Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-01-29

some of it's professed friends are its worst
enemies-they have gone to every possible
extreme, and taxed TO the utmost their ener-
gies, to wiring from its pages the sanction Of
every abominhhle crime that their selfish and
corrupt natures wished to indulge in. 1t is
true they have generally gone to the histori
cal portions of the Bible those parts least
binding upon cbristians,) for their argu-
ments in support of crime, aud by forced
aud foreign constructions, have succeeded in
many instances in leading the simple and
unwHry into dangerous aud wicked beliefs
concerning both tie Bible aud God. Could
] he persuaded TO the belief that the con-
struclions of modern doctors of divinity with
reference to certain portions of The Bible
are correct, aud Tia; the general tenor there
of was in harmony herewith, should he ms
ready Ms any of you TO reject il, and spurn
il rs n base iraud-but am not thus per-
suadcd. Aud think il you could but look
at this subject in its proper light, you would
see, that, though you have rejected the Bible,
jou have nevertheless received from it, oil
those incentives to do good-al those high
convictions of moral reciitude, aud all those
holy aspirations after God, that have from
iine to time moved upon the great deep Of
your souls, aud that had il not been for that
fact, you instead Of possessing those giant
minds, whose powers you now employ in
opposition to the Bible, you might have been
the merest s,ultliied pigmies that ever bore
the names of men. ! say this might have
been the ease. Had you aud your coadju-
tors taken firm hold of the Bible, years ago,
as your strong tower, aud brought its living
truths to bear against slavery, aud the other
systems of wrong against which you have
arrayed yourselves; would this day have
numbered ten-rerhars an hundred TO Que
of faithful laiorers in the right, aud those
towering systems of crime aud outrage
would ere this have trenlbled to their centre
before the power of Gods truth.
For to my mind, after giving 10 the hislor-
iral, ceremonial, aud judicial portions of tue
Bible, their proper places, aud after making
all due allowance for all the discrepancies,
false trnnslnions. intcrpolations and differ
ent readings so frequently spoken Of il is
nevertheless tic 4" sure word OF prophecy" The
Rule of faith aud practice TO all The humble
faithful followers OF the Sayiuur-he Cove
nont OF promises and blessings to all the
nations Of earth. When look into the fii-
lure und see your eHrnest Efforts to perpetu-
ate your position aud TO make il common,
think rec tlis movement wiIlial dying out
in iniary, as many similar onea huye in
other days; aud ing;ead Of the songs of the
slavr's jubilee, aud tho anthems Of peace
eobriety aud purity, enrnpiuriug the listen
ing tlrOngs of heaven mud earth, will he
heard the ratIlug chain and clunkiug letier-
the wild tones OF dcspair-lhe bloody wall
ings Of war, and the mocking of the uneaved
thousands, with one united voice bowling
forth the requium Of the most futnl move
meut ever engaged in 10y 80 many giant
minds aud instead of eternal gory -wrestls
cr0wniag your heads, aud millions rising up
aud blessing you Ms the faithful toilworn
laborers in the right, all the sad realities
of II misspent life and of misappIied tuIcuis,
will settle down upon your names. may
he mistaken in this, hut thus judge in the
case, from the nniure Of your position MS set
forth in the resolutions. ! have had many
things TO regret in my life, but do regret
most of nJlhiag ,ha, has occurred the po-
sitinn on have ,uken.
We us comeouters, have long been called
iufideI, hut thought unjustly. Thousands
of times hive been called an infdel, (when
in fact, had embraced no infdel doctrine
proper,) aud always threw off the charge
as hest could, by coniessing myself infidel
to slaveholdiug and fighting religion. |
have also defended personally ngnins, the
charge of infidelhy, many of the names that
see in the proceedings of the Convention
taking the ground that you were not nlidel
to the doctrines md principles of christianity
proper, bnt infdcl to the false teachings, aud
false religions of the day. This I did in
most cnses in all good conscience, but some
times feared that some of my coneouIer
brethren were going as;ray from the good
path. But can defend you in this sense
no longer, aud OF course you cannot desire
thar l should-you have published your po-
silion 10 the world, ard it is inidel in the
odious sense of the term; or at least, so
understand il. The Bible, Christ aud christ
isniy, all 20 10y the board in your position,
so far rs their authenticity, inihIIibili'y, aud
perpeluiiy, as rule OF faith aud practice
mny he concerned. II WIS 10y belief in the
Bible as rule, that frs, induced me to seek
God, and the same belief has led me to take
every important positionl have ever occupied.
Had !, not been for my faith in the import.