Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-09-03
ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE.
A QUESTION ANSWERED.

The following articles from the Wesleyan answer
the question asked in their outset. There are We
persons in our midst who so ignorant or so per
verse rs to deny that the Methodist church is i'm
plicatcd in saycholding. They continue to affirm
that the church was divided because the churcl
north was opposed to slavery, and that by that
division she is relieved from all guilt and response
bility concerning this question.
"Whai is the position Of the NJ +. Church nortb
on SNcry2 This inquiry is puzzng the Rcpulg
hcan or his correspondents somewhat, and we slcak
"by the book for their information. win he
quotc2
In 1871, when the southcrnors threatened Ia
withdraw, the General Conference Of the VI. T..
Church. Mt the suggestion of Bishop Holding ar-
pointed prayer meeting to prevent if possible the
separation. Tho editor was at that meeting and
heard the proiesscd ab0itiunists of the North and
the Shareholders Of the South pray against the
separation.
Again. Slavo-hodng and slavc-sclling mon bc-
long To both sections, now the church is divided
The Northern Disciplinc, page 600 contains those
words, recognizing the admitclihct of slaycholdng
members. ''All our preachers shall enforce upon
mr. members the necessity Of teaching Mcir Si,,rrs
to read the word of God" Bcsidctho Northern NJ.
II. Church has now within its limits, seven slave
holding Stltcs-Oclawurc, Maryland Virginin.
Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas and Tcxas-in ALL.
I'',uu' S'IiNlc hllCN ol SllNclOllinG territory
Sec Discipline. p. lGl-lG7.
At the General Conference Of 1918, Bshop He'd
ding invited slaycholdipr ministers 10 unto with
him in celebrating the Lords Supper at Pittsburgh.
tn 1902 the editor saw Bishop James 20 down from
The pulpit and invite distinguished stakeholder
into it. And in orr Southern Methodist exchanges
Southern ministers are narratng often how hand
fomciy they wcrc treated hy the Northern brethren
in all our principal cities"
TIE METHODIST SLAVE CASE.
some notice has been taken, quite extensively. by
The religious press, Of Of slave selling by
member Of the Methodist Episcopal Church in
Virginia. Not the Church South 7 but the vcrit-
Hh' rs Smucl'-OppOscd-t sayCry-s-anv-body church
Of which Bro, lIosmcr, and Bro. Wiso, and Bro.
Watson are members.
Tho last Western Christian Advocate contains a
report of the case hy the Presiding Elder Of the
District H. Il. Adams. lie says:
" The following is the notice presented to the ac-
cuscd, in behalf of the Church:
" BRpTuER JOuN \. DILLiE:--You are hereby
charged with violation of one of our General
Rules, in selling colorei woman and child.
December o. 1852. Pastor
"On the day following this notice, a Committee.
consisting OF five brethren, namely. c. M'Grcw.
j. Il. Stone, Smith Crane, }. J. Brown, and Peter
Blrrick met in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in
kingwuOd before whom the accused appcarcd, and
frankly confessed the selling of said woman and
child, and gave the reasons in detail for 50 doing
Tho Committee then had the matter under careful
consideration, and brought in Il verdict of guilty (:
but from the many cXtcnuating circumstances con-
ncctcd with the caSc-which are difficult if prnc-
ticablc, to give to the public, aud, perhaps moro
difficult for them to understand satisfactorily
were OF opinion that expulsion from the Church
would bc punishment unnecessarily scvcrc and
therefore they suspended him for definite length
Of time. Snch are, briefly, the facts in this case,
as thc record shows.
"WhatcYcr may be said Of the disposition or this
case, of one thing am fully satisfied and that is,
the brethren who composed the Committee are zen
tlcmcn Of intelligence and moral integrity. who
both know and love Methodist doctrine and disci-
plinc, and, as has boon justly said, would be the
last persons to do what they suppose essentially
wrong If they have erred in this case, they have
erred on the side Of mercy, and blessed are the
mcrciIul, for they shall obtain mercy Since no
disrcspcct is intended toward anyof the individuals
named in this transaction may he allowed, in
conclusion, to say that without being in possession
Lcwis should feel called upon to give ono-sided
Sicw of subject involving such fearful amount
of importance.
"Yours in Christian love.
II. H. ADAMS.
"MorgantOwn, Va, July %, 1853"
This is the statement of one who knows Now
what are the facts First John A. billie sold a
woman and child. Second j. w. Snodgrass, the
Pastor of kingwood Circuit, cited him to trial
Third; Tho Committee found him guiltyof violating
the General Rules. Fourth: They deemed the cir
cumstanccs so extenuatng that he was not expellej
for time; that's all
The Presiding Elder thought wisely in assuminc
that the public would find it difficult 10 undrslnn,
these circumstances, and 50 nc docs not Give thcm
We have his testimony to tho integrity and intcli
gonco OF these gentlemen" They "both know
and love Methodist doctrines and Discipline" N,
III. II II
.D,e God and the Bible, or understand tho scop'
and force ~ the Golden Rule. Their allowing
hian-thief to be in their communion without re
pcntanco and restitasioI shows nll that We knOy
that is Methodist doctrine and Discipline. But w
cannot always prove it by Presiding Elders tcs
timOny.
The W. G. Advocate oditorially vouchcs furtho
for these folks, their fathers, it may be- An,
also in testimony of the fact that what has bec
done in this case is all that be done by the Dis
cpnc as it is, or is to be. Hear the Editor:
"Wc do not sit in judgement ON the brethren i
KingwoOd rs they appear to have acted as consc
entious men. We never knew moro devoted Chris
tians than those of Kmgwood when we lahore
among them twenty years ago. We refer our read
ers to the article of Bro. Adams Surely, if eve
others might have decided differently thcrc is niue
TO be said in favor of the brethren who acted, an
the Church Of which they are members. Ili
Methodist Episcopal Church has been laborin
among the slaves for eighty years. with great SUI
cess.
I'VE are persuaded that the present course
procedure and the present rules Of Discipline ha,
done the very best in reference to slavery in We
tern Virginia that can be done. The past let II
people say what they please, proves to us that IL
Church, as n whole, has done right in this matter
and though, by q change, she would certainly {
more, we have no hope of anything better bein
done than, the exercise Of our Discipline as it