Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-08-02

oeedings of the General Assembly of the Pres.
byteran Church in Ireland. Deputatons were
received from the Free Church of Scotland,
the English Presbyterian Church, and from the
United Presbyterian Church of North America.
The Rev. Dr. Wood, and Rev. DR.. Begg, ad-
dressed the Assembly as representatives Of the
Free Church Of Scotland; Rev Mr McCaw
and Rev. Mr. Peterson in behalf Of the English
Presbyterian Church; and Rev. ]. S. Easton,
Of Ohio, and Rev ]. McGill, Of o., as deputies
from the United Presbyterian Church Of North
America.
The Clerk read a letter from this Church,
statisg that it had been formed by union Of
the Associate and the Associate Reformed
Churches, which took place in May, 1853; that
the standards were the Westminster Confession
of Faith, with a deliverance of the Church as
to the power of the civil magistrate, the Cate
chism Larger and Shorter; that the form of
Church Government was Presbyterian, and
that the Psalms used were the same as those
in use by the Presbyterian Church in ireland.
The letter also stated that the Church from
which it came had no connection with slavery,
but felt called upon to lin up its testimony
against it; and that the Church consisted Of
about 500 ministers and licentiates, and 10000
members, and was divided, for the purposes Of
Church government into iorty-one Presbytc-
ries and four Synods Rev. j. S. Easton, Of
Ohio, and Rev. J McGill, Of Ohio, were appon-
ted deputation to convey to the Church in
Ireland their fraternal regard.
Rev J. Simpson introduced the deputation.
He said that no branch of the Church felt
warmer interest in the Irish Presbyterian
Church. than that to which these brethren be.
longed, and none had contributed more liberll-
ly, according to their means, to the fund which
he and his colleague CDR. DilD were able to
bring back from the United States when they
visited it,
The Rev J. S. Easton then addressed the
Assembly, and was followed by the Rev. j
M'Gill, who spoke with fine effect as follows:
Moderator fathers, and brethren, it lie with
emotions of no ordinary character that | rise
TO address you-emotiOns called forth by the
position which, for the moment, l occupy, and
my respect for this venerable Assembly. We
come from a sister Church in another land,
bearing you assurances Of her warm affection
and love in Christ Jesus. | may safely say,
that there is no body of Christians whose ap
probation and esteem we more highly prize than
than Presbyterian Church in Ireland not only
as having the same general platform of princi-
Piles with ourselves, but as enrolling among its
numbers many who have distinguished them.
selves in the service Of our common Lord and
Master. 1t is peculiarly gratifying to reflect
that, although far separated from one another,
substantially the same faith is professed by
both. 1t is pleasing to know that brethren in
distant lands are acknowledging and serving
the same Lord, living in the same blessed hope, |
and maintaining the same holy cause May |
we not regard it as an evidence that the same |
spirit dwells in you and in us, the spirit of |
unityl (Hear, hear) We, like yourselves,
have to contend with great evils. You slrug-
gle asainst Popery; so do we. It is the same
in America as it is in Ireland Not one prnci.
pie of the system has been either changed or
abandoned. The leaveu is in secret and open
operation among us; and though sometimes
forced to crouch before public opinion, yet the |
quick action of the heart to the occasional |
touch of the spear shows him to be neither
dead nor asleep. We have another evil to CON
end with, from which, in this country, you
happily iroe. Tho United prcoby teTian |
Church is emphaticaly an anti slavery Church. !
Her position is--that slavery is a violation of |
the law o God, and contrary both to the letter
and spirit of Christianity Slavery, in all its
forms, is a system of oppression that cannot be
defended. Natural reason, sound policy sense
OF justice between man and man, as well as the
whole tenor of the Bible unite in its condem.
nation. 1t s, therefore, with the deepest pain
that every enlightened Christian mind must
contemplate the continued existence of slavery
in country making her boast of equal rights
and liberties. The Presbyterian Church has
ever been the guardian of popular rightI, the
defender ofthe weak, the friend of the oppress.
ed, the fearless advocate ofliberty of conscience
and freedom of thought. To attain these
she has waded through suffering and blood
Deeply, then, do we lament that so large a
portion of the Presbyterian family in our own
and is welded to this gigantic evil. Ifthe
Church, in her different branches, had faith
fully declared the whole counsel of God on this
all important subject, slavery would long ere
this have hidden its head in that Christian
Republic. If the Church now would come out
in one solid phalanI-in the majesty of Divine
truth-and lift up her united testimony against
slavery, it would soon vanish away. We can
not expect that civil government will go in ad
vance of the Church in oral reform. The
Church is the light of the woIld-the salt of
the earth-the pillar and ground of truth;
through her have all great moral revolutions
been effected l trust that the day is not far
distant when she will arise and assume her true
position. Slavery cannot be perpetuated -
The triumph of emancipation is as certain as
the immutability of the laws of Gods 3 moral
universe The tide that is rolling through the
hearts of men may be checked for a season, but
10 stop it for ever were as vain as to attempt to
letter the volcano, or to chain the earthquake
| feel upon this subject | cannot forget that, in
the city of my home, lett several among the
best of the citizens of Ohio lying in the common
Jail. There they had been imprisoned for
crime, but for doing only what Gods law re-
quires every man to do-aiding a fellow crea-
tureltO escape the clutches of the kidnapper in
violation of what is known as the Fugitive
Slave Law. One word more upon this point,
and have done. We ask you for your aid
We ask you to come up to the help of the Lord
against the mighty in this righteous cause -
You can do it. You can do it by impressng
upon ministers and people the necessity and
Importance ofmaintaining testimony against
slavery when coming among us, as we'll as in
their own land. Instruct and beseech them to
have no fellowship with slayeholding denom-
nations. There are Churches there that adhere
to the same faith that you do,who have openly
declared that they can have no Christian com.
munion with any man or church who holds
their fellows as property, to be bought or sold.
They are ready to take them by the hand-to
give them a cordial welcome; if not satisfied if
still they will turn away from US, let them pass
over into Queen Victoria's dominons, where
the slave drops his chains, and stands forth
free man the moment he plants his foot on her
soil. But one sentiment prevails among she
Churches there upon this subject | might
state that we are doing something to extend
the Redoemer's kingdom We have missions
in Egypt, in Palestine, in India, and in the Far
West of our own land. Dnrinr the rresent