Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-06-19

NEW MANN lhhf lON > DEfENCE
Of he Methodist Episcopal Church, at The
Ne'o England .4nti-.Sidrery Contention,
May 1852.
Mn. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Ever since these resolutions were laid be-
fore the Convention, have been anxious
that some minister of the Church should
come forward, and, IL possible, defend tho
Church from the charges preferred against
It. ! am glad MIR. Tralton has oppeared.-
We have the means of satisfying ourselves
whether the charges preferred against tho
Church OF the country are Just or not.
But, Mr.. Chairman, what defence of tho
Church IL is TO which we have been lisien-
ing! If had not heard il for myself I
could not have believed it possible that u
Methodist Minister could have made tho
statements aud acknowledgement which
MIR. 1raiton has made before this audience.
could not hnvo believed that the ministers
OF the Church could have been so lost to n
sense of duty and propriety, if an accredited
aud influential member OF the Conference
had not furnished the with the proof was
aware before, that the Methodist Church
was 10 some extent guilty of the sin of
slaveholding, but ! was not aware, til heard
from Mr. Trallon the strange acknowledges
mcnts TO which we llave just been listening,
that the guilt of that Church WINS SO great
thai lis character aud doings were SO black.
lie hns given us a darker picture of his
Church and priesthood than is given in tho
resolutions which he charges with injustice
and ialsehood is impossible to conceive q
more bldeo,is picture than the one present
cd by the Reverend gentlemen. lf the gen.
tlelnen's representations are TO be relied on,
n guil,ler Church than the one of which no
Is minister cannot possibly exist. This
VIII he mnniiest 10 every one of common
understanding, who will carefully examine
his remarks. Let us look at n few of them.
l. lie grants that slaveholding is n great
crlme-the greatest crime-the sum of all
villanies. Yet he acknowledges that they
fellowship shareholders. lie acknowledges
that the church to which he belongs receives
to It's embraces, not liars, fornicators, thieves,
adulterers and murderers merely, but men
who are all these things in one; men guilty
daily, knowingly guilty of the sum Of all
villauies.
2. But it is unjust, he snys, TO call them
ro-Slavery we ought TO call them .4nH-
SldreTJb because they pass resolutions, and
thus give their testimony against Slavery
Did ever mortal hear such defence before
The fact that they testify against Slavery on
ly renders their slaveholdng the more mex
cusable. II they had not given their testi-
mony against it, we might have supposed
that they sinned ignoranty; but now they
have no cloak for their sin. Even charity
herself has not mantle large enough TO
cover such enormous guilt as this. Mr..
Trafton is n mystery to me. j never heard
of an advocate before, who, al,er acknowl-
edging that his client was guilty Of every
abominaton, attempted TO Justify the crimi-
nal on the ground that he had sinned with
his eyes opcn-that lie practiced his urroci-
ties knowingly-that he had himself testified
against such conduct, and pronounced il tho
sum of all villaDies. A Methodist minister
| in England once attempted to excuse Judas
lscariot; hat even he did not say, 'Yon
ought to regard Judas as friend of Jesus,
because, though he did betray his Master,
he kissed him while he did IT, But, to pro-
ceed.
3. You ask says Mr.. Trahon, How Ia
| il, if your Church makes laws against Slave
ry, that there is slnveholding in it2' And
he answered this question by asking, How
is il that there is crime in Communities,
where the Governments pass good laws?-
We answer, Would MIR. Traiton considered
| a government virtuous, would he think u
opposed 10 vice, il il tolerated the sum of
all villnnies which endorsed as faiihful cit
izens, men who broke its most sacred laws
We will suppose n government that makes
laws against iorncalion and adultery, theft
and murder, and issues yearly proclamations
against those crimes, while all the timo il
calls those who commit those denominations
good citizens, and instead OF Furnishing them
admits them TO all the privileges, honours
and advantages of citizenship; would Mr..
a'raiton contend that such a government
ought to be regarded as an enemy to crime
hypocrisy as we'll as crime. 1t is ibe sana
with churches.
a. But they would have to dissolps the
church. says MIR. Trafton. il they WeFo poi