The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-08-27

everywhere 10 upTIOb every nronS ~
heal every malady; to elevate all peo
Pile; TO restore every right to injured
man but it proposes to do it maturely
naturally, quietly, peaceably, yet surely
1t, however, does not propose absurdi
ties-it does not propose to giVo legisla
tion and the duties and functions of civil
government into the hands of The weak
and ignorant. Sometimes this does w
fortunately happen, that weak and ign9
rant men do rule for the time being.
but it does not long continue.
The gospel, on the other hand, pro
poses to strengthen and enlighten all
men, that they may all be participants
iu the government of the world. It
does not, however, propose to invest
men with legislative rights, without ca
pacity to perform legislative duties. Ii
proposes the moral elevation of the
whole human family there political i'm;
munities will follow as consequence,
in some form or other, but they never
can preeede it. The duty of the church
is plain, clear, and explicit one to use
moral means simply for the consumma-
tion of this great object, contemplated
by the gospel itself.
How shall this te done How shall
the Christian church relieve the spirit
ual wants Of the whole fallen race of
man, rs she finds it diversified in its deg
radiation, as it is ruined in the fall
In Africa the races are buried in the
very depths of crime and wretchedness,
as dead body enshrouded in the gleo<
my habiliments of debasing idolatry aud
terrible superstition, not even the dim
starlight of heather philosophy sheds a
glimmering ray upon their pathway.
Asia, more refined, is pagan and Ma
hommedan 10 its religious belief. Chi
IA, with her vast population, is essen
TALLY Wi,hout God. India has millions
to save or to be left to perish. And to
all of these countries the Gospel oi
Christ is being sent. And in every one
of them individual slavery exists, and
other governmental wrongs which are
not in harmony with individual rights.
Despotisms aud aris.oeracies exist, that
rob the lahorer of his hire, the man OF
his citizenship; indeed, they deny to
the Christian his right to worship Christ.
What do our churches propose to do ?
Do they propose to send men there to
assail the existing arms of government,
aud make war upon their social system
or do they send them out to perish and
die in preaching the benevolent Gospel
of Christ to the people ? Do they as
sumo that the government is the cause
of th' 8, evils, or do they not rather af-
firm that the government is necessary
result of the evil, and the only means Of
restraining and controlling these vari-
Gus classes of population and do they
not propose to go to work to remove the
great evil, the great cause, by the Cos
pei of Christ, the heaven appointed
remedy. Why not then apply the same
remedies to the evils of slavery? Who
believes that the black population could
enjoy liberty, or be controlled by diff
ferent system of governments inaugura-
ted at once Who believes that it
would be good policy to set loose from
proper guardianship, without forecast
or providence in their habits of life,
four millions of men, and women, and
children, freed from the only restraints
which can control such a people? Who
will advocate the immediate abolition
of slavery in the country? Very few
indeed Well, until slavery is abolish
ed slaves must have masters, and the
question is to be determined by the
Episcopal church whether this privilege
shall be denied to the slave. Whether
a master shall be expelled for holding q
slave, or whether it is his duty in this
relation to abandon him to a cruel
master, who acknowledges no responsi-
bility to God.
But, to go back further, the church
did not make slavery; it was the civil,
not the ecclesiastical, law which d.
clares, defines, secures, and enforces,
the whole system of slavery. 1t will
then require civil law to change that re-
lation. But men tell us that the con-
sciences of church members will not toll
crate slavery in the same church with
them, and, therefore, shareholders should
b, excluded from church membership.
What is the real state of the case ? Is
it not this, that the Methodist Episco-
pal church found slavery here, and, in
the spirit of the gospe', commenced teach
ing the gospel as a system, without re-
gard to the existing state of society, and
did good, and blessed the country that
was her mission, and sho- fought for
years, and has covered herself with glo-
ry. But new malconteuts are growing
uneasy with her present church law.
Who are they? Not the rank and file
of the membership; not that self-deny-
ing body of men who are sacrificing lite
and the most common comforts of life
to preach Christ, and who are followed
by a continual revival of religion, and
who bring to the fold of the church
thou sands of honest Christian men each
succeeding conference year.
These agitators are the book men OF
the church, who, to make employment
for themselves, are seeking to change
the whole phase of the present system
of methodism. Who are quite tired OF
the Z" old fashioned style of things. =
Doctors of Divinity who would sicken
the church that they might minister to
its health. Physicians who make their
own patients and adopt their own reme-
dies.
But what have these brethren in view?
Is it their intention, if they can, to
abolish slavery? To this they answer.
uniformly, no. What, then, is intended
Simply to let no good man hold a slave ;
or, in other words, by the gospe! Of
Christ and the grace Of God, they pro-
pose to rob the black man of the right
of being lunder the law the slave of a
Christian master; or, in other words,
inasmuoh as that be is doomed to slave.
~, do they propose that he shall be the
property of an unconverted man. Who