Year: 1860

All slaveholding is, by this chapter, declared
to be sin. 1t effectively creates a new form
OF membership in our church, for il declares
all cases of fslaveholding to be amenable under
the General Rule, forbidding all harm -
After having laid down this rule, the General
conference proceeded to ''admonish all our
preachers and people to keep themselves pure
from this great evil" What more could thew
have said about Mormonism and 'to seek
Its extrpation by all lawful and Christian
means. 4" What more could they have said of
any sin Having declared slaveholding to be
sin, the Discipline calls upon preachers and
people to seek its extirpation by all means ex-
cept such as are lawless and wicked. The
word ''afectiOnately'' sounds sweetly, but il
is not applied to qualify the manner of the
"extirpatiOn," but only the tone of the admo-
nition. The inquisitOrs used even more kind
ly words when they surrendered the victim to
the secular arm'-as they benignantIy styled
the executiOner


Such, then, is the present Discipline 1t con-
demns all shareholders by rule, and by COM
mentary excuses only in such cases as we have
mentioned Real slaveholding it concludes tC
be sin against God, and violation of the
Discipline of our Church. The chapter is ad.
yisOry, but advisory of action against slave.
holding members. 1t advises preachers and
others to deal with such as immoral. and yio.
lttors OF our rule, and extrude them bv the
lawful means provided in the Discipline.


Can We remain in a connection where VIC
must live in perpetual rebellion against its
law! Can We hOnorably continue in a frater.
nifty OF churches when our ouly right to be in
IS the imposslbility for the others to put us out
Can we obey the present Discipline? Can we
remain In connection with the other churche,
and .disobey it Will it be for the glory OF
God to submit to the present chapter and try
to practise upon it2 These are questions fo1
our our readers to answer-and we hold this
paper open for them to express through it their
opinions, freely and fully


The General Conference refused to nsss an
amendment to the charter making il o1Iv 1A.
rtSory- Had they done so, it would have beer
really unehanged-because the adUIcs would
have been to the executors of the Discipline tc
execute 1t. After this refusal however. the
Conference did pass a resolution declaring the
chapter to be ''advisory'-but this will not
constitute part of the Discipline 1t was
probably intended to avoid the charge of un.
eonstitutionality, in creating a new term OF
membership IN the chapter, and to give ground
TOR difference Of opinion and dissension among
ourselves. We hope our people and preachers
VIII give the new chapter calm and careful
consideration, and take their final positions
WITH prayerful and conscientious wisdom


Since writing the above, we have found in
the Baltimore Sun the following letter, pur
porting TO be written by Border Methodist
This letter was published in the Star ON Fri
day last The writer takes an entirely oppo.
site view of the character of the chapter-and
from the fact that our delegates did not protest
against It, we suppose that to some extent the
may have shared the opinion expressed in thi.
letter.


We are determined to use fairly the acci
dental position we occupy as editor of the only
paper to which our people can look for advice
and information on the great church question
now pressed upon them. We therefore sepub.
lish the letter from the Sun. None will be more
gratihed than We if people can adopt the
views expressed in it. We earnestly desire that
our opinion shall have no official weight. 1t il
the opinion only of a member of the church
who has always been in the habit of thinkipc
Tor himself but claims no right to think fol
others.


Will it not be well for the Presiding Elder:
to meet and consult upon the necessities of the
present crisis!-Baitimore Christian Adro
cate, JIkHe g.