The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-27
For the National Fra
CHURCH ANTI-SLAYERY SOCIETY.


pounded by the Secretary of this Society, in
series Of resolutions which he presented lately
at public meetings, in the cities of Bango
aud Boston, that we wish to offer them to on
readers, together with comments thereon. The
first here referred to are those offered by Rev
Henry T. Cheever, at a public meeting in be
half Of the Church Anti-Slavery Society in the
city Of Bangor, on the evening of September
29th at the Central Church, (Prof George
SEephard's, as follows:
I" Rcso'ood, That whereas history shows that
no vast system Of iniquity has ever been over
thrown, except il has been assailed in the
name Of the living God, and branded as sin ;
and whereas the abolition Of British West In
dia Slavery was accomplished by mighty
moral agitation only as the motive power, and
ives, In the strictest sense, the work of a re-
viVed practical Observation-Disclosures it is evil
dent that the vaster work of abolishing the
proud and defiant system Of American Slavery,
so far from being brought about by the power
of humanity alone, or by a merely negative
non-extension principle in politics, must be the
aggressive achievement of pure Christianity,
through a profound religious conviction of the
essential sinfulness of such Slavery, in the
awakened consciences and hearts of Christian
men and women, impelling them everywhere
TO ceaseless moral agitation in behalf of the en-
shaved
|" Rcsolced, fiu4Eey, That if these things be
50, and history does not lie the time has come
for the American churches, if they will retain
their Christianity, and hold good their title to
be churches of Christ, to take in hand, as
churches, the dreadful sin of slaveholding, by
making the practice or advocacy of it bar to
Christian fellowship and communion, and by
accepting as the providential mission and duty
of the American clergy and American churches
of this generation, the total abolition Of the
vast system Of American Slavery.
ResoLred That the Church AntiSlavery
Society should be q voice for the silent De.
mocacy throughout the American churches,
that groan, being burdened for them that are
IN bonds, as bound with Them and that burn
with desire TO have an unfettered ministry pro.
claiming the law and the Gospel of God against
Slavery, and stigmatiziDg that a crime in
itself, which so many in the ministry have
apolOgized for, as not n1atp0 IN Sc"
The second series of resolutions above re-
ferred TO are those which were adopted at a
late meeting in Boston, at the fremont Tenn.
pie. Rev. George I. Day, pastor of the Roger
Williams Church, Providence; Theodore Til
ton, one Of the editorial staff Of the New York
Independent; and Hon. Henry Wilson, U. S.
Senator from Massachusetts, addressed the
meeting. Statements were also made by the
President Of the Society, Rev. J. c. Webster,
of Hopkinton Massachusetts, and by its Secre.
tary. The latter gentleman, Rev. Henry T.
Cheever, of Jewett City, Connecticut, offered
these resolutions, which, by report in the Bos.
ton Daily Atlas, were forcibly advocated by
the first speaker, evidently an eloquent and
earnest Christian Abolitionist of the Clarkson
and WilbRrfOrce stamp
= ReSOtred, That luasmueh as the leading
element IN mans nature is the religious ele-
ment, and an eminent historian (Guizot) has
ably proven how religious reformations in the
civilization Of Europe have preceded every So
cisl and political reformation for the last eieh-
teen centuries, 1t may be nationally expected
that the late religious reformation in this coun.
try, If It be Of God, will so increase, unite. and
strengthen the impartial friends of Freedom in
ell the churches, as to prepare for and ere long
a eecsrEsed % m ON orfd even the
emancipation of the four millions of American
slaves.
Rssolred, That the converts of the late re-
vivals are they upon whom the hopes of true
Christianity centre, as to be her standard bear.
ers and supporters in the pending conflict be-
tween despotism and the selfrighteous formal.
ism Of the Rabbis on the one side, hugging TO-
God, and Freedom and Reformed Religion~on
the other side, bearing liberty, light, aud law,
for the enslsved, and loosing the bands of wick.
ednesss, undoing the heavy burdens, and letting
the oppressed 60 free.
ResOtred, That young men in all the church
IS are called upon to be up and earnest in
maintaining the rights Of man, as sacred and
iIalienable. without distinction of blood OF
races, and that property in man is impossible
as being without grant from the Creator, anC
equally contrary TO natural justice and to re
vealed religion"
The Church nti-Slavery Society, as we IN
derstand II, has had its origin in deep con
victiou of the Inherent Sinfulness of slavehold
ing, and IN the solemn impression that it il
high time for the Church of Christ in our land
20 be arrayed against 1t, and to be thoroughly
graphing with this enormous evil and wrong
as the organic iniquity OF the nation, that mus
be overthrown, IN order that the nation itsel
perish not by the terrible cancer that has al
ready made such threads upon It's constitution
The Church Anti-Slavery Society believes
with Albert Barnes, that there is no power on
Of the church that could sustain Slavery on,
hour, If It were not sustained in it and that /
every religious denomination in our land woul,
detAch itself from all connection with Slavery
and utter calm and deliberate voice to til,
world against IT, its overthrow would be peace
fully accomplished.
The Church AntiSlavery Society exists, W,
apprebend, for the very purpose of thus array
ing the American churches against Slavery
and procuring q complete separation of th
principle and practice of slaveholdiug from
our Christianity. It puts broadly upon its ban
ner, that he who runs may read, "the utter made
quRcy and impossibility Of any remedy or relic
from Slavery but one that insists upon its il
herent wroDgfulness, its total intrinsic baseness
and denies absolutely the wild and guilty phar
tasy than man can have property in man.
1t declares, again I" No compromise wit
Slavery allowable, but its total extinction to b
demanded at once in the name of God, who ha
cosamanded to loose the bands Of wickednes.
20 undo the heavy bprdens, aid to let the OF
pressed &c free, and that ye break every yoke.
According 70 the public exposition Of its SCI
Rotary, the mission Of the Church Anti-Slaver
Society is four-fold
First. To establish the position Of the inh.
rent sinfulness of Slavery not because its sill
falness is added to or intensified by the quail
flying term inherent, but because leading divine
In our country have asserted the contrary viz
that Slavery is not sin in itself, not Blalum 1
sc, rs p reason for not tending TO sin in h
church or in its Missionary Boards.
Second. To carry into practical operation
as Christian duty, the principle of non-cou
muuion with shareholders, and disfellowshi
thereby with the sin of slaveholding.
Third. To vindicate the Christian Scripture
from any warrant or allowance of chattel 81
very.
Fourth. To deliver our American Christia
ity from the stigma that has come upon it as
slaveholding Christianity, by the completely
American churches with Slavery.
These ends the Chnrch Ant; Siavarv Coc;a-