The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-20


States Government In returning to perpetual
bondage fellow-mas, contrary to the spirit
and teaching of our holy religion, and the ex-
press command of God himself recorded in
Deuteronomy, XIII, 18th and 10th verses,
Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the
servant which is escaped from his master unto
thee &C.: And whereas we believe that when
human law conflicts with the divine law, it be-
comes the duty of Christians to so separate
themselves from connection with its execution
that they shall not be found among the pur-
suers Of weak and defenceless fugitiyes: And
whereas the law of Christ, as ye would that
men should do unto you, do ye even so unto
them, is obligatory upon us, under all circum-
stances; and, furthermore, the examples of
Daniel and the three worthless, and many others,
are given for our imitation, and though we may
be required to submit to UNJUST tatos, we are
not equired TO execute them: Therefore,
al. Resolped, That we believe our brother
Cox has participated in the fugitive slave case
in a manner wholly unwarranted by the Word
of God, and by so doing has grieved his breth-
rem in the church, and brought dishonor upon
the cause Of Christ and the church of which he
is member. II
~. RESOLVED, That it becomes the duty of
this church to notice the manner of action in
the case which has come under his jurisdiction,
as well as the fact of using deadly weap-
ons, either by himself or persons deputized by
him, in violation of law, and unnecessary in the
case in which they were used.
"3. Resolced, That committee be appointed
by this church to visit brother Cox, and hear
his statement of the circumstances and get his
views Of duty in relation to the foregoing cir
cumstanees, and request him to resign his COM
mission as Deputy Marshal.
A. Resolped, That we entertain the kindest
feelings toward our brother Cox, but we are
grieved that he has acted in the capacity of an
oppressor of his fellow man; and-we believe it
is his duty to the church, and that it will be for
the interest Of the cause of Christ, to retire
from position which viii cause a brother to
Offend"
Deacon Cox being hereupon invited to make
his defence at such time as might be most con-
venient for him, after some weeks appeared
with an argument justifying his own course, de-
Tending the fugitive slave law andhis own action
under it, defying the church and its censures,
and rejecting every overture. There remained,
then, q no alternative for the church but either
10 ignore its sense of justice and propriety, as
we'll as its reverence for the cause of Christ,
and to submit to direct and palpable insults for
the sake of keeping Deacon Cox within its fold,
or else to stand by their conviction Of right and
of duty to the church and to the Cause of Christ,
and consequently to sever the connection which
bound him to the church." They chose the
path of duty, and the church everywhere owes
a debt of gratitude for the example. When a
member of the church of Christ thinks to ex-
cuse himself in crime, and to justify himself in
helping to execute most wicked end oppressive
law against an innocent and helpless human
being, by virtue of an Office under Government,
instructing and commanding the instruments
in his service for entrapping a poor fugitive
into Slavery " to take the negro, dead or GLiUe !"
when protested Christian can debase himself
to such villainy, and plead that the obligations
of his Office release him from his obligations to
Christ and humanity, and make that villainy
his duty, there is no possible path of honor,
truth, and integrity for the church, in faithful
ness to her Redeemer, but to expel such crea-
ture from her communion.
There is the greater necessity for such strict
ness and severity in the application of the law
of God and the discipline of the church, because
of the dreadful doctrines, subversive of all true
morality, and destructive to our freedom, now
being taught in high places and dispersed
among the people. Such doctrines and senti-
ments are preached by aspiran&s to Office, and
held forth for success by political parties, anx-
ious to hoist their candidates, by such machin4
cry, into the Presidential chair. To be availa-
BILE for the Presidency according to these prin-
ciples, man must forswear his allegiance to
conscience and to God, and subscribe to the
wicked assertion that men and mems perverted
constitutions are to be obeyed, rather than God.
Let men remember the declaration Of the
American missionaries Hall and Mott, in India,
in 1918, to the British Government: g Your
Excelency has been pleasea-to ssy that it is
I,4x- 20 au1 ms IN EuOl<td hooonSo ON
have received positive orders fr.m the Supreme
Government to do so. But, Right Honorable
Sir, is not this advancing principle which, if
correct, would reprieve from the long.recorded
decision of Heaven all the sangtinary persecu-
tors who executed the horrid DEGREES of Herod,
Nero, and Trajan, who made themselves drunk
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and who,
as God has declared, shall have blood to drink,
for they are worthy? These prosecutors de-
stroyed the saints of the Most High; they were
positively ordered to do so by superior author
ity; but for doing so, have they not been SEN
fenced to eternal death? But were they not
perfectly innocent, if your Excalency reasons
correctly, in saying that it is yorr duty in send
ing US away, because you are ordered to do so
by superior authority? The Prosecutors of the
saints might have reasoned in he same way,
and said that it was their dutyto destroy the
disciples of Jesus, because they were ordered
to do so by superior authority.
"Your Exeelleney knows, perfectly well, that
WHENEVER HUMAN COMMANDS RtN COUNTER TO
DIVINE COMMANDS, THEY CEASE 70 BE oBLIGA-
TORY; and that no man can aid in the exeeu-
ton or support of such counter Commands, with
out aiming violence at the authority of Heaven.
Can your Excellency, or any other man, deny
the truth of this ?"
We receive, from time to time, communica-
tons begging us to defend thk authority OF
Gods law from the blows aimed against It by
our politicians and conservative professors OF
religion in defence of the fugitiveslave law and
similar denominations. The abde paragraph.
from the records of the American Board, is
sufficient for the present.-hsdepndent.
LIBERIAN INTELLIGENCE.-By arrivals from
Monrovia, intelligence has been hceived to the
Sd of August. The affairs, political and agri.
cultural, were moving on most elcouragipGly.
Three vessels arrived during the Month of Jnfy
with emigrants-the Rebecca, fibm New Or
leans, with forty-two of the McIbnogh house.
hold; the packet Mary Caroline Stevens, with
ninety-nine, among whom were siveral families
from this city and Chester county Pa; and the
Mendi, with forty-6ve; making l total of one
hundred and eighty-six passengers The own.
ers of the Mendi, Messrs. johnson, Turpin, and
Dunbar, (colored,) were disposhg of their car
go rapidly, and at good profit. Inn R. Delany
was preparing to leave early in August for the
river Niger. The Liberia Herau speaks of these
accessions as comprising minist9s teachers, car
penters, blacksmiths, farmers, aid traders. The
new corners had encountereda cordial wei.
come, were abundantly satisfied with the coun-
try, and busily occupied in sell citing locations
| for permanent settlement. TIE Quail a war
vessel presented by the British government to
the Republic, had reached Monovia in charge
| of g Liberian officer. This donation is a most
valuable and accountable ma H. rnnnou uoI,,o