Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-11-08

NEGROES AND RELIGION.
TIE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT THE sOCTT

TIE EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT THE SOUTH.
NEGROES AND RELloiov,-We have not met
lately a richer piece Of satire than the following
from the New York Tribune. a General Conyen-
ton of the Protestant Episcopal Church was
lately held in Philadelphia which probably
suggested the important facts SO naively
embodied in this article. Another question
which came before this body, says the Tribune,
was this (which has already proved so embarrass-
ing to many Of our American church organiza-
tions-the question to wit, whether q Christian
brother, communicate, perhaps Deacon or Pres.
byter, who happens to be black-or if not decided
ly black, to have a portion, moro or less, Of African
blood in his vcins-the question whether euch q
Christian brother and COMMUNICATE is fit to be
believed upon oath"
This is indeed no question in the Southern
Church, 1t without exception so far as we know
decides that church members Of the oppressed
class though good christians, and worthy Of church
fellowship, oven with the patriarchs, orc not to be
believed on ,heir oath before a church judicatory.
the Methodist Episcopal Church, more fortunate
than her Protestant Episcopal sister long ago
settled her general policy on this question, by
decreeing the reception Of such testimony by the
ecclesiastical courts, as the civil courts admit in
the States when trials take place A most happy
method at once of Submitting to and fostering
public sentiment whether right or wrong. 10 this
facile spirit of accommodation to public sentiment
is attributable the popular character Of our
churches.
MEMORIAL.
To tie General Convention Of tic Protestant Epjsco.
pal Church in tie United States Of America
RtGnr REVEREND AND REVEREND Fathers AND
BRETHREN:
We pray leave to address you on n subject of
the prOfoundest interest to our beloved Church,
and particularly to her Southern Dioceses.
The inscrutab!e DEGREES of Providence have com
nitted to us the chagre in things spiritual as we'll
as temporal of the colored biped mammalia, now
several millions in number, who are dOmiciied
among us. You know with what pious vigilance
and devout fidelity our Zion has cherished and
protected these black and yellow lambs of the
flock, striving ever to keep them from going astray
and to make them daily more abundant in good
works. We have indeed labored without ceasing,
and not wholly in vain, to make those thus en-
trusted to our Christian rule, good and faithful
servants sparing no means that could promote
this our goodly GndeavOr. To keep them unspot.
ed from an unbeiieving world we have denied our
selves the happiness Of sharing with them our
stores Of p%rofane knowledge, and have made ii q
felony to teach them 10 read. That they
might not he hindered in running the race
that is set before them, we have forbidden them to
cumber themselves with worldly goods, and to re-.
tain even the fruits of their daily labor, and we
have ourselves borne the ADDED burden without
complaining. The task of Notifying The flesh
and bringing it into subsection, which even the
great apostle Of The %gentiles was compelled to per
form for himself, we have taken off ;beir hands
and performed Tor them. That ihoy might learn
not to set their hearts on things Of this world,
(which nnsSeth away like Il shadow we have
ordained that their domestic ties should he tran
silent, and that they, with or without their wives
and children, be kept in free circulation as the basis
of trade. And we have labOred generally, in the
spirit of Christian love, to asSimilate them to that
order of created beings which is commended in
Holy Writ as superior even to the favored people
of old, for that lit knoweth its master"
And thus we may say, without b~oastinG, that
the Christian graces of humility, long-sutlerinG,
aud submission to wrong $50 difficult Of attain
ment) are nowhere manifested on a larger scale
than by this generation, though by nature stiff.
necked and untractable. And it is indeed a blessed
thought TIL. these biped millions, who might at
this day have been herGing with their families
about them, in contented degradation, .
"wicre Africs sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sands
and bowling down before Mumbo-Jumbo, or Baal,
or that hideous idol Boo-Ghoo-Boo, now sit where
tho light Of Evangelical truth and Apostolical or
der shines on those who own them ana where they
uhils NNih tlihb ui HIiP ~ 1IhIAclJ SuliCo Iipii
God alone, and not from man.
But to make the system Of the Church more self
consistent and harmonious, and 50 adapt her min.
istrations to these tender lambs Of her flock and to
Southern Churchmen, We hold certain changes in
in her liturgy and Discipline to be Indispensable.
Our attention to this subject has been specially
awakened by the introduction during your present
session at philadelphia of O Canon" ahsurdly
miscalled "of Discipline" so ignorantly and mis-
chievously framed we would tain believe without
nctual m%alignlty of plrpose) that under its pro
posed provisions. q dozen or more mulatto (not 70
say negro) COMMITMENTS, if unfortunately eye
witnesses Of the commission of a crime by a dea-
con or p%resbyter might actually have been admit
ted to testify to the fact, and thus to subvert the
whole social and political fabric Of Virginia or
South Carolina. Though this insane and unchris-
tian novelty (which disturbed our pcace) was
promptly rejected by n unanimous Southern vote,
the mere fact that it was put forward is enough to
suggest gloomy toreSodings, and entities us to de-
mand of the Church securities of the future, ard
such changes in her Ritual and Order as shall suit
both to Southern institutions. Can it be doubted
that communicates not credible under oath re-
quire a special Liturgy?
1t is to be observed that the whole Prayer. book
is intended for homogeneous congregations of re-
sponsible beings capable of forming domestic ties
and enjoying personal rights. 1t is, therefore, as
a whole, unfit for congregations where the front
pews own the free sittings-assemblages composed
in varying proportions Of two classes Of Chris
tians, one of which bought the other yesterday,
and may sell it tomorrow.
But, waving this for the present, certain prom
inent details require immediate change.
For example, the promise and vow Of the mar
riage service II, NJ, take thee, N, to be my
welded husband, to have and to hold y = TIL
death doth as part." is a m~ockery when uttered by
one Of this beloved but subordinate race. We can
not bear thus to put unreal words into the mouths
of those so dear to US. 1t should be amended to
read "till death, or my owner, his executors, ad-
administrators or a~ssignees do US part" So, too,
the demand, wilt thou,-, keep thee only unto
him SO long as ye both shall live ?" and the answer
Il will" should be improved by adding to tue
words II will" some form of pr0testG@do reserv-