The Liberator

FREEWILL BAPTISTS. While most of the religious denominations in the United States are contaminated more or less by the foul fiend of slavery, it is refreshing to find so numerous and respectable a body as the Freewill Baptists, whose ministers and members, almost to man, are the firm and unwavering friends of immediate emancipation. This denomination has increased during the last few years with almost unexampled rapidity. Their paper, the Morning Star, published at Dover, N. H. has long been open to the discussion of the anti-slavery question, and its editors are known as unflinching abolitionists. The General Conference, which met last fall in R. Island, passed strong resolutions condemnatory of slavery. We have now before us a series of resolutions adopted by the Rhode Island Quarterly Meeting, at its late session in Greenville. This is the same place, where, no longer ago than last January, a mob succeeded in breaking up an anti-slavery meeting. We are sorry to say, that the minister of the place virtually took the side of the rabble. The very men who broke up the meeting are now his strongest advocates and firmest supporters! And yet he presided at the very meeting which adopted the following resolutions; but as he did not vote on the question, they were adopted unanimously. What a rebuke they convey to him, and to all others, who, like him, not only refuse to plead the cause of humanity but wink at mobs!

Resolved, 1. That we will neither fellowship nor countenance slavery in any known way whatever.
2. We will not fellowship as Christians any who continue to hold slaves or to advocate slavery, when in our judgment they have sufficient light on the subject.
3. That an evil of such magnitude as the system of American slavery ought to be thoroughly probed and laid open to the sight of the whole nation, and that all the moral means in the power of the states, ought to be exercised, to create a sound public sentiment, averse to slavery, and thereby ensure its extermination.
4. That the alarming attacks on the right of free discussion, which have recently been made in our beloved but guilty country, call loudly upon all the friends of liberty, order and law, to take a decided stand in its defence.
5. That in view of the importance of free discussion to the interests of Christ's kingdom on earth, and the happiness of men here and hereafter, the church of God is bound, not only to use this right faithfully while they have it, but to pray fervently that the God of heaven would so bless the efforts of the friends of freedom, as to preserve to us this great blessing, so intimately connected with our dearest interests both in time and eternity.
6. That we deeply lament the indifference of many members of the church of Christ on this subject, indifference which has a tendency to strengthen the hands of the wicked opposers of free discussion—to make the hearts of its righteous advocates sad, and to grieve the spirit of God, and cause him to depart from us.