Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-06-06
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
SIXTY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PRESBYTERIAN q

The General Assembly of the New School Pres.
byterian Church once declined to hold annual SEES
ions for the sake of escaping the discussion and
agitation Of the slavery question, and its Doctors
of Divinitr as we recollect gravelyi thanked God
that =. tl9He at least they were free from this az
itation. TRis year the Southerners have driven the
northern e~uietists to the wall, and whether they
would or 70. they have been compelled to speak
out and at least seem to do something. For exam
pie such action as the following by the Shiloh
Presbytery of Tennessee, could not well DO tolera,
ted in silence by the Ministers of Northern Ohio
The popular sentiment of the oommunitics where
they preach would not permit it. This <ssdlGtion
was adopted by the Tennessee Presbytery on the
goth of April last.
Resolved, unanimously, that in the ~iudgmen,
of this Presbytery, the further agitation of this
question can not result in good, either to the North
Or to the South. 1t tends TO produce alienation
and strife, and mutual distrust. While the Word
of God and the constitution of our church re-
main what they are, no charges of moral obliqut-
ty, arising out of the relationship existing between
master and servant, can reach the judgment or
the conscience Of the ministry and the churches
80 as to induce them to abandon the relationship
as sinful, or to submit to any Discipline on that &C.
count. This PresbytGry regard it Us an unques-
tionable fact, that the public mind in the South is
this day more fully assured that the relation be-
tween master and servant is recognized and sane
toned by the Word of God than it has been at
perhaps any former period since the. agitation of
this question commenced in the General Assem-.
bly,"
Northern Presbyteries have continued their
Union with the slave holders under the pretence
Of converting them from the error of their ways.
But this declaration of the Shiloh Presbytery looks
as though they had succeeded but very indifer-
emily ,|inasmuch as tbs south is this day more fully
assured that the relation of Master and servant is
recognized and sanctioned by the word Of God
But that which especially compelled the Assem-
bly, to action at this time was an insolent bravado
offered to the Anti-slavery Presbyterians by the
Presbytery of Lexington South, Miss.
Some time since the synod of the Western Re-
serve commenced or was about to have commenced
ing.On Presbytery, for the offence of slave-holding.
Mr.. Holley's Death occurred subsequent to that
action, whereupon.
"The Presbytery of Lexington South, Miss,
in a tribute to the memory of Rev. VIM. E. Holley
adopted unanimously. say:
Whereas, 1t is desirable that said Synod,
(Western Reserve and and others holding SINH
lar views, should clearly, understand the true posi-.
ton of the co Presbyters Of the deceased, who
hold slaves and
Whereas, There are other ministers of said
Presbytery who are Shareholders in the same way
the deceased was-holding them under the belief
that according to the Bible it is, right, and also
nearly all the Ruling Elders, in the churches un-
der the care of this Presbytery are shareholders
believing it to be, according to the Old and New
Testament Scriptures, right: while q large major
ity of the members who are property holders are
shareholders, believing that it is right, and
Whereas, if Mr.. Holly was guilty of an offence
to be disciplined, the Presbytery is in the same
condemnation and cannot try itself
BE ii ReSokred, That in tho matured opinion Of
this Presbytery, as Mr.. lIolley has been removed
by death, and some of his living co Pres5yters are
open to the same charge as he, it is our duty to
make known the above facts to said Synod, and all
others. if. there be any holding the same views
and to ask said Synod. thro' the Commissioner Of
its Presbytery to the next Assembly, to transfer
said charge from the dead to the living and urge
upon that Assembly TO direct the Synod Of Miss
issippi to proceed against this Presbytery accord
ing to the Book Of Discipline, il it believes it gull.
ty Of an offence.
RESOLVED, That q copy of the above be sent i'm.
meeiatly to the Stated Clork of said Synod, and to
the COMMITTEE Of Bills and O~yertures of the next
Assembly.
This is the basis of the action Of the present
assembly and which initiated the following pro.
~ceedibgs and discussion. The anti-slayery men,
bers of the Assembly evidently could not without
the grossest disrespect to their own professions
refuse to meet this challenge.
We have greatly abridged the Report. though
II now occupies more room than we Designed.