Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-12-28
THE METHODIST CHURCH, PRO-
SLAVERY.

The following article is extracted from
the True Wesleyan, and forms part of
the statement OF reasons given by brothers
Scott, Horton and Sunderland, for with
drawing from the NJ. E. Church.-Re-
former.
That the M E. Church is slave hold
ing church none will deny. IL is not, of
course meant that slaves are part OF our
church funds, though it is believed The
fruits of sLarehoLding or Of slave buying
and selling, make large portion of these
funds. But what we mean, is that the
NJ. E. church allows her members and
ministers unrebuied. TO hold innocent hu
man beings In state Of hopeless bondage
nay. more, that she upholds and defer DIS
her COMMITMENTS in this abominab,e bust
nessl Ali her disciplinary regulations
which present shOa0 of opposition 10
slavery are known and acknowledged 10
be dead letter in the South. And they
are as dead in The North as in the South.
Even the general rule has been altered,
either through carelessness or design, so
as to favor the internal slave trade; and
vet the last General Conference REFustD
10 correct The error kaowing 1t to be such !!
This church has defended, 10 a labored
argument through some Of her best minis
tiers, the present rightfat relation of mas
Ter and slare-it that she has never call
ed them 10 account for putting forth such
document.
She has exhorted. through her regular
ly constituted agents and highest officers,
The trustees of Methodist churches, to close
their polpiis against Methodist anti-slave-
| ry lecturers.
She has refused, in numerous instances,
| through her bishops, to entertain, in the
annual conferences, motions expressive Of
the sInfuIness of neutrality-suspicious.
for the appointment of committees on slave
ry-Iaotlons for The adoption of reports on
slavery; and that, because those motions
and reports contained the sentiment, that
I SlarehOLdiRg Is SiR--which, il was alleged,
is contrary to Melhodsm, which recog-
nizes and approves OF the relation Of mas
Ter and slave under some circumstances.
She has refused, through her bishops,
to hear the prayers ofscores and hundreds
1
o! the annual conferences
| She has refused to publish, in her Off
4 cIal papers, several addresses of the Brit.
ish Wesleyan Conference, because they
alluded 10 slavery.
| She has arraigned and condemned, with
out the forms of trial, members OF bel
highest ecclesiastical assembly, for simply
ATTENDING aud speaking in anti-slavery
meeting.
! She has condemned modern abolition
refusing at the same time, to say, in The
language of the discipline, that she is "a;
much as ever convinced of the great evi
of slavery"
She has exhorted her ministers ane
members throug bout the coun,rY wholly
TO refrain" from this agilating subject.
! She has said through some OF her an
nual conferences, that slavery is NOT a
moral evil-whIle she has repeatedly re
fused. through her bishops, to allow Other
annual conferences, TO express the oppo
site sentiment.
She has allowed, without censure, on,
of her bishops to issue a labored address
in which an attempt is made to prove Ina
slaveholding IS not only justified. but en-
joined under some circumstances, by th,
Golden Rule! and she has published thi
address In her official papers.
She has, through her ministers an
members, disfranchised and ctnsured 0
expelled. class-leaders. stewards, exhort
ers, and local preachers, for the slmpl
|, crime Of their abolition movements.
She has, through some Of her aLnua
conferences, prohibited her ministers an
preachers from ra.ronizing anti-slaver
papers.
She has refused to receive into some c
her annual conferences, pious and talent
; ed young men On trial. for the simple rea
son. tha, they were actire aboliionis;s.
:. She has through the same Medium. a.
raigneG censur,d suspended, and 10 som
instances expelled her ministers. for CONT
2 macy and insubordinauon with respect /
d abolition and some Of these she has fo
|! lowed from year to year, by her bishoc
|, and members OF other conferences for III
d eviden, purpose of destroying their mini.
: terial character and Influence ;-subiec
y ing them to repeated vexations, and e.
Ct penslve trials.
Ie She has TWO or three times altered h,
: discipline to affect, as is believed, their e
4 pulsion.
il She has removed Presiding Elders fro
5, their districts for their abolition NOV
a, mtnts; suffering, as il would seem, til
OF crime 10 effect the appointment of 9TH
$ ministers and preachers.
= She has refused. in her General Co
D. ference capacity. 10 reaffirm her form
i'd language cf opposition to savery, thong
OF requested to do this by some thousands
pc her ministers and members She has /
is fused, ia the same capacity. to take exec
he lions to the sentiment of Two or three a
I'D nual conferences. W no have said tina, slas
n. ~ is not moral evil.
lot And finally. she has adopted o resol