The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1861-02-14

OLp-TIME PREsBYrER1aNs.- Prof
Tayler Lewis, i, communication to tn,
E'orid, in speaking of the action of thai
Church, in 1873, says:
At :ha: time the undivided Presby
tcrSn church was represented in full BY
the ministers aud elders from every part
Of the United States--from the North
end from the South. A committee unan
imously appointed on the subject Of sla-
very unanimously reported, aud that re,
port was unanimously adopted by the
whole body. 1t contained the following
clear and striking language
We consider the voluntary enslaving
Of one part Of the human race BY another
as gross violation of the most precious
and sacred rights of human nature, as ut
terly Inconsistent with the law of God
, which requires US to love our neighbor as
ourselves, aud a. totally irreconcilable
with the spirit and principles of the Cos
pei of Christ, which enjoins that all
things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, doye even so to them
Thus was the strong declaration sent
forth, forty-two years ago, to try its NOR
al efficacy upon the churches, and through
them upon the mind and heart of the
community. The church was undivided.
The testimony was unanimous. 1t ex.
pressed the Christian sentiment of the
South, as we'll as of the North 1t pro-
tessed to be grounded on the Scriptures :;
it appealed to the Christianized human
conscience. 1t was intended as a guide
to the preachcr,a guide to the conscience
of the hearer, churchly Interpretation
Of Holy Writ, rule Of morality, canon
for the church Of discipline. 1t recon-
mended gentle dealing, regard to wise
| cxpediencies but it was not intended to
be dead letter. 1t was meant to have,i 10
some time, longer or shorter, its full
moral aud religious effect. 1t contained
a statement Of reasons; and these, too,
We give in the words of its own clear Ut
terapce:
Slavery creates paradox in the moral
system-it exhibits rational, accounta-
bic, aud immortal beings in such circum-
stances as scarcely to leave them the
power Of moral action. 1t exhibits them
as dependent on the will Of others wheth-
er they shall reci,s religious instruction,
whether they shall know and worship the
true God, whether they shall enjoy the
ordinances OF the Gospel, whether they
shall perform the duties Of husbands and
wives, parents and children, neighbors
and friends whether they shall preserve
their chastity, and SO regard the dictates
of justice and humanity. Such are some
OF the consequences of slavery-eonse-
quences not Imaginary, but which connect
themselves with its very existence.
1t concludes with a solemn Injunction
upon all Christians ''to use their honest,
earnest, and unwearicd cndeavors to cor.
rect the errors of former times, and as
speedily as possible to efface this blot on
our holy religion, and to obtain the con-
picte abolition Of slavery throughout
the world"
During the most of these same forty
years, these two powers (if We may call
the one power at alp have been testing
their influence upon the public mind
the Calhoun dogma and the manifesto of
the Presbyterian church. And what has
been the effect of each? The extreme
pro slavery teachings Of disappointed,
selfish, worldly politician, with nothing in
his character to give him any rank as
Christian, even if he could be called
nominal believer-this has so far gained
the victory, the moral victory. Yes,
there is no denying it, this nan has had
more power in changing the aspects of
the savery question, its moral aspects,
its supposed scriptural aspects, than the
solemn ecclesiastical action-so clear, SO
truly scri riptural, so unanimous-of the
then largest and most united denomina-
tion Of Christians in the United States
one too, may we not say it without off
ence to others, unsurpassed in learning
and intelligence Farther than this, he
has done more to change the moral con-
victions of men respecting servitude than
all the churches aud all the clergymen in
our land Sad thought, most humbling !
thought Even as ecclesiastical or
churchly partisians, We should feel it and /
feel it deeply. That a worldly power
should have been SO much stronger than
the spiritual, and that, too, in the spirit,
ual domain itself-the domain of moral
truth, and scriptural Interpretation -
For this is the strange fact to which we
are SO earnest to call the attention of the |,
religious mind