Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-07

were written to privately, by men who would
not take any part in public proceedings in this
direction and asked If they could, in justice to
Christ or to men, continue as they were and not
bear testimony; and watchlul testimony, not
a vindictive testimony but in simplicity and
kindness to speak in behalf of perscuted men,
and endeavor to call those so acting, to
knowledge cf the principles of the Gospel
bearing upon this subject. That was all we
asked and they declined complying with our
request, under circumstances to which | will
rot refer on this occasion.
We then requested them simply to publish
the word of God upon this subject, without
note or comment; and they would not do it.
Not only did they decline to do this, but books
published by them were examined most care
fully and that which bore upon slavery was
excluded. Old books, new books, biographies,
all works that contained any thing condemning
slavery, were relieved of such portions. The
wrong here seemed to be three-fod. First, it
was wrong to them that we're bound, whom we
were under obligations to the word of Christ
to remember. In the next place, there was Il
wrong committed against our Christian breth-
rem at the South, who in their own conscences
felt slavery to be grevious evil, and who look
ed TO us to utter the truth upon this matter.
IUeN sun, 'DldNtIl ~ CitdltN very WlOHkg Dub
what shall we dop" If they spoke out, they
were prosecuted at home; while Christian men
here gave no word of encouragement. Then,
the op2ressors of the slave defended themselves
by the action of Christians at the North. They
said, ave have never heard word from you
upon this subject. You do not think it wrong
Yourselves. Whatever we have done, you have
approved of. You never gave us to under
stand that you believed slavery to he contrary
to the Gospel" So they continued to think,
until they came to believe that it loas the Cos
pei This was the third wrong.
Under these circumstances, the Society in
Boston felt that it should revert back to its
original organization. 1t entered upon the
work with the plain, simple purpose of pro-
claiming to all men the teachings of Jesus
Christ found in the Bible. They could not do
this in connection with the New York Society,
and they said, "You must decide for yourselves
we can not and dare not be silent upon this
subject any longer;" and this alliance, which
was made in 1925, ceased during the last year
and the American Tract Society of Boston now
assumes the ground which it held from the be-
ginning, in 1914.
1t is said that the American Tract Society is
bound by its constitution; that it must do
nothing contrary to the belief of any Christian
denomination. Where is the Christian denom-
ination that believes in the rights of man to
forbid his brother to marry? Where is the
Christian denomination that believes it right to
shut out the teachings of Jesus Christ from the
poor rerishing sinner because he has. black
skin? Oh brethren can this be so?
1t is said that this is political question, and
must not be touched. There never was any
important question raised in free country,
where wen are governed by the ballot, which
has not been deemed political. This has been
true of the Temperance question. This was
true Of the Religion of jesus Christ itself at
the beginning; it overturned the Mosaic Ritual
and the Priesthood, and all those ecclesiastical
arrangements which were the light and center
of Jewish governmental authority. Wicked
men take up questions of this kind and mean
to carry wickedness and oppression by politics.
care little about politics; but do care about
wickedness and oppression, and it is our bust
ness to testify against it.
We feel a great responsibility. Take the
matter of Temperance again, as an illustration.
Suppose our Southern brethren, ministers in
cluded, were all running their SOULS and fast
Fastening to destruction by disobeying the word
of God in drinking ardent spirits. Suppose,
because they did not like TO be disturbed about
it, we let them alone, and published tracts upon
every other subject but that? Suppose, in
publishing biographies and other books, we
should carefully exclude every thing that touches
upon that subject kept perfectly silent, and
bnptised this with the name of preaching
Jesus Christ and him cruciied?" Suppose we
carried out this method, and wholly refrained
from speaking of any wickedness that men did
not want to hear about? This would be giving
a most intensified meaning to preaching Jesus
Christ and him crucifed" In sending tracts
to Utah, we must not say word about polyga-
my; if to a country of drunkards, say not "a
word about drunkards, and aud so on to the
end, How could we answer to God? How
could we meet these men at the judgment, when
we had thus shut them out, so far as we had
power, from the truth of Jesus Christi
Here let me observe that the question is not
whether men will receire these tracts. They
might say, ave will not take your tracts about
slavery; and we will not have you teach us how
10 govern our slaves" but they go father than
this; they say, You shall not publish upon
this subject at all; neither upon slavery MOI
the evils connected with it, shall you publish Q
word"
These were the circumstances that led the
gentlemen of the American Tract Society al
Boston, TO decide, without any unkindness OF
their part, that this Society should revert back
to its original organization and constitution
1t was question of conscience with them; they
felt that they could not in the sight of Chris
be implicated in the sin of system which pre-
sented as they believed, such entire opposition
to the very teachings of Christ and the obliga
tons under which he has laid us.
|. Under these circumstances the Society ha
recommended the printing and circulation o
tracts, books and periodicals, with the intention
to make known to all men the whole counse
of God in doing which it is meeting with very
great success, and with the appreciation ant
good feeling of very large part of the whole
Christian world
RUTLAND.