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SLAVERY: A VIOLATION OF GOD'S LAW (PART III) Like Luther, Wesley and Augustine, Nat Turner’s life drastically changed after hearing the Scripture, “Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you.” After much reflection on this passage, Turner relates that the Spirit repeated this passage to him (The Confessions of Nat Turner, the Leader of the Late Insurrection in Southampton, VA, Thomas R. Gray). He does not say how the Spirit did so, just that it happened. When asked for clarification about what spirit, Turner replied that it was the Spirit who spoke to the prophets in the former days. For the next two years, he prayed continuously for illumination of the Matthew passage and its meaning for his life. Shortly after this, Turner was placed under another overseer, from whom he ran away, but returned thirty days later. By his own recollection, he returned not because he wanted to, but because of another appearance by the Spirit who told him that, wishes were “directed to the things of this world and not the things of Heaven, and that” he “should return to the service of his earthly master.” About this same time, Turner had a vision that depicted black and white spirits engaged in battle, the sun was darkened, the thunder rolled and blood flowed in streams (Confession). All this happened around 1824 or 1825. Up to this point, he had received only the one passage of Scripture from the Spirit. On the 12th of May, 1828, Turner heard a loud noise in Heaven, and “the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke He had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent (Confession). From this, Turner concluded that the great purpose for his life was to lead a revolt against slaveholders. However, the Spirit forbade him from communicating any of this to anyone. Since he was already well respected by his fellow slaves, Turner had little problem in organizing a small band of slaves, even though they were ignorant of his plans. On February 12, 1831, there appeared a sign in the sky—a partial ellipse of the sun. Turner saw this as a sign from God to put his plan to free the slaves into action. Nat Turner’s Slavemaster and his family were the first to die in the Nat Turner Rebellion of 1831. Before the revolt was crushed, more than 60 whites were killed (The Baptist, Anne DeVereaux and J. M. Stifle, Hippocrene Books). One can only imagine the fear and paranoia his, and another one that took place in North Carolina, must have caused in the slaveholding states. All this could have been averted if men would have taken to heart that “All men are created equal.” However, even rebellion did not lessen the hatred in men’s heart to oppress those different from they. The institution of slavery was the source of wealth for many, if not all Southern and some slaveholders in the North. The slaves’ rebellion coupled with other abolitionists such as John Leland and John Brown stretched thin an already fragile unity between Southern and Northern Baptists. Every three years, Baptists’ held a Triennial Convention. The Missionary, especially foreign mission was the main focus of these conventions. Because Northern Baptists were in the majority, they seemingly did not address many Southern Baptists’ concerns. Added to this was the “growing abolitionist sentiment among Northern Baptists” (The Baptist). These two causes served as fuel to an already kindling fire between Baptists and caused Southern Baptists to become more defensive than ever. This resentment reached its peak when an American Anti-Slavery Convention met in New York in 1840. One can only imagine the response of the Southern Baptists. They saw this action as being an overt take over of the Triennial Convention missionary societies by radical abolitionists. Therefore, they withheld funds from them. In an attempt to calm Southern Baptists fears, the convention held in April 1844 passed a resolution to reassure the Southern membership (The Baptist). In summary, the resolution recognized the right of all individuals to express and keep their views, whether slavery or anti-slavery in a Christian manner and spirit. The Alabama State Convention of December 1844 put to the test the sincerity of the resolution passed in April. They demanded the Triennial Convention allow slaveholders to act as missionaries. The resolution passed earlier, I think, had as its purpose; preserving the unity of our denomination. However, compromise based on false convictions will always fail the test of time. Southern Baptists had no intentions of altering their belief in slavery while nearly all Northern Baptists sought ways of ridding the country of it. I stop short of saying all Northerners because some were just as insistent in keeping slaves as the slaveholders in the South. It was an economical issue for them as well. But I digress. In regards to the Alabama State Convention’s request, we thank God the Board of Managers of the Triennial Convention was more forthright on this occasion. They stated: “If any one should offer himself as a missionary, having slaves, and should insist on retaining them as his property, we could not appoint him. One thing is certain, we can never be a party to any arrangement which would imply approbation of slavery” (The Baptist). With this statement, Northern Baptists drew a line of debarkation that would become another milestone for Baptists. Unity is essential but there could be no compromise in the issue of the equality of all men—especially within the body of Christ. Realizing their views and belief on slavery would never be accepted, Southern Baptists disassociated themselves from the Triennial Convention. In May 1845, representatives of over 300 Southern congregations met in Augusta Georgia. The formation of the Southern Baptist Convention was the result of that meeting.
In Christ, Minister John Cobb
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