Press enter after choosing selection

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Constitutional Ge...

Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: Constitutional Ge... image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
July
Year
1843
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Whnt n strango posilion does this body now hold in reference to slavery. Of ninety inembers froni the frce States who had a seat in that body al its late meeting, but 33 were found in favor of decíaring Slaverj to besinful. This is an nstounding fact, and it should bc well weighed by every membcr of that church, and 110 less by ril who consider ihempelves as belonging to that denomination. This body is ihe highest ccclesiastical coun cil known to ihat branch of the American Church, nnd must be presumed to speak its sentiments. It is the representa ti e bodr, or at least cluims to be so, of that afga and influential class of our ciiizens known as New School Presbylerians. It is the tribunal of the last resort in matrers of doctrine and discipline, and requires from Synods, Presbyteries, Sssions, and every individual churcli member, deference to tli3 opinions, and submission to the decrees it promulgates. Il neither is nor profe;ses to be a council for the decisión of points of order and discipline. It wcre idle to suppose that these gentlemen would come together froni the most remóte parts of the Union at a great sacrifice of time and money for the more outward fo'ms of church government - to keep bright the exterior of the. r fabric. Theirchief business is, and must be, to exert a moral influence on questions of morality, nnd espcciaJIy on those quesUons in which ony portion of their own body is impücated. If this be not their business, tlien thej have none wortli naming. - Their sol'mn meeling is but a pngnant; a grave show for appearance sake - a fishing in fhallow waters indeed, if moral influence be not ts chief end and aim.This being the fact, how is it to be accounted for thut one tliird of that body could be found in favor of pronouncing upon that which two thirds of them, if we moy credit their owu declarations, believe to be tlie nlaguc-spot in the church - in their own branch of il too- tha'. branch, for the welfare of which they legisJate, and for the spiritual cnndition of of which they assume a Iargeshare of responeibilïty? I know of no solütion that does not involve a very serious imputation on the j"dgment, or integrity, or bolh, of the mcmbers of thnt Assembly. That they did not regard the subject as bevond their jurisdicción, is manifest fmtn their act ion on the subject of dancing. It may seem invidious, but I do not see how itcan be complained of as unjust to consider in counection the disposition made of these two subjects.- The one is a trivial amusement of the young und the gay fsinful if you will in its too common adjunctp, but not in i:self,) the other a jrave crime (if a crime at all) against human - ity. A 6evere censure is passed upon the ürsf, and oflences are pronounced subject to ïcclesiastical discipline. The other is passed íver as a matter on which the Assembly de:Iines giving an opinión; of course sofaras the Assembly is concerned, not a matter of ïcclesiastical rebuke or discipline. Will not he world, never inclined to over charitable udgments in the case of the professedly relirious, be apt to sunniee, that as none of the leverend fathers danced, and few of their veighty parishioners danced, a decisión ou he subject of dan: ing was easy. The case f other people was concerned. But slavery! hat altera the case. Therc are Reverend lave-holders - the discussion shows it - sotne f the falhers ore supported by s'.ave holders' nd the voice of the Asseinbly is, Touch not lavery! A Presbyterian minister or Eider nu3t not dance, but he may hold slavee! A hurch member buys a hundred slaves in the norning - in the evening lie dances, and the icxt day the church cries in his ears, Touch lot the unclean thing, and he inquires whatunclean thing, and she reeponds, the dance ! How much moral power does this grave Assembly bring to t!ie condemnation of sin in all shopes, Jntemperance, Sabbatli breaking and other farms of vice? I embark at Ricbmond for New Orleang on Sunday, and am subjected to discipline; my neighbor sbips liis cargo of 6laves for the same port, but the pions man has a horror of of the Sabbath and waits f 111 Monday and the church has not a word to say. Beatitiful Consistency! A Clergyman from the far South on his way to the Assembly brings his female slave to Cincinnati, whero by the laws of Ohioshe 3 f ree. He takes her to Wheeiing, and again makes her a slave. He is a good Christian (I beg pardon) a good Presbyterian, and a good clergyman to boot. So says the church, and sure sIip onght to know! The kidnapped elave may be a member of the kidnapper's own church - yet the Assembly hvng judge, the church has no word of reproof. , ble systcm and wonderfully peaceful! If the State of Ohio had law for the poor as we!l as the rich, the kidnapped might go ñee and the kidnapper be punished - if the moral power of the Presbyterian cluirch were exerted in behalf of the former, the latter might repent and give up his prcy . If he did not, why t might disturb the unily of the church'? DeJightful liarmony! glorious concord!

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News