Slavery And The Church

Síllrereany ecape from tlic tijpimentw tliiá anide, which we copy from tlie ChrUiian Retador? Snvn rrason: ichj siarthuUrrs sh-uld ncither b' rtcthtl nr relahud at immbcrs o f the Chutxli of Ckfiit. Firsi. Tu receive plavrliolders s t snnetion slavehWiff ? compatible with Chnstian c!:aro'-ter and iüty. Il s tu endorse the sin. Sucli'would be the resuit, tvero a churcli to receive known gomblers, debauchees, or Sal) bath brea kers. If one member rmy liold Blaves, a!l mny; and if olí may individ-mlly, all rmy collectively; nn.l so if ihe church may receive one slaveliolder. shc may lierself turn trader iu 'soul and bodies of mcn.' A slave holding church is a kcyslone in the arch o oppression. Second. To receive slaveholders is to innke on exception in fuvor of this particular sin. - A;ul ís tliere any just ground for this exception1 ís it less offensive to God, or less injuriou9 to men? YVho does not know thai slavery i the very unother of aboniinations? that tho System s a pyatem of cruelty, and of licentiou?ne5B, of legolized ignorance and vice? It hss been well a-ked,which of the commands in the decalogue does it not viólale? Why then permit tho convert Jo reloin tbis uiim of a!l villnnie?,' and bring it with him to the church of God, whilc he ia required to jenotinceand foreoke all olher sins which may be found lipón him? Tiiird. To receive stoveholdere, even tho best of them, is to albw the church to stand r defenceand apoiogy for the tcorst of slaveholders. So the bad slnveholders refrard it. Who would be more opposed to the eburches taking strong ground against 6lavery than they? Does any "one doubt thaf wliat are considered tho best dram selling honses are a etrong-hold, or covert and defonce to the wotfil groggeries which pollute the land? - Even so precifely is il with elaveholding. Fuurtli. To reecive slavehoidcrs is to lay a stumbling-b'ock before wenk consciences, nnd to plant an impassable hedge before good consciences. Tlie weak conscicnce, whicí; might otherwise be prevented, wil thereby bo 'emboldened' to rush into it, while good consciences will be driven oul of the church, jf compelled to sanction il thre. When 'he church proves recreant to ;he laws nf Clirist. and weds herself to uiquity, even God him self eays, 'comeont of her.' Fifth. To receive slavelioldcrs is to diminish the moral power of the church to refoim the world. It put6 a weapon ínlo ihe hands of her enemies, and (bey will use it. An a pologist for this manifest iniquity in her own membere, her reproofa will but provokc ihe contempt of sinners. Sixth. To receive slnveholilers is to vioiate the comtnand of God, 'ihou ehalt not suffer sin upon thy brothf;r.' The business of the church is to separate men from their sins, and not to confim them in them. Seventb. To receive siaveholders is toallow excuses which God will not sanc'.ion, when they stand at his bar. Lot us look at 6ume of them, as urged by the advocates for their reception. And finst, 'it is not a sin iu them, because they do not regard it as aucfi But perhaps the very reason why theydo not, is became Ihe church has no done her duty. Are they justified in their igr.orance? VVhat then but their own wrong, in holding olhers in a condilion which they feel would be a violation of all the rights of their own manhood7 And vvill this this blindness excuse them at the bar of God? nnd what is stitl more to the point, wül God approve of that church which consents to their wearing ihat gnilty veil? But again, it is saiJ, 'it 8 the law of the land, and therefor the church should not med die with it Wo lo the church, when the l.-uvs of tlieltnd become the standard of her inoráis. What crime has not been sanctionec by the law? What rrmtyr has ever perishec by the civil stvord, that has not died for a vio laliúii of the laws of the land? All legislation of men, in contravention of ihe law o Gorl, is the aclion of rebels against him. - Shall the church join in 6uch rebellion, anc proclaim impunity to those who viólate the Jaw of God under such an indulgencc?