Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-05-07

The General Conference Of the Methodist


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= s The Mote in our Brsther's Eye. l
The General Conference Of the Methodist
Church, now in session at Buffalo is consid-
ering ON amendment to the discipline, de-
claring the holding Of slaves sin, and ex-
cluding all slave holders from church mem
bcrship. This we suppose, is equivalent to
recommendation, and pronounces the slave
holder ft only for perdition. II it was
thought that the owner of slaves might be
accepted in Heaven, the Church would not,
of course, cast him of, for IL would hardly
do TO set M the morality of the Church as
superior to that of Heaven. As it is not
likely that any new tests have been set up
there, this rule will of course affirm retro
spectively, and win declare the opinion of
the Methodist Church as to the fate of all
the slave holders who have gone before.
Many worthy men who have been looked
upon as pillars of the Church and of the
State here, and whom grateful posterity have
been wont to contemplate as in a beatifed
condition, and even the patriarchs, whose
bosoms and society have been regarded as
synonymous with Heaven, will be found by
this rule to be in parlous condition. 1t is
sad to think Of Father Abraham, who, we
are credibly informed, owned three hundred
of these chattels besides their wives and in
crease, consigned by this rule to share the
thirst of Dives The reyersion by this rule
of our ideas of the present condition of many
whom we have been educated to regard as
enjoying the highest rewards in the other
world, will deprive the rising generation of
the benefit of their example, for the example
of those who came to bad end can not be
regarded as worthy of imitation.
1t is possible that zeal is carryingya portion
Of the Methodist Church further than either
morals or religion will sustain them, and il
is curious feature of anti-slavery progress
that positions are now taken by those who
call themselves moderate, which are far more
ultra than those of people whom they are
wont to stigmatize as fanatics. Oberlin has
long been called the representative of anti
slavery fanaticism, and probably the Metho-
dist Church would be indignant if classed
with Oberlin; yet we are not aware that the
ground that slaveholding was necessarily
sin, deserving Of accommodation from
church membership. On the contrary, an ar
ticle inthe Oberlin EodngeIist, several years
ago, disclaimed this ground. No one will seri-
ously undertake to say that the thousands of
Shareholders who have adorned every walk
in life and have been foremost in every good
work, were worthy of accommodation for
holding slaves; and there are thousands hold
ing slaves now with motives just as pure; aud
with an interest in the welfare of these peo-
pie which forms but little part of anti
alavery philanthropy. If slavery is a wrong,
it does not follow that every STAKEHOLDER is a
wrong doer. The men who hold these peo-
pic have responsibilities to meet; they have
got to look at the consequences of a change !
i'll their condition--happily Northern philan- |
thropy is exempt from that and can any
Christian say that kind master, who is pro-
hibtcd from emancipating at home, and !
who hesitates at turning those under
his protection to the tender mercies of free
State legal disabilities; in some cases exclu-
sion and banishment in all, legal and caste
inferiority which greatly increases the weight
of poverty; the difficulty of living, and the
tendencies to vagabondage and crime-will
any Christian say that aconscientious master
who hesitates at offering his people this al
tentative, under the delusive name of freedom,
is unworthy to be member of the Church,
and necessarily deserving of perdition? We
doubt if any will, individually, and yet this
is what the Methodist Church North is delib-
Grating, with apparently large majority in
favor of the adoption of such rule in the
qualifications for admission into the Church.