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AMI
HY BUGLE,
E5S
SLAVE
VOL. .
SALEM, O., Fit I PAY, APRIL 3,
LS(j.
NO. 37
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
Published every Friday at
Salem, Columbiana Co., O.
J A M ES BA KN A B V , J r., General Age.,t.
BENJAMIN S. JONES,
-J. ELIZABETH JO
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"
THE AMERICAN BOARD.
A meeting lias recently been held at Sy
racuse, N. Y., by the friends of Foreign Mis
sions. The position of the American Board
was a subjeM which received a considerable
hare of the, altonticn of the Convention, and
It is hoped the developments made in the ad
dress which was adopted, and the speeches
delivered on that occasion, will open tho minds
of many to the true character of tlio Board,
and enable thorn to scs it as a pro-slavery,
iiiiti-ehristUn oraniiation. We wish we had
room for mom copious extract thin we can
give. Ths address thus treats of
THE POSITION OF THE AMERICAN BOARD.
e do not overstate lh- position. Not on
ly was the ground taken in the proceeding
tf'the American Hoard at I'rooltlyn, that slave
holding, as such, is not to he treated in the
matter of religious instruction, admonition and
discipline ; as are drunkenness, falsehood,
gaming, and the like hut tho principle was
declared to he equally applicable to all kin
dred social wrongs. The report adopted on
that occasion (p. 7) says:
'But slavery is not the only social wrong
lo be met in the progtess of tiro missionary
work, and lo which the principles which are
tdopted in prosecuting that work must prob
ably bs applied. There are the tastes nf In
cij, deeply and inveterate)- inwrought in the
very texture of society, causing to the mass
of tho people hereditary and deep degradation,
leading to the most inhuman and contemptu
ous feelings and conduct in social lite, and
presenting most formidable barriers to every
species of improvement. There are also the
unrestrained exactions, made in tho form of
revenue, or of military or other service, con
nected with a species of feudalism, prevailing
in many unenlightened communities, which
arc most unrighteous in their character and
paralyzing in their influence, and cause un
limited distress to individuals and families.
There are also those various forms and degrees
tf oppression, whether of law or of us.ipe, pre
vailing under the arbitrary government! which
bear sway over the larger part of the earth'
surface."
A subsequent paragraph (p. 12) places war
nd polygamy in the same list. And now,
for the admission of these abominations in the
church, in the persons of supposed converts,
rather than to remonstrate against and require
their previous abandonment, the report dis
tinctly pla.uia, for i:, nit as allowable merely,
bnt as tho scriptural and beat way of proceed
ing. It says, (p. 7):
" Should it be found, as the result of ex
perienee, that souls among thn heathen aro
in fact regenerated by tho Holy Spirit before
they are freed from all participation in these
ivial and moral evils, and that convincing
evidence can ue given mat mey aro so regen
erated then, may not the master and the
klave, the ruler and the subject, giving such
evidence of spiritual ren v..lion, bo alt gath
ered into the same fold of Christ 1 And may
they not all there and in this manner, under
proper teaching, learn the great lesson, (so
difficult for partially sanctified men to learn.)
that in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor
Greek, neither bond nor free; but th:-.t all are
one in Him 1 And may they not, under these
influences, have effectually nurtured in them
those feelings of brotherly love, and that re
gard for each others rights and welfare, in
which alone is found the remedy for all such
evils 1 Under snoh influence may not the
master be prepared to break the bonds of tho
lave, and the oppressive ruler led to dispensa
justice to the subject, and the proud Brahmin
fraternally to embrace the man of low casta;
nd each to do it cheerfully, because it is hu
mane and right, and because they art all cAiV
. srrs of the great household of God. Dy a ich
Influences, mainly, is not the great moral trans
formation to be wrought in the master and the
ruler, in the bondman and the oppressed, all
important io both, and the only sure guaranty
-for permanent improvement in the social char
acter and condition of either 1"
There can be ne mistake then, in respect
to the nature or the extent of the Board's po
sition. It covers all the grouod, that we al
lege. And accordingly we find, by state
raent of the Prudential Committee appended
e the report, (p. 17) that all that is here plead
for, has actually been done, and is still doing
in thn Mission churches that slave-masters
aro in thn churches among the Chcrokeo.s and
Choctaws, "oppressive rulers" in those at
the Sandwich Islands, and "proud Brah
mins" in those of India, all welcomed and
cherished as " children of the great household
of Cod !" And, as if this were not sufficient,
it is now a matter of official o-mr-ratulatinn,
that in the separation from it of ail questions
of morals, as matters of direct attention and
injunction, and especially of thoso questions
tint relate to the subjects in immediate con
sideration, " there has been a (r'l advance
nindo in defining tho nature of the missionary
work, and in guarding iu spiritual character."
THE BOARD'S POSITION AND METHODS IN REGARD
TO IDOLATRY.
Nor, however strange all this may seem,
in its distinct development to the churches,
is it either new, or confined to even thesu lim
its, so fir as the present Directors of the mis
sionary work, in the case of the Board, are
concerned. The same principle and policy
have been enjoined by the Prudential Com
mittee, and acted rpon by the missionaries in
the Mediterranean for years, in respect to
idolatry itself, as it prevails in the nominally
christian oriental churches. Toward tho close
of 1333, the Rev. Cyrus Hamlin was set
apart ns a missionary of the Board to tho Ncs
t.irians. In the instructions given him by the
Prudential Committee on that occasion, " the
objects of the missions to the oriontal church
es and the means of prosecuting them" were
distinctly set ft rili. Respecting these the
committee said, (Her. vol. 35, p. 41):
Our object is not to subvert them : not to
pull down and build up anew. It is to re
form them; to revive among thorn, as has
been stid, tho knowledge and spirit of the
Gospel. We are content that their present
ecclesiastical organization should remain, pro
vided the knowledge and spirit of the Gospel
can be revived under it. It may also be said
of the rites and ceremonies of those sects, that
they are mero outworks, which it is not ne
cessary to remove before you come to the cit
adel ; and an assault upon them will awaken
more alarm, more fierco hostility, more gene
ral and decided opposition, than cpon the cit
adel itself. Direct your whole force to the
principal post, and when that is taken the
others will tall at once."
In tho course of 1839, other missionaries
sailed lo the eastern churches. To tli
(tier. vol. 35, p. 3U3) the Committee also
saiu :
" Let the 07 bo your grand theme ; and
see that it be not lost sight of by those among
w horn you labor. Yea, the oospil, and no
discussions about feasts and fasts, about rite
and ceremonies, about the thousand modes
and forms of religious obscivance, which the
people among whom you eo have subitiiutrd
fur the gospel ; though those discussions havo
ineir place and importance, and will occasion
ally hn forced upon you."
Similar instructions have been repeatedly
given, and extracts from them might be quoted
at almost any length, to show that whatever
elso the missionaries might do, they were not
directly to reprove or oppose the superstitions
and idolatries of these churches. And these
instructions have been given to guide tho mis
sion to tha Greek church, no Ibis than that
to the Nestorian. And accordingly, the mis
eionaricsdicl.irc, that in their intercourse with
tho members if the Greek church, "they stu
diously avoid all collision wiih the rite3 and
ceremonies of the church." Yet, as the Com
mittee allow, these are every where retted
upon by their deluded votaries as "a substi
tute for the gospel." Of one of them, wit
nessed in the same 1839, the Scotch Deputa
tion that then visited the East, s.iy : "Ii was
altogether a sceno of the praised 1 'dolati y ."
And as every one, at all familiar with them
knows, they are throughout essentially super
stitious or idolatrous. In January, ISM, after
he hail been driven from his position among
tho Nostorians to Constantinople, and after it
had been decided to abandon tho mission lo
tho Greek Church, the Kov. Cyrus Hamlin
himself, to whom a part of the above instruc
tions were given, wrote to the New York
Evangelist us follows:
"It is believed and maintained by many
Protestant Christians, that the Grerk church
is so far orthodox in faith and practice, as to
entitle her to the communion and fellowship
of protestant churches, and that there is no
thing to which wo need mako objections in
her forms, provided they be animated with
spiritual life."
This, it will be observed, is the precise doc
trinn of the Board in the foregoing instruc
tions. In regard to it, Mr. Hamlin proceeds:
" One of the grand idolatries of this church
having just come off with great telat, at sevo
ral places near the capitol, I send you a de
scription of it as one of the demonstrations
almost daily occurring, of the falseness of this
sentiment."
The scone was, what is termed " the Bap
tism of Christ." Hiving described it and
its connected superstitions, Mr. Hamlin far
ther says :
"The catechism universally received by
the church the national catechism of Greece
.-teaches the obligation of paying homage to
the images of the immaculate mother of God,
and to the saints, and to acknowledge their
power of intercession, and of working mira
cles. It is but a short time since one of the
Greek churches of this vicinity had a cross
made from a horn of a cow thai was stabled
in the manger where Christ was born. It pos
sessed the power of heeling all diseases, and
for weeks it was difficult to gain access to it
on account 01 tue crowd which resorted to
its shrine. Two clerks were kepi constantly
employed in recording the miracles it
wrought."
And in view of the whole, Mr. Hamlin
then upbraids the Episcopal Church for at
tempting just what tho Board and its mission
aries had all along been actually doing. His
language is :
" It is with this church, that the Episcopal
church of tho United Stites is to go forth in
loving union, to itubdue Mohammedanism,
Judaism, and idolatry! And upon thn delu
ded member, of this church, it think it im
portant to enforce Ihe doctrine of implicit obe
dience to their bishops obedience to those
who cause the namo of Christ to be blasphem
ed among the Gentiles, and who compel Mo
hammedans to speak in honest indignation
against Christianity and its idols. Can any
enlightened Cluistinn do less than lo protest
on every proper occasion, that this i, n,,t C hris
tianity ?
Nor is even this the end of the matter In
the year 1830, the Rev. J. D. Paxton,a P-es-byterian
minister in good standing, then re
cently returned from a visit to the Mediterra
nean, in a letter addressed to Dr. Anderson,
through the Louisville (Ky.) Protestant and
Herald, said :
"There are at Bey mot persons, who for
years have given hopeful evidence of piety ;
and more recently others have professed con
version nnd been baptized ; but of these when
I left, nono werj members of the mission
church. They were indeed allowed to com
mune with the missionaries, and the mission
aries took a kind of oversight of them ; but
they were not admitted as member. They
alleged that they could not in conscience re
main in the Greek church. They have mani
fested a greit concern to be in the mission
church, or to be organized into a scriptural
church by themselves, but neither request
has been granted, The plan is to keep them
in the corrupt churches in which they were
raised. But as they declare they cannot in
conscience remain in those churches tbey
cannot conform to their rites without commit
ting the sin of idolatry, nor have fellowship
with those churches without having fellow
ship with idolaters, they are considered as in
no church and as in these countries and
among theso communities, it is considered as
greatly disgraceful to be out of tho church,
it must be and is most trying to theso persons
to bo with their families thus situated.
While it must have a damping effect on the
zeal of those converts, and does them a man
ifest injustice, it must have a discouraging
efiect on others, whose minds may be dissat
isfied with the corruptions by which they
are surrounded. The great benefit aris
ing from having a puro church exemplifying
living Christianity is lost. Now a pure spi
ritual church connected with a plain and bold
exhibition of the gospel in all its bearings, is
one of the most powerful means of grace that
God has given to man. Hut this most im
portant benefit, is nearly, if not wholly lost
on the present plan. The church was to be
the light of the world a city set on a hill.
The ' sapping and mining' plan reverses the
matter, and keeps a pure church as much as
may be out of sight."
Such then is the position of the Board, and
such its methods of propagating the Gospel.
In heathen communities, where no churches
are, ihey are eager to ereot them; and soon
er than come into direct and uncompromising
collision with the slavery, oppression, caste,
or polygamy that prevail, they are ready to
give those in the persons of supposed con
verts, an easy and early admission to the
church, as the better way to guard the con
verts and correct their sins. In nominally
Christian communities, tho same temporiz
ing policy dictates the opposite proceeding.
There, this earnest care to have tho converts
separate from old relations and associations,
and especially under the eye and influence of
the missionary, lest temptation be too strong,
and as the better way of correcting remaining
error nnd sin, is all evaporated. Though the
prevailing error and iniquity be idolatry itfell
in the naino of Christ, and Christ he blas
phemed on account of it among the Gentiles,
and converts give undoubted evidence of pi
ety, and cannot in conscience remain longer
in fellowship with such corruption, and ask
to be admitted to the Mission church, or be
organized in scriptural churches of theirown,
still, sooner than come in collision with it,
such converts are for years denied their rea
sonable and scriptural request; and are thrust
back, in violation of their Christian con
science, into the midst of this Idolatry, in all
its revolting forms, or driven to the disgrace
of coming out into the wide world without
any regular church relations whatever. Yes,
not only do the missionaries themselves for
bear direct collision with these substitutes for
the gospel, but when men have been enlight
ened by the truth and spirit of God, and beg
to be separate from them, the missionaries
reject their cry, and shut them up for years
together, to the one alternative of Come-out-ism,
where Come-oulism is deepest disgrace,
or conformity, where conformity is the prac
tice or fullowship nf idolatry.
After commenting at some length upon the
plan adopted by the Board for evangelizing
the heathen, and showing that the course it
has pursued in relation to them is anti-scriptural,
contrary to church discipline, &c., the
address goes on to say :
" Talk not here of difficulties. Have we
to learn that yrf are to obey ChrUt to eoa-
risk if rerd bPi of ,ifp) of flu .
"in i Speak not of exceptions. Our in-
UnT'il"" 'h"-rU,e- And Wl' PretJ
that in ihe eases actually before us, it i the
except.ons only that have been welcomed to
he Mission churches; or that tho lemptriz
mg and fellowship ot idolatry and refusal to
constitute blhlo churches for conve:ts from it
arc also mere exceptions ? And, arrjue not
about supposed soulless forms of things.
"ur business is with the iclual realities of
ne case. And who dare say that real idola
try does not exisl and has not been so tem
po ued with and fcllowshippcd in those Eas
ern Churches; or that the real slaveholder
is not i the Mission Churches atnonrr the
Cherokee and Choctaws, and the reason,
pressive ruler' in those at tho Sandwich Is
lands, and the real 'proud Brahmin' in those
ol India, and for aught that appears, the real
litis hand ot several wives in the same or olh-
r churches I V rope, jt, tlcn, what a
prostration have we here of ihe order, admin
"it.rf0niand disciPline of Christ's house.
' And, what is most alarming these are
prnslra,0 jllst wher8 py ghou)(j b(j
gidly maintained. What is the oblation
or importance of disciplining one for Scold
ing or heating his wife compared with that
of disciplining him for the adultery of seve
ral wives ? What the obligation or import
ance of disciplining for slandering a brother
compared with that of disciplining forenslav
ing and living on the unpaid toil of a score of
brothers! What the obligation or import
ance of disciplining the oppressive ruler' for
a carousal or a falsehood, compared with that
of disciplining him for an abuse of the high
est trusts of God to man for ' unrighteous
exactions Wrnnrr r.iit T tt, ,i.B .u i
suhjects not victims; and wrung out by the
...j , ,.,a, uu gave 10 protect me vic
tim and punish the spoiler 1 And what also,
the obligation or importance of disciplining
' the proud Brahmin' for freaks of passion or
words and deeds of anger, occasioned per
haps by the touch of some polluted hand, com
pared with that of disciplining him for that
settled pride, contempt and hate by which it
becomes the habit of his life and the second
nature of his soul to despise the poor and
therein to mock his maker 1 What is it, in
a word, that we hold a ri;jid disciplino touch
ing the lesser elements of practical godliness
and morality but throw the rein on the neck
of indulgence in respect to the greator !
, . " , "mi ui an uuier ways,
this must be most effectual in laying the truo
uiut.-r,tiuuiini3iraiion anu discipline ot Uhnsi s
house in the dust t And yet it is just this,
nn .1H9, ,ua, me Mjciuous we are consid-
a u"u mm ma uuiug. i uey may
be, and probably are exact enough in other
,,u, mien vh upproacn me lunaamen
tal relations and obligations of our being in
respect to each other, when we arrive at those
points of morolily and godliness where rela
tion is most sacred, and obligation most im-
M M r-l t i l-O .-.I a -.... ..!..(.. I I 1 t . .
Mll a uiio pinjr SHUUIU ue IUOSI
evidenced, and the glory of the church as the
pillar and ground of the truth should shine
brightest, there a dispensation comes, relation
is of no consequence, obligation a conveni
ence, piety a profession, and the glory of the
church tho twilight of eclipse. We insist
then, lhat we have here an alarming depar
ture from the true scriptural order, adminis
tration and discipline of the church ; and we
entreat the frimid of missions and especial
ly of thu Board to tHke the alarm in season,
and to demand a change before it shall be too
late for the missions, and God shall have fes-
.ibu u vt'iiiui inn-jit upuu uuracives) as la
and corrupt as that which we aro sending to
ll...rQ " "
We shall try to make room next week for
a few extracts from some of the speeches
made during the Convention.
REV. ABISHAI SCOFIELD.
We promised last week to give some ex
tracts from the " Defence" of the above nam
ed criminal, as tho Presbytery has decided
him to be, but which defenco lie was pre
vailed making before the body which sat in
judgment upon him.
And yet it cannot be denied that this sin
hat existed, iu all its enormities, unrebuked
in the Presbyterian Church from that day to
this. Yes, in the Presbyterian Church 1 for
not walking with which 1 am now arraigned
before lh:s Presbytery. An iniquity has been
tolerated for almost thirty years, that by their
own declaration, " is utterly inconsistent with
the laws of God, and totally irreconcileable
with the spirit and precepts of the gospel of
Christ!" This, their own records abundant
ly show. In 1S34, the synod of Kentucky
appointed a committee of ten, to bring iu a
report on the subject of Slavery, which was
to be read to all the Presbyterian churches in
the State. Hear what they siy. "Brothers
and sisters, parents and children, husbands
and wives, are lorn asunder and per
mitted to see each other no more. These acts
are daily occurring among us. The shrieks
and the agony, often witnessed on such oc
casions, proclaim with a trumpet tongue the
iniquity and cruelty of our system. The
cries of these sufferers go up to the ears of
the Lord of Sabaoth. 1 here is not a neigh
borhood, where these heart rending acenes
are not displayed. There is not a village or
road, that does not behold the sad procession
of manacled outcasts, whose chains and wo
ful countenances tell that Ihey are exiled by
force from all that their hearts hold dear.
Our church, years ago, raised iu yoioe of sol
emn warning against this flagrant violation
f every principlo of mercy, justice and hu
manity. Yet we blush to tnaounce to yon
and to the world, that this warning has been
often disregarded, even by those who hold te
our communion. Owe idee occurred in our
mvn denomination, where pnfessurs of the lit
I'Vyn of Merty have lorn the mother from htr
children and sent her into a merciless and re
turnless exile. Yet acts of discipline have
rarely followed such conduct." Here, Mr.
Moderator, are two important facts brought
to light. First, that slaveholding is in the
judgment of this Synod " a fl igrant violation
of every principle of meicy, justice and hu
manity ;" and second, that this " flagrant
abomination i tolerated in the Presbyterian
church. Mark their language " Cases have
occurred in our own denomination" and yet
acts of discipline " rarely follow" " rarelu,"
probably never it is believed, that not on
ease can be found on record, where disci
plino has been applied for these sins.
And now, sir, what has the Presbyter's
church done, to redeem itself from the guilt
of upholdinrrand tolerating slavery within it
bounds ! W hat has the General Assembly
done, to carry out the doctrines it declared la
1794 and in 1818. Nothing, absolutely no.
ing. for the last ten years, the Assembly
has been entreated, year after year, to declare
against this great crime, but instead of ut
tering its protest against the guilt of tho
slaveholder, it has actually framed apologia
and excuses for his sin !
And now, sir, of this whole history, what
is the sum t Plainly this, that the General
Assembly, both Old School and New School,
have refused, clearly and positively, to de
clare that slavehold ing is a sin. Openly and
knowingly have they tolerated the most "fla
grant violation of every principle of mercy,
justice and humanity." Openly and know
ingly have they trampled theirown rules an!
and laws in the dust! To please the guilty
slaveholder, and to keep him snugly seated
-... ... uo yam ui ma cnurcn, mey nave tot
crated, designedly and wilfully, for about 39
year, under their ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
uu.cu, on ciiuiiuuus crime, wnicn la
1010, mey aeciared to be "a gross violation
of the most precious and sacred rights of hu
man nature; as utterly inconsistent with tho
law of God ; and as totally irreconcileable
with the spirit and precepts of the gospel of
Christ." Here then, sir, is guilt, great
guilt; this cannot be denied... Here is a most
flagrant and notorious sin a bloody Moloch,
consuming his tortured victims, within tho
bounds of the General Assembly, and aomo
of its members and Doctors of Divinity min
istering st his bloody altar! And yet, tho
General Assembly will not rebuke this wick
edness, though continually urged to do so
for the last ten years ! In vain is the excuse
plead, that the General Assembly has no
power to act in the case. If it has power to
rebuke other sins. it ham tn- it,.-
rebiikA thia in. If it .. Jl.- .1 c. l.
vidvii ma. OHU
bath breaking is a sin, and that dancing is a
sin, it can also declare that slaveholding is a
sin. And if it will not so declare, then tho
iruilt of the iinrflinkil 1.
upuu ii.
the Dower of admtnitttprinrr .n.k - k..t. 1.
, .... -u 1 - ivuua, im
clearly conveyed in the constitution of tbo
nl...-k I .. .1.. 1 .1 . 1 ... . .
i.iiui.u. iii mo ism cuap., oin sec, it de
clares lhat " to tha Gun-mi AaasniM.. k..
lo- gs the power of reproving, warning, 01
bearing testimony against error in doctrine,
or immorality in practice, in any church.
Dri.ktn.R . C I . I .
.r..Uj,rij 111 uyuuu, auu in general, 01 re
commending and attempting reformation of
manners, and the promotion of charily, trutU
and holiness, through all the churches under
thai. Air ft 1- I L I
....... vi.iv. uiiii note 110 power given to
rebuke the sin of slaveholding in the church t
" - "y. .im uciiiaimiun, mafc siavenoiuinff
is a disciplineable offence, be "reproving"
the slaveholder, or bearing testimony against
immorality in practice ! Would not a faith
ful rebuke of the practice of buying, selling,
whipping and working" without wages," in
nocent men, women and children.be "re
commending end attempting reformation of
manners, and the promotion of charity, truth,
and holiness 1" Yes, verily; and the Gen
eral Assembly, therefore, has the power of
rebuking these sins, clearly conveyed in tho
constitution of the Presbyterian church.
Upon the Assembly, then, must come all tho
innocent blood shed under its jurisdiction by
alaveholdimr. for want nf bmoK m vAKi.tr . .
n. - . .uwukw, ,v
it belongs most fearfully ths declaration of
the Psalmist, " When thou sawest a thief,
then thou consented'st with him, nnd bast
been paraker with adulterers."
But, Mr. Moderator, wo must pass to an
other point in this argument. We have sesa
lhat slaveholding is a sin not to be tolerated
in any Christian church ; that it is viola
tion of the gospel, and of the unrepealed
lawa of the Cener.l Assembly. But wo
have seen also, that this enormity still exists
in tho Presbyterian church, undisciplined,
and now for many years unrebuked 1 and
therefore, that the Assembly is deeply laden
with guilt. And now, sir, we proceed !
say, that the Assembly does not bear tills)
guilt alone. Every Presbytery, North a
well as South, which retains iu connection
with the General Assembly, shares in that
burden. The Presbyteries are component
parti of the Assembly, and, retaining their
nnnnMliin in ... I ...k .k.u I . k . J
.. . u . ,avu viiaiv ill .110 i,.iuh,i
bility of its publio, corporate character. If
ttiar- im ,. il.W.'.- ni.il, u.lln ..r.. Ik.
General Assembly, that guilt, when rightly
distributed, belongs to the Presbyteries thu
compose it. Against any flagrant wicked
nea of the General Assembly, a Presbytery
