UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

ought
which
218 KEY TO UNCLE TOM S CABIN.
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posedto. It has had slave-holdersin its accordance with the directionsof Christ, " depart
own communion ; and from thistrial out of that city."
Congregationalism
has,as yet, been mostlyexempt. This resolution is a matter of hopeand
Being thus free,oughtnot the testimony gratulation in many respects. It was passed
of Congregationalism to have been more than in a very largeconvention, the largest ever
equal ? oughtit not to have done more than assembled in this country,fullyrepresenting
testify ? itnot to have fought for the the Congregationalism of the /United
question ? Like the brave three hundred in States, and the occasion of itsmeeting was
Thermopylae leftto defend the libertiesof considered, in some sort,as marking a new
Greece,when allothers had fledșhould theyera
in the progress of this denomination.
not have thrown in heart and soul,body and
spirit? Have theydone it?
It is decided in its expression, and looks to
Compare the earnestness which Congregationalism
practical action, which iswhat iswanted. It
has spentupon some other subjects
says it will support no ministersin slave
with the earnestness which has been states whose preaching does not tend to destroy
spentupon this. Dr. Taylortaugh that all slavery; and that,if theyare not allowed
sin consists in sinning, therefore that
to preachfreely on the subject, they
there could be no sin till a
person had sinned ; must
and Dr. Bushnell teaches some modifications
of the doctrineof the Trinity, nobodyseeming
sustained, maybe inferredfrom the fact
to know precisely what. The South
Carolina presbyteries teach that slavery is
approvedby God, and sanctionedby the example
of patriarchs and prophets Ṣupposing
which
these,now, to be all heresies,
them is the worst ?
"
worst
of
will bring the
practical results? And, if Congregationalism
forthin their report of March,1853. When
had fough this slaveryheresy as application was made to them,in 1850, from
some of her leaders fought Dr. Bushnell and
Dr. Taylor,would not the styleof battle
have been more earnest? Have not both
thesemen been denounced as dangerous heresiarchs,and
as preaching doctrines that tend
to infidelity? And pray where does this
other doctrine tend ? As sure as there is a
God in heaven is the certainty that,if the
Bible really did defend slavery, fifty years
hence would see every
honorable and high-
to send or retain missionariesin
minded man an infidel.
the slavestates istaken away."
Has,then, the past influenceof Congregationalism
The society furthermore instructed their
to the nature of
could not be heard on
been according
missionaries, if they
the exigency and the weight of the subject? this subject in one city or village, to
go
But the late convention of Congregational-
to another ; and theyexpress their conviction
that their missionaries have made progress
in awakeningthe consciences of the
take a stronger and more decided ground. people.They say that theydo not suffer
Here is their resolution :
do not let it
istsat Albany,including ministers both from
New England and the Western States,did
The resolution was passedunanimously.
depart.
That the groundthus taken will be efficiently
that the Home Missionary Society, which is
the organ of thisbody,as well as of the New
School Presbyterian Church,has uniformly
taken decided groundupon this subject in
their instructions to missionaries sent into
slave states. These instructions are ably set
a slave state, for missionaries who would let
slavery alone, theyreplied to them, in the
most decided language, that it could not be
done ; that,on the contraryțheymust understand
that one grandobject in sending
missionaries to slave states is,as far as possible,
to redeem society from all forms of sin ;
and that,"if utter silencerespecting slavery
is to be maintained, one of the greatest in-
the subject to sleep; that they
alone because it is a delicate subject, but
ResolvedȚhat, in the opinionof this convention,
it is the tendencyof the
theydischarge theirconsciences, whether their
gospel, wherever
it is preachedin its purity țo correct all social message be well received, or whether,as in
evils,and to destroysin in all its forms ; and that some instances, itsubjects them
it is the duty of MissionarySocieties to grant aid opprobrium, and personal danger; and that
to churches in slave-holding states in the support where their endeavors
of such ministers only as shall to do this have not
so preachthe gospel,
been
and inculcate the principles and application tolerated, theyhave,in repeated cases,
of gospeldiscipline, that, with the blessing of at greatsacrifice, resigned their position, and
God, it shall have its full effect in awakening and departed to other fields. In their report of
enlightening the moral sense in regard to slavery, this
and in bringingto pass the speedyabolition of year theyalso quotelettersfrom ministers
in
that stupendouswrong ; and that wherever a minister
slave-holding states,by which it appears
is not permitted so to preach,he should,in
secured, in the
that they have actually
ducement
to opposition,