Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-08-09
REPORT
REPORT
On The Connection of American Churches
with Slavery through their Home Missions,
MADE TO THE CHRISTIAN ANrI-sLAvERY con-
vENTIoN AT CHICAGO, JULY 4, 1851.
ny PRESIDENT J. BLANCHARD.

ReSoired, |. That Home Missions rest upon
the obvious and scriptural principle that the
spiritually strong should support and aid the
weak, and that those who have the bread OF
lite should impart to those who have it rot
=. That Home Missions generally in this
country have heretofore been conducted up.
ON the principle that the members of church.
es, planted and nided, may hold slaves, and
that consequently the members of Home
Mission churches actually have held and do
hold slaves in all parts of the country where
slayeholdins is permitted by law.
Is That in the judgement of this Conyen-
ton, churches whose members are permitted
to hold slaves are source of corruption 10
the gospel of Christ for the simple reason
that protesting to teach and represent the re-
llglon of Christ, they do actually teach only
religious sentiments aud observances. omit
ting that Judgment" or Justice which is n.
mong the weigltier matters of the law and
that righteousness" which is the basis OF
the kingdom of God"
A. That it therefore follows that most Of
the Mission Boards, ecclesiastical and yolun.
tary, which now receive and disburse Inv
far the lurgest proportion of Home Mission
funds raised by the evangelical churches OF
tins country, are planting and sustaining a
religion which is fatally adultorated: 81 an
other gospel" which yet is not another.
D. That without sitting in Judgement upon
the motives of the men who have hitherto
managed Home Missions, aud without tleuy-
ing or depreciating the good which has
been done or claiming perfection for our
selves; II is the object and intention of this
Convention TO labor and d,pray for the casting
out of slavery from Home Missions in this
country.
d. That for this purpose q committee be
appointed TO ascertain as may be done i'm The
course of the year ensuing, the number Of
Slaveholding Home Mission churches of nil
denominations in this country the number
OF slaves owned by the members of said
churches; and generally the statistics of
slayeholding Home Missions in this country
and report the same TO future Convention
as basis of further action. COMMITTEE
J. blanchard, J. Il. Ambrose, Il. Goodman
Spencer of Peoria, j. B. Markham
| z. That in the mean time measures be
taken by the present Convention through the
employment of agents, correspondence OIL
otherwise, to have the question submitted to
each of the Home Mission churches in Ohio
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Minnesota, and TO ascertain either by n vote
OF each church, or paper circulated for sig
natures, wether the members of these church
es do or do not wish 10 be allied through
their respective Boards to slayeholdi1a
churches in the slave States, and that the re-
suit of this enquiry be laid before future
Convention.
8. That in order to enable said churche,
to decide on their duty inteligently, the prac,
teal working and the moral and religious
effect of slaveholding Home Missions nnon
the country and upon religion in general be
clearly stated TO them with the objections
taken by Convention to missions conducted
upon such principles ito wit.
(l.l That Mission Board which aids some
slayeholding churches procaims its willing.
ness TO allow slaveholding in all its churches
and that nothing but the laws of the free
States prevents the introduction of slavery
INTO all their churches, and that such Board
is slavery -propagating Board, and that the
secretaries, agents and appointing committees
OF Boards are engaged in propagating a
slayeholding Christianity which is at best but
a corruption Of the religion of Christ, and
therefore they are to be considered as breth-
rem walking disorderly and TO be Withdrawn
rom II they persevere after earnest and
faithful remonstranco.