{"1": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3471", "width": "2068", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0001.jp2"}, "2": {"fulltext": "t c\\nJ V\\nr\\nr\\nc r -re\\nL\\nr3 l\u00c2\u00bb \u00c2\u00abte-\u00c2\u00abr %,P\\nLIBRARY OF CONGRESS.\\n_ f\\nir T -n STATES OF AMETIICA.\\n\u00c2\u00ab,ffer %^6,\u00c2\u00ab^ ?fe ?6 Q\\nCICC\\n1\\nc c c\\nr c C C", "height": "3310", "width": "2100", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0002.jp2"}, "3": {"fulltext": "A.\\nr \u00e2\u0080\u0094r\\n4\\niCi\\n^s5\\nscrc\\nc :jc\\ncc cc:: c c\u00c2\u00abc\\nc jf\\nc cc:\\nxr c r;:c", "height": "3358", "width": "1955", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0003.jp2"}, "4": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3310", "width": "2100", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0004.jp2"}, "5": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3358", "width": "1955", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0005.jp2"}, "6": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3310", "width": "2100", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0006.jp2"}, "7": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3358", "width": "1955", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0007.jp2"}, "8": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3310", "width": "2100", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0008.jp2"}, "9": {"fulltext": "THE\\nAMERICAN CHURCHES,\\nTHE BULWARKS\\nOF\\nAMERICAN SLAVERY\\nBY AN AMERICAN.\\nTHIRD AMERICAN EDITION,\\nENLARGED BY AN APPENDIX.\\nNEWBURYPDRT\\nPUBLISHED BY CHARLES WHIPPLE.\\n1 842.", "height": "3358", "width": "1955", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0009.jp2"}, "10": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3310", "width": "2100", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0010.jp2"}, "11": {"fulltext": "A-r-\\nY\u00c2\u00bb\\nAMERICAN SLAVERY.\\nThe extent to which most of the Churches in America\\nare involved in the guilt of supporting the slave system is\\nknown to but few in this country.* So far from being even\\nsuspected by the great mass of the religious community\\nhere, it would not be believed but on the most indisputable\\nevidence. Evidence of this character it is proposed now\\nto present applying to the Methodist Episcopal, the\\nBaptist, the Presbyterian, and the Protestant Episcopal\\nChurches. It is done with a single view to make the\\nBritish Christian public acquainted with the real state of\\nthe case in order that it may in the most intelligent and\\neffective manner exert the influence it possesses with the\\nAmerican churches to persuade them to purify themselves\\nfrom a sin that has greatly debased them, and that threat-\\nens in the end wholly to destroy them.\\nThe followincr memoranda will assist English readers in\\nmore readily apprehending the force and scope of the\\nevidence.\\nI. Of the twenty-six American States, thirteen are\\nslave States. Of the latter, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky,\\nMissouri, and Tennessee (in part), are shve-selling States;\\nthe States south of them are shve-buying and slave-\\nconsuming States.\\nII. Between the slave-selling and slave-buying States,\\nthe slave-trade is carried on extensively and systematically.\\nThe slave-trader, on completing his purchases for a single\\nadventure, brings the gang together at a convenient point;\\nconfines the men in double rows to a large chain running\\nbetween the rows, by means of smaller lateral chains\\ntightly riveted around the wrists of the slaves, and con-\\nEngland where this pamphlet was first published.", "height": "3394", "width": "2007", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0011.jp2"}, "12": {"fulltext": "nected with the principal chain. They are in this way\\ndriven aloni^ the liighways, (the small boys, the women,\\nand ijiris following,) without any release from their chains\\ntill they arrive at the ultimate place of sale. Here they\\noccupy barracoons, till they are disposed of, one by one, or\\nin lots, to those who will give most for them.\\n11[. Ministers and ofhce-bearers, and members of\\nchurches are slave-holders buying and selling slaves,\\n(not as the regular slave-trader,) but as their convenience\\nor interest may from time to time require. As a general\\nrule, the itinerant preachers in the Methodist church are\\nnot permitted to hold slaves\u00e2\u0080\u0094 but there are frequent ex-\\nceptions to the rule, especially of late.\\nIV. There are, in the United States, about 2,487,113\\nslaves, and 38(5,0(30 free people of rulur. Of the slaves,\\n80,000 are members of the Methodist church 80,000 of\\nthe Baptist and about 40,000 of the other churches.\\nThese church members have no exemption from being\\nsold by their owners as other slaves are. Instances are not\\nrare of slave-holding members of churches selling slaves\\nwho are members of the same church with themselves.\\nAnd members of churches have followed the business of\\nslave-auctioneers.\\nV. In most of the slave States the master is not per-\\nmitted formally to emancipate, unless the emancipated\\nperson be removed from the State, (which makes the\\nformal act unnecessary,) or, unless by a special act of the\\nlegislature. If, however, he disregard the law and permit\\nthe slave to go at liberty and do for himself, the law\\non the theory, that every slave ought to have a master to\\nsec tu hint directs him to be sold for the benefit of the\\nState. Instances of this, however, must be very rare.\\nThe people are better than their laws for the writer,\\nduring a residence of more tlian thirty years in the slave\\nStales, never knew an instance of such a sale, nor has he\\never heard of one that was fully proved to have taken\\nplace.\\nVI. There is no law in any of the slave States for-\\nbidding the slave-holder to remove his slaves to a free\\nState nor afrainst his izivinjr the slaves themselves a\\npass for that purpose. The laws of some of the free\\nStates present obstructions to the settlement of colored", "height": "3284", "width": "1970", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0012.jp2"}, "13": {"fulltext": "persons within their limits but these obstructions are not\\ninsurmountable, and if the validity of the laws should be\\ntried in the tribunals, it would be found they are un-\\nconstitutional.\\nVII. In the slave States a slave cannot be a witness\\nin any case, civil or criminal, in which a white is a party.\\nNeither can a free colored person, except in Louisiana.\\nOhio, Indiana, and Illinois, (free States,) make colored\\npersons incompetent as witnesses in any case in which a\\nwhite is a party. In Ohio, a white person can prove his\\nown book account, not exceeding a certain sum, by\\nhis own oath or affirmation. A colored person cannot, as\\nagainst a white. In Ohio the laws regard all who are\\nmulattoes, or above the grade of mulattoes, as white.\\nVIII. There is no law in the slave States, forbidding\\nthe several church authorities making slave-holding an\\noffence, for which those guilty of it might be excluded\\nfrom membership.\\nThe Society of Friends exists in the slave States it\\nexcludes slave-holders.\\nThe United Brethren exist as a church in Maryland\\nand Virginia, slave States. Their Annual Conference for\\nthese two States, (in which are thirty preachers,) met in\\nFebruary, [1840.]\\nThe following is an extract from its minutes\\nNo charge is preferred against any (preachers,) except Franklin\\nEchard and Moses Michael.\\nIt appeared in evidence that Moses Michael was the owner of a\\nfemale slave, which is contrary to the discipline ot our church. Con-\\nference therefore resolved, that unless brother Michael manumit or\\nset free such slave in six months, he no longer be considered a\\nmember of our church.\\nIX. When ecclesiastical councils excuse themselves\\nfrom acting for the removal of slavery from their respective\\ncommunions by saying, they cannot legislate for the\\nabolition of slavery; that slavery is a civil or political\\ninstitution\u00e2\u0080\u0094 that it belongs to Caesar, and not to the\\nchurch to put an end to it, they shun the point at issue.\\nTo the church member who is a debauchee, a drunkard,\\na seducer, a murderer, they find no difficulty in saying,\\nwe cannot indeed proceed against your person, or your\\nproperty this belongs to C-Esar to the tribunals of the\\ncountry to the legislature;\u00e2\u0080\u0094 hut we can suspend or\\n1*", "height": "3394", "width": "2007", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0013.jp2"}, "14": {"fulltext": "G\\nwholly cut you off from llie communion of the church\\nwith a view to your repentance and its purification. Jl\\na white member should bv force or intimidation, day aiter\\nday deprive another wliite member of his property the\\nauthorities of the churches would expel him from their\\nbody, should he refuse to make restitution or reparation,\\nalthoucrh it could not be enforced except through the\\ntribunals over which they have no control. There is then,\\nnothin T to prevent these authorities from saying to the\\nslave-holder\u00e2\u0080\u0094 cease being a slave-holder and remain in\\nthe church, or continue a slave-holder and go out of it\\nYou have your choice.\\nX The slave States make it penal, to teach the slaves\\nto read So also some of them to teach the free colored\\npeople to read. Thus a free colored parent may suffer the\\npenalty for teaching his own children to read even the\\nScriptures. None of the slave-holding churches, or re-\\nliaious bodies, so far as is known, have, at any time,\\nremonstrated with the legislatures against this iniquitous\\nleri ^lation, or petitioned for its repeal or modification.\\nNor have they reproved or questioned such of their mem-\\nbers, as, being also members of the legislatures, sanctioned\\nsuch legislation by their votes. r i i\\nXI. There is no systematic instruction ot the slave-\\nmembers of churches, cither orally or in any other way.\\nXII Uniting with a church makes no change in the\\ncondition of slaves at hoine. They are thrown back just\\nas before, among their old associates, and subjected to\\ntheir corrupting influences. i\\nXIII. But little pains are taken to secure their attend-\\nance at public worship, on Sundays.\\nXIV. The house-servants are rarely present at\\nfamily-worship tlie field-hands, never.\\nXV It is only one here and there who seems to have\\nany intelligent views of the nature of Christianity, or of a\\nfuture life. j\\nXVI In the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and\\nEpiscopal churches, the colored people, during service,\\nsit in a particular part of the house, now generally known\\nas the negro pew. They are not permitted to sit in any\\nother nor to hire or purchase pews as other people, nor\\nwould they be permitted to sit, even if invited, in the pews\\nof white persons. This applies to all colored persons,", "height": "3274", "width": "1913", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0014.jp2"}, "15": {"fulltext": "whether members or not, and even to licensed ministers of\\ntheir respective connections. The negro pew is ahnost\\nas rioridly kept up in the free States as in the slave.\\nXVII. In some of the older slave States, as Virginia,\\nand South Carolina, churches, in their corporate character,\\nhold slaves, who are generally hired out for the support of\\nthe minister. The following is taken from the Charleston\\nCourier, of February 12th, 1835.\\nFIELD NEGROES, hy Tliomas Gadsden.\\nOn Tuesdaj the I7th Instant, will be sold, at the north of the\\nExchange, at ten o clock, a prime ganjjj of ten negroes, accu?lonied\\nto the culture of cotton and provisions, belonging to the Indepen-\\ndent Church, in Christ s Church Parish. F^}}. 6.\\nXVIII. Nor are instances wanting, in which Negroes\\nare bequeathed for the benefit of the Indians, as the fol-\\nlowing Chancery notice, taken from a Savannah (Geo.)\\npaper will show.\\nBryan Superior Court.\\nBetween John J. Maxwell and others. Executors of Ann\\nPray, complainants, and in\\nMary Sleigh and others:. Devisees and Legatees, under equitv.\\nthe will of Ann Pray, defendants. J\\nA Bill having been filed for the distribution of the estate of the\\nTestatrix, Ann Pray, and it appearing that among other legacies in\\nher will, is the following, viz. a legacy of one-fourth of certain negro\\nslaves to the American Board of Coinmissioners for Domestic\\n[Foreign it probably should have been] Missions for the purpose of\\nsending the gospel to the heathen, and particularly to the Indians of\\nthis continent. It is on motion of the solicitors of the complainants\\nordered, that all persons claiming the said legacy, do appear and\\nanswer the bill of the complainants, within four months from this day.\\nAnd it is ordered, that this order be published in a public Gazette of\\nthe city of Savannah, and in one of the Gazettes of Philadelphia, once\\na month, for four months.\\nExtract from the minutes, Dec. 2nd, 1S32.\\nJohn Smith, c. s. c. b. c. (The bequest was not accepted.)\\nINFLUENCES UNDER WHICH THE AMERICAN\\nCHURCHES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT.\\nCharleston (City) Gazette. We protest against the assumption\\nthe unwarrantable assumption that slavery is ultimately to be\\nextirpated from the Southern States. Ultimate abolitionists are\\nenemies of the South, the same in kind, and only less in degree, than\\nimmediate abolitionists.\\nWashington City Telegraph. As a man, a Christian, and a\\ncitizen, we believe that slavery is right that the condition of the\\nslave-holding States, is the best existing organization of civil society.", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0015.jp2"}, "16": {"fulltext": "8\\nChancellor Harper, of Soul h Carolina It is the order of nature\\nand ofCiOD, that ihe being of superior faculties and knowledj^e, and\\ntherefore of superior power, shouUI control iind dispose of those who\\nare inferior. It is as much in tlie order of niiture, that men should\\nenslave each other, as that other animals should prey upon each\\nother.\\nColumhia (S. C.) Telescope. Let us declare, through the\\npublic journals of our country, that the question of slavery is not, and\\nshall not be open to discussion that the sj-stem is deep-rooted\\namong us, and must remain for ever; that the very nioment any\\nprivate individual attempts to lecture upon its evils and immorality,\\nand the necessity of putting means in operation to secure us Iroin\\nthem, in the same moment his tongue shall be cut out and cast upon\\na dunghill.\\nJliigusta (Geo.) Chronicle. He [Amos Dresser] should have\\nbeen hung up as high as Haman, to rot upon the gibbet, until the\\nwiiul wbi. tled through his bones. The cry of the whole South\\nshould be death, instant death, to the abolitionist, wherever he\\nis caught.\\n[Amos Dresser, now a missionary in Jamaica, was a\\ntheological student at Lane Seminary, near Cincinnati.\\nIn the vacation (August 1835) he undertook to sell Bibles\\nin the State of Tennessee, with a view to raise means\\nfurther to continue his studies.. Whilst there, he fell\\nunder suspicion of being an abolitionist, was arrested by\\nthe Vio-ilance Committee, whilst attendino- a reiisious\\nmeeting in the neighborhood of Nashville, the Capital of\\nthe State, and after an afternoon and evening s inquisition\\ncondemned to receive twenty lashes on his naked body.\\nThe sentence was executed on him, between eleven and\\ntwelve o clock on Saturday night, in the presence of most\\nof the committee, and of an infuriated and blaspheming\\nmob. The Vigilance Committee (an unlawful association)\\nconsisted of sixty persons. Of these, twenty-seven were\\nmembers of churches; one, a religious teacher another,\\nthe Elder who but a few days before, in the Presbyterian\\nchurch, handed Mr. Dresser the bread and wine at tlie\\ncommunion of the Lord s Supper.]\\nIn the latter part of the summer of 1835, the slave-\\nholders generally became alarmed at the progress of the\\nabolitionists. Meetings were held throughout the South,\\nto excite all classes of people to the requisite degree of\\nexasperation against them. At one of these meetings,\\nheld at Clinton, Mississippi, it was", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0016.jp2"}, "17": {"fulltext": "9\\nResolved,\\nThat slavery through the South and West is not felt as an evil,\\nmoral or political, but it is recogni- cd in reference to the actual, and\\nnot to any Utopian condition of our slaves, as a blessing both to\\nmaster and slave.\\nResolved,\\nThat it is our decided opinion, that any individual who dares to\\ncirculate, with a view to effectuate the designs of the abolitionists,\\nany of the incendiary tracts or newspapers now in a course of trans-\\nmission to this country, is justly worthy in the sight of God and inim\\nof inunediate death and we doubt not that such would be the pun-\\nishment of any such offender in any part of the State of Mississippi\\nwhere he may be found.\\nResolved,\\nThat we recommend to the citizens of Mississippi, to encourage\\nthe cause of the Ameiican Colonization Society, so long as in good\\nfaith it concentrates its energies ahjne on the removal of the free\\npeople of color out of the United States.\\nResolved,\\nThat the Clergy of the State of Mississippi, be hereby recom-\\nmended at once to take a stand upon this subject, and that their\\nfurther silence in relation thereto, at this crisis, will in our opinion,\\nbe subject to serious censure.\\nAt Charleston, South Carolina, the Post Office was\\nforced, the Anti-Slavery publications, which were there\\nfor distribution or further transmission to masters, taken\\nout and made a bon-fire of in the street, by a mob of\\nseveral thousand people.\\nA public meeting was appointed to be held a {e\\\\v days\\nafterward, to complete, in the same spirit in which they\\nwere commenced, preparations for excluding Anti-Slavery\\npublications from circulation, and for ferreting out persons\\nsuspected of favoring the doctrines of the abolitionists, that\\nthey might be subjected to Lynch law. At this assembly\\nthe Charleston Courier informs us;\\nThe Clergy of all denominations attended in a body, lending their\\nsanction to the proceedings, and adding by their presence to the\\nimpressive character of the scene.\\nTt was there Resolved,\\nThat the thanks of this meeting are due to the Reverend gentle-\\nmen of the clergy in this city, who have so promptly and so effectu-\\nally responded to ptiblic sentiment, by suspending their schools ia\\nwhich the/ree colored population were taught; and that this meeting", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0017.jp2"}, "18": {"fulltext": "10\\ndeem it a patriotic action, worthy of all praise, and proper to be\\nimitated by other teachers of similar schools throughout the State.\\nThe alarm of the Virginia slave-holders was not less\\nnor were the clergy in the city of Richmond, the capital,\\nless prompt than the clergy in Charleston, to respond to\\npublic sentiment Accordingly, on the 29th July,\\nthey assembled together, and\\nResolved, unanimously\\nThat we earnestly deprecate the unwarrantable and highly im-\\nproper interference of the people of any other State with the domestic\\nrelations of master and slave.\\nThat the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles, in\\nnot interfering with the question of slavery, but uniformly recognising\\nthe relations of master and servant, and giving full and affectionate\\ninstruction to both, is worthy of the imitation of all ministers of the\\ngospel.\\nThat we will not patronize nor receive any pamphlet or news-\\npaper of the Anti-Slavery Societies, and that we will discountenance\\nthe circulation of all such papers in the community.\\nThat the suspicions which have prevailed to a considerable\\nextent against ministers of the gospel and professors of religion in\\nthe State of Virginia, as identified with abolitionists are wholly vn-\\nmerited believing as we do, from extensive acquaintance with our\\nchurches and brethren, thai they are unanimous in opposing the\\npernicious schemes of abolitionists.\\nTHE METPIODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.\\n700,000 Members.\\nIn 1780, four years before the Episcopal Methodist\\nChurch was regularly organized in the United States, the\\nconference bore the following testimony against slavery\\nThe conference acknowledges that slavery is contrary to the\\nlaws of God, man, and nature, and hurtful to society contrary to the\\ndictates of conscience and true religion and doing what we would\\nnot others should do unto us.\\nIn 1784, when the church was fully organized, rules\\nwere adopted, prescribing the times at which members\\nwho were already slave-holders, should emancipate their\\nslaves. These rules were succeeded by the following\\nEvery person concerned, who will not comply with these rules,\\nshall have liberty quietly to withdraw from our society within the\\ntwelve months following the notice being given him as aforesaid\\notherwise the assistnnts shall exclude him the society.\\nNo person holding slaves shall in future be admitted into society,\\nor to the Lord s Supper, till he previously comply with these rules\\nconcerning slavery.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0018.jp2"}, "19": {"fulltext": "11\\nThose who buy, sell, or give [slaves] away, unless on purpose to\\nfree them, shall be expelled immediately.\\nIn 1785, the following language was held\\nWe do hold in the deepest abhorrence the practice of slavery,\\nand shall not cease to seek its destruction by all wise and prudent\\nmeans.\\nIn 1801\\nWe declare that we are more than ever convinced of the great\\nevil of African slavery, which still exists in these United States.\\nEvery member of the society who sells a slave shall, immediately\\nafter full proof, be excluded from the society, c.\\nThe Annual Conferences are directed to draw up addresses for\\nthe gradual emancipation of the slaves to the legislature. Proper\\ncommittees shall be appointed by the Annual Conferences, out of the\\nmost respectable of our friends, for the conducting of the business;\\nand the presiding elders, deacons, and travelling preachers, shall pro-\\ncure as many proper signatures as possible to the addresses and give\\nall the assistance in their power, in every respect to aid the com-\\nmittees and to further the blessed undertaking. Let this be continued\\nfrom year to year till the desired end be accomplished.\\nIn 1836, the General Conference met in May, in Cin-\\ncinnati, a town of 46,000 inhabitants, and the metropolis\\nof the free State of Ohio. An Anti-Slavery Society had\\nbeen formed there a year or two before. A meeting of\\nthe society was appointed for the evening of the 10th of\\nMay, to which the abolitionists attending the conference\\nas delegates were invited.* Of those who attended, two\\nof them made remarks suitable to the occasion. On the\\n12th of May, Rev. S. G. Roszell presented in the con-\\nference the following preamble and resolutions\\nWhereas, great excitement has pervaded this country on the\\nsubject of modern abolitionism, which is reported to have been in-\\ncreased in this city recently, by the unjustifiable conduct of two\\nmembers of the General Conference in lectuiing upon, and in favor\\nof that agitating topic; and whereas, such a course on the part of\\nany of its members is calculated to bring upon this body the suspicion\\nand distrust of the community, and misrepresent its sentiments in\\nregard to the point at issue and whereas, in this aspect of the case,\\na doe regard for its own character, as well as a just concern for the\\ninterests of the church confided to its care, demand a full, decided,\\nand unequivocal expression of the views of the General Conference\\nin the premises. Therefore,\\nThe Rev. Mr. TiOvejoy, who was afterwards slain by the mob in defending his\\npress, at Alton, Illinois, was present at the meeting. He was on his way from\\nSt. J-iouis, where he then resided, to Pittsburg, to attend the General Assembly of\\nthe Presbyterian Church.", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0019.jp2"}, "20": {"fulltext": "12\\n1. Resolved,\\nBy the delegates of the Annual Conference in General Confe-\\nrence assembled, that they disapprove in the most unqualified sense,\\ntlie conduct of the two mcuibeis of the General Conference, who are\\nrej)orted to have lectured in this city recently, upon, and in favor of,\\nmodern abolitionism.\\n2. Resolved,\\nBy the delegates of the Annual Conferences in General Confe-\\nrence assembled, that they are decidedly oi posed to modern aboli-\\ntionism, and wholly disclaim any rijiht, wish, or intention, to interfere\\nin the civil and political relation between master and slave, as it\\nexists in the slave-holding States of this Union.\\nThe preamble and resolutions were adopted the first\\nresolution by 122 to 11\u00e2\u0080\u0094 the last by 120 to 14.\\nAn address was received from the Methodist Wesleyan\\nConference in England, in which the Anti-Christian\\ncharacter of slavery, and the duty of the Methodist church\\nwas plainly, yet tenderly and aM ectionately presented for\\nits consideration. The Conference refused to publish it.\\nIn the Pastoral Address to the churches, are these\\npassages\\nIt cannot be unknown to you, that the question of slavery in the\\nUnited States, by the constitutional compact which binds us together\\nas a nation, is left to be regulated by the several Slate Legislatures\\nthemselves; and thereby is put beyond the control of the general\\ngovernment, as well as that of all ecclesiastical bodies; it being mani-\\nfest, that in the slave-holding Stales themselves, the entire responsi-\\nbility of its existence, or non-existence, rests with those State\\nlegislatures. These facts which are only mentioned\\nhere as a reason for the friendly admonition which we wish to give\\nyou, constrain us as your pastors, who are called to watch over your\\nsouls, as they must give account, to exhort you to abstain from all\\nabolition movements and associations, and to relrain from patronizing\\nany of their publications, c.\\nFrom every view of the subject which we have been able to\\ntake, and from the most calm and dispassionate survey of the whole\\nground, we have come to the conclusion, that the only safe, scriptural,\\nand prudent way for us, both as ministers and people, to take, is,\\nwholly to refrain from this agitating subject, c.\\nThe temper exhibited by the General Conference, was\\nwarmly sympathized in by many of the Local Conferences,\\nnot only in the slave States, but in the free.\\nThe Ohio Annual Conference had a short time before,\\nResolved,\\n1. That we deeply regret the proceedings of the abol tiouists, and", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0020.jp2"}, "21": {"fulltext": "13\\nAnti-Slavery Societies in the free States, and flie consequent excite-\\nment produced thereby in the slave States; that \\\\vc, as a Conference,\\ndisclaim all connection and co-operation with, or belief in the same;\\nand that we hereby recommenrl to our junior preachers, local breth-\\nren, and private members within our bound?, to abstain from any\\nconnection with them, or participation of their acts in the premises\\nwhatever.\\nResolved,\\n2. That those brethren and citizens of the North, who resist the\\nabolition movements with firmness and moderation, are the true\\nfriends to the church, to the slaves of the South, and to the constitu-\\ntion of our common country, c.\\nThe New York Annual Conference met in June, 1S36,\\nand\\nResolved,\\n1. That this conference fully concur in tlie advice of the late\\nGeneral Conference, as expressed in their Pastoral Address.\\nResolved,\\n2. That we disapprove of the members of this conference pat-\\nronising, or in any way giving countenance to a paper called Zion s\\nAVatchman, because in our opinion, it tends to disturb tlie peace\\nand harmony of the body, by sowing dissensions in the church.\\nResolved,\\n3. That although we could not condemn any man, or withhold\\nour suffrages from him on account of his opinions merely, in refe-\\nrence to the subject of abolitionism, yet we are decidedly of the\\n.opinion that none ought to be elected to the office of a deacon, or\\nelder, in our church, unless he give a pledge to the conference, that\\nbe will refrain from agitating the church with discussions on this\\nsubject, and the more especially as the one promises, reverently to\\nobey them to whom the charge and government over him is com-\\nmitted, following with a glad n lind and will, their godly admonitions:\\nand the other with equal solenmity, promises to njaintain and set\\nforward, as much as lieih in him, quietness, peace, and love among\\nall Christian people, and especially among them that are, or shall be\\ncommitted to his charge.\\nIn 1838, the same Conference, Resolved\\nAs the sense of this conference, that any of its members, or pro-\\nbationers, who shall patronize Zion s NVatchman, either by writing\\nin commendation of its character, by circulating it, recommending it\\nto our people, or procuring subscribers, or by collecting or remitting\\nmonies, shall be deemed guilty of indiscretion, and dealt with\\naccordingly.\\nZion s Watchman is a newspaper devoted to the Anti-Slavery cause and the\\nreligious interests of the Methodist Episcopal church. It is edited by Die Rev.\\nLa Roy Sunderland\\nO", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0021.jp2"}, "22": {"fulltext": "14\\nThe Preachers judging by the vote on the anti-aboli-\\ntion resolutions were expected of course to conform to\\nthe advice in the Pastoral Address, The New York\\nConference, the most influential, set the example of\\nexacting a pledge from the candidates for orders, that\\nthey would not agitate the subject of slavery in their con-\\ngregations. The official newspapers of the connection,\\nwould, of course, be silent. Therefore, as a measure for\\nwholly excluding the slavery question from the church, it\\nwas of the last importance that Zion s Watchman, an\\nw\u00c2\u00abof!icial paper, and earnest in the Anti-Slavery cause,\\nshould be prevented from circulating among the members.\\nHaving seen in what spirit the conferences of the free\\nStates were willing to act, we will now see what was the\\ntemper of the conferences in the slave States. Tlicy were\\nnot under the same necessity as the free State conferences,\\nof guarding against agitation, by candidates for orders for\\nin the slave States, they are comparatively few, and being\\nbrought up under the influences of slavery, are considered\\nsound on that subject. The point of most interest to the\\nslave-holding professors of religion was, to stetl theip own\\nconsciences.\\nThe Baltimore Conference resolved\\nThat in all cases of administration under the general rule in\\nreference to buying and [or] selling men, women, and children, c,\\nit be, and hereby is recommended to all commiUees, as the sense and\\nopinion of this conference, that the said rule be taken, construed and\\nunderstood, so as not to make the guilt or innocence of the accused\\nto depend upon the simple I act of purchase or sale of any such slave\\nor slaves, but upon the attendant circumstances of cruelty, injustice\\nor inhumanity, on the one hand, or those of kind purposes, or good\\nintentions on the other, under which, the transactions shall have\\nbeen perpetrated and further, it is recommended that in all such\\ncases, the charge be biought for immorality, and the circumstances\\nadduced as specifications under that charge.\\nTHE GEORGIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE,\\nResolved iinanimoushj that\\nWhereas, there is a clause in the discipline of our church, which\\nstates that we are as much as ever convinced of the gieat evil of\\nslavery; and whereas the said clause has been perverted by some,\\nand used in such a manner as to produce the impression that the\\nMethodist Episcopal church believed slavery to be a moral evil,", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0022.jp2"}, "23": {"fulltext": "15\\nTherefore Resolved,\\nThat it is the sense of the Georgia Annual Conference, that\\nslavery, as it exists in the United States, is not a moral evU.^*\\nResolved,\\nThat we view slavery as a civil and domestic institution, and\\none with which, as ministers of Christ, we have nothing; to Ao,\\nfurther than to ainehorate the condition of the slave, by endeavoring\\nto impart to him and his master the benign influences of the religioa\\nof Christ, and aiding both on their way to heaven.\\nOn the motion, it was Resolved unanimously,\\nThat the Georgia Annual Conference regard with feelings of\\nprofound respect and approbation, the dignified course pursued by\\nour several sup erintei\\\\ dents or bishops in suppressing the attempts\\nthat have been made by various individuals to get up and protract an\\nexcitement in the churches and country on the subject of aboli\\ntionism\\nResolved, further,\\nThat they shall have our cordial and zealous support in sustaining\\nthem in the ground they have taken.\\nSOUTH CAR OLINA CONFER,ENCE.\\nTlie Rev. W. Martin introduced resolutions, similar to\\nthose of the Georgia conference.\\nThe Rev. W. Capers, D. D., after expressing his con-\\nviction that the sentiment of the resolutions was univer-\\nsally held, not only by the ministers of that conference,\\nbut of the whole South; and after stating, that the\\nonly true doctrine was, it belongs to Ccesar, and not to\\nthe church, offered the following as a substitute\\nWhereas, we hold that the subject of slavery in these United\\nStates is not one proper for the action of the church, but is exclu-\\nsively appropriate to the civil authorities,\\nTherefore, Resolved,\\nThat this conference will not intermeddle with it, farther than to\\nexpress our regret that it has ever been introduced, in any form, into\\nany one of the judicatures of the church.\\nBrother Martin accepted the substitute.\\nBrother Betts asked, whether the substitute was intended as im-\\nplying that slavery, as it exists among us, was not amoral evil?\\nHe understood it as equivalent to such a declaration.\\nBrother Capers explained, that hismtention was to convey that\\nsentiment fully and unequivocally, and that he had chosen the form\\nof the substitute for the purpose, not only of reproving some wrong\\ndoings at the JVorth, but with reference also to the General Con-", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0023.jp2"}, "24": {"fulltext": "16\\nference. If slnvery were a moral evil (that is, sinful,) the church\\nwould be hound to take cognizance of it but our atfirmation is, that\\nit is not a matter for her jniisdiction, but is exclusively appropriate\\nto the civil government, and of course not sinful.\\nTlie substitute was then unanimously adopted.\\nSENTIMENTS OF NON-SLAVE-IIOLDING\\nMETHODIST MINISTERS.\\nRev. N. Bangs, D. D., of New York\\nIt appears evident, that however much the apostle might have\\ndeprecated slavery as it then existed throughout the Konian empire,\\nhe did not feel it his duty, as an ambassador of Christ, to disturb those\\nrelations which subsisted between master and servants, by denounc-\\ning slavery as such a mortal sin, that they could not be servants of\\nChrist in such a relatien.\\nRev. E. D. Simms, Professor in Randolph Macon\\nCollege, a Methodist Institution\\nThese extracts from holy writ unequivocally assert\\nTHE RIGHT OF PROPERTY IN SLAVES, together with the usual\\nincidents of that right; such as the power of acquisition and disposi-\\ntion in various ways, according to municipal regulations. The right\\nto buy and sell, and to transmit to chihhen by way of inlieritance, is\\nclearly stated. The only restriction on the subject, is in reference\\nto the market, in which slaves or bondsmen were to be purchased.\\nUpon the whole, then, whether we consult the Jewish polity,\\ninstituted by God himself; or the uniform opinion and practice of\\nmankind in all ages of the world; or the injunctions of the New\\nTestament and the Moral Law; we are brought to the conclusion,\\nthat slavery is not injiiioral.\\nHaving established the point, that the first African slaves were\\nlegally brought into bondage, the right to detain their children in\\nbondatie, follows as an indispensable consequence.\\nThus we see, that the slavery which exists in America, was\\nfounded in rights\\nThe Rev. Wilbur Fisk, D. D., late President of the\\n[Methodist] Wesleyan University in Connecticut:\\nThe relation of ma-ter and slave, may and does, in many cases,\\nexist under such circumstances, as free the master Irom the just\\ncharge and guilt of immorality.\\ni Cor. vii. 20\u00e2\u0080\u009423.\\nThis text seems mainly to enjoin and sanction the fitting con-\\niintuince of their j)resent social relations; the freeman was to remain\\nfree, and the slave, unless en\u00c2\u00bbancipation should offer, luas to remain\\na slave.\\nThe general rule of Christianity not only permits, hut in sup-\\nposable circumstances, enjoins a continuance of the master^s au-\\nthority.\\nThe New Testament enjoins obedience upon the slave as aa\\nobligation due to a present rightful authority.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0024.jp2"}, "25": {"fulltext": "17\\nRev. Elijah Hedding, D. D., one of the six Methodist\\nBisiiops\\nThe right to hold a slave is founded on this rule, Therefore, all\\nthings whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even\\nso to them for this is the law and the prophets. Ch. Ad. and\\nJournal, Oct, 20, 1807.\\nSENTIMENTS OF SLAVE-HOLDING METHO-\\nDIST MINISTERS.\\nThe Rev. William Winans, of Mississippi, in the Gen-\\neral Conference, in 1836\\nHe was not born in a slave State he was a Pennsylvanian by\\nbirth. He had been brought up to believe a slave-holder as great a\\nvillain as a horse-thief; but he had gone to the South, and long resi-\\ndence there had changed his views; he had become a stave-holder\\non principle. a Though a slave-holder himself, no aboli-\\ntionist felt more sympathy for the slave than he did none had\\nrejoiced more in the hope of a coming period, when the print of a\\nslave s foot would not be seen on the soil. It was import-\\nant to the interests of slaves, and in view of the question of slavery,\\nthat there be Christians who were slave-holders. Christian ministers\\nshould be slave-holders, and diffused throughout the South. Yes,\\nsir, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, should be slave holders:\\nyes, he repeated it boldly there should be members, and deacons,\\nand ELDERS and BISHOPS, too, who were slave-holders.\\nThe Rev. J. Early, of Virginia, on the same occasion\\nSir, We have no energy. But if a majority of this conference\\nhave no energy not enough of it, to protect their own honor from\\ninsult and degradation be it known, that there are in the conference\\nthose who have and who ought to be by themselves. It is\\nfull time for you, sir, to speak out to testify that you have some\\nregard for yourselves to say that you have some regard for your\\nhonor. Submit to this, sir If we submit to this, we are prepared to\\nsubmit to anything.\\nThe Rev. J. H. Thornvvell, at a public meeting held in\\nSouth Carolina, supported the following resolutions\\nThat slavery as it exists in the South is no evil, and is consistent\\nwith the principles of revealed religion; and that all opposition to it\\narises from a misguided and fiendish fanaticism, which we are bound\\nto resist in the very threshold.\\nThat all interference with this subject by fanatics is a violatioa\\nof our civil and social rights is unchristian and inhuman, leading\\nnecessarily to anarchy and bloodshed and that the instigators are\\nmurderers and assassins.\\nThat any inierference with this subject, on the part of Congress,\\nmust lead to a dissolution of the Union.\\n3*", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0025.jp2"}, "26": {"fulltext": "18\\nThe Rev. George W. Langhorne, of North Carolina,\\nthus writes to the Editor of Zion s Watchman, under date,\\nJune 25th, 1836.\\nI, sir, would as soon be found in tlie ranks of a banditti, as num-\\nbered with Arthur Tappan and iiis wanton co-adjutors. Nothing is\\nmove appalling to my feelings as a man, contrary to my principles as\\na Christian, and repugnant to my soul as a minister, than the\\ninsidious proceedings of such men.\\nIf you have not resigned your credentials as a minister of the\\nMethodist Episcopal church, I really think that, as an honest man,\\nyou should now do it. In your ordination vows you solemnly-\\npromised to be obedient to those who have rule over you and since\\ntliey [the General Conference] have spoken, and that distinctly, too,\\non this subject, and disapprobate your conduct, I conceive you are\\nbound to submit to their authority, or leave the church,\\nThe Rev. J. C. Postell, in July, 1836, delivered an\\naddress at a public meeting at Orangeburgh Court-house,\\nS. C, in which he maintains; 1. That slavery is a judicial\\nvisitation. 2. That it is not a moral evil. 3. That it is\\nsupported by the Bible. He thus argues his second\\npoint\\nIt is not a moral evil. The fact that slavery is of Divine appoint-\\nment, would be proof enough with the Christian, that it could not be\\na moral evil. But when we view the hordes of savage marauders\\nand human cannibals enslaved to lust and passion, and abaudoned to\\nidolatry and ignorance, to levolutionise t nem fiom such a state, and\\nenslave them where they may have the gospel, and the privileges of\\nChristians; so far from being a moral evil, it is a merciful visitation.\\nIf slavery was either the invention of man or a moral evil, it is logical\\nto conclude, the power to create has the power to destroy. Why\\nthen has it existed And why does it now exist amidst all the\\npower of legislation in state and church, and the clamor of aboli-\\ntionists Jt is the Lord s doings and marvellous in our\\nEYES and had it not been done for the best, God alone, who is able,\\nlong since would have overruled it. It is by Divine appoint-\\nment.\\nOn that occasion the same Rev. gentleman read a letter\\nwhich he had addressed to the Editor of Zion s Watch-\\nman of which the following are extracts\\nTo La Roy Sunderland, c.\\nDid you calculate to misrepresent the Methodist Discipline, and\\nsay it supported abolitionism, when the General Conference, in their\\nlate resolutions, denounced it as a libel on truth. Oh full of all\\nsubtlety, thou child of the devil! all liars, saith the sacred volume,\\nshall have their part in the lake of tire and brimstone.\\nI can only give one reason why you have not been indicted for a\\nIjhel The law says, The greater the truth, the greater the libel;\\nand as your paper has no such ingredient, it is construed but a small", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0026.jp2"}, "27": {"fulltext": "19\\nmatter. But if you desire to educate the slaves, I will tell you how\\nto raise the money without editing Zion s VVatchinan you and old\\nArthur Tappan come out to the South this winter, and they will raise\\none iiundred thousand dollars for you. New Orleans, itself, will be\\npledged for it. Desiring no further acquaintance with you, and never\\nexpecting to see you but once in time or eternity, that is at judgment,\\nI subscribe myself, the frieud of the Bible, and the .opposer of\\nAbolitionists.\\nJ. C. POSTEI.L,\\nOrangeburgh, July 21st, 1836.\\nTHE GENERAL CONFERENCE FOR 1840,\\nHELD ITS SESSION IN MAY, IN BALTIMORE.\\nThe Rev. Silas Comfort appealed from a decision of the\\nMissouri conference, of which he was a member. That\\nconference had convicted him of mal-administration,\\nin admitting the testimony of a colored person in the trial\\nof a white member of the church. The General confe-\\nrence reversed the decision of the Missouri conference.\\nThe Southern delegates insisted on something being done,\\nto counteract the injurious influence which the reversal\\nwould have on the Methodist church in the slave States.\\nThe Rev. Dr. A. J. Few, of Georgia, proposed the\\nfollowing\\nResolved,\\nThai it is inexpedient and unjustifiable for any preacher to per-\\nmit colored persons to give testimony against white persons, iu any\\nState where they are denied that privilege by law.\\nThis was carried but it was at variance with the\\ndecision in Comfort s case. The conference saw the\\nabsurdity of their position, and that something must be\\ndone to shift it. To this end, it was thought best to\\nattempt getting rid of the whole subject. A motion was\\nmade to re-consider the decision in Comfort s case, with a\\nview, if it should be carried, to another, 7iot to entertain\\nhis appeal Should this latter prevail, a motion was then\\nto follow, to re-considcr Dr. Few s resolution. If this\\nshould be carried, by another motion it could be laid on\\nthe table, and kept there. In this way the whole matter\\nmight be excluded.\\nThe motion to re-consider the reversal in Comfort s\\ncase was carried. So was the motion, not to entertain his", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0027.jp2"}, "28": {"fulltext": "20\\nappeal. But the motion to re-consider Dr. Few^s resolu-\\ntion failed. Pending the debate on it, one of the Southern\\ndelegates,\\nRev. William A. Smith, of Virginia, [The same who\\nin the General conference of 18:i0, publicly wished the\\nRev. Orange Scott, a leading abolitionist also of the\\nGeneral conference in heaven; becoming alarmed,\\nlest the resolution should be reconsidered and consigned\\nto the table, offered the following compromise as a sub-\\nstitute\\nResolved,\\nThat the resohition offered by A. J. Few, and adopted on Mon-\\nday the 18th instant, relatino; to the testimony of persons of color,\\nbe reconsidered and amended so as to read as follows, viz. That\\nit is inexpedient and unjustifiable for any preacher among vs to\\nadmit of persons of color to give testimony on the trial of white\\njiersons in any slave-hoIJi7ig State where thty are denied that pri-\\nvilege in trials at law Provided, that when an Annual conference\\nin any such State or territory shall jnd2;e it expedient to admit of\\nthe introduction of such testimony within its bounds, it shall be al-\\nlowed so to do.\\nHowever, the Southern delegates being unanimous,\\n(with the single exception of the Rev. mover,) and having\\nthe aid of some of the most devoted of the pro-slavery\\nNorthern delegates, the substitute was lost by an even vote.\\nThe efforts made to harmonize the slave-holding and\\nthe nonslave-holding delegates, had thus far failed. It was\\nnot, however, abandoned. With that view, Bishop Soule,\\nacting as the representative of the other Bishops, intro-\\nduced three resolutions. We have not been able to pro-\\ncure a copy of them. In Zion s Watchman, we find\\nthem substantially stated thus\\n1. The action of the General conference in the Comfort case\\nwas not intended to express or imply, that it was either expedient\\nor justitiable to admit the testimony of colored persons in States\\nwhere such testimony is rejected by the civil authorities.\\n2. It was not intended by the adoption of Dr. Few s resolution,\\nto prohibit the admission of it, when the civil autliorities or usage\\nauthorizes its admission.\\n3. Expresses the undiminished regard of the General con-\\nference for the colored population.\\nImmediately on the passage of Dr. Few s resolution,\\nthe official members (forty-six in number) of the Sharp", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0028.jp2"}, "29": {"fulltext": "21\\nStreet and Asbury Colored Methodist Episcopal Church\\nin Baltimore, protested and petitioned against it. The\\nfollowing passages are in their address\\nThe adoption of such a resolution, by our l)ighest ecclesiastical\\njudicatory, a judicatory composed of the most ex|)erienced, and the\\nwisest brethren in the church, the choice selection of iwenty-eight\\nAnnual conferences, has inflicted, we fear, an irreparable injury upon\\neii^hty thousand souls for whom Christ died souls, who by this act\\nof your body, have been stript of the dignify of Christians, degraded\\nin the scale of humanity, and treated as criminals, for no other reason\\nthan the color of their skin Your resolution has, in our humble\\nopinion, virtualhj declared, that a mere physical peculiarity, the\\nhandy work of our all-wise and benevolent Creator, is pri?na facie\\nevidence of incompetency to tell the truth, or is an unerring indica-\\ntion of unworthiness to bear testimony against a fellow-being, whose\\nskin is denominated white.\\nBrethren, out of the abundance of the heart we have spoken.\\nOur grievance is before you! If you have any regard for the sal-\\nvation of the eighty thousand immortal souls committed to your\\ncare if you would not thrust beyond the pale of the church,\\ntwenty-five hundred souls in this city, who have felt determined\\nnever to leave the church that has nourished and brought them up\\nif you regard us as childien of one common Father, and can, upon\\nreflection, sympathize with us as members of the body of Christ if\\nyou would not incur the fearful, the tremendous responsibility of\\noffending not only one, hut many thousands of his little ones we\\nconjure you to wipe from your journal, the odious resolution which\\nis ruining our people.\\nA Colored Baltiraorean, writing to the Editor of\\nZion s Watchman, says\\nThe address was presented to one of the Secretaries, a Dele-\\ngate of the Baltimore conference, and subsequently given by him to\\nthe Bishops, How many of the members of the conference saw it,\\nI know not. One thing is certain, it was not read to the confer\\nence.\\nSENTIMENTS EXPRESSED DURING THE DE-\\nBATES.\\nRev. W. Capers, D. D., of Charleston, S. Carolina\\nValued the quotations which had been made from the early dis-\\nciplines and minutes there was no kind of property that he valued\\nso high as the works which contained them they were the monu-\\nments of that primitive Metliodism which he loved.* He then\\nread from the minutes of 1780, 84, and 85, and attempted to show,\\nfrom the smallness of the church, and the Utile connexion that it had\\nwith slavery in 1780, that it adopted the language which was pre-\\ncisely consistent with its circumstances, and just such language as he", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0029.jp2"}, "30": {"fulltext": "22\\nwould adopt under similar circumstances but in 1784 and 85, when\\nthe church had extended further ai\u00c2\u00bbd became more entangled with\\nslavery, there was a corresponding faltering in the language of the\\nchurch against it. But in ISOO, the church fell into a great error on\\nthis subject an error which he h id no doubt those who were so un-\\nfortimate as to fall into, very deeply deplored. The conference au-\\nthorised addresses to the legislatures, and memorials to be circulated\\nby all our ministers, and instructed them to continue those measures\\nfrom year to year, till slavery was abolished. He had no doubt,\\nthat the men engaged in this work were sincere and pious, but they\\nsoon perceived that it was a great error, and abandoned it. He\\nthanked the biother from Canada, (Rev. Egerton Ryerson,) for the\\nstrong sympathy he had expressed for southern institutions.\\nNotwithstanding the representations, that a part of the discipline\\nwas a dead letter, in the south, yet, he assured them, that they re-\\nceived the whole of it they were under the whole of it acknow-\\nledged it all, but, said he, you must take heed what discipline you\\nmake for us now if the chapter on slavery had not long been in the\\ndiscipline, you could not put it there now. I repeat, therefore, you\\nmust beware what laws you make for us You may easily adopt\\nsuch measures as will effectually hedge up our way, and make us\\nslaves. We cannot be made slaves beware, therefore, I say, what\\ndiscipline you give us! Be cautious what burthens you impose\\nupon us We know what our work is, it is to preach and pray for\\nthe slaves.\\nRev. Mr. Crovvder, of Virginia\\nIn its civil aspect, neither the general government, or any other\\ngovernment, ecclesiastical or civil, either directly or indirectly, has\\na right to touch slavery. In its ecclesiastical aspect we are\\nbound by the twenty-third article of our religion, to submit to the\\ncivil regulations of the State under which we live. In its moral\\naspect Slavery was not only countenanced, permitted, and regu-\\nlated by the Bible, but it waspostively instituted by God himself\\nhe had in so many words enjoined it.\\nThe Rev. Joshua Soule, D. D., of Ohio, (one of the\\nBishops,) in advocating the reconsideration of the de-\\ncision in Comfort s case, said\\nIt will be recollected by brethren, that the Missouri Conference\\nfixed no censure not a particle of censure upon the character of\\nSilas Comfort the law, therefore would not justify an appeal to this\\nbody. If that unfortunate word mal-administration, had not been\\nused in connexion with the case, it would never have found its way\\nhere. I do not express merely my own opinion in this case; it\\nis the united opinion of your Superintendents, (Bishops,) and it is by\\ntheir request that I address you on this occasion.\\nRev. Mr. Peck, of New York, who moved the recon-\\nsideration of Dr. Few s resolution\\nThat resolution, said he, was introduced under peculiar circum-", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0030.jp2"}, "31": {"fulltext": "23\\nstances, during considerable excitement, and he went for it as a\\npeace-offering to the Soutii, without sufficiently reflectirij^ upon the\\nprecise import of its phraseology but, alter a little (ieliheriitinn, he\\nwas sorry and he had been sorry but once, and that was all the time\\nhe was convinced that, it that resolution remain upon the journal, it\\nwould be disastrous to the whole northern Church.\\nRev. Dr. A. J. Few, of Georgia, the mover of the\\noriginal resolution\\nLook at it What do you declare to us, in taking this course\\nWhy sin)ply, as much as to say, we cannot sustain you in the con-\\ndition which you cannot avoid We cannot sustain you in the ne-\\ncessary conditions of slave-holding one of its necessary conditions\\nbeing the rejection of negro testimony If it is not siriful to hold\\nslaves, under all circumstances, it is not sinful to hold them in the\\nonly condition, and under the only circtmistances, which they can be\\nheld. The rejection of negro testimony is one of the necessary cir-\\ncumstances, under which slave-hulding can exist; indeed, it is utter-\\nly impossible for it to exist without it; therefore it is not sinful to\\nhold slaves in the condition, and under the circumstances which they\\nare held at the South, inasmuch as they can be held, under no other\\ncircumstances.* If you believe that slave-holding is necessarily\\nsinful, come out with the abolitionists, and honestly say so. If you\\nbelieve that slave-holding is necessarily sinful, you believe we are\\nnecessarily sinners: and, if so, come out and honestly declare it,\\nand let us leave you* We want to know distinctly, precisely, and\\nhonestly, the position which you take. We cannot be tampered with\\nby you any longer. We have had enough of it. We are tired of\\nyour sickly sympathies.* If you are not opposed to the principles\\nwhich it involves, unite with us, like honest men, and go home, and\\nboldly meet the consequences. We say again, you are responsible\\nfor this state of things! for it is you who have driven us to the alarm-\\ning point, where we find ourselves.* Yoti have made that reso-\\nlution absolutely necessary to the quiet of the South But you now\\nrevoke that resolution And, you pass the Rubicon! Let me not\\nbe misunderstood. I say, ^/ow pass the Rubicon! If you revoke, you\\nrevoke the principle wliich that resolution involves, and you array\\nthe whole South against you, and ive must separate If you\\naccord to the principles which it involves, arising bom the necessity\\nof the case, stick by it, though the heavens perish! But if you\\npersist on reconsideration, I ask in what light will your course be\\nregarded in the South What will be the conclusion, theie, in refer-\\nence to it W hy, (hat you cannot sustain us as long as we hold\\nslaves I It will declare in the face of the sun, we cannot sustain\\nyou, gentlemen, while you retain your slaves! Your opposition to\\nthe resolution is based upon your opposition to slavery.; you carmot,\\ntherefore, maintain your consistency, unless you come out with the\\nabolitionists, and condemn us at once and for ever or else refuse\\nto reconsider.\\nThe Rev. William Winans, of Mississippi (the same\\nwho was a delegate to the General conference in LS3G.)\\nHe was never more deeply impressed with the solemniiy of hi3", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0031.jp2"}, "32": {"fulltext": "24\\n6i(aa(ion Ibe act of this afternoon will de(ei mine the fate of our\\nbeloved Zion Will you meet us half-way Have you the mag-\\nnanimity to consent to a compromise I pledj^e myself, in behalf of\\nevery southern man, that if you will affirm the decision in the case\\nof Silas Comfort, we will give up the resolution but if you refuse\\nto affirm, and wrest from us that resolution, you stab us to the vitals!\\nRepeal that resolution, and you pass the Rubicon! Dear as\\nunion is, sir, there are interests at stake in, this question which are\\ndearer than union! Do not regard us as threatening! But\\nwhat will become of our beloved Methodism The interests of\\nMethodism, throughout the whole South, are at stake We can,\\nhowever, endure to see the houses of God forsaken, and our wide ex-\\ntended and beautiful fields which we have long been cultivating, laid\\nwaste and turned into a moral wilderness. But, what is to become\\nof the poor slave? I entreat of you to pause! You efFectually\\nshut out the consolations and hopes of the gospel from hundieds and\\nthousands of poor slaves 1 call heaven to record against you\\nthis day, that if you repeal that resolution, you seal the damnation of\\nthousands of souls! I beseech you as upon my knees not to do it.\\nThe Rev. Mr. Collins, of\\nAdmonished the conference, that the moment they rescinded that\\nresolution, they passed the Rubicon. The fate of the connexion was\\nsealed.\\nThe Rev. William A. Smith, of Virginia,\\nAgreed with tlie brother from Mississippi, that there were in-\\nterests involved in this question dearer than union itself, however\\ndear that might be. Southerners are not prepared to commit their\\ninterests, much less their consciences, to the holy keeping of northern\\nmen. Conscience was involved in this matter, and they could not be\\ncoerced.\\nRev. Nathan Bangs, D. D., of New York\\nWe were on a snag, and he believed he could help us off. He\\nperceived a way to get out of the difficulty, and proceeded to read\\nthree resolutions, one of which went to affirm the decision of the\\nMissouri conference in the Comfort case. He concluded with a\\nproposition to refer the whole case to a committee, to see if some-\\nthing coiild not be done to harmonize the conference.\\nRev. P. P. Sanford, of\\nBrethren spoke as though there were no interests involved in\\nthis question but southern and western, but he coukl assure brethren\\nof their entire mistake. The north and east were as deeply con-\\ncerned in the issue of this question as the west and south. He\\nwas surprised at the course of Dr. Bangs, who, when the Missouri\\ncase was pending, retired without the bar, and thus dodged the\\nquestion and when Dr. F ew s resolution was passed, he sat still in\\nhis chair, and refused to do his duty, but now becomes forward with\\na series of resolutions entirely inconsistent with all the facts in the", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0032.jp2"}, "33": {"fulltext": "25\\ncase, with the very benevolent intention to enlighten us on the sub-\\nject But what does he say VVhy, he declares that he believes\\nthat this conference ought to affirm the decision of the Missouri con-\\nference in the case of Silas Conjfort And what was that decision\\nWhy, that it is inal-adniinistration to admit the testimony of a co/ored\\nman in the trial of a white man So that Comfort was condemned,\\nas appears from the journals of that conference, solely (or admitting\\nthe testimony of a colored man And Dr. Bangs is the man who\\ndeclares upon this floor, that that decision ought to be affirmed by\\nthis conference!! He was ^eviec{\\\\y astounded Brethren talk of\\ncompromise! Is there *any compromise in this?\\nBishop Soule spoke in favor of the compromise resolu-\\ntions of the Rev. Mr. Smith\\nIt was in view of the vast but jeoparded interests of our beloved\\nZion with a view to promote the union of our extended ecclesiasti-\\ncal confederation, that he ventured to speak on the present occasion.\\nHe would lay one hand upon the north and east, and the other upoa\\nthe south, and constrain them to harmonize. He had listened to the\\nspeeches of brethren, and he i)erceived that the waters were troubled,\\nbut he was not alarmed our ship is not wrecked, and he had no\\ndoubt but that we should bring her safe through. He had\\nlistened to the intimations of the possible necessity of adopting this\\nmeasure, but bretiiren had approached so near together, that they\\nonly appeared to differ as to the modus operandi of doing the thing,\\nwhich all seemed to agree should be done. He could not, therefore,\\nbelieve that brethren were in earnest in intimating the probability\\nof a division [of the church] on so trifling an occasion. He had\\nheard the appeals from brethren of the south with unmingled sym-\\npathy, because he was acquainted with the south he was familiar\\nwith the difficullies which brethren from that region struggled with.\\nWe are in danger of forgetting, that men born in the south\\nare much better qualified to judge of the bearing which particular\\nmeasures will have upon that region, than those of the north can be.\\nHe thanked the brother from Georgia, (Dr. Few,) for his kind al-\\nlusion to him, and regretted that he was understood to take ground\\nagainst the Dr., for he agreed with him- entirely. The brethrea\\nfrl)m the south came forward with all that frankness which charac-\\nterizes southern men f say, with all that frankness which charac-\\nterizes southern men, for this is a distinguishing trait in their char-\\nacter, and propose a conciliatory plan, which he thought could not\\nfail to harmonize the great majority I say the great majority, for I\\ndespair of giving satisfaction to all. He could not possibly see\\nan objectionable feature in, or any favorable effect that would be\\n^likely to result from adopting them, either in the north or south.\\nDoes any one think that they may be disastrously used in the north,\\nin favor of modern abolitionism I neither see it nor fear it. Per-\\nmit me to say to the members of this General conference, who are\\nconnected with the abolition movements, that the brethren at the\\nsouth are better judges, circumstanced as they are, than you can\\npossibly be, in regard to every thing connected with slavery.\\nSurveying the whole ground of this unfortunate affair, and where is\\n3", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0033.jp2"}, "34": {"fulltext": "\u00e2\u0080\u00a226\\nthe man who dare come to the conclusion, that sufficient reasons have\\nbeen developed in this controversy for dividing the body of Christ.\\nTHE BAPTIST CHURCH.\\n(500,000 Members.)\\nIn 1835. The Charleston Baptist Association addressed\\na memorial to the legislature of South Carolina, which\\ncontains the following\\nThe undersijj;ned would further represent, that the said associa-\\ntion does not consider that the holy scriptures have made ihe fact of\\nslavery a question of morals at all. The Divine Author of our holy\\nreligion, in particular, (bund slavery a part of the existing institutions\\nof society with which, if not sinful, it was not his design to inter-\\nmeddle, but to leave them entirely to the control of men. Adopting\\nthis, therefore, as one of the allowed arrangements of society, he\\nmade it the province of his religion only to prescribe the recipiocal\\nduties of the relation. The question, it is believed, is purely one of\\npoliti-cal economy. It amounts, in effect, to this Whether the op-\\neratives of a country shall be bought and sold, and themselves he-\\ncome property, as in this State or whether they shall be hirelings,\\nand their labor only become property, as in some other States In\\nother words, whether an employer may buy the whole time of la-\\nborers at once, of those who have a right to dispose of it, with a\\npermanent relation of protection and care over them, or, whether he\\nshall be restiicted to buy it in certain portions only, subject to their\\ncontrol, and with no such permanent relation of care and protection.\\nThe right of masters to di.^pose of the tiine of their slaves has been\\ndistinctly recognised by the Creator of all things, who is surely at\\nliberty to vest the right of property over any object in whomsoever\\nhe pleases. That the lawful possessor should retain this right at\\nwill, is no more against the laws of society and good morals, than\\nthat he should retain the personal endowments with which his Cre-\\nator has blessed him, or the money and lands inherited fiora his\\nancestors, or acquired by his industry. And neither society, nor\\nindividuals, have any more authority to demand a relinquishment,\\nwithout an equivalent, in the one case, than in the other.\\nAs it is a question purely of political economy, and one which\\nin this country is reserved to the cognizance of the State Govern-\\nments severally, it is further believed, that the State of South Car-\\nolina alone has the right to regulate the existence and condition of\\nslavery within her territorial limits; and we sb.ould resist to the\\nutmost every invasion of this right, come from what quarter and\\nunder whatever pretence it may.\\nIn 1S35, the following query, referring to slaves, was\\npresented to the Savannah River Baptist Association of\\nMinisters\\nWhether, in case of involuntary separation of such a character", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0034.jp2"}, "35": {"fulltext": "27\\nas to preclude all prospect of future intercourse, the parties ought to\\nbe allowed to marry again\\nAnswer^\\nThat such separation among persons situated as our slaves are,\\nis civilly a separation by death, and they believe, that, in (he sight of\\nGod, it would be so viewed. To forbid second marriages in such\\ncases, would be to expose the parties, not only to stronger hardships\\nand strong temptations, but to church censure, for acting in obedience\\nto their masters, who cannot be expected to acquiesce in a regulation\\nat variance with justice to the slaves, and to the spirit of that com-\\nmand which regulates marriage among Christians. The slaves are\\nnot free agents, and a dissolution by death is not more entirely\\nwithout their consent, and beyond their control, than by such sepa-\\nration.\\nSept. 1835. The ministers and messengers of the\\nGoslien Association, assembled at Free Union, Virginia,\\nstate,\\nThe most of us have been born and brought up in the midst of\\nthis population. Very many of us, too, have been ushered into life\\nunder inauspicious circumstances, having no patrimonies to boast,\\nand inheriting little else from our parents but an existence and a\\nname. We have, however, through the blessing of God, by a per-\\nsevering course of industry and rigid economy acquired a competent\\nsupport for ourselves and families; and as a reward for our laborious\\nexertion we received such property [slaves] as was guaranteed to\\nus, not only by the laws of our individual States, but by those of the\\nUnited States. In consideration whereof we unanimously adopt the\\nfollowing resolutions:\\n1. Resolved,\\nThat we consider our right and title to this property altogether\\nlegal and bona fide, and that it is a breach of the i aith pledged in\\nthe federal constitution, for our northern brethren to try, either di-\\nrectly or indirectly, to lessen the value of this property or impair our\\ntitle thereto.\\n2. Resolved,\\nThat we view the torch of the incendiary, and the dagger of the\\nmidnight assassin, loosely concealed under the specious garb of hu-\\nmanity and religion, falsely so called.\\n3. Resolved,\\nThat we consider there is something radically wrong in the logic\\nof those would-be philanthropists at the north, who lay it down as\\none of their main propositions, that they must do what is right, re-\\ngardless of consequences, inasmuch as they will not venture to come\\nthis side of the Potomac to teach and lecture publicly, where (they\\nsay) this crying evil exists.", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0035.jp2"}, "36": {"fulltext": "28\\nSENTIMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL BAPTISTS.\\nThe late Rev. Lucius Bolles, D. D., of Massachusetts,\\nCor. Sec. Am. Bap. Board for Foreign Missions\\n(1834.) There is a pleasing degree of union among the multi-\\nplying thousands of Baptists, throughout the land. Our\\nsouthern brethren are generally, both ministers and people, slave-\\nholders.\\nRev. R. Furman, D. D., of South Carolina.\\nThe right of holding slaves is clearly established in the Holy\\nScriptures, both by precept and example. Exposition of the views\\nof the Baptists, addressed to the Governor of S. Carolina, 1833.\\nDr. Furman died not long afterward. His legal repre-\\nsentatives thus advertise his property for sale\\nJVotice.\\nOn the first Monday of February next, will be put up at puhlie\\nauction, before the court house, the following property, belonging\\nto the estate of the late Rev. Dr. Furman, viz\\nA plantation or tract of land on and in the Wataree Swamp. A\\ntract of the first quality of fine land, on the waters of Black River.\\nA lot of land in the town of Camden, A Library of a miscella-\\nneous character, chiefly Theological..\\n27 NEGROES,\\nSome of them very prime. Two mules, one horse and an old\\nwagon.\\nTHE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.\\n(350,000 Members.)\\nIn 1793, the General Assembly, not very long after it\\nwas organised, adopted the judgment of the New\\nYork and Philadelphia Synods in favor of universal\\nliberty. In 1794, it adopted the following as a note to\\nthe eighth commandment, as expressing the doctrine of\\nthe church on slaveholding\\n1 Tim. i. 10. The law is made for man-stealers. This crime\\namong the Jews exposed the perpetrators of it to capital punishment;\\nExodus xxi. 15 and the apostle here classes them with sinners of\\nthe first rank. The word he uses, in its original import, comprehends\\nall who are concerned in bringing any of the human race into sla-\\nvery, or in retaining them in it. Hominum fiires, qui servos vel\\nliberos ahducunt, rttinent, vendunt, vel emunt. Stealers of men\\nare all those who bring off slaves or freemen, and keep, sell, or\\nBUY THEM. To Steal a freeman, says Grotuis, is the highest kind", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0036.jp2"}, "37": {"fulltext": "f9\\nof theft. In other instances, we only steal human property, but\\nwhen we steal, or retain men in slavery, we seize (hose who, in\\ncommon with ourselves, are constituted by the original grant, lords\\nof the earth.\\nBut the church contented itself with recording its doc-\\ntrine. No rules of discipline were enforced. The slave-\\nholders remained in the church, adding slave to slave,\\nunmolested not only unmolested, but bearing the offices\\nof the church. In J8](), the General Assembly, while it\\ncalled slavery amournful evil, directed the erasure\\nof the note to the eighth commandment. In 1818, it\\nadopted an expression of view^s in which slavery is\\ncalled a gross violation of the most precious and sacred\\nrights of human nature, but instead of requiring the\\ninstant abandonment of this violation nf rights, the\\nAssembly exhorts the violators to continue and increase\\ntheir exertions to effect a total abolition of slavery, with\\nno greater chlaij than a regard to the public welfare de-\\nmands and recommends that if a Christian professor\\nshall sell a slave who is also in communion with our\\nchurch, without the consent of the slave, the seller\\nshould be suspended till he should repent and make\\nreparation.\\nThe reality of slavery in the Presbyterian church, since\\n1818, may be known from the following testimonies\\nThe Rev. James Smylie, A. M., of the Amite Presby-\\ntery, Mississippi, in a pamphlet, published by him a short\\ntime ago in favor of American slavery, says\\nIf slavery be a sin, and advertising and apprehending slaves,\\nwith a view to restore them to their masters, is a direct violation of\\nthe Divine law, and if the buying, selling, or holding a slave for\\nTHE SAKE OF GAIN, is a heiiious sin and scandal, then, verily,\\nTHREE-FOURTHS OF ALL THE EPISCOPALIANS, MeTHODISTS,\\nBaptists, and Presbyterians, in eleven States of the\\nUnion, are of the devil. They hold, if they do not buy and sell\\nslaves, and, ztijf/i /et^ exceptions, they hesiiaie not to apprehend\\nand restore runaway slaves, when in their power.\\nIn 1834, the Synod of Kentucky appointed a committed\\nof twelve to report on the condition, lc., of the slaves.\\nThis passage occurs in the report\\nBrutal stripes and all the various kinds of personal indignities,\\nare not the only species of cruelty which slavery licenses. The law\\ndoes not recognise the family relations of the slave and extends to\\nhim no protection in the enjoyment of domestic endearments. The\\n3*", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0037.jp2"}, "38": {"fulltext": "30\\nmembers of a slave family may be forcibly separated, so that they\\nshall never more meet until the tinal judgment. And cupidity often\\ninduces the masters to practise what the law allows. Brothers and\\nsisters, parents and children, husbands and wives are torn assunder,\\nand permitted to see each other no more. These acts are daily\\noccurring in the midst of us. The shrieks and the agony, often\\nwitnessed on such occasions, proclaim with a trumpet-tongue, the\\niniquity and cruelty of our system. The cries of these sufferers go\\nup to the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. There is not a neighborhood,\\nwhere these heart-rending scenes are not displayed. There is not a\\nvillage or road that does not behold the sad procession of manacled\\noutcasts, whose chains and mournful countenances tell that they are\\nexiled by force from all that their hearts hold dear. Our church,\\nyears ago, raised its voice of solemn warning against this flagrant\\nviolation of every principle of mercy, justice, and humanity. Yet\\nwe blush to announce to you and to the world, that this warning has\\nbeen often disregarded, even by those who hold to our communion.\\nCases have occurred in our own denomination, where professors of\\nthe religion of mercy have torn the mother from her children, and\\nsent her into a merciless and returnless exile. Yet acts of discipline\\nhave rarely [never followed such conduct.\\nIn 1835, Mr. Stewart, of Illinois, a ruling elder, in a\\nspeech urging the General Assembly of which he was a\\nmember, to act on the subject of slavery, bears this testi-\\nmony to the existing state of things in the Presbyterian\\nchurch.\\nI hope this Assembly are prepared to come out fully and declare\\ntheir sentiments, that slaveholding is a most flagrant, and heinous\\nSIN. Let us not pass it by in this indirect way, while so many\\nthousands and tetts of thousands of our fellow-creatures arc writhing\\nunder the lash, often inflicted, too, by ministers and elders of the\\nPresbyterian church,\\nIn this church, a man may take a free-born child, force it away\\nfrom its parents, to whom God gave it in charge, saying, Bring it\\nup for me, and sell it as a beast or hold it in perpetual bondage, and\\nnot only escape corporeal punishment, but really be esteemed an\\nexcellent Christian. Nay, even ministers of the gospel, and Doctors\\nof Divinity, may engage in this unholy traffic, and yet sustain their\\nhigh and holy calling.\\nElders, ministers, and Doctors of Divinity, are, with both hands,\\nengaged in the practice.\\nThe speech from which the above is extracted, was\\nmade in support of various memorials and petitions from\\nmembers of the Presbyterian church, asking that the\\nGeneral Assembly might proceed to carry out its princi-\\nples as they were avowed in 1794 and in 1818. Nothing", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0038.jp2"}, "39": {"fulltext": "31\\nwas done this session, further th?.n to refer all such me-\\nmorials and petitions to a committee, (a majority of whom\\nwere known to be opposed to the prayer of the memo-\\nrialists,) to report at the next session, in 1830.\\nAt the meeting of the Assembly in 1830, the first thing\\nthat was done, to conciliate the excited slaveholders, was\\nto elect one of them to be Moderator.\\nThe majority of the committee appointed in 1S35, of\\nwhich the Rev. Samuel Miller, D. D., and theological\\nprofessor, was chairman, did accordingly report at the\\nsession of 1836, as follows\\nThat after the most mature deliberation which they have been\\nable to bestow on the interestinoj and important question referred to\\nthem, they would most respectfully recommend to the General\\nAssembly, the adoption of the following preamble, and resolution.\\nWhereas, the subject of slavery is inseparably connected with\\nthe laws of many of the States in this Union, with which it is by no\\nmeans proper for an ecclesiastical judicature to interfere, and involves\\nman} considerations in regard to which great diversity of opinion\\nand intensity of feeling, are known to exist in the churches repre-\\nsented in this Assembly And wherea?, there is great reason to be-\\nlieve, that any action on the part of this Assembly in reference to\\nthis subject, would tend to distract and divide our churches, and\\nwould probably, in nowise promote the benefit of those whose wel-\\nfare is immediately contemplated in the memorials in question,\\nTherefore, Resolved,\\n1. That it is not expedient for the Assembly to take any further\\norder in relation to this subject.\\n2. That as the notes which have been expunged from our public\\nformularies, and which some of the memorials referred to, the com-\\nmittee request to have restored, were introduced irregularly never\\nhad the sanction of the church\u00e2\u0080\u0094 and therefore, never possessed any\\nauthority the General Assembly has no power, nor would they\\nthink it expedient to assign them a place in the authorized standards\\nof the church.\\nThe minority of the Committee, the Reverend Messrs.\\nDickey and Beman, reported the following resolutions\\nResolved,\\n1. That the buying, selling, or holding a human being as pro-\\nperty, is in the sight of God a heinous sin, and ought to subject the\\ndoer of it to the censures of the church.\\n2. That it is the duty of every one, and especially of every\\nChristian, who may be involved in this sin, to free himself from its\\nentanglement without delay.\\n3. That it is the duty of every one, especially of every Christian,\\nin the meekness and firmness of the gospel, to plead the cause of the", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0039.jp2"}, "40": {"fulltext": "32\\npoor and needy by testifying against the principle and practice of\\nslaveholdino; and to use his best endeavors to deliver the church of\\nGod from the evil and to biing about the emancipation of the slaves\\nin these United Slates, and throughout the world.\\nThe slaveholding delegates to the number of forty-\\neight, met apart, and Resolved,\\nThat if the General Assembly shall undertake to exercise au-\\nthority on the subject of slavery, so as to make it an immorality, or\\nshall in any way declare that Christians are criminal in holding\\nslaves, that a declaration ?hall be presented by the southern delega-\\ntion, declining iheii- jurisdiction in the case, and our determination\\nnot to submit to such decision.\\nAt an adjourned meeting they adopted the following\\npreamble and resolution, to be presented in the Assembly,\\nas a substitute for those of Dr. Miller\\nWhereas, the subject of slavery is inseparably connected with\\nthe laws of many of the States of this Union, in which it exists\\nunder the sanction of said laws, and of the Constitution of the United\\nStates; and whereas, slavery is lecognized in both the Old and New\\nTestaments as an existing relation, and is not condemned by the\\nauthority of God theieloie, Resolved, The General Assembly\\nhave no authority to assume or exercise jurisdiction, in regard to the\\nexistence of slavery.\\nThe whole subject was finally disposed of by the adop-\\ntion of the following preamble and resolution\\nInasmuch as the Constitution of the Presbyterian church, in its\\npreliminary and furtdamental principles, declares that no church\\njudicatories ought to i)reterHl to make laws to bind the conscience in\\nvirtue of their own authority and as the urgency of the business\\nof the Assembly, and tlie shoitness of the time duiing which they\\ncan continue in session, render it impossible to deliberate and decide\\njudiciously on the subject of slavery in its relation to the church;\\ntherefore. Resolved, That this whole subject be indefinitely post-\\nponed.\\nA large number of memorials and petitions went up to\\nthe General Assembly of 1837. They were referred to a\\ncommittee of which the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon, a slave-\\nholder of South Carolina the same who was moderator\\nthe year before was chairman. After detaining them\\ntill nearly the usual time for the final adjournment of the\\nAssembly, he reported that the committee had had a\\nnumber of papers submitted to them from various Synods,\\nchurches, and individuals, men and women, on the subject\\nof slavery and the committee had unanimously agreed,\\n(with the exception of a single member,) to direct that", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0040.jp2"}, "41": {"fulltext": "33\\nthey be returned to the house and that he should move\\nto lay the whole subject on the table; which was ac-\\ncordingly done by a vote of 97 to 28.\\nIn 1888, the Presbyterian church separated on doctrinal\\ndifferences. Instead of one General Assembly, there are\\nnow two, known as the Old School, and the New\\nSchool. In the Convention which was held by the Old\\nSchool, preparatory to separation, it was Resolved\\nThat in the judgment of this Convention, it is of the greatest\\nconsequence to the best interests oi our church, that the subject of\\nslavery sliall not be agitated or discussed in the sessions of the en-\\nsuing General Assembly, and if any motion shall be made, or reso-\\nlution oflfered, touching the same, this Convention is of opinion that\\nthe members of Convention in that body ought to unite in disposing\\nof it, as far as may be possible, without debate.\\nSince the separation, the course of the Old School has\\nbeen regulated by the spirit of this resolution It has\\ndone nothing on the subject.\\nPetitions and memorials against slavery were presented,\\nin the New School Assembly, at its first session in 1838,\\nand referred to a committee, which reported that the\\napplicants, for reasons satisfactory to themselves, have\\nwithdrawn their papers. The committee was discharged.\\nIn 1839, it referred the whole subject to the Presby-\\nteries to do what they might deem advisable.\\nIn 1840, a large number of memorials and petitions\\nagainst slavery was sent in, and referred to the usual\\ncommittee. The committee reported a resolution re-\\nferring to what had been done last year declaring it\\ninexpedient for the Assembly to do any thing further on\\nthe subject. Several attempts were made by the abolition\\nmembers of the Assembly to obtain a decided expression\\nof its views, but they proved ineffectual, and the whole\\nsubject was indefinitely postponed. Why, it may be\\nasked especially by those who, at the time the separation\\ntook place, flattered themselves that the New School\\nwould show itself really opposed to slavery Why, has\\nsuch a result been brought about The answer is plain\\nthe New School Assembly is more solicitous to have the\\nfavor of the few slaveholders who are members, than to\\nhave the blessings of the poor who are perishing in their\\ngrasp more earnest to equal the Old School in numbers\\nthan to outstrip it in righteousness.", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0041.jp2"}, "42": {"fulltext": "34\\nSENTIMENTS OF PRESBYTERIES AND\\nSYNODS.\\nAlthough many of the influential Presbyterian nninisters\\nin the free States, especially in the cities and large towns,\\nhave shown themselves ready to second the slaveholding\\nministers and laymen in their opposition to abolitionism,\\nfrom some cause it has happened that the free State Pres-\\nbyteries and Synods, have not committed themselves\\ndirectly on the question. They have attempted to stay\\nthe progress of abolitionism by resolutions bearing on it\\nindirectly but well understood by those who were to act\\nunder them as intended to exclude, as far as was safe, the\\nquestion of abolition from the churches.\\nThe following resolutions were passed by Presbyteries\\nand Synods in slave States.\\nHOPEWELL PRESBYTERY, SOUTH CAROLINA.\\n1. Slavery has existed in the church of God from the time of\\nAbraham to this day. Members of the church of God have held\\nslaves, bought with their money, and born in their houses and this\\nrelation is not only recognized, but its duties are defined clearly, both\\nin the Old and New Testaments.\\n2. Emancipation is not mentioned among the duties of the master\\nto his slave, while obedience even to the froward master is enjoin-\\ned upon the slave.\\n3. No instance can be produced of an otherwise orderly Christian\\nbeing reproved, much les^s excommunicated from the church,\\nfor the single act of holding domestic slaves, from the days of Abra-\\nham down to the date of the modern abolitionist.\\nHARMONY PRESBYTERY OF SOUTH CAROLINA\\nWhereas, sundry persons in Scotland and England, and others in\\nthe north, east, and west of our country, have denounced slavery as\\nobnoxious to the laws of God, some of whom have presented before\\nthe general assembly of our church, and the Congress of the nation,\\nmemorials and petitions, with the avowed object of bringing into dis-\\ngrace slave-holders, and abolishing the relation of master and slave:\\nAnd whereas, from the said proceedings, and the statements,\\nreasonings, and circumstances connected therewith, it is most mani-\\nfest that those persons know not what they say, nor whereof they\\naffirm and with this ignorance discover a spirit of self-righteousness\\nand exclusive sanctity, c.\\nTherefore, 1. Resolved,\\nThat as the kingdom of our Lord is not of this world. His church\\nas such has no right to abolish, alter, or affect any institution or\\nordinance of men, political or civil, c.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0042.jp2"}, "43": {"fulltext": "35\\n2. Resolved That slavery has existed from the day3 of those\\ngood old slave-holders and patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, arxi Jacob,\\n(who are now in the kingdom of heaven,) to the time when the\\napostle Paul sent a run-away home to his master, Philemon, and\\nwrote a Christian and fraternal letter to this slave-holder, which we\\nfind still stands in the canon of the Scriptures and that slavery has\\nexisted ever since the days of the Apostle, and does now exist.\\n3. Resolved That as the relative duties of master and slave\\nare taught in the Scriptures, in the same manner as those of parent\\nand child, and husband and wife, the existence of slavery itself is not\\nopposed to the will of God and whosoever has a conscience too\\ntender to recognize this relation as lawful, is righteous over much,\\nis wise above what is written, and has submitted his neck to the\\nyoke of men, sacrificed his Cbistian liberty of conscience, and leaves\\nthe infallible word of God for the fancies and doctrines of men.\\nCHARLESTON UNION PRESBYTERY I\\nIt is a principle which meets the vi^ws of this body, that slavery,\\nas it exists among us, is a political institution, with which ecclesias-\\ntical judicatories have not the smallest right to interfere and in\\nrelation to which, any such interference, especially at the present\\nmomentous crisis, would be morally wrong, and fraught with the\\nmost dangerous and pernicious consequences. The sentiments which\\nwe maintain, in common ivith Christians at the. South of every Je-\\nnomination, are sentiments which so fully approve themselves to\\nour consciences, are so identified with our solenm convictions of duty,\\nthat we should maintain them under any circumstances.\\nResolved,\\nThat in the opinion of this Presbytery, the holding of slaves, so\\nfar from being a sin in the sight of God, is no where condemned in\\nhis holy word that it is in accordance with the example, or con-\\nsistent with the precepts of patriarchs, apostles, and prophets, and\\nthat it is compatible with the most fraternal regard to the best good\\nof those servants whom God may have committed to our charge;\\nand that, therefore, they who assume the contrary position, and lay\\nit down as a fundamental principle in morals and religion, that all\\nslave-holding is wrong, proceed upon false principles.\\nSYNOD OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA\\nResolved, unanimously, [Dec, 1834.]\\nThat in the opinion of this synod. Abolition Societies, and the\\nprinciples on which they are founded, in the United States, are\\ninconsistent with the interests of the slaves, the rights of the holders,\\nand the great principles of our political institution.\\nSYNOD OF VIRGINIA.\\nThe committee to whom were referred the resolutions, c., have\\naccording to order, had the same under consideration and respect-\\nfully report that in their judgment, the following resolutions are\\nnecessary and proper to be adopted by the Synod at the present\\ntime\\nWhereas, the publications and proceedings of certain organized", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0043.jp2"}, "44": {"fulltext": "36\\nassociations, commonly called anti-slavery, or abolition socieliejr,\\nwhich have arisen in some parts of our land, have greatly disturbed\\nand are still greatly disturbing the peace of the church, and of the\\ncountry and the Synod of Virginia deem it a solen)n duty which\\nthey owe to themselves and to the community to declare their senti-\\nments upon the subject therefore,\\nResolved, unanimously,\\nThat we consider the dogma tiercely promulgated by said asso-\\nciations that slavery as it exists in our slave-holding States is neces-\\nsarily sinful, and might to be immediately abolished, and the con-\\nclusions which naturally follow from that dogma, as directly and\\npalpably contrary to the plainest principles of common sense and\\ncommon humanity, and to the clearest authority of the word of God.\\nThe above are all of the Old School. The following is\\nfrom a slave-holding New School church, in Petersburg,\\nVirginia, (I6th Nov. 1838\\nWhereas, the General Assembly did, in the year 1818, pass a\\nlaw which contains provisions for slaves, irreconcilable with our civil\\ninstitutions, and solemnly declaring slavery to be sin against God a\\nlaw at once offensive and insulting to the whole southern community,\\n1. Resolved,\\nThat, as slave-holders, w-e cannot consent longer (o remain in\\nconnection with any church where there exists a statute conferring\\nthe right upon slaves to arraign their masters before the judicatory\\nof the church and that too for the act of selling them without\\ntheir consent first had and obtained.\\n2. Resolved,\\nThat as the Great Head of the church has recognized the rela-\\ntion of master and slave, we conscientiously believe that slavery is\\nnot a sin against God as declared by the General Assembly.\\n3. Resolved,\\nThat there is no tyranny more oppressive than that which is\\nsometimes sanctioned by the operation of ecclesiastical law.\\nSENTIMENTS OF PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS.\\nThe Rev. Gardiner Spring, D. D., of New York:\\nAt the anniversary of the American Colonization So-\\nciety at the City of Washington, in 1839, this gentleman\\nappeared on the platform as one of the speakers, with Mr.\\nHenry D. Wise, (M. C.) of Virginia, a slave-holder and\\nprofessed duelist. The latter had said in his speech, the\\nbest icay to meet the aholiiionists ivas with DuponVs\\nbest^ [gunpowder] and cold steel. The Sun, one of the\\nNew York city journals, tells us the Rev. Doctor spoke", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0044.jp2"}, "45": {"fulltext": "37\\ntffith sympathy nf the sentiments of the South as evinced in\\nthe speech of Mr. Wise:\\nSince this, Dr. S. has preached a series of sermons to\\nhis congregation, on slavery in its scriptural relations.\\nThese sermons have been printed, and are looked on by\\nthe pro-slavery party as highly serviceable to their cause.\\nThe Rev. Joel Parkrr, D. D., President of the Pres-\\nbyterian Theological Seminary, ^ew York\\nAbolitionism ruight be pronounced a sin as well as slavery.\\nThis was said, according to the American papers, at\\nthe last session of the (N. S.) General Assembly, in sup-\\nporting the proposition of a slave-holder, that all action\\non the subject of slavery, should be declared by that body\\nbeyond its relations and functions.\\nThe Rev. Dr. P. at the beginning of the anti-slavery\\nmovement in the United States was an abolitionist. He\\nv. as sent to New Orleans, being thought eminently fitted\\nas a Christian minister, to contend against the prevailing\\niniquities of that slaveholding city. He had not been\\nthere long, before he became a colonizationist. He\\nhappened to be at Alton, (Illinois,) at the time the mob\\nspirit was beginning to show its bloody intents toward the\\nRev. Mr. Lovejoy. His injurious remarks in public\\nagainst the abolitionists were thoucrht to have contributed\\nto excite the mob to the fatal issue which took place. He\\nafterwards returned to New York was elected pastor of\\nthe Tabernacle church, of which Mr. Lewis Tappan was\\na member resisted the formation by that gentleman of\\nan anti-slavery society among the members of the church\\nprosecuted Mr. T. before the church session, on various\\ncharges, with the view of ejecting him from the church,\\nand has, generally, since his return to New York, distin-\\nguished himself by bitterness of spirit and language\\nagainst the anti-slavery cause. Since all vhich, he has\\nbeen made a D. D. and President of the (N. S.) Theo-\\nlogical Seminary in New York.\\nThe Rev. Samuel H. Cox, D. D. of the city of Brook-\\nlyn, moved the indefinite postponement of the slavery\\nquestion at the last (N. S.) General Assembly. On the\\nmotion being carried, he exultingly said, Our Vesuvius\\nis safely capped for three years the Assembly not\\n4", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0045.jp2"}, "46": {"fulltext": "38\\nmeeting again till 1843. Dr. Cox was at one time an\\nabolitionist.\\nThe Rev. William S. Plummer, D. D. of Richmond\\n[This gentleman is the leader of the Old School party.\\nHe was absent from Richmond at the time the clergy in\\nthat city purged themselves in a body, from the charge of\\nbeing favorably disposed to abolition. [See page 10.] On\\nhis return, he lost no time in communicating to the\\nChairman of the Committee of Correspondence, his\\nagreement with his clerical brethren. The passages\\nquoted occur in his letter to the chairman.]\\nI have carefully watched this matter from its earliest existence,\\nand everythina; 1 have seen or heard of its character, both from its\\npatrons and its enemies, h.is confirmed me, beyond repentance, in the\\nbelief, that, let the character of Abolitionists be what it may in the\\nsight of the Judge of all the earth, this is the most jneddlesome, im-\\npudent, reckless, fierce, and wicked excitement I ever saw.\\nIf Abolitionists will set the coimlry in a blaze, it is but fair that\\nthey should receive the first warming at the fiie.\\nLet it be proclaimed throughout the nation, that every move-\\nment made by the fanatics (so far as it has any effect in the South)\\ndoes but rivet every fetter of the bondsman\u00e2\u0080\u0094 diminish the probability\\nof anything being successfully undertaken for making him either fit\\nfor freedom, or likely to obtain it. We have the authority of Mon-\\ntesquieu, Burke, and Coleridge, three eminent masters of the science\\nof human nature, that of all men slave-holders are the most jealous\\nof their liberties. One of Pennsylvania s most gifted sons has lately\\npronounced the South, the cradle of liberty,\\nLastly. Abolitionists are like infidels, wholly unaddicted to\\nmartyrdom for opinion s sake. Let them ufiderstand that they will\\nhe caught [Lynched] if tiiey come among us, and they will take\\ngood het^l to keep out of our way. There is not one man among\\nthem who has any more idea of shedding his blood in this cause, than\\nhe has of making war on the Grand Turk.\\nRev. Thomas S. Witherspoon, of Alabama, writing to\\nthe Editor of the Emancipator\\nI draw my warrant from the Scriptures of the Old and New\\nTestament, to hold the slave in bondage. The principle of holding\\nthe heathen in bondage is recognized by God. When the\\ntardy process of the law is too long in redressing our grievances, we\\nof the South, hrtve adopted the summary remedy of Judge Lynch\\nand really I think it one of the most wliolesome and salutary reme-\\ndies lor the malady of Northern fanaticism that can be applied, and\\nno doubt my worihy (lietid, the Ediior of the Emancipator and\\nHuman Rights, would feel the better of its enforcement, provided he\\nhad a Southern administiator. I go to the Bible for my warrant in\\nall moral matters. Let your emissaries dare venture to cross\\nthe Potomac, and I cannot promise you that their fate will be less", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0046.jp2"}, "47": {"fulltext": "39\\nthan Haman s. Then beware how yon goad an insulted, but mag-\\nnanimous people to deeds ot desperation.\\nRev. Robert N. Anderson, of Vircrinia:\\nTo the Sessions of the Presbyterian Congregations\\nwithin the bounds of the West Hanover Presbytery:\\nAt tiie approaching staled meeting; of our Presbytery, I design to\\nofiTer a preamble and string; of resolutions on tlie subject of the use of\\nwine in the Lord s Supper; and also a preamble ami stiing of resolu-\\ntions on the subject of the treasonable and abominably wicked in-\\nterference of the Northern and Eastern J analics, with our political\\nand civil rights, our property and our domestic concerns. You are\\naware th tt our clergy, whether with or without reason, are more\\nsuspected by the public than the clergy of other denominations.\\nNow, dear Christian brethren, 1 humbly express it as my eainest\\nwish, that \\\\ou quit yourselves like men. If there be any stray goat\\nof a minister among you, tainted with the blood-hound principles of\\nabolitionisu!, let him be fen eted out, silenced, excommunicated, and\\nleft to Ihe public to dispose of him in other respects.\\nYour ali cctionaie brother in the Lord,\\nKoBERT N. Anderson.\\nTHE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.\\nThe number of members in this church is not known.\\nIt is, liowever, small when compared with the number in\\nany of the churches that have been mentioned. Its con-\\ngregations are mostly in the cities and towns, and they\\ngenerally consist of persons in the wealthier classes pf\\nsociety. This, together with the smallness of its numbers\\nand the authority of the Bishops, has prevented it from\\nbeing much agitated with the anti-slavery question. Its\\nleading ministers, so far as they concern themselves at all\\nabout the slavery question, are in favor of the American\\nColonization Scheme. Their influence is, therefore, de-\\ncidedly adverse to emancipation. The prevailing teinper\\nof the Protestant Episcopal church is thus testified of by\\nJohn Jay, Esq., of the city of New York, himself an\\nEpiscopalian in a pamphlet, entitled Thoughts on the\\nduty of the Episcopal church in relation to slavery\\nAlas for the expectation that she would conform to the spirit of\\nher ancient mother! She has not merely remained a mute and\\ncareless spectator of this great conflict of truth and justice with\\nhypocrisy and cruelty, but her very priests and deacons may be\\nseen ministering at the altar of slavery, offering their talents and\\ninfluence at its unholy shrine, and openly repeating the awful blas-\\nphemy, that the precepts nf our Saviour sanction the system of\\nAmerican slavery. Her Northern (free State) clergy, with r^rf", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0047.jp2"}, "48": {"fulltext": "40\\nexceptions, whatever they may feel upon this subject, rebuke it\\nneither in public nor in private; and her periodicals, far from ad\\nvancinoj the progress of aboHlion, at times oppose our societies,\\nimpliedly defending shivery, as not incompatible vvitli Christianity,\\nand occasionally withholding inlormalion useful to the cause of\\nfreedom.\\nAlthough apparently desirous of keeping clear of all\\nconnection witii the anti-slavery movement, the Episco-\\npalians have not failed when a suitahle opportunity pre-\\nsented itself, to throw their influence against it.\\nThe Rev.. Peter Williams, rector of 8t. Phillip s church,\\nNew York, a colored gentleman, was one of the Executive\\nCommittee of the American Anti-Slavery Society, in\\n1834, when the aholilionists were exposed in their persons\\nand property to the fiercest onsets of pro-slavery mobs.\\nThe Bishop of the diocese [Rev. Benjamin F. Onderdonk,\\nD. D.] required of Mr. Williams to reiiuquish his place in\\nthe comtnittee, to which requisition, JNlr. W. thought it\\nhis duty to conform.\\nBishop Bowen, of Charleston, South Carolina, not long\\nafter the meeting in that city, in which the reverend\\ngentlemen of the clergy, had so handsomely and unani-\\nmously responded to public sentiment, volunteered in\\nan address to the Convention of his diocese, a denuncia-\\ntion of the malignant philanthropy of abolition, and\\ncontrasted the savageism and outlawry consequent on\\nabolition, with domestic servitude under the benign\\ninfluence of Christian principles and Christian institu-\\ntions! principles and institutions which denied Sunday\\nSchool instruction to free-colored children, and which, at\\nthe very time of the Address, tolerated the olfer in the\\nCharleston Courier of Jiff}/ dollars for the head of a\\nfugitive slave principles and institutions which led Mr,\\nPreston to declare in his place as a Senator of the United\\nStates, Let an abolitionist come within the borders of\\nSouth Carolina if we can catch him we will hang him.\\nIn I8:3G, a clergyman in North Carolina, of the name\\nof Freeman, preached, in the presence of his bisliop (Rev.\\nLevi S. Ives, D. D., a native of a free State), two sermons\\non the rights and duties of slave-holders. In these he\\nessayed to justify from the Bible, the slavery both of white\\nmen and negroes, and insisted that without a new reve-\\nlation from heaven, no man was authorized to pronounce\\nslavery ivro?ig. The sermons were printed in a painphlelj", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0048.jp2"}, "49": {"fulltext": "41\\nprefaced with a letter to Mr. Freeman from the Bishop of\\nNorth Carolina, declaring that he liad listened with most\\nunfeigned pleasure to his discourses, and advised their\\npublication as being urgently called for at the present\\ntime.\\nThe Protestant Episcopal Society for the advance-\\nment of Christianity in iSouth Carolina thouo-ht it ex-\\npedient, and in all likelihood with Bishop Bowen s\\napprobation, to republish Mr. Freeman s pamphlet as a\\nreligious tract\\nThe Churchman is edited by a Doctor of Divinity, late\\nan instructor in a theological seminary, and enjoys the\\nespecial patronage of the Bishop of New York, and was\\nrecently officially recommended by him to the favor of the\\nConvention. The editor has frequently assailed the abo-\\nlitionists in his columns in bitter and contemptuous terms.\\nHe has even volunteered to defend the most cruel and\\niniquitous enactment of the slave code. In reference to\\nthe legal prohibition of teaching the colored population to\\nread, the editor says\\nAll the knowledge which is necessary to salvation, all the know-\\nledge of our duty toward God, and our duty toward our neighbor,\\nmay be communicated by oral in-Jtruclion, and therefore a law of the\\nland interdicting other means of instruction does not trench upon the\\nlaw of God.\\nA certain congregation in the diocese of New York is\\nsaid to hold its cemetery by a tenure which forbids the\\ninterment of any colored person so that if an Episcopal\\ncolored clergyman happen to die in that parish, he would\\nbe indebted to others than his Episcopal brethren for a\\ngrave\\nThere are instances of regularly ordained ministers,\\nrectors of parishes, men having as valid a commission to\\npreach the gospel as any other presbyters in the Episcopal\\nchurch, who are virtually denied a seat in her Ecclesias-\\ntical councils, solfly because they arc men of color. The\\nrector of a colored church in Philadelphia, is excluded by\\nan express canon of the Diocesan Convention.\\nThe General Theological Seminary of the\\nProtestant Episcopal church in the United States,\\nis in the city of New York. It is called the General\\nSeminary, because it is under the superintendence of the\\n4*", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0049.jp2"}, "50": {"fulltext": "42\\nwhole church the Board of trustees being composed of\\nthe Bis^hops, cx-ojicio, and upwards of one hundred clerical\\nand lay gentlemen, representing the different States and\\nTerritories of the Union. It was intended, of course, for\\nthe theological education of the Protestant Episcopal\\nministry.\\nAlexander Crummel, a colored young gentleman of\\nNew York, made application to become a candidate for\\nholv orders in the church, and was duly admitted as\\nsuch. In due time Mr. Crummel received from the\\nBishop of the diocese, the usual circular in such cases, in\\nwhich he was told unless you belong to the General\\nTheological Seminary, as it is my wish that all the candi-\\ndates of this diocese should, when not prevented by\\nunavoidable circumstances, you will be governed, ,c.\\nThe section in the statutes of the seminary regulating\\nadmission is plain and imperative Every person pro-\\nducincr to the faculty satisfactory evidence of his Jiaving\\nbeen admitttd a candidate for holy orders, c., shall\\nbe received as a student of the seminary.\\nIt does not appear from the only account we have at\\nhand, of this matter, that Mr. Crummel made application\\nto the faculty. It is however, to be presumed he did, and\\nthat the faculty put him off by referring him to the Board\\nof trustees. To the Board then, he made his application,\\nof which an account is given in the following\\nEXTRACT FROM THE MIXUTES\\nTuesday, June 2oth, 1839.\\nA communication from Mr. Crummel, askingi; admission to the\\nSeminary as a student, was read, and on motion referred to a Com-\\nmittee consistino of the followino; gentlemen, appointed by the chair:\\nRight Rev. Bishop Doane, Rev. Drs. iMilnor, Taylor and Smith,\\nMessrs. D. B. Ogdeu, Newton and Johnson.\\nJune 26fh, 1839.\\nThe Ri^ht Rev. Bishop Doane, chairman of the Committee on\\nthe petition of Mr. Crummel, asked to be relieved from further ser-\\nvice on that Coinuiittee, which request was granted.\\nThe Right Rev. Bishop Onderdonk, of Permsylvania, was on\\nmotion appointed chairman of the committee, to fill the vacancy thus\\noccasioned.\\nJune 27 fh, 1839.\\nThe committee on the petition of Mr. Crummel, submitted the\\nfollowing\\nThe committee to whom was referred the petition of Mr. Crum-\\nmel, respectlully report, that having deliberately considered the said", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0050.jp2"}, "51": {"fulltext": "43\\npetition, they are of opinion that it ought not to be granted, and they\\naccordingly recommend to the Board of Trustees the following reso-\\nlution Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioner be not granted.\\nTlie Rev. Dr. Hawks,* moved that the resolution recommended\\nin the report be adopted.\\nMr. Huntington moved,\\nThat the whole subject be recommitted, with instructions to the\\ncominiitee to report, that the matters embraced in the petition of\\nMr. Crummel are, according to Section 1, of Chap. Vll. of the\\nStatutes, referrable to the faculty rather than this board.\\n[Tills motion was lost, through fear, we are constrained\\nto believe, lest the faculty would not, if compelled to act,\\nrefuse to Mr. Crummel a right that was so obviously his.]\\nWhereupon the question upon accepting the report and adopting\\nthe resolution recommended, was taken up and decided in tlie af-\\nfirmative.\\nThe Right Rev. Bishop Doanegave notice, that he should, on the\\nmorrow, ask leave to present to the board, and to enter upon the\\nminutes a j)rotest against the decision.\\nFriday, June 2$th.\\nThe Right Rev. Bishop Doane, who had yesterday given notice\\nof his intention to ask leave to enter a protest, .c. changed his in-\\ntention as to the minner of presenting tlie subject, and asked leave\\nto state to the board bis reasons, with a view to the entering of the\\nsame on the minutes, for dissentinii from the vote of the majority on\\nthe report of the committee, to whom was referred the petition of\\nMr. Crummel. Leave was nut granted.\\nDuring these proceedings, attempts were made by the\\nBishop of New York, to prevail on Mr. Crummel to with-\\ndraw his application for admission, by assuring him the\\nmembers of the faculty were willing to impart to him\\n[pi ivate] instruction in their respective departments; and\\nthat more evil than benefit would result both to the church\\nand himself, by a formal application in his behalf for ad-\\nmission into the seminary.\\nThe reader will not have failed to notice with what\\ncare every allusion to the cause of refusing Mr. Crummel\\nadmission is excluded from the minutes, and to feel that\\nthe very fact that the cause does not appear in the minutes\\nleaving it to be inferred, that it was for something too\\nDr. llavvl^s is the Historian of the Episcopal church in the United States.\\nIf it ho true, as we have seen stated in an American newspaper, that this gentle-\\nman is hinnseir of mixed hUiod and his complexion a little favors the statement\\nit proves that the admixlion does not deteriorate the intelleclnal powers; for in\\nthe oratory of the pulpit, and as a writer, Ur. II. stands, deservedly, among the\\ndistinguished men of America.", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0051.jp2"}, "52": {"fulltext": "44\\nbase to be recorded there is an act of injustice to him\\nthat admits of no excuse.*\\nAn Episcopalian^ of New York, jealous for the\\nhonor of his church, published in one of the journals of\\nthat city, a full account of these proceedings. The\\nBishop of New York made a short reply, to but one of\\nhis statements, (an immaterial one,) and concluded by\\nsaying, that in the discharge of his duties and responsi-\\nbilities, he \u00e2\u0080\u00a2should not certainly be swayed by any appeal\\nthat might be made to popular feeling.\\nPOSTSCRIPT.\\nWe would have the reader bear in mind, that the fore-\\ngoing presents but one side of the anti-slavery cause in the\\nseveral churches whose proceedings liavebeen considered\\nand that in them all, there are abolitionists earnestly labor-\\ning to purify them from the defilements of slavery; and\\nthat they have strong encouragement to proceed, not only\\nin view of what they have already effected toward that end,\\nbut in the steady increase of their numbers, and in other\\nomens of sucess.\\nWe wish him also to bear in mind, that the churches\\nwhich have been brought before him are not the only\\nAmerican churches which are guilty in giving their coun-\\ntenance and support to slavery. Of others we have said\\nnothing, simply because, to examine their cases, would be\\nto make tiiis work too long for the object we have in\\nview and because enough has been said to show substan-\\ntially the state of the slavery-question in America, so far\\nas the CHURCH in that country is connected with it.\\nLastly. We take pleasure in assuring him, that there\\nare considerable portions of the Methodist Baptist and\\nPresl)yterian churches, as well as the entire of some of the\\nsmaller religious bodies in America, that maintain a com-\\nmendable testimony against slavery and its abomina-\\ntions.\\nMr. Crummel tieoame a mrmber of the Theological department of Yale Col-\\nlege, a Congregational institution, vvheie we wish we coiihl say, he was there\\ntreated in a manner that would have been iho riost agreeable to him, as well as\\nmost honorable lu the distinguished profussor whose lectures he attended 3 but\\nwe cannot.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0052.jp2"}, "53": {"fulltext": "SUPPLEMENT\\nTO THE THIRD AMERICAN EDITION.\\nBY x\\\\NOTHER HAND.\\nThe writer of the preceding pages, evidently studious of brevity,\\nand selecting but a few specimens from the mass of evidence that\\nmight be gathered into a large volume, has failed to present any facts\\nbearing directly upon some influential religious denominations in\\nAmerica. Perhaps he had not the requisite documents at hand,\\nwhen he wrote. And many startling developments have been made\\nsince that time. To supply, in part, and in as small a compass as\\npracticable, this deficiency, the following particulars are presented.\\nCONGREGATIONALISTS.\\nThese embrace a large portion of the descendants of the Puritans, by\\nwhom New England was first settled, and they claim to be the successors of\\nthe Piu-itan Congregationalisls, in their general statements of doctruie, and\\nusages of ciiurch polity. Tliey were, until recently, recognized as the\\nstanding order in iSlevv England, and even now, are, perhaps, more\\ninfluential than any other sect in those Slates. In nearl} all the non-slave-\\nholding Slates, Congregational churches are likewise found. J iie intimacy\\nmaintained between them and Presbyterians, especially in the case of min-\\nisters, give them great opporumities for exerting an influence upon that sect,\\nand subject them likewise, to the liahilily of receiving strong impressions\\nfrom them in return. Presbyterian ministers, in all the iSiates, to some\\nextent, are natives of New England, eclueated in Congregational churches.\\nAmong these are such men as K(;v. Gardinj;r Spring, D. D. of New\\nYork, (mentioned on pnge 36,) who is son of the late Rev. Dr. Samuel\\nSpring, of the Conoregalional church at Nevvburyport, IMass. Rev. R. R.\\nGuRl.KY, Correspoiuling Secretary of the American Colonization Society,\\none of the most virulent opposers of abolition, and Rev. Ezra Stiles\\nEi-Y. D D., so triuntplianlly claimed as a siavehoider, and an apologist for\\nslaveholding, were educated Congregationalists, in Conneciicut. Jn their\\nforeign mis ;ionarv operations, Congregationalists unite wiih the Presby-\\nterian and Dutch Refi)rme(l churches, in the American B4)ard of Com-\\nmissioners for Foreign Missions. Jn their domestic mission.s, they unite\\nwith Presbyterians and odiers.\\nFrom iIh^ beginning, the Anti-slavery movement has met with determined\\nopposition from many of the leading Consi regauonal ministers and journal-\\nists in Nevv England. The Vermont Chronicle, edited by Rev. Joseph\\nTracy, (highly esteemed among the leading Congregational ministers,)\\nled tlie wdy, in using the religious periodical pre.ss as an instrnnient of\\nrousing the public indignation aganisi abolitionists, a design which he\\nopenly avowed. He was afterwards invited to conduct the Boston Re-s\\nCorder, under patronage of the leading Congregational ministers in Massai", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0053.jp2"}, "54": {"fulltext": "46\\nchuselts, and then the New York Observer, (Presbyterian.) and in both\\nthose papers, extensively patronized by Congregaiionalisls, l)e made it a\\nleading object to oppose modern abolition and support the Colonization\\nSociety.\\nThe Literary and Theological Review, edited by Rev. Leonard\\nWoods, Jr., (son of Rev. Protessor Leonard VVoods, D. D. of Andover,\\nBlass., and now connected vviili Brunswick College, l^laine,*) during the\\nperiod of high excitement against abolitionists, and while efforls were\\nmaking, in the INorihern and Eastern Slates, to suppress the discussion of\\nslavery by penal enactments, put forth an article plainly pointing at the\\nabolitionists, and declaring thai they were -juslkj liable to the highest civil\\npenalties and ecclesiastical cc7is//res. This })priudical, at the time, and\\nafterwards, was patronized and recommended by many leading Congrega-\\ntional ministers. It was highly n[)pl:iU(Jed in the principal Congregational\\njournals, and in none of them, (though a constant reader of ihem,) was the\\nwriter of this, able to discover any reprobation of the sentiment above quoted\\nnor from any prominent Congregational minister, who was noi an aboli-\\ntionist, has he ever heard of any-reproof of it, to the present time.\\nThe discussion of slavery has been, and still is, to a great extent, shut out\\nof Congregational churches. Li some cases, particularly in Connecticut,\\nnieasuies have been adopted in clerical associations, evidently designed to\\ndiscourage the discussion, and to close the meeting-houses against Anti-\\nslavery lecturers. At the same lime, slaveholding ministers from the South\\nhave been generally welcomed to the pulpits from which Congregational\\nministers, desiring to lecture against slavery, have been exclutled.\\nThe American Board of Foreign Missions, before mentioned, have been\\nin the habit of soliciting donations from slaveholders, b} agents sent among\\nthem, for the purpose, while they bear no testimony against slaver^ Re-\\nmonstrances of abolilit)nisls against ihis course, have been unavailing. And\\nwhen pressed to define their position, and after professing a determination\\nto remain uncommilled, they have published, with apparent approbation, a\\nletter written about six years previous, from one of iheir missionaries, Dr.\\nWilson, staling that he was a slaveholder, and justifying himself in the\\npractice. With this letter in their possession, they have continued him in\\ntheir employ till the present tune, (June, 1842,) and they do not claim that\\nthey have, at any time, signijied to him a desire that he should cease to be a\\nslaveholder.\\nIn a large proportion of Copgregalional churches, the arrangement of the\\nnegro pew, as in the other sects, is maintained, and colored members are\\nnot welcomed to the same seals wiih their white brethren. Colored min-\\nisters are not often invited to their pulpits, by exclianges, or otherwise, or\\nseated with while ministers, on the platform, on public religious and philan-\\nthropic celebrations and anniversaries. In the important literary and theo-\\nlogical institutions founded b^ Congregationalists, and managed by them\\nand their ministers, there are seldom lound such usages and habits as would\\nmake colored students welcome, on terms of equality with others.^ And\\nnotwithstanding tlie pro-slavery spirit and tendency of the Colonization en-\\nterprize have been abaudanily exposed, yet leading Congregational ministers\\nin aiKi near Boston and Andover, have, very lalejy, welcomed Rev, R. R.\\nGuRi,EY among them, and joined with him in an eflTort to revive the Colo-\\nnization cause in New England.\\nViews of Congkkgational Ministers. The intimacy between\\nleading Presbyterian and Congregational ministers, has been jioticed. A\\nspecimen of Sentiments of Piesbylerian Ministers has been presented,\\n(page 56,) and it is not recollected tlial any earnest remonstrance against\\nAs President, if I mistake not.\\nfObertin ollegiale Institute, at Oherlin,Ohio, and Oneida Institute, Whites-\\nbofo New Vork, are believed to be almost ihe only excejuions to this statement.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0054.jp2"}, "55": {"fulltext": "47\\nthose views has been heard from any prominent Con\u00c2\u00ab![reorational minislers\\nnot idenlified wiih modern aholilionists. On llie oilier hnnd, the pro-\\nslavery views and argumeiils of Presl yterian minislers have been more or\\nless current among Cougrpgalional minislers in New England. This will\\nbe apparent frnm what (ollows.\\nIn April, 1836, the Bililical Repertory (Presbyterian) contained an article\\nunderstood to be from the pen of the Professor of Sacred Lilerali-re at\\nPrinceton, N. J., (Rev. Dr. Hodgk,) in which an effort was made to show\\nthat slavery, whatever may be said of anij abuses of it, is not a violation of\\nthe precepts of the gospel. The article was re-puhli^hed, in a pamphlet,\\nhaving on ils title page the following Pittshirs:, 1836. For gratuitous\\ndistrihution. This was industriously distribiUed among the members of the\\nGeneral Assembly at Pittsburg, in May, 1836. The work was hailed by\\nthe slaveholders, as the best defence of slaver) extant. Within a few\\nmonths from that time, there appeared some two or three pamphlet sermons,\\nof Congregational minislers in New England, which exhibited similar views}\\nand within about a year. Rev. Dr. Fisk, (Methodist,) whose views may be\\nseen by turning back to page 16, obtained, by correspondence, from Rev.\\nMoses Stuakt. Professor in the Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass.\\n(Congreg.uioiial) a statement of views wiiicli he triumj)hatilly pul)lished, in\\nZion s Herald, as being in accordance wiih his own, declaring This is\\ndoctrine that will stand, because it is Bible doctrine. Tlie abolitionists^\\ntherefore, are on the wrong course, c. c.\\nThe following is an extract from Prof. Stuart s letter.\\n*1. Tlie precepts of the New Testament respecting the demeanor of\\nslaves and of their masters, beyond all question, recognize the existence of\\nslavery. The masters are in part believing masters, so that a precept to\\nthem, how they are to behave as masters, recognizes that the relation may\\nstill exist, salvafcleetsalva ecclesia, without violating the Ciirislian faith or\\nthe church. Otherwise, Paul had nothing to do but to cut the band\\nasunder at once. He could not lawfully and properly temporize with a\\nmalum in se, that which is in itself sin.\\nJf any one doubts, let him take the case of Paul s sending Onesimus back\\nto Philemon, with an apolog}- for his running away, and sendinsf him back\\nto be his servant for life. The relation did exist, may exist. The abuse of\\nit is the essential and fundamental wrong. Not that the theory of slavery is\\nin itself riglu. No; Love thy neighbor as thyself, Do unto others that\\nwhich ye would that others should do unto you, decide against this. But\\nthe relation once constituted and continued, is not such a malum in se as\\ncalls for immediate and violent disruption at all hazards. So Paul did not\\ncounsel.\\n2. 1 Tim. vi. 2, expresses die sentiment, that slaves, who are Christians\\nand have Christian masters, are not, on that account, and because as Chris-\\ntians theij are brethren, to forego the reverence due to them as masters. That\\nis, the relation of master and slave is not, as a matter of course, abrogated\\nbetween all Christians. Nay, servants should in such a case, a fortiori, do\\ntheir duty cheerfully. This sen iment lies on the very face of the case.\\nWhat the master s duty in such a case may be in respect to liberation, is\\nanother question, and one which the Apostle does not here treat of.\\nThe writer of the above letter is still Professor at Andover, and it is not\\nknown that he has chanf:;ed his views, or that the other members of the\\nFaculty or the Trustees feel grieved at his course, or em!)arrassed with his\\nposition. Congregalionaiisis in general, still confide in Prof. Stuart, as a\\nsuitable person to teach young students for the laiinislry, the science of ex-\\npounding the Scriptures.\\n[13= l should nevertheless be borne in mind that Congregationallsts have\\nfurnished their full proportioii of ministers and layinefl; who have been early,", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0055.jp2"}, "56": {"fulltext": "48\\nefficient, consistent, persevering, and self-denying;, in their Anti-slavery\\nlabors, with abolitionists of oilier sects. There are also Congreg^ational\\nchurches who, vviih their ministers, re jard nl)olilion as a test of fellowship,\\nchurch-membership, communion, and Christian co-operation. They do not\\npatronize The American Board. iSiandina^ on their riglils of local\\nchurch indepeiviency, ihcy hold no connection with ecclesiastical or clerical\\nbodies tinclured witii pro-slavery, nor with theological or literary institutions\\nwhere Christian liheity is not taught, and practically iioiiored. 13ut the\\nnumber of such churches is small.\\nDUTCH REFORMED CHURCH.\\nThis church, though not strong in comparative numbers, holds an influen-\\ntial post, on account of the wealth, respectability, and position of its mem-\\nbers, and the talents, learning, and reputation of its clergy. It is closely\\nconnected with the Presbyterian church, and difters little from it, in its stand\\non the slavery question, except that its borders are chiefly, if not wholly,\\nwithin the free Estates, and that fewer, perhaps, in proportion, of its members\\nor ministers, are known as abolitionists. Its clergy are commonly Coloni-\\nzationists, and some of them active in that enterprize. During the pro-\\nslavery riots in New York city, in 1854, its principal religious journal, the\\nChrfslian Intelligencer, conducted by Rev. W. C. Brownlek, D. D.,\\nwas among tlie papers that fumed the flame of popular phrenzy against\\nthe abolitionists. Leading ministers and members of that church gave a\\ntone to the inflammatory Colonization speeches of 1833-4 the precursors,\\nthe coiicomitiuits, and the apologists of those riots. The names of Be-\\nTHUNE, DeVVitt, c. c. belong to the history of that period.\\nSOCIETY OF FRIENDS.\\nOrthodox. ^Their meeting-houses, to a great extent, are closed\\nagainst Anti-slavery discussions. The Yearly Meeting in Indiana sent out\\na document evidently designed to discountenance tlie Anti-slavery visit of\\nthe English philantliropist, Joseph Sturge, (an Orthodox Friend,) to the\\nFriends in the United States.\\nHicKsiTK. \u00e2\u0080\u00a2Meeting-houses likewise closed, Isaac T. Hopper, J. S.\\nGibbons, and Charles Marriott, it is understood, have been disowned by\\nthis sect, on account of their activity in Anti-slavery Societies.\\nThe Society of Friends, (including, doubtless, both the sects,) were\\ncomplimented by Henry Clay, and by Martin Van Ruren, for their course, in\\nrespect to the Anti-slavery excitement. Members of both sects, commonly,\\nlike other professors of religion, set up the workers of iniquity, by voting\\nfor slaveholders, and f ro-slavery law-rnakers. But numbers, of both sects,\\nare efticieni abolitionists, though u-ealth, cotton, and love of quiet, have\\nparalyzed the main body.\\nBAPTISTS\u00e2\u0080\u0094 Additional Memorandum.\\nThe Triennial Convention, at Baltimore, April, 1841, displaced all the\\nabolitionists from the Baptist Motucl of Foreign Ttlissions, on a demand\\nto that effect, from the south, and by concurrence of learling northern Bap-\\ntist ministers, wlio likewise signed a disclaimer of parlicipancy in the doings\\nof abolition liaplisis. This, as a condition of receiving southern funds!\\nSee Keview of the Doings, c. by Kev. Nathaniel Culver, Boston.\\nQTJ An Anti-slavery Baptist Board of Foreign Missions has since been\\norganized.", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0056.jp2"}, "57": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0057.jp2"}, "58": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0058.jp2"}, "59": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0059.jp2"}, "60": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0060.jp2"}, "61": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0061.jp2"}, "62": {"fulltext": "c c rc :v\\nC C\\n_\\nelite.:\\nr c\\n:x:\\nc^: ;ii\\nK;:z^\u00e2\u0080\u00a2\u00e2\u0096\u00a0 c:\\n\u00c2\u00abx\\nc;5^c\\nC 3\\nc\u00c2\u00a3: :_\\njc\\n:r. -c^\\nc^\\n5c::\\nc^:\\n3c\\ncr r\\nC 1-\\nrcs\\nVJ^\\nS..J5^J Vb.\\ncT\\nC32\\nVC\\nsjc: ~.c\\nL.. vcx r\\n3P!C \u00c2\u00aba\\nr:^ c\\nC\u00c2\u00a3\\nC\\n*T\\nii: r. c:\\ncr\\nC3\\nt 4:\\nc 3iiC\\nf^CCOxx: -OCT -C\\n-x-\\ni-^", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0062.jp2"}, "63": {"fulltext": "--(aoc.\\ng\\n:^^C^\\njA^ .^\u00c2\u00ab*r \u00e2\u0080\u00a2^r^-\\nill\\nU5 r. C. icX \u00c2\u00abj:\\nr c c\\n^A^", "height": "3316", "width": "1887", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0063.jp2"}, "64": {"fulltext": "", "height": "3269", "width": "1882", "jp2-path": "americanchurch00birney_0064.jp2"}}