Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-11
THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH
TIE SEPARATION FROM SINNERS.

The reluctance manifested by all classes of the
north to separate themselves from the com panion-
ship Of Shareholders, present one of the most strik'
ing evidences Of the moral blindness with which
this people are afflicted, by their completely
with this iniquity of Slaveholding. Politicians
acknowledge the damning influence Of the Union
politically, socially, and pecuniari!y. They un,
hesitatingly pronounce Slavery a curse, and yet
cling to it as the choicest of Heaven blessings
The church proclsims sllvery the essence and
scum Of oil crine-denounces shareholders as the
chief of sinners, and threatens them; in the name
of the Lord, with all the curses of the second
death, and at the same time their conferences,
associations, and Presbyteries are recognized as
"meLnbers Of the body of Christ" and individual
Shareholders are received and bonored as worthy
representatives of the principles Of the gospel Of
Jesus. No other sin and no other sinners are
treated in this manner. Other sinners are expelled
from church communion, but the presence Of these
is coveted and cherished. To purchase it the
churches sacrifice honor and consistency, and
make utter shipwreck of moral principle. For
twenty-five years past, no evil has been so helm
Gus in thoir eyes as that which threatens to dis,
turb the peaceful communion with these slave.
u NV Az w tbioC III ny ttllDE II
truth constitutes a crime worse than the rankest
heresy-worse than falsehood or hypocricy.-
Hence it has come to pass, that all who have dared
to tell tho truth of the relations of the church to
slavery have BEEN at once, and for this canse,
branded and published as infdels and treated to
that persecution and utilization which hypocricy
and bigo;ry have always apportioned to the faith
full and the morally courageous.
Judging from the past, and from the nature of
things, we expect to see no distinguished success
attendant upon this present warfare upon slavery
SO long as this practical attachment to it and union
with it continues. 10 make their moral power felt,
more must come out from the iniquity they de.
nounce and be seperate from the sinners they
anathemise. This truth is happily gaining pos
session of the public mind, and Just in proportion
as hearty anti-slavery entimen gains tue ascen.
dency it also prevails.
An encouraging evidence of the increase Of thor
ough abolitionism among the people, is found in
the recent dissolution Of the Union between slave,
holders and non-slavebolders in the Methodist
Protestant Church. The popular sentiment among
the laity of that church became SO humare and
really christian in character as to demand of the
slaveholding sinners in its communion repentance
and the forsaking Of their iniquity. When this
reasonable request was declined, not without some.
thing of 3hat cool impertinence which usually
characterises the communication of shareholders,
aud especially of pious Shareholders, 1.-The Northern
Protestant Methodists had the self respect and NOR
al principle to eparate themselves from their con.
;umaciously SHINING brethren. They now present
the noble, and in this country the rare spectacle OF
a church which prefer purity, and righteousness
before numbers which seems really to have faith
in moral principle, rather than in a mob of slave,
holding COMMITMENTS. Such an example, though
this denomination is comparatively feeble and I'm
influential, will an hundred fold increase it's moral
power and make it as a city set upon q hill whose
light cannot be hid.
Rev. Cyrus Prindle, editor of the WESLEYAN was
present at the Convention in Springfield, o when
this question was decided. lie gives in his paper
OF the 24th ult, an account OF the final vote upon
the question which we subjoin. From this it will
be seen that the Convention was almost unanimous
in it's decision. and that the ministers were great
y encouraged and sustained in this action By the
good sense, moral principle and decided purpose oil
the laiety of the Church. The ministry indeed ia
the course of the discussion of this question, de
clared they were driven to this alternative by thu
decided opposition of their members to O union
with persistent slave holders. They demanded
preemptorily, either the abandonment of slavehol
ding or a withdrawal from the communion of slave
holders. The result of this popular demand has
been just what j. will DO in every other similar
case. 1t has been needed.
Will these Methodist protestant disuuionist.
now apply this principle to the government which
has been so successful in their Church We could
hope SO though from their silence on this sub,
ject, and from the fact Weslyans, Free Presbytiri,
ans, Ceceders and Quakers, who recognize tho force
Of the principle in the Church, but are blind as
moles to it's application to the State, we fear the
Protestant Meihsdists will content themselves
with this partial severance of their pro slavery re,
latisns. ...t .f,.It
The Wesleyan says: .r
THE deed is c~onsummsted 1.-The vote is past
and the Conferences represented. some sixteen in
number, with a single exception, have declared