The examiner., 1849-06-30

peal made 10 them on this point. N
, sir, we are not conveded--we stand on III
same ground We have occupied from tn
foundation Of the Church-thei grand con
servative ground laid down by our father
in the Book Of Discipline. !"
| The decision of the General ConIerenc,
in the case Of Harding is sufficiently un
dersiood by the public; as is also its subse
qnent action in relation to Bishop Andrew
10 the protest of the Southern delegation
against that action, and other document
following it, We must look for the trut
position of the Church South On the sub
Ject OF slavery. The protest was drawn uE
by DIR. Bascom, OF Kentucky, and signed
by the entire Southern delegation: In tha
protest they say The law OF the Church
on slavery has always existed since 1855
but especially since 1904, and in view o
the adjustment in 1916, as virtual though
informal contract of mutual concession and
tofbenrsnce between tho North aud the
South, then, as now. known and existins
as distinct parties in relation 10 the ques.
ZION Of slavery and abolition. Those con.
lerences found in the States where slavery
prevailed, constituting the Southern party,
and those in the non.slaveholding States
the Northem-exceptions 10 the rule being
found in both.
The Southern Conferences agreeing in
the main principles OF the compromise law
in 1904 and 1916, conceded by express
stipulation their right to resist Northern
interference. in any form. upon the cond.
ton pledged by the North, that while the
whole Church, by common consent, united
ia proper effort for the mitigation and final
removal OF the evil of slavery, the North
was not TO interfere by excluding from
membership or ministerial office in the
Church, persons owning slaves in States
where emancipation is not practicable, and
where the liberated Save is not permitted
to ENJOY freedom. :" debates General Con-
ference, 1914, page 205.) "The ministry,
making this protest, are perfectly satisfied
with the law of the Church affecting slave
ry and abolition. They ask no change"
Page 2O6. Here then the whole Southern
delegation avow the same high anti-slavery
principles, and take position with DIR.
Smith and the discipline. They acknowl-
edge the Southern Church bound by com
mon consent to labor for the mitigation
and final removal of the evil OF slavery
Thus up to the close of General Confer
ence OF lS44, we have every Southern
delegate declaring in The most solemn man.
ner that they, and the congregations com.
mitted TO their care were snti-slavery
throughout. Not abolitonists seeking to
break the ties Of master and slave, without
regard TO the rights or interests Of either,
but conservative men feeling deeply 'rhe
great evil of slavery" and bound in solemn
"compact," to use the language of the pro-
test, TO seek its '6nal removal" in a legal
and constitutional way. These are the
avowals Of the Southern Church made at
the very beginning--they have been her
avowals ever since, they are her ayowals
now. The convention OF Southern dele
gates assembled at Louisville in l845 say,
in the resolution organising distinct juris.
|
be, and they hereby are constituted a sep.
srate ecclesiastical connection, under the
provisional plan Of separation aforesaid,
and based upon the discipline OF the Meth.
odst Episcopal Church; comprehending
the doctrines and entire moral, ecclesiasti
cal, and economical rules and regulation:
Of said discipline, except only so far a:
verbal alterations may be necessary TO q
distinct organisation, and TO be known by
the style and title of the Methodist Epis
copal Church South" History OF the
organisation Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, page 1922
Thus was the Church organised on ;
confe ssedly anti-slave.y discipline. 1t was
however, confidently predicted that tht
South, having viewed the provisions of TIL
discipline as a compromise with the North
for the purpose Of maintaining the connec
tlonal union OF the Methodist Societies
would, when the reasons had ceased to op
crate, throw them from the discipline. Bu
they proved false prophets-the Genera
Conference assembled in Petersburgh, Va,
May, 1916, reviewed the Discipline from
title page to index, and made such alter
ations as were judged necessary to adapt
to the new organisation. The section ol
slavery was considered separate and apar
from everything else; few were for remov
ing it entirely from the discipline--som
for adding an explanatory note-but aite
mature deliberation, it was left unchange
by an overwhelming majority. The Gen
eral Conference reaffirming the old Meth
odist doctrine, 'rhat we are as much q
ever convinced Of the great evil of sls
very"
Men disposed to travel beyond the rt
cord and pry into the motives of men. hav
not scrupled 10 affirm that this act OF tn
General Conference was only stroke {
} policy to cuiet the border conferences, an
! keep them in the Southern connection
Evil TO him who evil thinks; we reJet
the imputstion as uncharitable and NAL
cious. Truth oompels US to admit thu
( during the progress OF the controversy thing
, were said and done by individuals, on bot
sides, which no religious and candid ma
} could appfove-but that the whole bod
; of the Southern ministry have acted in bs
! faith-we deny. In relation TO the poil
7 now conended for, the motives Of Il
+, members of the General Conference
, Petersbl,rgh may stand aside as unimpo
1 tant to tho issue. We have seen that fro
Q whatever motive the uniform avowals
a the organic bodies and chief minister,
: the Southern Methodist Church are, tn
o. 4 .--....:~. ,bo enlJ ro,, sorpot,s,s Mofb