Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-09-27

From Frederick Douglass Paper.
POSITION OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH UPON THE
SUBJECT OF SLAVERY.


Mr.. EDlToR-ln 1916, the year of the organiza
tion OF the Church, she assumed the following
position in her Book of Discipline, viz Among
the conditions previously required of those who
desired admission into this Church was this one
Doing harm. avoiding evil of every kind
especially that which is must generally prnctsed
such as the buying Of meh, women and children,
with an intention to enslave them"
Again, "We will not receive any person into our
Society, member, who is stakeholder, and
any that are now members that have slaves and
refuse to emancioate them after due notice being
given bv the preacher in charge, he shall be
excluded" ..
Thus spake the Discipline of the African Meth
odist Episcopal Church in 1916, forty years ago /;
and several years before the modern nti,Slayery
movement, to which this very Church gave birth.
This position. as church. she continued to hold
with improvements until ls56 In this year, light
having heen increased upon the dark subject of
Slavery, since the days Of Wesley, and the immor-
tai Richa ard Allen, the father and founder of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, she ascend
ed, if possible. step higher upon the scale of
mental and moral elevation. The condition of
membership relative to Slavery now is: "They
shall do no harm by the buying and selling of
men, women, and children. except with an nten-
ton to free them Immediately, and if he they do
not Immediately emancipate them, he or they shall
he Immediately expelled" Agan-"We will not
receive any person into our Society as Il member
VINO Is SlaVenolGer, ana any tnat are now lnetn-
hers, that have slaves and refuse to emancipate
them shall be excluded"
In those two sentences we have the position of
the A. NJ E. Church. set forth in her Book of
Discipline by order of the General Conference, in
1856.
The above stated sentiments and rules of con-
duct have governed the preaching and practi e of
the members of this Church for the full period Of
forty years.
The A. NJ. E. Church is an Anti-Slavery Church,
both in precept and practice. We deny the charge
that there are any voluntary Shareholders in the
Church. 1t may he that there might be found a
few females that are members of the church. whose
husbands are actual Shareholders over whose
property the wife has no control whatevcr-he
being in some, if not in all cases, her own white
master, who is no member of our Church, and who
never can become member while he is slave
h llder. We say such case this, although we
are not personally aware of the fact, might pos
sibly be found Now, suppose we had case like
the one described Suppose Mrs A. is a member
of The A. NJ. Z. Church. She is the wife of B
who is not member of the A. NJ. E. Church
The husband of Mrs. A. is an actual stakeholder
md has slaves, over which she has no kind OF
legal control whatever, and no persuasion Of Mrs
A. will induce Mr.. B. to make free his slaves Let
us ask our friend, the author of the article upon
The A. NJ Z. Church. what ought this Church t.
do with Mrs. A? Ought she 90 be excluded from
the Church, or to be prevented from joining i
because her uncOnvertcd husband is wicked
stakeholder and will not emancipate his slaves
0ught your daughter to be kept out OF Church
because her husband is horse thief and gam
bier, or a robber? We are not aware that such
case as we have described, exists iR the Church
But we have asked for the judgment Of our cor
respondent, that we may he prepared to act cen
sstent with the laws Of God and humanity, wher
n case occurs, if that should ever take place. Tn
Christian Herald, an organ Of the Church for
period of four years, was an AntlSlavery paper
The Christian Recorder has been in existence fuu
years. and claims until this hour, to be an Anti
Slavery paper.
As Church. we have no sympathy with slave
holders Slavery was the occasion Of the forma
ii IN of our Body. What but the oppression arising
from Slavery and a design to better the condition
of the slave. gavo existence birth and subsequen
growth to the idea of the formation of the A.
Z. church, Nothing else under heaven!!!
The sons of the Church aware of the fact
and are now as ever acting, in their several ways
under the influence of that first idea We vii
never abandon the idea of a seperate Church OF
ganzatinn until Slavery is abolished.
We have long since ascertained that in some q
the wicked slavehulding States Of this Union
Slavery may exist in law while it does not. in fact
with some who sustain the relation of master an
T slave. A man might be free man and marry
Save woman. by whom he becomes father q
Children. If lie purchases the wife and chldre
these become slaves in law, while they may not b
slaves in fact for in Of the ST ties it is NJ
lawful for man to manumit his slaves, and if h
does they are liable to be taken and sold into pei
petual bondage This we have frequently heaI
from our youth h2. Ties of Affection have induce
men both to purchase them and remain in tn
State after such purchase, holding their family an
often their friends. slaves in law. but not in fac
But meek and lowly as is this kind of Slavery
law but not in fact. ss church and people we az
afraid to admit it in our meeting upder any eli