Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-04-03
BISHOP HEDDING ON SLAVERY.

BISHOP HEDDING ON SLAVERY.
BR. HosxER : In n pamphlet issued from the
anti.slavery Ulioe 10 Boston, entitled, the Brother.
hood of Thieves, or a true picture OF the American
Church and clergy. BY Stephen ). Eoster, (the
husband uf Abby Kelley Foster" ~ on page thirty.
eight, a reference is made to the anti slavery OF the
late Bishop ~Iledding, in the following language :
Elijah Hedding, one OF tho six Bishops OF the
Methodist Church, says, -,
1.-The right to hold a slave is founded on TINS
rule. Therefore, All things whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, do ye even 80 to
them. for this is the law and the prophet"
The author Of this pamphlet, as all who are &C
quairted with him know, is q member OF that 10.
fdel fraternity in Boston, of whom VIM. Lloyd
Garrison ia the leader and the production itself
is denunciatory of the Church and Clergy, and. Of
course, Of religion. 1t pretends to strong anti.sla.
very, and from its language, must be called so
and its main efforts are directed to prove the pro-
slnveryism of all the different Churches. To prove
this respecting the Methodist Church. they have
brought forward the resolutions of the General
Conferences of '36 and 40. and also adduced the
written opinions of several ancient Methodist
preachers, North and South, and among these, the
Reverend and lamented Bishop Hedding. Now,
is this imputation true or false ? Was the veneer
able Bishop a supporter Of the accursed institu-
ton, or is this whole thing o Islander and n libel
upon the character Of that eminent Methodist
minister
ID. ,. IL.
Five Corners, N. Y, March 10, 1858.
tits undo ubtedly Il Islander upon the Bishop, to
assert, unqualifediy. that. he believed slavery to be
founded ON that passage OF scripture which re-
quires us to do to others rs we wish them to do
unto us. lie could only have meant that n partic-
ular kind of s~lavery-wholly imaginary to be sure,
but at that early period supposed by many to have
a real existence, and 10 he sanctioned by the NJ.
4. Church-was thus founded.
Probably, the Bishop never advanced beyond
the once popular, but now exploded opinion, that
slaves may be held according to the golden rule.
He thought it possible to do that impossible thing.
The notion was prevalent for a long time, that
ulaveholding might be conducted so as to be for
the slaves good. But greater light has wholly
dissipated this false conclusion. IL is no more
possible to hold a slave, for the slaves good, than
it is to murder a man for the murdered mans
good. Nor is it possible 70 combine Christianity
with slave holding, any more than with murder
ing Religious slaveholding is a . contradiction in
terms. We might as we'll talk OF religious steal
ing, and religious murder. The introduction of
light is gradual, The formation of opinion q Glow
process. Thus in the temperance cause, at first
the Pledge excluded only distilled Spirits but
opinion as to tho causes OF drunkenness soon
chan ged-other causes were detected. and other
remedies than tie Pledge were devised. Bishop
Holdings Golden Rule slave-holding. was a first
view Of the case, and we know not that he ever
saw the question in IL better light. The simple
fact. however. is. that the Golden Rule nnnihi.
la,es slavery instantly-we can neither h I'D nor
enslave a man. by doing to hin as we wish him
TO do to Used.
The above is from the Northern Independent
Mr.. Hosmer is verv gentle with the venerable
Blshop'--he is meekly Apologize though it will be
seen he confirms the truth of the statement, which
the cor correspondent insinuated was unworthy of
confidence because coming from a member of the
'Infdel fraternity Of Boston,. Mr.. Hosmer suf'
ieis q pass unnOticed the statement Of his cores
pondent, that the tendency and purpose of Mr..
Fosters truthful book, 's against the church, the
clergy and religion; whereas it is only against
the pro.slavery of the church, the clergy and the
popular religion, or to use the language Of MIR.
Giddings, the infielity. the practical ~infdelity oil
the land a species IL thousand fold more to be
dreaded than any mere errors of opinion. He suf'
ers also in silence the insiuuatiOn that the anti
slavery of the book is but pretence.
The Northern Independent is characterized BY
its fidelity and fairness to all, as the readers OF
the Bugle can testify for we have often given
them the pleasure and profit of a perusal Of its
articles. It's comments as we'll as its omission to
e~nlighten its pur blind correspondent are there.
fore the more remarkable. Both would have
seemed characteristic and huve failed 20 attract
attention in the Pitts5urg Christian Advocate.
Bishop Holdings justification of slaveholding
from the Golden Rule. fell upon the moral sense
Of the community at the time like an electric
shock and made good men shudder. But coming
from so high authority, it exerted an immense
influence for evil in auieting the minds and per-
verring the consciences of the people, an especi'
ally Of the RENDERS OF the Methodist church. 1t
reconciled them to the fellowship of Shareholders
and helped terribly to strengthen that power Of
slavery in the church which The Independent and
it's Eoiicr has labored so well to destroy. 1t there
fore deserved all the severity Of condemnation
which even Stephen Foster. master as he is of the
art, could bestow, and it is ILL betting an earn
est anti-sIavery man like the editor o: the Inde-
pendent, to ven seem, to blunt or turn aside the
power of that righteous rebuke.
1t is most comforting to know that while Ohio
has moved only backward towards barbarism in
her legislation this winter, has repealed her per-
sonal liberty bill and her habeas corpus act, giving
every possible facility for successful slave hunting,
and has made every Jail in the State a slave pen
for the accommodation of kidnappers, Old Massa.
chusetts has, by one oct at least poured contempt
on slave hunting and the national power that de.
lights in it. The removal of Judge Loring will
give the old commonwealth a moral influence in
the confederation Of states which no sordid COM
merce could buy, and this assertion of her self re-
spect will give her weigh and tend to make her
voice potent 10 educational councils as no venal bar.
gains com prom Use or diplomacy could DO. 1t strikes
terror into the hearts Of oligarchs of the South.
and excites the venom of their mercenary ,heartless
tools at the North, more than any other event of
this winter. because it shows the people of Massa-
chusetts so thoroughly in earnest as to compel the
stare authority thus to defy the great National Mo
lock.
7, 10 trim .Jndcs Lor;ng ia of no narlicnlar c6n-