The Church and the Anti-Slavery Movement

 After the Revolutionary War New York had more slaves than any state north of the Mason Dixon line.[1] The Van Rensselaers and the Ogdens were local slaveholders. Thanks to various laws passed the number of slaves in St. Lawrence County was down to five a decade before the founding of this church.[2] Statewide there were still 14,638 human beings robbed of their freedom and dignity.[3]

 Today we want to look at Jesus’ teaching and see how the early members of this church fought slavery in order to put Jesus teaching into practice. Matthew 3:7-10. Page 1134. 

7 When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, “You snakes—who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. 9 And don’t think you can escape punishment by saying that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! 10 The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.

 Let’s begin with a little historical background.

 In his book, Scotland and the Abolition of Black Slavery, Iain Whyte wrote that the Scottish church and the Scottish people made an extremely important contribution to the demise of slavery.[4] Here’s one small example of the Scottish sentiment: Dr. George Lawson, our first pastor’s seminary professors, abstained from using sugar in his tea to show his horror of slave trading.[5]

Another Scotsman, John Knox, the founder of Presbyterianism, had a huge following. At one point in his life he was a slave for nineteen months in a French galley, chained to the oar, with other Scotch Protestants.[6] In a Complete Sermon on Christian Duty, Knox made the point that the Lord authorizes and requires all Christians to correct their rulers’ religion and to compel them to obey God’s commandments.[7] He approved the overthrow and death of godless tyrants.

A great quote from Journal of Negro History:

Among the Germans were Mennonites, Lutherans, and Moravians, all of whom believed in individual freedom ... the strongest stock among these immigrants were the Scotch-Irish, a God-fearing, Sabbath-keeping, covenant-adhering, liberty-loving, and tyrant-hating race. They had been taught (by Knox and others) to emphasize equality, freedom of conscience, and political liberty. Equality and brotherly love became their dominant traits.[8]  

  As a result the early Scottish sects in America including the Associate Reformed Synod all opposed slavery - though not as fully as the Quakers and Free Baptists.

  Added to this Scottish heritage, was the preaching of Charles Finney who held revivals throughout New York. In 1822 Ogdensburg Presbytery reported to the Synod of Albany that in the wake of Charles Finney’s preaching eighty in Madrid have “in the judgment of charity, been made the subjects of renewing grace.”

 Finney taught that being saved was only the beginning of religious experience and that the proper test of love of God lay in overcoming one’s self-interest and setting out with a determination to aim at being useful in the highest degree possible. Finney taught the importance of showing benevolence to everyone and that human misery was morally reprehensible. He labeled slavery a sin and became a national leader in the abolition of slavery. In the mid 1800’s Finney inspired thousands men and women to join voluntary organizations like the American Antislavery Society.[9]

  Influenced by their ancestors, Knox and Finney, the Scottish settlers in America believed that commitment to God called for action. And they responded by opposing slavery.

  On December 11, 1845 over 100 residents of Madrid signed a petition to the United States Senate and House of Representatives protesting the admission of Texas as a State of the Union with a constitution that in any form shall allow slavery.

 Almost a dozen were members of the Scotch Presbyterian Church including Rev. John Morison. And beginning with the Civil War the Session approved actions in support of emancipation.

· April 12, 1863:  Session resolved to observe the 30^th of April as a day of humiliation and prayers on account of our National calamity acknowledging that our sins National and personal as the cause of God’s permitting this sore and desolating war to come upon us.

· May 9, 1865: Resolved that the humiliation day appointed by the President on account of the death of President Lincoln be observed on the first of June.

· November 25, 1866: Also that a collection for the education and evangelization of the colored race of America be taken up at some proper time.

· March 4, 1867: Session appointed a collection to be taken up on the third Sabbath of March for the education and evangelization of the freedmen of the south according to the recommendation of the Synod.

· 1868: Session resolved that each member should go through his district, on the 3rd week of September and collect by subscriptions money for the freedmens commission.

· April 22, 1873: Also that a collection be taken in the Sabbath school for the colored children.

The church was involved in other pursuits and may have done more to oppose slavery but those are the ones officially taken by the Session. Like their Scottish ancestors and John Knox and Charles Finney they took the word of God seriously They believed that faith called for more than pious words and they looked for ways to take action. 

Jesus said: Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins (8).  He also said to love your neighbor (Luke 10:27) and not to neglect justice (Luke 11:42). So the Session members didn’t have any slaves, but they did what they could to stop slavery in Texas and they sent money to help the freed slaves and their children.

So we the current members of this church need to set out with a determination to aim at being useful in the highest degree possible. Our ancestors worked to make the slaves beneficiaries of God’s grace. We need to look for people in our community who are not currently the beneficiaries and find creative ways to make it happen.

Look around. What makes you angry? What needs fixed? Who needs help? Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins (8).