Methodism Vs. Abolitionism

We cailcd Ihe aü ention of our readers last. weck to the conncction of the Presbylerian ;hurch with slavery under the impost title t)f "Presbyferian mnnsteaiers." The MelhoíVistEpir- copal Chiirch and flivory now demands o:jr attention. It is not brea ufo we rejoice at the corruplionofihe Churc!), nor because wc are deiicrlited with the inconsistencies of professed Chrislians that we pen these articlos, but becnute ;ve moat solemnly and relig:os!y beliove that the time has fnllv come when the honor ofChnstianity- íh? duly we owe to God - to oursdve:?, and to the poor and bleeding slave c;ills for a faitliful exposure of tho cont!uct of the Christinn churcii ns it stands connected with this "compüculed villany." The 'M. E. Chnrch liolds a large ehareofniorapower n ibis nation, and il is of vast, importanco that shebe rinrht on all moral questions. Neuirality is impownb'.o - her iníluencc will be given - it vvül be feit, on a'l important subjects ogitateil in this land. Tho fomuler of ibis church under God was John Wcslej'. A firmèr advocate of human liborty, and a more deadiy opponent of cruclty n nd oppression in ali its fortns never livcd. II is Fetitimcnis on tlie sublect of elavery though frequontly ptib li;i!io(! are bnL partially undorstood by the commnnity jrencrally. He was m tnicompromsing onemy of slavery in a!l lands and under tvll cirenmstances, as the following extracts nbundnnily show. ; Bul waiving for f !ie prrs'-nt all otlicr considernt.ions, I scrike at llie root of tliis complicaiid viUinn;. I obsolntely dcny all slavtholdinir to be consiftem w'uh any dogrer of vntvral just.icc. (( I onnr.cn pluce lilis n a cicorer lilil than tint rreat ornament of hi? profep.-ion Judjre Blackslone has already done. Part of his words are as follow.sv" The thrre orir'ins of the right of slavery assigneii by Jusïinian, are all built npon fnlse foundations; First, Slavery s snid to arise from capüvily in war. The conquerer hoving a right to the life of lus captivo, if líe sprC3 that, has then o righ't to deal with han as he picases. But this is uritrue. if laken geiiemllv, - that, by the Inws of natiorie, u man has a vight lo kill liis onemy. IJe has orly a right to Uill hirn in particular cayes, in cnses of absoliiie necesstty for self-defencc. And it is pluin, ihis absolute nece=sily die] not subsist, since ho did not kill him, but made him pr'noii&F. War itFelf is juptifiable only on principies of self-preservation: therefore it gives us no right over pnsooers, but to hinj dertheir huriing us by confuiing thein. Much lesscan it give a rfght to torture, or kill, or even to enslavc an enemy vvhen the war is over. Since therefore the right of making our pris( ners slaves depcnils on a snpposed riijht of sluughter. that foundation fajling; tbc öonsequence w bich is drawn from it rnnst fail iikewise,Il is ?aid, Scconcily, slavery nwy begin by ono man's se'linsf limiself to nol her. And it is trup, a man tiüay feil himsolf to work for anothcr; but he cfinnpt sell lúmself to be a flavo, as above defined. Every sale impües au equivalent giveir to the seller, in lieu of what lio transfers to the buyer. But what équivalent cnn bc given for lili' or libcrty? Hip projicrtv liUewisc, wi'.li the very price wliich lie scems to retèivë, dévolfrea ipso Jacio to his mastcr, the instant he bccomes his flave: in this case, thereibre, the buyer gives nothinjr, nnd the seller receives nothinp. Of what va ( lidity llicn can a sale be, vl:ich deslroy.s llie very principie pon whicíi all seles are founded? 'We nrc told, Thirdiy, tliat nion may be born claves, by bein the chiJdrcn óf sláVeSi But, this bfirigf Imilt upon t!ie two former rights, must íííII toirother witfi thom. Ifni'itlior cnptiv ty can, by the plain lavv of natnre and reason, reduce the parent 10 a state of slavpry, mucii léss can Xjiéy rednee the offsprincr." It cleaily follo- s. that all slavery isas irreconcilable to justice as to merey. " Thnt slavcholding1 is tjtterly inconsistent wilh merey, is slinost too plain to necd a proof. 1 "Fifty years ago, on meeting an eminentstalesman in the lobby of the House of Comtnons, said " You hnvc been long tnlking about jnstice and eqimlity, pray, which is thj3 bill? eqnity or justice?" He answered very short and plain, " D n jnstice, H is necessity." Ilere also the s'aveholder fixes iiis foot: here he resls the etrentrth of hus cause. If it is no! quite riiit, yet it must be so, there is ;ui absolu'e necessity for it. It is necessa.y we should procure slavos; anti when we have procured 'hem, it is neenssaty to use them with severit}', Cfnanicring their stupidity, .-tnI)hnn)nrsR, nnd wickedness. " I miKwer, You ptuinble at the tlire?hold: I deny t'iat v-]lainy 's ever necesary. It is mpossible thatit phould ever be neenssnr}', i'or anv reneonable creature to violnte all the laws of justice, ine.rcy and trulh. jVo cir. Cïimslancescnn innke it necessary for a man to burst in sunder all tho ties of' humanitv. It can never he neecssanj for a rationa! being to sink limself below o brute. A man can be u nder no necessity of degradinrr himself into a wolf, The absurdüy of the supposition is èo fflaHng, that ono would wonder any one could help sr-einof it." li It is far betler to have no weallli, than to jrnin wealth at the expense of virtue. Better i honest poverty, than al] the ricps bonaht y the te.ars, and siveal, and blood of ourfel. loiu creulures."" M aster," said ft slave at Liverpool (to a merchant tbnt owned him) " whaf. if somc of my cotintryme were to come here, ond take iway my mistress, and master Tommy, and master Uilly, and carry tliem int" our country, ná mako thcm sla ves, how would you take ÏV Hts answcr was worlhy of a man: (l vill never bu y a slavcraore whilel live." O et his repolution be youia ! Have no more my part in this dtteatahle business. Instantly eave it to those unfoelinj wretchcs, " who ang-h at human nature and cotnpassion !" Bu yon a man, not a wolj, a devourer of the minan species.' Be mercifiil, thalyou may obtain mercy," "And this equally concerns every gentleman that has an estáte irí our American plantations: yea all slave-bolders; of vvhatever ra:ik ■iifl degree: seeijig men hiyers are exactly oa a level wiüi mvnslealers. You are the spring t!iat puts all the rest in motion: tliey woüld nol stir a slop without you: therefore the !)lood of all these wrciche.?, v!io dc befo re their linie, whother in this country ot elscwhere. Hes apon yonr Jiïad. 'The blood of hy broiher (for whelher ihou wilt belicvc it ornot,snc!i he is in theBighf of liim that nndcï turn) " crieth amonfit thee fVooi tie o.-irth, from the ship, and fiom the waters. O, whntever it coeti!, put a stop to its cry befare it be too lale; imttintlifi-nt any price, were il tha iialf cf yuir pood's, dehver thyself from blood guiltnesü ! Thy hands, thy bed, tiiy furnilure, thy lands, are at present stained with blood. Whether you are a christian or not, show yourself a man. Be not more savage thnn a lion or a benr !" " Perhaps you will say, " I dont ha any negros 1 only use those left by my futher." So far is well; but is it enongh to satisfy your own conscience? Hnd your father, have you, has any man livinjr, a rig-ht to use anolher as a slavei It cannol be, even silting revelation asi(!e. It cannot be that either war or contract, can give any man such a property in another as he has in his shepp and oxen. - Mnch less isit possible, that any child of man sliould ever be born a slave. Libertt is the rigfit of every human beingf ns sonn us he brealhes the vital air. And no human law can depri ve him of that right, which he derives from the law of nature."Sucli were the sentiments of h'im whose pmise is in all the churche.?, and never, no never, can we believe ïhat sluvery was inlroduced info the cluirch by the authorii y or with the consent of Mr. Wesley. As early as 1G00, mul frcquently afier, the church, in its associnted capacify, expressrd itself on the subject in Uie foV.owiv.g , and simitar langinge: "We do hold in the DèEPKST abborrkñcb TRK PRACTICR OF FLAVbJiV, AI) SHAtíi NOT 6ÖASB to sbbk its DESTilUCTION, ,by a!l wísp aid prudent pcans." Wlien this church was first organizod in this country tbe fottowirg arooRg otlier equallv im portant rules was adopted (br her governmont .llThose iclw buy, srll, o" gire aivny sïaves, Kn'ras on purpusr to fret them shall be ex■peiled immrih alelí." These sentiment?, rules and regulations were jnst as thcy should havo beenend liad the same spirit of'opposition to slavery been kept np in the chnreb. thousands tliat. are now the 'idims of insult and abupe wonld have been pjoicing in possession of the rich boon of 'reed om. But iet us sce wh.it ore the senüments, and practico of the Methodist church at the iresent time touching this great questivin. We wili here introduce the testimony of a [lev. l.'uston, a Minister in this church who resided at the South and not an nbolitionist. In answer to the question, "Do Ministers nud Members of the M. E. Church buy and sell sla ves for the sake ofgain? Ans. "I lniow that members of the M. E. Church sell simes at auction, to the liighest bidder, and it is not considered a discipünary offence. I know of Methodist, preachers buying1 slnvcs with no apparent design to botter their condition, l ut evidently for the sake of Tain!'Qucs. "How extensively do ministers and members of the M. E. Church hold slaves and trade in Uiern?" Ans. I sliould think nearly one half, at least of the ministers of our church hold slaves, and trade in them; and near]y all our members who are able, own slaves, not only hold them, but buy and soll them." "I know ;in official member of the M. E. Church, Col . , that bougln in one purchase ahoutfifty thousand dollars tcorth of slaves." -Esq. - - of G ,S. C.,an official memoer of the M. E. Church, who madi it a business to buy and sell slaves in lots to suit purchasers; has become rich by his speculationg inthem, and still continuos liis trade in hnman boings, trading not only for himself, but is on agent for others' "One instance of vvhich I wos an oye wit- nesp, This Esquire sold a man away from his wife; she was bis cook. So that he did not want to sell her; she was in yreat troub'o and went to this Methodist brother, (!!) her master, and besought hira for God'a sake to sell her with her husband or kill her. fie