Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-10-08
wrath Of God than a poor, ignorant tempted, grow
cling wretch, like Legrec,

ohtnR wretch, IKE hegreeN
We have received lately a letter from 8 distin.
guished Clergyman in the East, who took an ac-
tive part ia the organization of the "Church Anti
Slavery Society,". lie informs US that many Ct
the New England Ministers refuse to come upon
the platform Of this Society because its cardinal
doctrine is that Slavery is NAHUM in SC. These
gentlemen for twenty years past have opposed this
doctrine, and to maintain it now would be to ack-
nowledge that during all this time they we're
wrong. We have no very exalted opinion of the
common ru of New England Ministers. They
are a very ordinary set Of mon, turned out at the
Theological Seminary, as a machine shop turns
OUT work, to the order of the Church, They are
oil made on the same pattern with the brand AN.
dover" East Windsor" and New uavea," 20
give them credit and currency 10 the commaHity.
IL is amusing to read their hair-sp,ittiug attempts
to show tha. Slavery is not NAHUM in Sc, but only a
venial sin. From the wonderful obfuscation of
their minds on n very plain suls Get, we are tempt
cd to suspect that they have daughters, sons, neph-
ews or nie,es in the South, teaching School among
the Shareholders, and that they are engaged in a
struggle between their coDsciences and family in
teresss, Now no Church or other association, vii.
wv h""n wv "oy uBhih NV 9 z VI GlhNtll
unless they lay down as the foundation of all their
efforts, the doctrine that Slaveholding is nahum in
%.
What is the reason that the habit Of using To-
bacco has become so universal? The American
Tract Society has published Tracts against the
"sinfulness" of this practice. And yet, at the last
Anniversary Meeting of that Society, the veneer
able DR.. Spring, of New York, during the very ex-
ercises OF the meeting, took out his tobacco-box
and offered it to another gentleman, thus tempting
him to commit a "sin" which be practiced, and
against which the Tract Society has testified in
'housands of pages of its publications The So
siety has also published tracts against the 'sin-
fslness of dancing" Yet the daughters Of the Di-
rectors dance. They have also in their great zeal
for religion, published against the sinfulness of go
ing asleep in meeting. Yet on any Sabbath-day
10 New York and elsewhere, the life members may
be seen nodding assent to the unheard propositions
Of their preachers, and thus committing q "sin".
Now the reason that Slavery bids defiance to IIeav-
en- and esrth reason that it has demanded
the revival Of the Save Trade-is, that the Church
es and their ministers have not treated it as NAHUM
ia se-an inherent sin. They recognize as consist
ent Christians, and worthy of fellowship and COM
munion, thuse who practice this "siD", Just az they
fellowship the man who commits the 'sin" Of u.s.
ing tobacco, dancing to music, and going to sleep
in Meeting. Thus the Caurch is hamstrung in its
attempt to do away slavery, because it does not
know where to give it q mortal wound. You may
denounce and villify, and scold, and abuse the
Shareholder TO your hearts content, as Dr.. Bacon
does in the Independent, but az long as you receive
him to the communion table and there endorse his
Christian character as DR.. Bacon does, proclaim
ing that his slaveholding is a peccadillo, or at mos,
q rendl sin, he will hold on to his slaves. You may
use the greatest severity of language against
transgressor, but If you conniye at his Sin, ant
thus acknowledge his claim as a good Christian
his transgression is bleached into a virtue; or a
least into a mere weakness which is to be tolerated
The malum in Sc doct,ine.is the spear of Irhurie
with which the church could infict a deadly
wound upon the monster of slavery, if she would.
And because she does not, she must be set down
as the bulwark of the system. Why is it that the
Free Presbyterian Church is so honorcd by the
hate Of the slavehol1ers, and the opposition of the
Hunkers? Because we are in earnest when we de.
clare in the language Of the fathers, that slavery
is q sin. We believe that our Southern Brethren
are guilty of a double crime, which, if they re
pent not Of and forsake it, will sink them int
perdi'ion. We believe that if VIC love them, W,
will show it by rcbuking their sin and not by coun
h~nancing them il it. Feeling responsible in tn,
matter, we overlook popularity, and ease, and in
terest, so as to meet our brethren 10 the Last Grea
Day with clear conscienccs. And to prove ou
sincerity, we refuse utterly and entirely to hol
Chrietian Communion uith tnen,
It is not necessary that we should build up
large denomination, or succeed in aboiishing III
system against which We war but it is necessar
that we wash our hands from the stain of GU
brothers. blood
We are happy TO see. that while Dr.. Bacon, G
the New York Independent. objects to the doctrin
of NAHUM in Sc, in its application to slavery, d.
Cheever, with q clearer and an honesier heart. ad
vocates it in the columns of that paper. DIR. Cheey
er, however, loses half his power by the false posi-
tion he occupies as a Churchman. lie is a Con
gregationalist. So are DR.. Adams, and DR.. Blag
den, and many others Of the same stamp
II is the vice Of his system and not tn
vice of the man that is to blame for this involun
tary fellowship with the defenders and promoter
Of Slavery. Real Congregationalism in the Churcl
is as practical an impossibility as real Democrac,
in the State. II DR.. Cheever could leave the &c
clesiastical fellowship OF DR.. Southside Adam
without leaving COngregatiOnalism he would do il
But he is enslaved by his organization, and force
into a position which he never defends, althoug
be is provoked to do so by The calling fire of sue
sharpshoo.ers as Parker Pil!sbury and Stephen
Foster. It is the great fault WI fad with the Cor
grcgational system of Church Government.
cannot be marshaled into baltic array. Yo
must be constantly taking the census to ascertai
the state Of opinion Of the sect. Each Congregr
ton has terms Of communion for itself, some ant
slavery and some proslavery, and yet all al
bound together in associations, forming what tn
Lawyers call "hotehrotch". If DR.. Cheever an
his brethren woold organize q Presbytery in col
nestion With the Free Presbyterian Church, ther