The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-02-14
RAvENNA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY IA, 1855

one which counts IFS victims By millions
one which taints and enfeebles the great
body Of cur religion, and which corruPts our
statesmen, pollutes and turns aside from its
proper end the, ballot box--and one which
hardens the heart Of the people, and crowds
the ranks Of skePticism, THis is sin, that
is not once alluded to in any Of the millions Of
pages that come from these presses. Before
any tract or book goes to these presses for
print, il is carefully examined, and every
word, or sentence that even intimdtes the sin
-fulness Of slavery, is carefully expunged--
several instances of this kind have already
occurred. Now is it any wonder that under
such policy, Slavery has kept pace with the
increase Of religious books, and tracts in our
land. The truth is, the very silence of these
publications, on the subject of Slavery. con-
stituteS one of the main life springs of the
system.
But another Gospel instrumentality, is the
law of Christian discipline. This law was
given by Christ TO his Church, as test of
Christian character, and was faithfully to be
applied, as such, for the defence and protee-
ton Of her purity, and honor. .....
This law then is a Gospel instrumentalty
for maintaining the broad distinction which
exits between the Church Of Christ and the
world. Hence, when this law is broken
down, and wicked men are admitted to the
Church, this distinction is obliterated. And
I if there is not true piety enough in the
Church to restore that law, it may then be
said "the salt has lost its savor."
Let US then enquire how this law mas been
used in reference to the sin of Slavery. Has
it been applied to exclude this sin from the
Church! The fact that there are thousands
of Shareholders in the great leading denom-
nations. and in the Missionary Boards is a.
bundant proof that it has not. 49,.
And what is still worse, Showing the nb.
scence Of the salt,) such an application OF
this law cannot be secured. All these Dro-
slavery bodies, have settled down upon the
policy Of receiving shareholders into their
churches, and all the efforts to effect q
change have been in vain. .... .....
The American Board after a full discus.
sion ofthe matter ten years ago, at Brooklyn
deliberately adopted this policy, and to il
they still adhere. And it was the adoption
of this policy at that time, chat caused the
formation Of the American Missionary Asso.
citation, which took the opposite grou nd, oI
shutting Shareholders out of the church.
Some have thought that the American Board
at its last meeting, in Hartford, Conn.,, took
advanced ground, and that now, not much
If any difference existed between its position
Z, and that or the American Missionary Asso
ciation But the facts in the case, and sub
sequent developments show that they ar
just as far apart, in their policy Of action a
ever. 1t il true that at the last meeting o
the American Board, there was more deci
, ded talk, and expression Of feeling agains
slavery than ever. But there was no chang
made from that policy of action which they
adopted ten years ago. This policy wa
that of building up Missionary churches o.
the principle Of admitting shareholders int
their communion.
| The same is their policy now ; proved t
be such by recent statement of one OF thei
own secretaries, Mr.. TREAT,
Mr.. TREAT has charge Of the Indian Mia
3 sions, where Shareholders are admitted int
the churches. few years ago, he made
, report on the state Of that mission, in whic
i he Recommended to the Board a certain pol
, icy Of action with regard to it.
This policy the Board is said to have adoF
ted at its last meeting, which some thin
D was step in advance Of their former pos
. ton. Now what was that policy thus adop
: ed, as defined BY secretary TREAT himself
D When asked through the public press whstl
er the policy which he had recommended il
cluded the idea that Shareholders were TO
!. excluded from the Mission Church, his dll
tinctive reply was, "no." The Board the
d on this point stards now just where it
' ways has. IT continues to act on the prir
d ciple of building up slaveholding churches
t And what prospect is there that it will eve
e act OH any other principle, so long as it n
tains slaveholders among its honorary an
T. corporate members They will not b
: likely to insist upon higher standard Of az
!. ton in the Mission Churches than they hay
h among themselves. The American Beai
s then refuses TO adopt that law Of Christ
v house, which q excludes slavery from Il
IS Church, slt ,'Hg,7D }at5a.h aa' H. sGTazGN
;. II The same thing 10 true of all the religiol
j. bodies that are in fellowship with this sin:-
!. They refuse to adopt as their rule Of actit
is the law Of christian discipline which exsl
!, des il from the church. Attempts ha'
Is been made at their regular meetings toi
,e duce them to adopt thisalaw of action. & B
IL they have hitherto been in vain. ~ .1's'h , !
, -a,At,the last general conference OF the ]
Ie e. Church north, held as Boston, an effort
is this kind was made, ahdit was matter
= encouragement to the friends Of pure chr
1t tianity that So many in that body. voted t
b the rule to exclude slayehoiders from, 4
ct church And there would be some no
81 that the anti-slavery feeling in that bod