Deliverance

OF THE

REFORMED PRESBYTERY OF EDINBURGH

ON

AMERICAN SLAVERY AND CHURCH-FELLOWSHIP WITH SLAVE-HOLDERS.

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The Reformed Presbytery of Edinburgh, being met on the 30th April 1845, unanimously adopted and resolved to publish the following resolutions, in reference to American slavery and church-fellowship with slaveholders. The Presbytery adopted, and resolved to publish, these resolutions, which they believe to be founded on the immutable principles of Divine truth, with a two-fold object,—to aid the cause of the oppressed against the oppressor,—and to vindicate the name and the religion of the blessed Redeemer from the imputation of giving any countenance to that fearful system of iniquity, by which the cause of Christ is so much dishonoured, and by which such multitudes of the human family are ruined for time and eternity.

1. That slave-holding and slave-trading, as sanctioned by law, and practised in the United States of America, by which men are “deemed, taken, reputed, and adjudged to be chattels personal in the hands of their masters and possessors, to all intents and purposes whatsoever,”—by which all the ordinances of God, in regard to marriage and other family relations, are disregarded and trampled under foot, and persons bound together by the tenderest ties, husbands and wives, parents and children, brothers and sisters, are liable to be

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violently torn asunder at any moment—by which these same immortal beings are, by penal laws and wicked usages, shut out from the means of education, and thus debarred from the privilege of reading God’s holy word, and from becoming acquainted with the blessed Redeemer, and the only way of salvation through his precious blood,—and by which the nameless horrors implied in the distinction between the slave-breeding and slave-consuming States are permitted and openly practised, are sins of enormous magnitude in the sight of God, and ought to be avoided and condemned as such by all Christian men.

2. That persons wilfully continuing in these sinful practices, notwithstanding the light of the gospel shining around them, are unworthy of admission to Christian privileges in any department of the church of Christ; and that any church receiving such persons into full communion, holding them as Christian brethren not walking disorderly, or admitting them to office, is partaker of their sins, upholding the cause of the oppressor against the oppressed, and bringing dishonour on the blessed name and the holy religion of the divine Redeemer.

3. That the churches in the United States of America, of different denominations, with some honourable exceptions, are, to a large extent, guilty in this matter,—not raising any faithful testimony against the essential sinfulness of the slave-holding system, or employing such scriptural means as they ought for its destruction,—freely admitting to full communion, and even to office as ministers in the church, persons wilfully continuing in slave-holding and slave-trading practices, as well as many of the victims of their oppression, who are utterly disqualified for the enjoyment of Christian fellowship, being kept in ignorance, and deeply sunk in licentiousness, and other degrading vices;—and even vindicating the lawfulness of American slavery, and for this purpose perverting the word of God, which classes menstealers with murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, with whoremongers, and liars, and perjured persons, and which, in its whole scope and spirit and tendency, condemns the system of slavery, and proclaims the law of love—thus lending their influence and employing the authority of the Christian name to uphold the whole system with all its essential abominations from generation to generation to the end of time,—all which evils are greatly aggravated in the case of the largest sections of the Presbyterian church, by the fact that they at one time adopted and avowed a sound confession of scriptural truth in reference to these matters, which they have since deliberately abandoned.

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4. That all attempts to vindicate the conduct of the American Churches, in such courses of procedure, are unworthy and unavailing,—that to admit that American slave-holding is a great sin, and yet to maintain that those who wilfully continue in it may be warrantably received to the full enjoyment of Christian fellowship, is to lay down a principle which, carried out consistently, would render it warrantable to admit to the communion of the Church all classes of transgressors whatsoever; and that the attempt to vindicate such fellowship, from the fact that there were “believing masters” in the Church of Christ in the days of the Apostles, is equally unavailing, inasmuch as it would be necessary for this purpose to prove that the circumstances of these “believing masters” were parallel to those of American slave-holders, and also to prove that the relation between these “believing masters” and their “servants,” and sanctioned by the Apostles, was of the same kind as that which exists between American slave-holders and their slaves, whom they hold as chattels personal to all intents and purposes whatsoever, or, at least, to prove that the resemblance, in reference both to the circumstances and the relationships, is so near, as to warrant the conclusion, that if these “believing masters” were admitted to the fellowship of the Church, so ought American slave-holders at the present time; whereas it appears to this Court, that the circumstances in the days of the Apostles were exceedingly different; and, moreover, that it is a gross perversion of the word of God, to represent the conduct of American slave-holders, or the character of American slavery, as at all consistent with those divine instructions which were given for the direction of masters in their duties towards their servants, and which, by their Christian profession, they brought themselves under obligation to obey. It was said to them by Divine authority, “Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven;” and, again, “Ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him;” thus setting forth the duty of Christian masters to their servants in every age; and we know, on the same authority, that if any man did not obey the word of God by his inspired servants, the Church was required to “note that man, and to have no company with him, that he might be ashamed.”

5. That it is felt by this Court, as matter of gratitude to God, that the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America, the successors in that land of the Scottish martyrs, did, at the commencement of the present century, judicially condemn the

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practice of slavery,—and that, so far as known to this Court, there is not and cannot be a slave-holder in the communion of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.

6. This Court, for the sake of the oppressed now groaning in bondage, from a regard to the best interests of those who are involved in the guilt of oppressing them, and for the honour of the name and cause of Christ, would earnestly entreat all churches and individuals who, for Christ’s sake, have renounced fellowship with slave-holders and slave-holding Churches, to persevere firmly, and faithfully, and consistently, in this Christian course; and on the same grounds, this Court would earnestly beseech all who are yet involved in the guilt of slave-holding connections, immediately to come out and be separate from the unclean thing.

7. This Court, on the same grounds, would earnestly entreat all the Churches of Christ in this land, to lift up a faithful testimony in this matter, and to give to all concerned distinct warning of the sin and danger of individuals, or churches, or nations, holding fellowship, as is now done in America, with that fearful system of iniquity, which is in the estimation of this Court one of the most unfruitful works of darkness.

8. That while this Court express these views in reference to American slavery and the duties of the Churches, they cannot refrain from expressing their sympathy, not only with the oppressed slaves, but with the people of colour generally in that land, who, under the influence of cruel prejudices and unjust laws, are subjected to all manner of hardships and indignities in the whole intercourse of life. Nor can this Court refrain from condemning the conduct of many of the churches in the United States, in reference to this matter, inasmuch as they sanction and strengthen these cruel prejudices and unjust laws, by preventing persons of colour, recognised as members of the church, from sitting in the same pews, and from taking their seats at the Lord’s table in company with their white brethren; thus in their public assemblies having respect to persons, committing sin, and being convinced of the law as transgressors; and it is the conviction of this Court, that churches acting in this cruel and sinful manner, render themselves unworthy of fellowship with Christians and Christian churches, who desire to adhere consistently to the laws of Christ, the alone King and Head of his Church, with whom there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but himself all, and in all.

JOSEPH WILSON, Moderator.

WM. ANDERSON, Clerk.