Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1850-12-05

ed States, or in any department or Office there
Of"
From the Christian Messenger.
TIE FUGITI1E SLAVE BILL.
Mir. EDITOR, rbe following resolutions we're
passed by unanin"us vote, al Preachers
meeting for TIE Springfield district, held al
Bellows Falls, Nov. 5Dh, aud ordered for publ.
cation. &c. A.
|. Rlsolred, That we regard obedience to
the laws OF :he land where We reside an npor-
ant duty, in all cases where they do not con-
Alct with the laws Of God, and in ali cases where
there can be a reasonable doubt on this pon,
We would observe and encourage obedience.
9. RtSOlrtd, That the recent act of Con-
gress, known as !be "F"gitive Slave RAJ" does
most maniIesly require Of US actions, enln ely
at variance with the whole spirit and require.
menls OF the gospel, aud such scriptures as dis
Inctly say, Thou shalt not deliver unto his
master The servant that is escaped unto thee. -
He shall d"eI with hte even among you in that
place which he shaIl choose, in one of thy gates
where it hketh him best; thou shalt not cypress
him. "-Deul XIII: 10. "IIide the outcasts. y
&c.
). RtSOlrtd That as tie above enactment is
entirely anl9gonls'Ic TO all the objects of the
Constitution Of our Government, and perfectly
| houlIe to the Divine Constitution, it is nothing
but "inlqully framed by law" therefore be it
known to all that we will not bow down to it ,
We utterly allure II, aud in the name and
strength Of the great jehovah will wholly
disregard ITS nng"dly demands upon Us.
We have long been accustomed TO just such
from, hot Of, az,
Abby Kelley Foster, VIM. l. Garrison, Wendell
Phillips g. Co.. who acknowledge no virtue but
Opposition TO all law, and 10 God but chaos and
disorder, bu, we were not prepared to see them
endorsed "Ly a unanimous vote at a preachers
meeting" representing highly respectable re-
ligous sect. So far as our acquaintance ex-
tends, the great mass of the Methodist society,
are men who are truly patriotic in their political
sentiments, and who would resort 10 10 subler-
Guge TO fnd an excuse for resisting law OF
Congress. And we doubt whether they will
| feel themselves committed to wholly disregard
| the high judicial voice of the nation upon the
say so Of this assembly a, Bellows Falls, thai
ITS demands are 'ungodIy' We fear that the
preachers whose sentiments are expressed in the
above resolutions, have been but sorry teachers
Of The Divine Law if hey have made no better
Interpretation Of il than they have of the Con-
situilon Of their country, or The obligations thai
il imposes upon item. They will find nothing
more explicit 10 substanllale the most familiar
/ II, nt,l (oiIl L. !
porle,'s of the Fugitive law do in the extracts
! from the Constitution at the head OF this article
And the preachers for the Springfield district
will find that their prOnuncidmeniO, that they
evil not bow down TO it," ana will "uterly
allure il" is language 10 nearly allied to Urea
on" TO fiud response in the hearts of the thou
sands Of honest, patriotic Jaw abiding Meho-
disls that are scattered over the hills of Yer.
mont. We know of what we speak, and know
ing, We dare aflir IN that there is no room for
such sentiments among the people we have me n
toned. large proportion of the Melhodists
are democrats the very foundation of whose po-
jilical creed is, a religious adherence to the
laws Of the majority. Notification is no part Of
their creed POr popui; COZ di with them aud
a rigid adherance TO the constitutional method
Of doing away such laws as are obnoxious or
impolic. We advise our Methodist friends
who so bIindly gave uterance TO the above
Unreasonable language to read The sentiments
of that champion of, Methodism, Rev. Thomas
f. Norris, and see if they do not sound more like
the language Of a christion citizen, than the
sentiments they have given TO the world. And
lie, them be cautious how far they make them
selves instrumental in committing respectable
religious denomination 10 doctrines that are
most repulsve TO every good citizen and fit only
for disorganzers and disunionisls,
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Will some Debating Society please To dis