Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1859-05-28

those circumstances Let us illustrate. Suppose
the church North should edmit drunkenness "un,
der given circumstances" would she not sanction
this great evil"2 It is true she might say, 1--WE.
are much ever convinced of the great evil Of
drun enness. therefore, no drunkard shall be
steward, or classleader or travelling preacher in
our Church !" but voeld this testimony DO sufi-
cion. to exurate ber from the guilt and shame Of
sustaining drunkenness
Suppose the church should stoutly asseverate
through all her ofR,ial organs, wa are opposed
to this whole business but this is a matter which
is beset with difficulties. We do not sanction the
evil we only t1lstats it tts laos of the Strts ad
init Of it; We design by this effeotual
ly, to work the amelioration and ultimate extinc-
ton of this great evil do it all for the good Of
these poor drunkards, rum sellers and distillers
and not ttofi any mercenary considerations; we
remember that these men have wives and children
in the church, who WOULD be gtieved and offended
if we disciplined their husbands and fathers, and
we do not wish to produce n greater evil than
drunkenness itself and SO We are forbearing and
charitable; and beside, we restrain and regulate
this business in the Church, and do away its worst
features. if we do not nullify 10 essential rriuc
pie as drunkenness for (let all the world heark-
en- y we do not even tolerate ii in ministry and
we do not allow any drunkard or distiller to be o
bishop, not, however because we Judge all drunk
enness and drunkard-making sinful and damnable,
but because we ere goserned by wise conservat-
,sn' having reference to the best means of finally
benehtting these unfortunate classes" What
would be the result of such a course? Would any
body credit the Churchs sincerity? Would
she no: bo regarded as the strong hold of intem;
SeranSe, ana Of all kindred denominations? Would
not her position be judged utterly inconsistent, con-
Trajectory and ridiculous
And yet this is the position which, according to
DR.. Stevens, the NJ. E. Church occupies in respect
to slavery
We old that our beloved Church is consultation
ally anti-slavery, and non-slavehodng, and that
the shameful chapter in our Discipline on slavery
is disgusting fungus which the pro5lavery doe
tors have permitted to grow on the ecclesiastical
body, and to which the General Conference of 1860
should apply the exscinding knife; and SO we
should reply to the Nashville Aduocate in other re-
spects "confessing our sins'. But Dr.. Stevens is
estopped from making this defence by his public
ccmmittal to the doctrine that are constitution.
ally, historically and enthusiastically a slave-hold
ing Church,. No wonder when th.s rruek 10 ad
mtted, that Southern Methodsm sneers at ou,
stereotyped inquiry, "What shall be done for the
extirpation of tho evil of slavery? DR.. Stevens
afhrms that 'it should be tolerated only where
circumstances render its extirpation for the time
being impossible, or greater evil than itself"-
This is not very good English for an official editor
] bp is bOtl oc r.,,..
Laws; but the grammar nevertheless is better
than the logic. What 60 you mean, Doctor, by
tolerating an impcssibility? We tolerate that
which may be removed but we submit to that
which is insuperable or impossible to be overcome
If the Church toerates slavery, she confesses
thereby her ability to extirpate it, She may not
do 50 for prudential reasons, but that is another
question. The Doctor seems to have strange ideas
of federation. Take the following war is in
itself sinful there is essential murder in it al
ways, ON one side or the other; bit there are cir
cumstances in which it may bs right-in which
humanity itself may require its liberation for a
time" That is, circumstances" may make that
right, which is sin itself sinful" and humanity
may require the federation" Of that which has
Essential murder in i: alwaysw "so is it." we
"to oooui0uj eeSeiItsf[j % as AGAINST
humanity and ChrisA1anay," 1--WE italicize) and
e it ought to BE "tolerated for fear of "a great
er evil than ITSELF" as well "ior the good of the
slave" and in order to work the ultimate ex-
tinction" of the entire system Oomnipotent cir
cumstances. into what slough Of inconsistencies
and contradictions have ye plunged our dear Doc
tor "Circums tances" indeed
"This is the platform of Methodism and of the
Bible :" so the great official" nfirms or course,
we dare not dissent; for we do not wish to
be ranked with beretics and in6dels, but we
do not marvel at the response which is being
hissed back from such men as Garrison and Phil
lips, and Theo. Parker. "If this be Christianity
away with it: God and humanity are against sla-
very, and against 'slaveholding,' however simple
or under whatever g6dIy pretsnces done,
Shd if the 'toleration' of such iniqnities be the
platform Of the Bible then we cannot receive the
Bible as inspired of God"
And we think the consistent, lifelong auti-slave-
ry men in the Conference, who have held from the
beginning "thnt slavery has no more constitution
al rightin the Methodist Church than the devil
himself" Rev. A. Stevens, in Zion's Herald, Sept
%, 1913, may be permitted hum5ly and reverent-
ly to inquire if slavery be essentially" against
humanity and Christianity" and if the NJ T.
Church bc ''constitutonally, historically and ad-
ministratively slaveholding Church." then is it
not the Church against humanity and Christian
ty and has it not become great apostacy-a very
anti Christ on" earth?
Is this "ths platformof Methodism and Of the
Blbiep If this be our position, is it "wise and
Scriptural" Doesno this reasoning justify all
anti-slavery seceders and come-ou.ers, and admit
the truthfulness of their allegation of prcslavsry
and corruption ?
Bad as our Legislation has been on The subject Of
slavery our practice is than our legislation.
We know now, if we did not at the time of the
last General Conference, that We have slayebod-