contends, that it would be contrary to forty and forty-five, as to be set free in the Golden Rule, in many instances, to a few months or weeks. And, in all set them free! But it has been asked, cases, "immediate" emancipation seems and that too by one of the very men who to have been preferred, as it is first namholds that "advice" has the nature and ed. Deeds of emancipation were to be power of law, (and is binding, even upon given and recorded in all the States those to whom it was not given), why which allowed of emancipation, except they did not require their freedom, in Virginia, within twelve months; and in the room of "advising" it? Such is the that State within two years. consistency to which men are sometimes The slave trade was entirely prohibitdriven! But let us see what the Church led in all the States, on penalty of "imsaid in 1784, about requiring the free-mediate" expulsion!" ""Those who buy, dom of the slaves. sell, or give them away, unless on purpose to free them, shall be expelled immediateSENTIMENTS OF THE CHURCH IN 1784. ly." Is it so now? Where is the "one In 1784, when our Church was regu- undeviating language?" Rev. N. Bangs larly organized, the following rules were says he "receives those principles," but in substance, adopted. (See Lee's His- does he act upon them? What is he tory of the Methodists.] either saying or doing in favor of such "Every member in our Society, who has kind of emancipation as is spoken of in slaves, in those States where the laws will ad- the above rules? And if "our Church mit of freeing them, shall, after notice given has neither given up nor modified any him by the preacher, within twelve months of her strong scriptural doctrines or relegally execute and record an instrument, gulations on the subject of slavery," I whereby he sets free every slave in his posses- would ask Br. Elliot, where the above sion; those who are from forty to forty-five, "strong regulations" are? immediately, or at farthest at the age of forty- On this foundation the M. E. Church "Those who are between the ages of twenty- once stood; but where is she now? She five and forty, immediately, or within the now adopts the motto, "wholly refrain" course of five years. Those who are between - and yet holds "one undeviating lanthe ages of twenty and twenty-five, immediately, or at farthest at the age of thirty. Those guage." No matter how soon the above who are under the age of twenty, as soon as rules were suspended. The sooner the they are twenty-five at farthest. And every worse. We see how the M. E. Church infant, immediately on its birth. (except in Virginia, and there within two years) five. "Every person concerned, who will not started in her Christian warfare against comply with these rules, shall have liberty slavery; and if she backslid in six quietly to withdraw from our Society within months, so much the greater her disgrace! the twelve months following; the notice being It shows how soon and how tamely she given him, as aforesaid; otherwise the assist- submitted to the clamor of slave holders. ant shall exclude him in the Society. Society. “ No person, holding slaves, es, shall, in future, Had she kept her flag of "Death to Opbe admitted into Society, or to the Lord's Sup- pression," flying for the last fifty-four per, till he previously comply with these rules, years, had she exposed it to the thunconcerning Slavery. "Those who buy, sell, or give them away, unders and lightnings and storms at all less on purpose to free them, shall be expelled seasons, had she evinced the courage immediately." of Daniel and the three Hebrews, and From the above rules it will be seen, of her venerable founder, where would that the M. E. Church, fifty-four years slavery have been now, both in our ago, believed in the justice and safety of Church, and throughout the country? " immediate" emancipation. Not only Dying, or dead. was "every infant, immediately on its But in the room of braving the storms birth," to be set free, in those States of public opinion and persecution, by where the laws allowed of emancipation, pursuing the path of righteousness with but all other slaves in those States were decision and moral firmness, she has to be set free "immediately," or at far- compromised away her "strong regulathest in a very few years-all who were tions," till the little that remains is noover forty, in less than five years-those thing but a dead letter. And in addiwho were over twenty-five, in five years tion to this, slavery can now boast of at farthest, and so on. Some of these the good example (!) of hundreds of Metwo classes would, of course, be so near thodist travelling preachers, and thousands of church members, and of how shall forfeit his ministerial character in our many local ministers, I know not. THE CHURCH IN 1785. But the M. E. Church did not backslide all at once. church, unless he executes, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably to the laws of the State in which he lives. "3. No slave-holder shall be received into In 1785, she held the society, till the preacher who has the oversight following language: "We do hold in the DEEPEST ABHORRENCE THE PRACTICE OF SLAVERY, and SHALL NOT CEASE TO SEEK its DESTRUCTION, by all wise and prudent means." Rev. N. Bangs says, he "receives the Circuit, spoken to him freely and faithfully upon the subject of slavery. [Now wholly refrain."] "4. Every member of the society, who sells a slave, shall immediately, after full proof, be excluded from the society; and if any member of our society purchase a slave, the ensuing Quarterly Meeting shall determine on the these principles." ." But when do we number of years, in which the slave so purhear him expressing the chased would work out the price of his purdeepest ab- chase. And the person so purchasing, shall horrence against the practice of slave- immediately after such determination, execute ry?" To seek the destruction" of a legal instrument for the manumission of slavery by "all wise and prudent means" such slave, at the expiration of the term deternow means, it would seem, to seek the fault of his executing such instrument of manmined by the Quarterly Meeting. And in dedestruction of abolitionism? Our last umission, or on his refusal to submit his case to General Conference sought the destruc- the judgment of the Quarterly Meeting, such tion of nothing else. And Br. Bangs, also, that in the case of a female slave, excluded the society. Provided as far as his public efforts are concern- be inserted in the aforesaid instrument of it shall ed, is seeking the destruction of nothing manumission, that all her children who shall else. That he holds abolitionism the deepest abhorrence," there is reasonable doubt. But will he tell where this undeviating language" abhorrence" to slavery is found now? 66 THE CHURCH IN 1801. 66 member shall be in be born during the years of her servitude, no shall be free at the following times, namelyus and every male child at the age of twenty-five. every female child at the age of twenty-one, of Nevertheless, if the member of our society, executing the said instrument of manumission, judge it proper, he may fix the times of manuinission of the female slaves before mentioned, at an earlier age than that which is prescribed above. In a Discipline, printed in 1801, we find the following article, headed Slavery. I suppose the greatest part of that article was left out of the Discipline at the General Conference of 1804 or 1808, as it is not in the copy which I have seen, published some time in the 1808. "Of Slavery. year "Question. What regulations shall be made for the extirpation of the crying evil of African slavery? "5. The preachers and other members of our society, are requested to consider the subject of negro slavery with deep attention; [Now let it alone.] and that they impart to the General Conference, through the medium of the Yearly Conferences, [Now the abolition any important thoughts upon the subject, that Yearly Conferences are gagged.] or otherwise, the Conference may have full light, [Now the Conference has light enough.] in order to take further steps towards the eradicating this enormous evil from that part of the church of God to which they are connected. "6. The Annual Conferences are directed "Answer, 1. We declare that we are more to draw up addresses for the gradual emancithan ever convinced of the great evil of African pation of the slaves, to the legislatures of those slavery, which still exists in these United States, in which no general laws have been States, and do most earnestly recommend to passed for that purpose. [What a political the Yearly Conferences, Quarterly Meetings, measure that was!] These addresses shall and to those who have the oversight of Dis- urge in the most respectful, but pointed mantricts and Circuits, to be exceedingly cautious ner, the necessity of a law for the gradual what persons they admit to official stations in emancipation of the slaves; proper Committees our church; and in the case of future admis- shall be appointed, by the Annual Conferension to official stations, to require such security ces, out of the most respectable of our friends, of those who hold slaves, for the emancipation for the conducting of the business; of them, immediately, or gradually, as the laws litical still. This is [More poof the States respectively, and the circumstan- and the uniting Church and state.] Presiding Elders, [Now if Presiding ces of the case will admit; and we do fully au- Elders only write and lecture they must be thorize all the Yearly Conferences to make moved.] Elders, Deacons, and Travelling whatever regulation they judge proper, in the Preachers, shall procure as many proper signapresent case, respecting the admission of per- tures as possible to the addresses; and give all sons to official stations in our church. re the assistance in their power, in every re-1. "2. When any travelling preacher becomes spect, to aid the committees, and to further an owner of a slave or slaves, by any means, he this blessed undertaking. [Now it is fanati i 4 i procure as was cism.] LET THIS BE CONTINUED FROM YEAR ferences" to petition the state "legislaTO YEAR, TILL THE DESIRED END BE ACCOM-tures" to emancipate their slaves-and PLISHED." [We will so do, the Lord being our helper.] presiding elders, elders, deacons, and travelling preachers, " were to aid in Does the church hold the above "lan- this political business! and guage now ? How could brother many proper signatures as possible to Bangs make the surprising statement those addresses"-and all this that the church "has always held one called a "blessed undertaking "-and undeviating language?" What apolo- it was to have been "continued from gy can we make for him? He certainly year to year till the desired end should ought to know better. And let it be be accomplished!" But alas! all the borne in mind, that this is the brother above regulations except the second who is so ready to accuse other brethitem, have long since been left out of ren of falsehood, and that too publicly, the discipline; and even that is a dead letter! A part of two other sentences, accuse him. I am not so much sur- in addition to the second item, only reprised at such a statement from him, as main. and without cause! But I will not thus I am that the editor of the Western Slavery thirty-five years ago was a Christian Advocate should boldly affirm, "crying evil"-now it is simply an that our church has neither given up "evil"-but the Georgia conference nor modified any of her strong scriptural says it " is not a moral evil"-and doctrines or regulations on the subject of slavery!" What can this mean? THE RETROGRADE MARCH OF THE CHURCH. Gov. McDuffie says it is not a political evil, but a great blessing, and "the corner stone of our republican edifice!" For the last thirty years slavery has been pouring in upon us like a flood; and Mark the down hill course of the what, I ask, has been done by direct Methodist Episcopal Church on the means to do it away? How are we ever subject of slavery for the last sixty "to spread scriptural holiness over these years. In 1780, "slavery was contrary lands," while this system of abominato the laws of God"-in 1784, it was tions is countenanced by so many of our ordered that it should be exterminated ministers and members? entirely from the church in a very few years and the buying and selling hu- THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH IN man beings at once-and infant eman FAVOR OF SLAVERY. cipation, when the laws would allow it, But we have not only gone down at once. In 1785 these rules were sus- to the bottom of the hill, so far as it repended, but still "slavery was held in gards any decided opposition to slavery, the deepest abhorrence," and its de- (would to God this were the worst of it) •struction" was to be unceasingly sought but we have, it is believed, as a church, by all "wise and prudent means. " In exerted an influence decidedly in favor 1801, though the church was more of slavery. This is a serious charge, than ever CONVINCED of the great evil of but is it not true? Look at the followslavery"-yet her wise and prudent ing facts: means were a lowering down of the I standard of 1784 - though even then, THE GENERAL RULE NULLIFIED. it was required that the subject should 1. Our general rule on the subject ☐☐ be agitated, by exhortations to slave-hold- of slavery is acknowledged on all hands ers, before receiving them into the to be a dead letter. Why does it then, church-by making the penalty of sell- it may be asked, remain in the Disciing a slave, under any circumstances, pline? Because, first, the North would expulsion "immediately "-by looking not be exactly willing to have it struck into the subject of slavery "with deep out of the Discipline, dead as it is.: attention "-by expressing opinions That would be rather too glaring. And, through the yearly conference or oth-secondly, the South have no great oberwise concerning it"-by the ap-jection to its remaining, providing the pointment of committees" by the "con- North will be pacified with that, in as much as they have the power to nullify "The New Testament enjoins obedience it. But third, it would be a good deal upon the slave as an obligation due to a present rightful authority. of labor and trouble to alter it, as threefourths of all the members of all the Annual Conferences must concur with the General Conference, in order to abolish it. And therefore it is permitted to remain. NOT SLAVERY. FISK, JOHN LINDSEY, B. OTHEMAN, H. S. RAMSDELL, E. T. TAYLOR, JACOB SANBORN, H. H. WHITE." Testimony of Rev. W. Fisk. THE CHURCH OPPOSE ABOLITION, BUT does, in many cases, exist, under such circum"The relation of master and slave, may and stances, as free the master from the just charge 2. Who have raised their voices or ritt. and guilt of immorality." - Letter to Rev. T. Merused their pens against slavery for a Testimony of Rev. E. D. Simms, Professor of number of years past, except a few abo- Languages, Randolph Macon College. litionists? There are but two sides to "These extracts from HOLY WRIT UNEQUIVOthis question; one is slavery, and the CALLY ASSERT THE RIGHT OF PROPERTY IN other is abolition. The church has that right; such as the power of acquisition SLAVES, together with the usual incidents of been fighting abolition and saying noth- and disposition in various ways, according to ing against slavery. She has opposed municipal regulations. The right to buy and the only measures which have been pro-heritance, is clearly stated. The only restricsell, and to transmit to children by way of inposed to bring about emancipation, tion on the subject, is in reference to the marwhile she has instituted no others. We ket, in which slaves or bondmen were to be can no more be neutral on this question, purchased. than we can on the temperance ques- the Jewish polity instituted by God himself; "Upon the whole, then, whether we consult tion. Suppose we were to oppose the or the uniform opinion and practice of mankind only temperance measures in operation in all ages of the world; or the injunctions of without engaging in any others, would the New Testament and the Moral Law; we not our influence be in favor of intemperance, especially if we were neither to do nor say any thing against drunkeness; and providing also, that at the same time many of our own ministers were intemperate? SOME OF OUR MINISTERS HAVE DEFEND- ces. not immoral. "Having established the point, that the first Testimony of Rev. E. Hedding. "The right to hold a slave is founded on this rule, Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even ets.' "-Ch. Ad. and Journal, Oct. 20, 1837. so to them; for this is the law and the proph 3. Not only have our brethren refused to oppose slavery, but they have apologized for it in certain circumstan- And now, dear brethren, I leave it You may as well deny your exist- with you to say, whether the above exence as to deny this. Some of her tracts are to be considered in the light ablest ministers, too, have written Bible of an apology for slavery or not-and arguments to justify slave holders!- whether they do not "in supposable Will you deny this? Here is the evi- circumstances" and "in many cases dence. The Counter Appeal. وو defend slavery from the Bible! And what think you will be the influence of "The general rule of Christianity not only such doctrines upon slave holders in the permits, but in supposable circumstances, en- South ? joins a continuance of the master's authority." "We say then, that this text in Col. iii. 22 "As much opposed to slavery as 25, proves to a demonstration, that in the prim- ever"-" one undeviating language!" itive Christian church at Colosse, under the apostolic eye, and with the apostolic sanction, GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE M. E. the relation of master and slave was permitted to subsist." "1 Cor. vii. 20-23. CHURCH IN 1836. 4. The influence of our last General "This text seems mainly to enjoin and sanc- Conference was in favor of slavery.tion the fitting continuance of their present social It would not have been so, had they relations; the freeman was to remain free, and the slave, unless emancipation should offer, was condemned slavery as pointedly as they | did " abolitionism;" but this they would to remain a slave." 1 not do. In May, 1836, the following proposal has been made, and probably resolution was adopted; yeas 120, noes circulated through the South, since the last General Conference, by a member 14. Resolved, by the delegates of the annual con- of that body, [W. A. Smith] to divide ferences, in the General Conference assembled, the M. E. Church, if they cannot have That they are decidedly opposed to modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaim any right, a slave-holding bishop at the next Genwish or intention to interfere in the civil and eral Conference; and not one of our political relation between master and slave, as General Conference editors-not one of it exists in the slave-holding States of this our doctors of divinity-not one of our Union. bishops has raised a voice against it; A motion was made to amend the while all these have condemned again above resolution by putting in the words, and again the abolitionists! "Although we are as much as ever con- "The following extract is from a printvinced of the great evil of slavery," the ed circular, which is dated Richmond, language of the Discipline, but this mo- Va., July 30, 1836, and signed by Wм. tion was lost. A. SMITH.. Whether this document has Why did not the General Conference been sent to all our preachers at the admit this amendment? I know of no South or not, we do not know, but the other reason, than that a majority copy we have seen, by some means fell I wished it to remain a dead letter!- into the hands of Mr. N. Dunn, of KingsWere they afraid that the South would ton, N. York. : think them abolitionists if they admitted "After speaking of the concerns of this amendment? But how could this the Virginia Conference Sentinel, the be, when they pointedly condemned writer proceeds thus: 1 wild schemes of abolitionists; unfortunately, Will the Southern Church submit to this? Can abolitionism in the very resolution to "GENERAL CONFERENCE AND SLAVERY.which this was proposed as an amend- This is a delicate and painful subject. It is ment? Here they had an opportunity true, the Conference voted promptly against the to condemn both slavery and abolition however, it is equally true that a large majority in the same breath. But not a whisper voted on the principles of abolitionism in the of condemnation did the "patriarchal election of Bishops, thus favoring the unright institution eous prejudices of abolitionists, and proscribing receive from that body! from this highest office in the Church, men This is "seeking the destruction of sla- (admitted in private conversations to possess very by wise and prudent means," with superior qualifications to those appointed) sima witness! In the eyes of slave hold-ply because of their connection with slavery. ers, to condemn abolitionism, is to sus- they, in justice to themselves, submit to a contain slavery. In my opinion, no one tinuance of this proscriptive system! They will thing that has ever taken place in our not! They cannot. The general union of the country, has had such a tendency to Northern and Southern Church, however desirable, cannot be perpetuated at the price of prosustain slavery as the doings of our last scription. If the General Conference do not General Conference. Two members of recede from this position, I am free to declare to the General Conference were condemn- you, that I will on all suitable occasions, seek to establish a SOUTHERN GENERAL CONFERENCE. ed by a vote of that body for making a few Will the General Conference recede from this remarks on the subject of slavery, out position? Some think they will. For myself, of conference hours, at a public anti-sla- I entertain but little hope. I conversed freely very meeting! What more could slave and extensively on the subject at Cincinnati,have done the same in my late tour through holders ask? What more did they ask? several Northern conferences, and I see but Nothing but a slave-holding bishop! little reason to believe that they will. Should they not at the session of 1840, the establishment of a Southern General Conference will be the only alternative. In view of these facts, it was the current opinion of all the delegates from conferences in slave holding States, with whom I conversed, that it was the duty of these conferences to seek, without delay, the permanent establishment of a Conference paper, emA SLAVE-HOLDING BISHOP-OR A DI-bracing the entire reading community within their limits, who could be influenced to take a 5. As further proof that the influ- religious paper, and of a bookstore. In this if the present difficulties should, by possiour church is in favor of slability, be amicably adjusted in 1840, which is very, I will mention the fact, that a much to be desired, then no injury would fol And our brethren were, after all, almost as bad in their eyes as abolitionists, because they would not stick to their antiabolition principles, and give them a slave-holding bishop! ence of VISION OF THE CHURCH! |