Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-11
Religious of LatitudeS.

| of duty and obligation.
 | The strongest of those of spiritual and 1 ecclesiastical nature, consisted in the unity of the great religious denominations, all of which originally embraced the whole Union. All these denominations, with the exception, per | hats, of the Catholics, were organized very much upon the principle of our political instltu- | tionS; beginning with smaller meetings corres- ! bonding with the political divisions of the coun- i try, their organization terminated in one great central assem- blaze, corresponding very much with the character of Congress. At these meet ngs, the principal clergymen and lay members of the respective denominations from all parts 1 of the Union, met to transact business relating to their common concerns. It was not confined 1 to what appertained to the doctrines and disci- | pline of the respective denominations, but ex- 1 tended to plans for disseminating the Bible, l cstabi ishina missionaries, distributing tracts, and 1 of establishing presses for the publication of tracts, newspapers, and periodicals, with a view of diifusing religious information; and for the l support of the doctrines and creeds of the de- 1 nomination. All this combined, contributed greatly to strengthen the bonds of Union. The strong ties which held each denomination to- gether formed strong cordsto hold the whole | Union together; but, a. powerful as they were, they have not been able to resist the explosive effect of slavery agitation.
 i The first of these cords which snapped under l its explosive force was that of the powerful Methodist Episcopal church. The numerous and strong ties which held 1t together, all are broke; and its unity gone. They now form | separate churches, and, instead of that feeling of attachment and devotion. to the interests of the whole chuch which was formerly felt, 1 they now arrayed into two hostile bodies, en- gagged in litigation about what was formerly their common property.
 The next cord that snapped was that of the Baptists, one of the largest and most respectable of the denominations. That of the Presbyte- rian is not entirely snapped, but some of its strands have given away. That of the Episco- 1 pal church is the only one of the four great 1 Protestant denominations which remains unbro- | ken and entlre."
 The General Assembly of the New School l Presbyterian church met at Cleaveland, Ohio, and by their action on the subject ot slavery l forced the south to withdraw.
 The southern representatives met recently at 1 Knoxville, and among other things published its Declaration of pnciples," from which we make the following extract:
 "As slaveholdiug, or the relation between master and slave, is not referred to in the con | lessiou of laitn either directly or indirectly, as offence, it cannot in itself considered, in any case, 1 be made the basis of dtsc pline n the Preshyte- l riau church. At the same time, we declare the right of the church courts to take coguizance, in their judicial capacity, of erueltes practiced in ] this and other relations iu life. The confession of faith gives to church judicatorles the power ] 10 discipline members of the church. for cruel ties, whether they occur iu the parental or any other relation, implying in the language of the confession, superors and interiors.
 lnasmuch slave lplders were admitted into ] the churches organized by the Apostles, and as neither Christ nor his Apostles iutimated that | the slavehOidlng relation was q sin, although | they lived iii the midst of the institution, and cnloucd upon masters to treat their slaves with 1 kindness, 1t follows, necessarily hat church court that makes sllveholdiu5ia ia any case, bar l 10 commuuion is S.usurpins authority that be- ! iouGs only to the Great Head of the church. i Such court would ba le1isafug where Christ ha, Hot lesisIated. It would be prescribing terms of membership, which the Son of God l himself did not prescribe. The Synod denes i that any ecclesiastical judicaory has the power
 
 Christ or his Apostles recognized, when placed 1 In similar circumstances respects the eXls- tence Of the slavehodn- relation.
 Inasmuch as neither the Savior nor his 4 pos ties intimatcd that the slaveholdiug relation was sinful, and as they dll rot remove slave holders from the church by legislation or bv testitying against it; and, further, as the system oi slavery Is an inslituton of the State, its con- Cr loli the will of the State, irres pectve of the views or dec sons of church couit-, t is the judgment of this Synod that the discussion or agitation of slavery in the judicatores of the church, except so far as respects the moral and el.iou, du- ues growing ont of the relation of master and slave, is lnappr1 1priate to the functions of sad judlcatorIes. Fms Synod representing Presby- terie, that have withdrawn from thcir former ecclesiastical conuecton because of the repeated and unconstitutional action on slavery bv the General Assembly, therefore declares that uu- der the present constitution of the Pre,byterian church, the agitation of slavery in any of our judlchories, Q. further than pertains to the moral aud rell -,lous duties, arising from the relation would be inconsistent with the design of our withdrawal from our former connection, and in forming a organization. Whilst then we
 
 Presbyterian church. believing that as it now stand> the spirit of 1t is against the agitation of sIayeAolding ii the church, we express the opiu- lOn chat those who unite Mith Us, will be under d moral ob 5atou 50 long as the constitution remains as l. is to exclude slavery, the agitation of which has already divided three large de- nominations in this country, d subject of dis cussion from he churct courts.
 Eutnrt aEava vfaV,s and 1ieCl ir all responsibility for, and indorsemeut of the ac- tions, resolutions and testnm ,nes of the past General Assemblies of the Presbyterian church, whereby suspicious of the doubts of the good standing and equal rights and privileges of the slaveholdiug members; ;o! the church, CT mpllca tions or charges against their christian character have been either implied or expressed, this United Synod is organized And to avoid mis- apprehensions of our position, we hereby ex- press the wish that Presbyteries, from eUery sec ton of tue Union-who adopt the w estmihister confession of faith as their system of doctrine aud adhere to its form of government and book of discipline, and who, whate yer may be ther opinions of slavery civil institution believe that the relation of master and servant should be 10 bar to membership in the church of Christ, and that the agitation of the question of slave ry, further tha. pertains to the performance of the duties which the scriptures state as imposed upon the master and the slave is inappropriate to the functions of the church, and therefore ought not to be introduced into the church courts-should unite with our body. and thus ald in the diffusion of the truths of our common christianity, free from agitation that has al- ready resulted in the dismemberment of sever al evangelical churches, aud threatens still fur tber to divide the body of Christi
 The American Tract Society, composed of members of different denominations north and south, has also parted in twain.
 The northern members seem to have accom- plished all moral reforms and left no sin to be reauked but that which they choose to term the sin of slavery. Acting on this they attempt ed to publish anti-slavery tracts, discussion ot which led to the rupture. Perhaps, now that they have leisure that may find some sins nearer home, and that they have not quite reached the acme of perfection