Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-06-06

they would force the Southern churches to with.
uraw. When he entered the church he was con.
nec,ed with the institution Of slavery-he was not
toio That fact was in any way to affect his position
as a minister. 1t was idle TO TO tell him that the
General Assembly had repeatedly expressed its
condemnation of slavery-such action was and al.
ways had been an ueurpation of power. If the
organic law was to be changed or modified, let il
be done in the proper way, by sending an over.
ture TO the different Presbyteries on the subject
and thus settle the question. All present action
OF the Assembly would be in the nature of au ca
posi- .Jdcto law. They could not hurl members out
OF the church who came in by the door of the Con.
stitution.
The question was 'is il heresy, according to
the Bible, to hold slaves" The ASSUMPTION that
Abraham merely held slaves as compensation of
labor tor debt, was gratuitous assumption; was it
not distinctly stated the slave is your money"
and that to murder q slave was not the same as to
XIII o freeman on that accountf Moses says 1.-THE
slave shall be unto you as an inheritence." That
was not to be considered rs q simple statement
:rom Moses--it was from God, who was Moses
master. The true doctrine was that we should
take what God says, whether it agrees with our
own peculiar views or not. God required his child
to love him because he was right. Would God
have authorized Moses to have sanctioned the hold.
ing OF slaves as property if it were not rightP The
brother Mr.. Guthrie) talked about it being wrong
to interpret by dwelling upon isolated words or
passages-letu US have no twisting-let US have the
thing ITSELF 1t has to be shown that the two
passages referred to did not recognize the holding
of slaves as property, before it could be established
that God condemned il. The question was u po-
litical question, and the Savior had settled the
question of the %propriety of bringing political
questions into the church when he said, ''render
unto Caesar that which is Caesars, &c." The po.
sition was, although this tribute does not belong
to Cesar. yet we pay it to him-that is O political
matter with which we have nothing to do. Was
the institution of slavery in the land, political or
religiousP 1t did not arise in the church-they
had nothing to do with its establishment-it was
Cesar's business. Had the early founders of the
church ever intimiiated that it was to be brough.
into the church? that it was ON evil they expected
to rectify. Suppose it was conceded that it was
wrong in itself, was there anything to justify
their taking it upf Did they say in order to be-
come religiously free you must be politically free ?
The Biblo said you 1.-THE masters) must use this
power for good-you must look upon the slave as
your brother-you must render unto him that
which is just and equal" Does that mean give
him bis liberty? Just and ~equal"-that means
do that which is right in the relation contemplated.
What did it soy to tho servan.?-that he must
rebel and run away-no THE invariable language
was, Servants obey your masters"
Mr.. D. then read from the 9th chapter Of Pauls
epistle to the Ephesians:
Also from Paul's epistle to the Colossians:
Servants, obey in all things your masters &c.
cording to the flesh; not with eye service as men,
pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God"
That means to serve them with good will-will.
ingly.
Also from Paul's epistle to Timothy:
LET as many servants as are under the yoke
count their own masters worthy Of all honor, that
the name of God and his doctrine be not BIAS
phemed. And they that have BELIEVING masters,
let them not despise them, because they are breth.
rem; but rather do them service, because they are
faithful and beloved, p%artakers of the benefit"
How was a servant to honor his master?-by
running away?-by rebelling against him?-Com.
pare the teachings of modern abolitionism with
the Scriptures on this point. Paul taught just
what the Southern masters teach;-if they were
not apostolic, let it be shown? 1t had been said
Slavery was n blot upon the church and the country
in his opinion the agitation of Slavery was q
greater blot. Itiwould bring them in conflict with
the politicalepowers, and convict them of m~eddling
with o subject not belonging to religion. He
would compare the church to q ship. The winds
and tempests Of agitation had tossed the ship to
and fro, driving her from the true course, till now
they had brought her where two seas meet, and I'M
less the anchor Of bible truth be thrown out she
must 60 to pieces. The effect of this agitation at
the South was to remove the negro further from the
sympathy of his master and the influence of relig-
ion, and to exasperate the feeling of the MASTER
When a young man be was invited by six slave
holders in his locality to preach to their slaves in
their quarters-now it would be rs much ae his
head was worth to preach to a congregation Of
slaves there. This was the result of agitation
The servant had been Injured by this agitation,
and the master. The leaven of piety was not al.
lowed to diffuse itself among the slaves. The re-
ligion of Christ was calculated to abolish Slavery
by bringing the slave. as soon as possible, to the
point where it would be best for him to be free
this agitation had opened dissention in the church,
and it was constantly getting wider. A part Of
the church was Observation-Disclosures we're
fhrOWn 0uk nhOnt pnoa nf AiSa,pl ina --tha
South is reproved--rebuked He considered these
assertions and threats the essence Of ecclesiastical
arrogance. What good result could be reached in
this way! 1t would break up all ntercourse-and
consume time and energy. With regard to the
bible, and the proper rule of Interpretation, we
must take it as it was, without reference to indi-
vidual views and convictions. The proof of the
truth of the bible did not exist in the application
OF such tests: it consisted in the miracle--where
something was done which man could not do
this proved it to be of God, and We we're required
to square our views by it 10 the letter. The rule
advocated by Mr.. Guthrie would run into ~infdelity.
The bible said Ego and preach the gospel to ev-
cry creatuIe"--this agitation would not let it be
done. Missionaries were driven off the ground
How was the Soth ever to be brought to Christ if
the church withdrew its aid because o. Slavery
How would they send them the gospel? Why did
no Northern members come there and preach to
them if they were SO wicked? "a yOice-we can
not 60 there and preach the uchole gospsl!)
Mr.. Dickersou--"why2
Beply-"our heads would come OFF"
Mr.. Dickerson--''is not the the blood of the
martyrs the seed Of the church ?"
They should 90 and preach even if their lives
were endangered. Were they only to preach tbs
gospel when it was safe? But no one had
lost his head for preaching the gospel in the South
there was no danger of it. He would CONCLUDED
by urging the Assembly to hesitate before taking
action that would bring disaster upon the church
and the cause Of God.
NINTH DAY.
MORNING SESSION.
The order Of the day being the unfinished bust.