Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-25

freely Win many Vi Vur n.S"pVio, "iu
the answer has been, We cannot set our slaves free
without nuring them, for they would go into worse
hands or into worse conditions. II would not be
doing as we would be done by to liberatc them
And believe them, and you would believe them i'll
YOU knew them as well as / do. Our brethren in
the South have experienced the same religion you
have, and many of them love our Lord and Savior
as well as you do, and are willing to do and suffer
as you for the cause of Christ () and am not au-
horized to be the instrument of passing Conference
which even imply that they are sim
ners"ll
1t should be here mentioned that this address
was given in justification of his refusal to put to
motion, as chairman, resolutions censuring the act
Of holding slaves by members Of the NJ. +. Church,
in the New Hampshire Conference in lS47. But"
he continues, hey believe that to emancipate their
slaves would be to break the golden rule DO as ye
would be done by That they are wrong in prin-
ciple, sir cannot be proven unless you produce
a precept in Divine law equal to this
"Thus saith the Lord, "Thou shalt not hold a
slave! But his precept is not drtte Bible"
And now, Mr.. Wright, as we have given so much
Of this Bishops golden rule, which is indeed but a
small portion Of it, would ask, would ask you as
gentleman, as Christian, as Christian minis
ter, whether at this you feel no compunction
whether at this the emotions Of your heart are not
Shame! Shame Shame to the man who has
thus for petty hire, seryilely bowed to the Slave
Power! thus perverted the teachings Of his Saw
Tor ! thus denied Him who hath said, For as
much as yc have done it unto the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
But as this Bishops reconciliation has been so
frequently referred to, (but in no case word of
this giyen,) we will examine it further in connec-
ton with the three articles of the discipline above.
by them, it has already been seen, that nothing is
enjoined upon n member Of this church, but that
he teach his slaves to read the Bible, and that they
be allowed time to 90 to church on the regular
days Of service. If this be allowed, then the
golden rule or the principles of Christianity will
permit that he be robbed Of all other rights. The
power over him by his master shall be absolute,
without any possibility of redress in consequence
Of any injury whatever.
2nd. 10 secure this he shall not be allowed to
enter suit in any court in any cause whatever
The golden rule
Sd. That he shall have no vote or voice in the
Government, or for his or his childrens protection
The golden rule
4th. That he shall have no power over his chill
dren, either to protect restrain, guide or to educate
them. The golden rule
5th. lie shall have now power to contract lcga
marriage. The golden rule
9th. lie shall not have right to hold property
of any kind but shall be the property of another
The golden rule!
7th. The slave shall no longer be considered O
person, but chattei. bought sold, TAKEN used as
chatel-a thing--and this the. golden rule and
Mcthodsm as taught by its profcssed ministers Of
the gospel proclaim in this the middle of the nine
teenth century, to be the teaching of Him who has
said, That not sparrow falls to the ground with
out his care, but not the least Of these your
brethren, of moro value than many sparrows 2"
Has not God said, Remember those in bonds Al
bound with them" vengeance is mine, l vii
repay saith tho Lord. l have heard their cry.
will como down and deliver them"
But we will now dismiss this part Of our subject
| to briefly trace the action of the church. In l77e
by John Wesley and his followers, slavery wa
held to be "Me sum Of all raiainies." In l784
slaveholding was declared to be contrary to tn
golden rule, and universal emancipation was +,
Iquired of all its members. In lI96, a section wa
introduced in answer to the question, What reg
ulotions sI1U be male for tts crying epR Of Amer
can !Siacsry" Answer, shareholders were allowe
to hold Office in church, provided tic laws Of tn
State, the circumstances of their case would NO
, admit of emancipation! Eight years after this tn
selling of slaves was allowed of il in the judgmer
oc the Committee it were justfablc. And in $50
all that related to private members holding slave
Was directed to be stricken out Of the disciplin,
: See the articles above) But this is not all.
: the very next session Of the Conference, in whc
full light was asked upon the subject, all that
lated to slavery by position or otherwise, wa
= stricken out" In answer to the question, Whc
shall be done for the ertupoion Of The erH Of slareJ
read the following, Let our preachers from tim
y to time, as occasion requires, admonish and exho
all slaves to render due respect to their masters
8 Strange that the very walls did not cry out shame
at the Methodist Annual Conference, that coul
n leave so noble stand, in defiance of truth and Iii
n erty for low place in subserviency to the Sla,
a power! But thus things have gone on, till in ls5
is we see in the address of Bishops Roberts, Soul
II IIedding and Andrews, the exhortation to priya
ie members, ito refrain from patronising dnti-sGre,
d publications. especially those Of an JlamatOry cha
IL acterl
ie In 1885, slavery was declared to be dOmest
N institution, and not moral evil.
oi In lS39-40, Bishops Soulc and Waugh refus'
DC to put resolutions to vote, against slavery and
10 advice or consent of the Bishops, test of a
d, mission the question was asked, Are you an Abo
cd tionistF Unless this question answered in Il
ct negative, full membership was not granted, Co
ed ferences in Lynn, Mass, and in Philadelphia,
l839-40, Matlack, pages 40 to 20.
at BY referring all who would examine this subie
m for themselves, to the many works now written al
10 before the public, limits compel us to cloi
Dir Though you have to appearance prided yours
Ir when bedged in from reply, in repeatedly telling
nd 'Gat he NJ. Il. Church had done more for the abC
ro ton Of sIauery than all the A6oluionsts in the 100,
len erer had done or trOud do! Ia childs expression