Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-11
From the New York Independent
JUSTIFICATION OF SLAvEHOLDTNG IN
MISSIONARY CHURCHES.


4 .....
If anything can fill the mind with anguish, it is
to a great, sacred, and venerable Association,
such as the American Board, whose origin was in
such humble yet fearless faith and whose course
has been so illustrious and so marked with the ia,
of God, casting itself in the breach in defense
of the greatest iniquity that stained the relig
ion and benevolence of the Christian age. Z" The
people or the land have used oppression ard exer-
cised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy;
yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongtully.
And sought for man among them that should
make ur the hedge, and stand in the gap, before
me for the land that should not destroy it, but
found none. Her priests have violated my law
and put no difference between the holy and pro
fame. Her princes in the midst thereof are like
wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to
destroy souls, to get dishonest gain And her pro-
phets have daubed them with untempered mortar,
seeing vanity and divining lies unto them" The
sophstries of the apologists for slavery in the
Missionary Churches are among the completest
specimens of this untempered mortar ever offered
for the plastering and peace of tronbled corporate
consciences.
In the day of battle against slavery, these de-
tenders of it by the sanction of a Mission
ary piety present themselves! in reality as Sa.
tan's gap.men, not Gods. They occupy a
dangerous place, and the example of such special
pleading in behalf of this "accursed thing" bap.
tised in the name of Christ is in the last degree
corrupting to the conscience, and must prove dis
astrous the piety of the churches just far as
it is admitted among them
We have spoken freely and earnestly against
such an example in the Tract Society; God forbid
that we should keep silence it regard to it, or
connive at it, in the American board. where it is
more potent for evil, more destructive of good
In the defence of saveholding. if the Board suf
fers its njudcious friends to determine it in SO
dreadtully false position st must become more
positively guilty than the Tract Society," even if
occupying only the same ground.
But it cannot occupy the same ground, because il
has churches under its authority and care, and ad-
mits Shareholders TO them. In so doing its position
is worse than any that the Tract Society has ever
taken, for that Society has no churches under its
teaching, and is not directly responsible for their
morality. But the Board has, and admits slave
holding in them. The Tract Society does not
positively teach that slaveholding Is Christian
virtue, but refuses to say anything against it as a
sin. The Board has connection with it, and
positively sanctions it. The Tract Society sins by
omission, the Board by commission 1t is not very
consistent to be waging war against the Tract
Society for its sins of omission, and in the same
breath defending and justifying the American
Board for its sanction and support of slavery
among the Cherokee and Choctaw churches.
Indeed, beyond question, if the Tract Society
had one. two, or half dozen churches under its
own teaching and coutro with thirty seven slave
holders admitted to them, this tremendous fact
would be sounded as a tocsin the ringing of
thirty seven alarm bells would be as nothing to it
the thunders of pious invective would reverberate
from Aroostook to Tehuantepec The very de,
tenders of slavery in the churches of the Board
would launch such bombs of fiery indignation into
the Tract House, that the very raters of the build
ing would almost 60 off in flames Now, although
the Tract Society and the American Board hold
their centers Of operation in two different build.
ings, yet they are not quite so far asunder, thai
that which is sin in the one becomes holiness in
the other. The sanction of slavery in any way is
a great wckedness in both
To cover this wickedness, new discovery is
wrought out in morals. We are told that slavery
is admissible in the churches, and becomes an in
nocens thing, and slaveholding the mere exercise
Of Christian graces provided if be not defended
and Justified out Of The Bi6ie. 1t is good in any
church that does not bring the Bible to support it,
but heresy in any church that does The prac
lice of the sin itself is no heresy, if you let alone
The Bible but the defence of it out of the Bible
8 a heresy so damning that every such slavehod.
ng church ought to be cut off. Any man practic'
ng slavery without defending it in the abstract,
nay be received into the Christian church. but any
nan defending it out Of the Bible should be cut of.
lie may defend it by expedency. by the Law Of
owe, by jnstfaesory circumstances. and private
good intention, such as the missionaries of
IT the Board in connection with the Prudential
Committee may deem satisfactory evidence Of 0
'ious slaveholding, and he shall not be rejected,
'ut shall be admitted as a Christian stakeholder. s
lis slavehoiding does not mar nor initiate against
lis Christianity, but his Christianity sanctfes bis