Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-06-04
The Methodist church south.

3, The Methodist Church South. 81
The General Conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, in session at Nash.
vile. has expunged from the Book of
Disciplinesall reference5to the subject of
buying and selling slaves. According toll
the constitutional Jaw of the Church,
three-fourths of the annual Conference
must concur in this action, but there can
not be question as to the result. The
vote stood ayes 40. noes 8, absent s.
The resolutions thus almost unanimously
adopted, was as follows:
Whereas the rule in the General Rules
of the Methodist Episcopal Church South
forbidding .the buying and selling of
men, women. and children. with an in
tention to enslaye them" lie ambiguous
in its phraseology. and liable to be con.
strued as antagonistic to the institution of
slavery, in regard to which the Church
has no right to NEEDLE, except in enforc.
ing the duties Of masters and servants,
as set forth in the Holy Scriptures; and
whereas strong desire for the expunc-
ton Of said rule has been expressed in
nearly all parts of our ecclesiastical con-
nexion; therefore,
Resolved. By the delegates of the An
pal Church South, in General Confer
ence assembled. that the rule forbidding
"the buying and selling Of men. women,
and children with an intention to enslave
them," be expunged from the General
Rules Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South.
Resolved, That to adopting the fore
going resolution this Conference express.
ess no opinion in regard to the African
slave trade. to which the rule in question
has been understood" to refer.
Lest the adoption of these resolutions
might be understood as faYoring a renew.
al of the slave trade. Bishop Pierce ex>
planned the matter thus:
1.-THE whole philosophy Of the proceed
ing seems to be founded on the fact that
it is not the province Of the church to de-
eide any question with reference to Afri>
can slavery. The South Church main
tains that slavery is not subject Of &c.
clesiastical legislation. The single object
was, that while we disclaimed the right
Of legislation upon the subject, we wish
ed to make the Discipline conform to that
profession. The Conference by its action
this morning has not parted with its au>
thority or the authority of the church
over its members in any respect. Every
member of the church claims to be 10y
al citizen. We declare here that African
slavery is purely civil institution, and
there is no reason for alarm about losing
church control. If We turn to the Esd
Article of Religion we shall find there
that the church retains its proper author
ity over it's members with reference to the
subject. We therefore, by this act, sim
ply maintain our original position-that
of having nothing to do with the subject
Of slaves more than any other civil mat
ter over which the laws of the country
are extended. beg the brethren there
fore to be easy. There is nothing here
to warrant any construction looking to-
wards repeal Of the laws Of the United
States in regard to the African slave
trade. There is no occasion for sensi>
tiveness, nor for any Legislation on the
subject any where else. No harm has
been done to any body to-day. We have
only set ourselves right on vexed ques-
ton; and we may safely defy all the ef-
forts of our enemies, North and South, to
damage the church for taking clear po-
sition on this subject"