Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-06-08
NrEREsTING TO METHO oIsrs


At the request Of a valued friend, a member
0i the Methodist connection, we republish the
following interesting letter, first appearing in
the columns Of the Baltimore Sun:
BUFFALO, June AS many of your readers
are interested in the absorbing question of sla-
very, which has for the last month past oecu-
PieS The attention Of the general conference
~ tse Methodist Episcopal church, in session
~ tHis city, it may be interesting to examine
H@ ,esult OF the agitation which has expressed
itself in the report of the maiority of the
committee, and which has now superseded by
MS adoption much Of the fundamental laws Of
Aethodism upon this absorbing question.
such an examination, l think, will be a
source of cOngratulatiOn to the friends Of con-
servstism in the country, and show that the
sgitauon-which at one time threatened to de-
Sttoy the integrity Of the church, and give an
--s-s'eFeronal impulse to sectional fanaticism-
has eliminated in a more mild and temperate
expression Of doctrine than could have been
hoped tor by the most sanguine friends Of Me-
;hOdism.
The doctrines heretofore held by the church
upon the subject Of slavery have been en-
phaucHlly expressed in the Discipline, and TO
tull understanding Of the question as it now
exists, 1t may be necessary to inquire what
was heretofore the law of the church upou
4aat subject On page 2l2 of the Discipline
adopted over fifty years ago, we find the fol-
ip"ing rule as the law on the subject of slavery:
In answer to the question, What shall be
done for the extirpstIon Of Slavery The Dis
'iPiine says, we declare we are as much as
ever convlncsd of the great evil of slavery;
therefore, 40 StQrehOider shall BE- eligibfe TO
~ oCsrt0t station IR orr church." ,fc
hen any travelling preacher becomes the
NNner OF any slave or slaves by anv means
he shall forfeit his ministerial character in onr
chuTcP, unless he execute a legal emancina-
ti'n Gt such slaves, cOnformably to the laws of
'de State IN which he lives" Again. ON the
same page, "All our preachers shall enforce
On cur members the necessity of teaching
sheF siaVes To read the work of God and allow
tnem time to attend on public worship
Again, on page 79 we find that t.po local
IreaeheT who Is STAKEHOLDER shall be eligible
To the oihce of elder or deacon. where the laws
81 state admit of emancipation, and permit
the liberated slave to enjoy freedom. y
II Will be observed that the aforegoing.
Nhlcn mas been In substance much of the finn
damental law of the Methodist Church upon
the subject OF slavery for the last half century,
> very emphatic and explicit in its terms. Ii
mas been proposed from time to time to alter
the rule OF the Discipline in such manner as TO
make " nOn-slavehOlding a test of member
shlp. As the agitation Of the slavery ques-
'lon has grown on tho political councils O. the
country so 1t has been a constant and in
cTeaSlng source OF annoyance to, and anxious
1Ohsldersllon OF, every succeeding general con-
terence up To the time of the assembling of the
present body, when il was supposed new and
more stringent rules would be aaded to those
already upon the StatHte-bOOk of the church
ana lntemperate councils of extreme men
would triumph over that conservatism which
heretofore succeeded in maintainipg the inteO-
rlty OF the body. We are happy to saw that
such antlcIpa;iOns have not been realized, and
me gloomy fOreshadowings of our friends in
t3e south should be dissipst,d by the action
"i tnls conference in the pre- mis- -
All the rules above referred to-aud which
certainly contain language which, if now for
the FIRST time presented for adoption would be
considered as harsh and offensive to large
portion Of the Methodist community in slave
teTrltoTy-hGcs been StTIcHeH from the laU.y
AFT the church, and this threatening sgitstion
has eliminated in the expression of few gem
cralltlts that ought not to be obnoxious to any
portion OF the membership in your latitude
who have heretofore been acquainted with the
doctrine and administration Of the Discipline
upon that subject
The report Of the majority as adopted is as
follows 1t We believe that the buyinr SELL
ing, holding OF using Of human beings as chat
tels Il contrary 10 the laws Of God and nature
inconsistent with the Golden Rule, and with
that rule In the discipline which requires aIl
VINO desire to remain among US TO do no harm
and to avoid evil Of every kind" Subsequent
TO the adoption Of the above, resolution was
fH ueOLaIihs ,He sIoEegolng as only " ad-
yISory and mot bearing the force of law" In
other words, the whole chapter Of the Disci-
pine, upon the subject Of slavery has been
ssTi cEeH from ths statutes Of the church: and
while 1t declares now in so many words that il
has no law operating such on its member
snip upon the subject Of slavery, the Church
gives such advice and admonition in the Dis
ctpllne as 1t deems salutsry upon this subject.
Law has given place to 'admonition, . and
such and no more is the result of this long and
Troublesome agitation. Fanaticism was ex-
trenely chsgrined at the result of its labors;
and while the great body of the conference re-
J9iced in the happy termination of this mis-
ehieVous and threatening agitation, the more
extreme sentiment was that nothing had been
done to satisfy their demands, and they would
henceforth abandon the subject in disgust.
BORDER METHODIsT