentiment, keeps thousands
from obeyng God in coming out from fellowship
Of the iniquity.
18th. Another says;
~ desire to be connected with anon-slavehold'