The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-04-03
SECESSI0N.-NO. ].

Mr.. EDITOR Several communications have APP
peared lately in your paper on Secession, in
which the writer appears to palliate church
communion with Shareholders. In the National
Era of September Goth last your correspondent
II. g. Fullerton, makes some observations on the
subject. Having long taken your paper, and
viewing the subject in quite different light,
perhaps you may find room for some further re-
marks.
"All Abolitionists,n says the writer, "beieye
that the holding men as property is always sim
ful that II ought to be declared term Of COM
munion in every church and that duty, as we'll
as policy, demands the immediate emancipation
Of the enslavedn The sinfulness Of American
slavery has been proved, in abundant instances,
TO be entirely opposed to the holy law OF God, to
the whole spirit Of the Scriptures Of truth. |
have seldom found even Shareholders 20 deny this
perfect love to God and love to our neighbor as
ourselves, shown by doing no i'll to our neghbor,
doing unto others as we would have others do to
u.s. On these two commandments Of love, saith
the Lord, " hang all the law and the prophets."-
Mat xxi, 40. The late Mr. Duucsn's work on
Slavery illustrates this at large.
Your correspondent mentions emery church
probably abiding TO the various assemblies Of
protesting Christians in these periIous times Of
the latter days, foretold in 2 Tim Iii, /. We sup
pose he means the Roman Catholic church, the
Episcopalan the Methodist, Baptist, (free-will
and regularly Reformers, and many others, too te-
dious to mention The Presbyterian creed seems
more particularly alluded to, aud any other as
semblies of promiscuous characters which abound
In the present day We may reasonably suppose
that no humble follower Of Jesus Of Nazareth, or
of the fishermen Of Galilee, will presume to In
terfere with the discipline Of those pseudo Chris
tian assemblies. No Christian expects TO see M
believers reverence the authority OF the Almigh-
ty God, any further than 1t suits their worldly
interests, or the fashions Of the day The Sn-
preme Ruler of the Universe, as he suffered In
former ages, in his wisdom all nations to walk In
their own ways, (Ae,s xiv, l6) so he now suffers
nations and protesting churches lie has re-
vealed his will 10 man" Invites us earnestly,
but not compelsn As we SOW here, We shall soon
reap Those who believe will reverence the au-
thority of the Almighty, and atremble ut HE
word o--Isa Xvi, q Those who believe not, will
show IL by disobedience. The churches OF God,
when first founded 10 Judes by the Apostles,
a Thes. ii, l4) and were exhortsd TO "stand fast,
and hold the traditions which they had been
taught, whether by word or epistle, were churches
OF believers-pcrsons who had turned from the
service OF sin TO the service OF God None OF
those high.minded, worldly churches had then
arisen they had no gentlemen clergy, no meet
Ing houses with high towers reaching up TO the
clouds, no titled Revsrends or ID. Dis, TO turn
them from the truth. To such assemblies the
epistles Of the New Testament were addressed,
and ere now, TO oil who tread In their steps-to
the church At Rome, at Corinth, Of Ephesus, at
Philippi, at Colosse, and at Thessalonica. Reve-
renee for the authority OF their Lord and Saviour
leads al such TO obey his will This authority
Il peremptory, no compromise with sin" Abhor
that which 10 evilr-Rem XII, 0. "Ceass 70 do
evil--iesrn 10 do well relieve the opprsssed."--