Methodist Episcopal Church And Slavery: The Church As It Is

"Tbo Church as U was," vras tho eukject of retnark in our last. The Ghurch (as il is,' iiw demanda our attention. Tbis cburch in eeveral of ita branches, has declared itsetf hostüe to all the efforta that aro being made to rid tself and the nation of slavery. The Baltííiohe Confebench has, by the adoption of tho follovving resolution, sanctioned the slavö trade. "Resolved, That in all cases of administration, under the general rulo o refercnce to "buying and selling men, toornen and children," lkc.it be and herebv ia recoramended to all communilies as the sense and opinión of tbis conference, thal the snid rule be taken, construed, and understood so as not to makc the guik or innoccnco of the cccised to depend upon ihe simple fuct of purchase or sale ofany auch slave or slaves, bui upon the attbndíst cmcuasTiKcEj or cruehy, injnstice, or Jnhumanity, on Ihe one hand, or thoso üf kind purposea or good intentions oti tho olhor, under wlnch the transactiona shall have boeo perpetrated." Thia is til the dave dealer wishes. He alwoye purchase5"yw the good of the sauc," and is actuated by tho "puresl philanthro py.v These same christian ministers at an olher session of thoir body passed the following resolutions: Resolved That we are opposoii in etery part and particular to the proceedinge of the abolitionistp, whichlook to tho imniediato, and general emancipation of the sla ves. Resolved, Thai we havo no connection with any press, by whomsoever conducteü, n the interests of the nholilion cause. By the above resolutions these professod ministers of Chriet, not only voluntarily pedethemselves to remain ignorant of slavery and emancipation, but virtually drclare Ihat bo far aa their influeneO goos, tho poor slave ehaU groan and suffer on, until death proclaims his deliveranco from the clutches of his tyrannical masler. The following odiou3 rcsolutions together with othera, ha9 been pr.e6ed by the WicniGAN Ansdal CosPEitEitcE. and stil] ilisgraccs the Jouroals of that body. Resolved, That ït ís the duty of themembera of ( his Confercuce lo rofrain frorn agitating tho church by forming obolition socioties, in or ont o( tho church; or hf attending Mothodiet 4nli-Slavery ConventionaReaolutionp similar to the above have been passedbythe New York and other conference. The Georgia Conference unanimousiy pasRfld ihe folio w ing: Resolved, That slavory ns il exists in these United Statos is not a moral evil. The South Carolina Conference held the Batne languige aa the above. Here slavcry with all ite tears, and groans, its stripes, fetiars, chaine, licontiousnesa, eeparntion offam ilies, ignoraace, ruin of intellect, and all ils abominations and crimes, is declared by lirgo portions of the M. E. C'iurch in tho U. S., not to be a "moral evil," not t sin. Be a3tan3hod, Oh Ileavens! "and all who hari tear8 prepare to shed thom now." - Well did Rowland Hill in apeaking of claves holding agnonjj ChriBtiaus say, 'If they (the slaves) think of our gneral character, they raust suppoao that Christians are devils and that Christianity ie forged in hellt" Rev. W. Fiske, one of the most tslcnted miniatBrs of thia chureb, and a New EngHnd man, in a letter to Rev, T. Meruitt, few years since, eaid, "Toe relation of master and slave, may and (fpes. in many cases} exist, under 6uchcircumatances, as froe tho master from the just charge and guilt of iinrcorality." Rev. E. Hedding, ono of the Bishopa of this chnrch, in the Christian Advocate and ; Journal, Oct. L0, 1837, saic', "The rig-ht to hold a slnve, 19 founded on thja rule: "Therefore, all things erye wotild that men should do unto you, ! do yeeven po i tliem, for thia is tho luw and the prophets." A circular was issucd a few years since, signed by two "Biahops, calling on this entire church to "wholhj refrain," frorn tho tion of this subject. This waa tantamount to saying , let the slave suffer on, nnd let the mnster conünuo to subsist uppn hia unpaid toil,'it is no concern of ourp, orjas a church wo will lot the world know that to this in stitution, we have no special objection . The General Conference, though. called upon to do so, absolutely refused to take excoplioi)8 o the doctrine of the Georgia Conference, declaring 6lavery, "not to be a moral evil," and after ceneuring the New England conference for itssirong 2oti-Slavery úction, passed the folio ing re6olution h 1836 by a vo;e of 120 to 14! Resolved, By the delegates of the Annual Conference in General Conference assembled, that they are decidedly opposed to modern abolitionism, and wholly disclaim any right, wieh or intention to interfere in he civil, and political relation betweeu maater and slave, os it exista in the slaveholding States of the Union. As ibis Conference is composed of delegates from all Iho Aonual Conferences of tbe free, as nvell as the Slave States, it ia reaBonable to euppose that their voice is the voiceof the church generally,north and soutb and if so, the fact standa out, in living char actera known and read of all tnon, that the METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH in the U. S. has become, (indirect oppoeition to what she onc waa,) the apologisl and defender of slavery as it exists in this country, wilh all ils abomination?, and wrongB. How humiliatin2 the thought, how dis- tressin the consideraüon! - But there is a God in Israel, and it is poesible for this church to be reclaimed. May the Lord send her a epecdy deliverance. Tho M. E. Church "as it Bbould be" ne.xt week.