The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-06-09

L
gitinass offspring Of tie Church oommi.
ted to their cafs By the General Assembly
After reciting the action Of the Church
| IN earlier yesn the dscinstioa psoossdb i
foIlows: = e = = - : -
The astiea Of the Genersl Ah6snbly
upon the subjept of slavery in the Jea,
1878 is 1nequivocal, and 90 well known
that it need not be rscited at ieueth.-
The following extraets, hovsvsf, wc re.
gard - applicable to our present cir.
cumstances, and proper nov 70 BE- rsiter.
lated:
1--WE consider the voluntary enslavine
Of ono portion Of the human noe BY an.
other ss gross violatiou Of the most pre.
cious and sacred rights Of human uasure.
% utterly inoousistent With the lsv OF
Gsd, which requires - 70 love our nsikh-
Dor - ourselves, and - totally isrscpn-
ciiable with the spirit and principles Of
the Gospel Of Christ which enjoins .sthas
al things whatsoever 70 would that men
should do TO ycu, do 70 even to them.''
Slavery creates paradox in the moral
system; it exhibits rational, moral and
accountable beings in such circumstances
- scarcely to leave them the power Of
moral action. It exhibits them q de-
pendent on the viii Of others. whether
they shall receive religious instrustion;
whether they shall know and worship the
true God; whether they shall enjoy the
ordinances Of the Gospel; whether they
shall perform the duties and cherish the
endearments of husbands and wives. ps..
rents and children, neighbors and friends;
whether they shall preserve their chastity
and purity, or regard the dictates of jus
tice and humanity. Snch are some Of the
consequences of slavery-consequences
not imaginary, but which connect them
selves with it's very existence.
Prom this view Of she consequences
resulting from the practices, into which
Christian people have most incousis.eatly
fallen, of enslaving portion Of their
brethren Of mankind, il is msnifestly the
duty Of all Christians, Who enjoy the light
of the present day. when the inconsis-
teney OF slavery. both With the dictates of
humanity and of religion. has been de-
monstrated and is generally seen and
acknowledged, TO use their honest, earnest
and unwearied endeavors to correct the
errors of former times and as speedily a
possible to efface this blot on our holv
religion and to obtain the complete aboli-
tion OF slavery throughout Christendom,
and if possible throughout the whole
world"
They earnestly exhorted those portions
of the church where the evils OF slavery
had been entailed upon them, to continue,
and. il possible, to increase their exertions
to effect total abolition of slavery, and
to suffer no greater delay TO take place in
this most interestingc concern than q regard
to public welfare truly and indispensably
demands; and declare athat our country
ought to be governed in this matter by 10
other consideration than aH honest and
impartial regard 10 the happiness of the
injured party, uninAusnced by the ex.
peuse or Inconvenience which such a re.
gard may involves" warning call Who be-
long to our denomination Of Christians
against unduly extending this plea of ne
cessity; against making il sover for the
love and practice Of slavery, or a pre-
tence for not using efforts that are lavfnl
and practicable to extinguish this evill''
Such we're the early aud unequivocal
instructions Of our church. 1t is not ne
cessary too infinitely to inquire how faith
full and obsdientt to these lessons and warn.
ings those TO whom they are addressed
have been. It ought to be acknow ped
thst we have all much to CONFESS and ID.
ment Is TO our shortcomings in this r.
spect. Whether strict aud careful ap-
plication of this advice would have rescued
the country from the evil of its condition
aud the d'nverS which have since threat
ened it, is kaown Il the Omniscient alone.
Whilst we do not believe that the present
Judgments Of our Heavenly Father and
Almighty aud Righteous Governor have
been inflicted solely in punishment for our
continuance In this sin; yet it is our
Judgment that the recent events Of our
history and the present condition of our
church and country furnish msnifest to-
kens that the time has at length come, in
the providence of God, when it is His win
that every vcstige Of human slavery
among us should be eifaced, and that
every Christian man should address him
self with industry and earnes,Dess to his
appropriate part in the performance Of
this great duty.
Whatever excuses for its postponement
may heretofore have existed, they no lon
ger avail. When the country vas 1t
peace within itself, and the church was
unbrokes, many consciences we're perplex-
ed 10 the presence Of this great evil, for
the want Of an adequate remedy. Slavery
VAS 10 formidably intrenched behind the
ramparts Of personal interests and prcju-
dicee, that to attack il with view 70 its
speedy overthrow appeared 70 b attack
ing the very existe0cs Of the sec;sl
order itself, aud was characterized as the
inevitable introduction of an anarchy
worse in its consequences than the eyil
fox which it seemed % bs the ouly cnre
But the folly and weakness Of men h,ve
been the Illustrations Of Gsd's xisdom aad
power. Under the inlAsAnce sf the nevs
ipcomprehensible infatuation Of vsakness.
/ ~