New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-15
SLAVERY AND METHODIST.


sIAvrnoLDERs THE WORST OF Mt-EVANofLi-
CAL DrNUNCIATIoNs OF sLAvERY-iFfECi OF
GARRIsON's MOVIliN NJ On NE METHODIST
Episcopal. CHURcu-DR. wBEDoNs EARLY
ANrI-sIAVERYIsM-uIs ABUSE OF GARRISON.
TO the Edttor Of The tribune.
SIR: The differences between DR.. Whed0n ana
myself relate chiefly to principles rather than 10
facts As to the nam issue, viz. that the Me'ho-
dist Church. almost if not quite from the beginning
down 10 the close of the war, was siaVehoiu'hs
church his second letter is an open confession OF
Judgment. But the Doctor contenus th"' Si''''.
boldipp church. numbering its slaves by scores oil
thousands, and having adopted no pian oi '''i'"0'
nation. was at the same time an anti-slavery
church. Abo,,tionists brand slavehodng as SIN
under all conceivable circumstances he can only
hiring himself TO say it an evil which may
mean LITTLE or much according to ones fancy. lie
vould doubtless admit that a proiane, cruel ana
Mentions STAKEHOLDER is n great sinner; but he Is
concerned ~ defend good, pOus Shareholders such
AS Mehodsts of the SOuthare supposed to have BEEN
Ia other words the Doctor appears to hold that
slavery itself has no moral qualities, its Innocence
or sinfulness depending upon the character OF the
person who practises 1t. Mixed with profanity,
lccniiousness and cruelty, II is something dreadful;
but when well blended with prayers and Bible
readings, pious songs. shoutngs end halelujih 1t
is unite t0erablc PrOfane slaveholding Is wrong;
pious savehodng is right, or SO nearly so that a
Christian church may safely coldle and defend II,
and the State may, on grounds OF eXpedIency. make
il " temporarily permanent"
The Abolltionists always insisted that the
called good or Christian shareholders were the worst
of all and for this plain reason: that their example
did more than aught else TO sustain the system; the
declaration of Albert Barnes Whom Dr. Whcdon
Will hardly venture to sigmatze either as a fanatic
or batter of evangelical religion being true. viz:
THAT there is no power out of the church that
would sustain slavery an hoar If it were not sus-
tanned in it," observe that Dr. Weldon carefully
avoids graphing with this po tulate OF the emil
neut evangelical divine. 1t suits his purpose better
10 deal with the same doctrine as taught by CARR
son: for then, though ne can make 40 fair answer,
lie can at least throw dirt at the teacher. calling
him a rabd leader OF Iabble of fanatics" And
this the reader will perceive, enables him at the
same lime TO give the fanatical refOrncis high
clerical example of that gonlencss and moderation
OF speech in which they are said to be lacking Per
haps. however the Doctor thinks that an evangeli-
cally pious man may use harsh opthets just as he
may hold slaves. without SIN, while to IN uncvan-
celical fanatic they are forbidden Aud surely, If
Christians, on account of their peiy, may monopo-
lie the privilege of sayoholding, why may they
not lave other exclusive privileges of a similar
kind Has not the Lord given the earth to the
saints
Slaveholding in the church is necessarily bull
wark of slavery everywhere. To an Abolitionist
"pious slaveholding" is as much solecism as
"pious gambling" What would DR.. Whodon say
70 n gambng-house set mp in NewYork on pious
principles Suppose it were rule that no one
should be admitted to the premises who did not
give credible evidence of piey that every meeting
shoud be opened and closed with prayer; that
profanity and cheating should be strictly forbid
den that proper hours should he observed that
no Intoxicating liquors should be allowed on the
premises; that man should he SO "plucked as
10 be sent away empty that the usual processes OF
gambling should be at once soemnized and en-
livened by the singing of revival hymns; that the
profits of each individual gambler should be given
partly or wholly the Bible Society for furnish
ing food and fuel to the worthy poor in the pinch
ing cold of Winter; and, finally, that on one day
in the week chaplain, appointed for the purpose,
should visit the establishment for the purpose OF
expounding some appropriate passage OF Scripture.
Gambling, like slavery, having its Bible argument,
he would naturally encourage his hearers by dwell
ling most frequently and unctuonsly upon the
passages in which the casting of lots" is COM
mended.
Surely. If pious performances can turn any sin
into virtue, or in any way modify its character,
gambling IN this case would be at least an cXcus-
able practice DR.. Whedon has only to imagine that
gambling under such conditions has been openly
pracrised by the church for a long term OF years,
and he will have an accurate illustration Of the
former attitude of Nlethodism IN relation to slavery.
Even he will be able to understand that every pro-
fame gamblIng-den in the country would shelter
itself behind the supposed pious establishment and
that all efforts to suppress gambling wOuld be
utterly vain so long the latter tolerated. If
the churches in spite of circumstances and for the
sake of the money thereby put into the Lords
treasury, for the numbers thereby gained to their
ranks, should continue to sanction that establish
meut. the enemies of gambling would be obliged to
attack them. 1t would be their duty, honest men
and the friends of "a pure Christianity. to do so,
though the churches involved in the sin should call
them infdels If Dr. WhedOn has not yet learned
that sinful practices become all the heinous in
the sight of God when carried on in the face of loud
professions of virtue and purity, his theology needs
mending. America was all the more guilty for
tolerating slavery III view Of the noble principles
set forth in her Declaration of Independence and
the guilt of the Methodist Church, IN allowing
slavery to nestle for century in her bosom,
aggravated by every condemnation OF the system
which she had inserted in her discipline the dlsci-
pine in that respect, being a moral yard-stick by
which to measure her conduct and demonstrate her
sim
Dr. Whedon would fain persuade your readers
that Mr.. Garrsons denunclations Of the American
churches account Of savehodng were colored If
not dictated 10y his alleged enmlty to evangelical
religion. But affirm that his denunciations were
inst as severe while he was himself evangelical as
they were at any time afterward. And further
more affirm that his denunciations were no more
severe than those of scores of eminent men who
lived and died in the orthodox faith. For example,
| quote n single passage from a man distin-
quished for his evangelical piety as for judicial
worth " II we turn TO the American Churchn saId