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Continued From First Page Triennial Convention, By A Separation of

Continued From First Page Triennial Convention, By A Separation of image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
November
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

MjpgmjmmLuw ■!■■ ■ '■■ [oifTírrvjSD frojí fist fagk] Triennial Convention, by a separation of the Southern from the Northeru churches; and whereas, from the magnitude of the missionary enterprise, and the importance Of united action for its advancement, such división is to be deprecated, and if possible prevented. And whereas, the manner of adjusting the existing difficulty, so us to remove the disquietudes and prevent the división, ia one of delicacy and importance, requimig deliberation and mutual counsel; thereforo, Resolved, - ■ . 1. That it be rccommonded to toe delegat'es from slave-holding States, who ehall altend the Baptist Triennial Missionary Convention, in April next to asaemble in the city of Baltimore, in the meeting house in which the triennial convention is to assemble, at 10 o'clock on tho Monday before the last Wednesday in April next, that they may delibérate aod determine upon the manner in which they ehall act on this eubject, when they ehall meet in the triennial convention . 2. That they be reque9tod, after the rising of the triennial convention, to give information to theif constituents of the reaultoftheir doings. 4th. The pro-slavery delegates, In accoidance with the above recommendation, held their preparatory metiag and received a communication from a few JNorthern brethren who stand opposed to abolitionists, so couched as to euit the views of the caid proslavery convention, and to give the Southern brethran the expectation that their views should ba sustained by them in'tho General coureniion. It was thetefore determined to ruit the election of the board of Managers before any furiher proceedingi. f When the conference asserabled the following document was drawn.up by &. H. Cone, and èigned by eucb of the acting members of the Board as wera present, in whicb thoss cburche wd iadiTiduak who refused to commune witb slaveboldew, are implicit1y condemned a9 baving introduced a ne?r tost of feüowfihip, &c, forgettiog the old test, 'Have no fellowahip witb the unfcuitful works of darkness," fcc] Wherea, the Sctiptures coastitute the only rule oí conduct for christians and christian churcheaj and, whereae, itis evdent ia the Scriptures, that chorches are independent bodiea, having no head but Cnrist, and no law but bis revealed will j and, wheres, they have no right or au thority to censure or excomiaunicato any but their own merabers; and, wbereas, Üie constitution of the Baptist General Convention of the United States, of tho American Baptist Home Missioa Society, America and Foreign Bible Society, require that the officergaod raanage cf thoae inetitutions be "brethren in good standing of Baptist churchas, ia general unión with the denomination;" and, wherea, a udisposition has been nstnifeetod, io tbie age of innovation, to introduce u&w test# of good standing and feliowsbip, unkaown to iha denomination genernUy ;' ftnd, wberees, the announceiuent of dieféllovship, on the basii of sucb aew tests, is now causing mbarragsmentand aüenation otnong those who have baeu uvited in boods of fraternal ïova for mny year, and bilJherto hafo delightfully cooperated in the boly eoter prize ofdisseminating th8 truths of God, through thesL organi?ations, - tberefore, Reeolvcd, That the undersigned deem it their duty and privilege to recod their full copvictioa that ao oew teets unauthorized by the Scriptur, and by the eatablisbed usagoo of the great body of our churebes, should be flufíéred to interfere witb harmoniouf operatioa of our benevolent aseocie-tions, as originaliy consütuted, and they embrace this fitting occasion to expresa üieir decided disapprobation of all such teits, beliorinj them tohava a direct tendency to part asunder tbose who have "one Lord, one Taith, onO baptism," aad above aii, that tdey invada the prerogative of Jesus Christ, the ono ind on!y legislator of the churches of tho eaints, to whom be glory for ever, amen. Spencer H. Cone, L. W. Allen, Daniel Sharp, Ira Chaso, Keman LincolQi Joel S. Bacon, Barnas Seare, Williara Sanda, William Hague, William Crowell, John Peck, Wm. B. Jobnson, Jr, Eli Bal N. W. Williams, J. B. Jeteft Solonooa Peck, Thomas Stoel:O, Ebeaezèr Tbresher B. M. Sandere, Rufus Babcock, Jr. J. 1. Fineb, James B. Taylor, S. P. Hill, S. Chapín, Jemes E. Welsh, Archibald Thomas, Jesse Hartwoil, Isaac McCoy, Samuel Dorset, C. George, Jamos C. Craoo, A. M. Beebe Jonathan Daï is, John Smitzer, J. G. O. Wilkiaon, Alexis Caswel, John O Choulea, J. Wayland, James Wilson, L. Burrowa, J. C. Harrison, GharleaG. Somers, B.R. Loxley, G. F, Adams B. T. Welsb, Geo C. ChaflBer, B. BI. Hill, Thomas Riplcy,, Henry Ripley. A. K. Levering, G. W. Norria, O. B. Brown, , A. D. Gillette, David Benedict, Herndoa Frazer, John Henley, Wm. Quesenburg, K. P. Anderson, T. F. Caldicott, J. P. Champlin, Lemuel Porter, D. D. Pratt, R. Fuller, James C. Furman, Tossph Ballard, Pharcellus Church, Gfeorgo B. Ide, J. S. Eaton, James H. Linsley, A. Perkins, W. A. Baynton, Daniel Wartl, [ra M. Allen, pWilliam Crane. 5th, Abolitionists held no preparatory neeting, came to no agreement anaong iberaselves, and went into the Generalconvenlion uncoromHted to any coursc whatever. . , öth, Before the Convention commenced their session, it was a current rumor omong the brethren, that the Rev. W.B. Johnson was to be made President of the oonvention. Accordingly, when the Conven tion met, Brother Cone requested that an other be elected president, as he had al ready served the conveation m that capact ty a number of years. At this very _ time there were in the pewa of the chureb trek ets already prepared, hoving the name ot W. B. Johnson upon them. Ihoresuit was the success of the prepared ticket by a raajority ofttvo. „ - ■ 7lh, When the election for V ice Presidents and the boaroof managers carne urr der consideratioo, a resolution was udopted by the convention to have tickets prjuted containing all the names of the inombere of the former board with spaces to admit of alterations. No reason was asiigned for this depurturo f rom the for mer usage of the body. Abolttionhts how ever interposed no objections, allhough consciousof the object of this new plan was to effect their exclusión by a silenl voto, and thus cut off all opportuniiy ol advocatiBg their claims to equality oí privileges and rights in tho convenlion and board. Rev. J C. Furman, pastor oí the 2nd Baptist Church in Charleston, S. C, had then distinctly iuibrmud me, thht it was eettled that Mr. Galusha must be left out. That there were. $10,000 iocked up in Aiabama that wouid be lost to the conven lion if he were nol left out of the board. - That he was a. fanatic, and ought to be exbluded. 8th, election of Managers and Vice Presideats carao on the next day,the tickets oraered by the Convention, having beea regularly distributed. Jut ihere was also dislributed a printed ticket not ordered by the convention, having the names of all known Abolilionistscarefully lef; out, This ticket was prepared to euit the pro-slavery demand, and particular pains were taken not oniy by southern", but by some northern men to pluce it in the hands of those who might probably bu induced to support it. Í had lo take some pains to get possession of one being too well known as an Abolitionis for any hopes to be entertained that I would support it. : Abolitionists sáw all thisgoingon but they keptsilent, and waited to see if the norlhern brethren generally would sanction such an electioneering policy. - The silence was broken by Eider Richard Fuller of beaufort of South Carolina, who ai we were going into the election, interrupted the proceedings by demandmg lo kaow, of yourself,the President of the con vention, if any instructions had been given to you,or to your knowledgeto any one in tbe convention, "to proscribe nny man for coascience sake." Your reply was thatlyou knew of nu such instruclions. - Br. Fuller was then aJlored to proceed wiUiout the slightest ïnterruption in a speech which, whilst it vureiy rebukea all proscripiiou "lor conscience sake," and cspressed ssatiments which every abolilionist musi have warmly approved, yet left the impression upon the audience that abolitionisis had falsely charged the Soutb era brethren with a spirit of pFoscription - It was then and nol tilt then, that abolitionist6 atterapted to offer any remarks upon tb.8 subject. If fhey had then coniinucd sileat. it would have been a clear admission that they bad made, not only an ungenerous, but a false charge against their Southern brethren. Not lo have spoken then, would havo been base and coütemptible. They did believe that uch instructions had been given,and they accordingly asked for further explanation. Your own colleagues brought up the question, and it would have been inexcusable to have shrunk from its full investigation. Every effort was however made to prevent abolitionists from speaking. They were indeed finally allowed lo ask questions of others,sucb as had been put lo you by Br. Fuller. But when I propounded the queetion in a forrn to bring out all the factá in the case, I was called to order and you cenfirmed it. And when I attempted to explain my reason3 for rnaking any inquiry inlo the subject, you sir, pronounced t out of order to offer nuy explanations. On the other hand, other brethreo were permitted to speak with as much lati'.udc as they pleased. Abolition ists alone were limit ed . But the diseus, sion went far enough to allow our Souihern brethren to deny that any iustructions had been given ihem, to proscribe any member ol that convention. You denied the knowledgc of any such instructions to. yourself, or to any oiher delégate, and you dear sir, presided m the Suuth Carolina State Convention when the resolutions nboved named, were passed. You also presided over the Edgefield Associalion, when in October last ibe resolution of instruclions was passed by that body. Again, when in convention 1 named the res uluttons of the Camden church; you replied that the Camden church tí I no representalion in the General c iñlion,and yet there sat brother Bren 3 pastor of the Camden cburch, whöB self ergnsd the resolutions in behalf of the church. [ ask, if Edgefield isnot represented ín tke tenate óf the United States, by the Ba.me Senators who represent the whole State )f South Carolina? I alwayB thought het the whole.included every part. And f the pastotof ibe Camden church appear id inihe General convention asa delégale rom hts association or convention in Carjünn, he did so by virtue of his church béng a CQnstituenV of such ussociaiion or [cONeXVDJBD OK SaCOKD PA6B.J