APPEAL.

PART I-SLAVERY AND THE CHURCH.

Fathers and Brethren,

WILL you suffer an humble individual half of our ministers, even in the free to address you on a most important sub- States, pray publicly for the manacled ject? A subject to which he has devoted slave? I know the Bible requires us to much attention for a number of years, pray for "all men;" but are not the and which he believes to be intimately slaves, in too many instances, forgotten, connected with the dearest interests of even by those who call themselves abothe Methodist Episcopal Church, and of litionists? "As much as ever convinced this nation. If he knows his own heart, of the great evil of slavery," and yet he is influenced by no other motives than neglect to pray for the slaves! those of kindness and love, in making this appeal. Read, dear brethren, and then judge.

MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH.

THE CHURCH AND SLAVERY.

There are, dear brethren, about 70,000 slaves in our Church. Hundreds of our ministers, and thousands of our members The Methodist Episcopal Church are slave holders-and in many instances holds a large share of the moral power they enslave their own brethren and sis of this nation. It is therefore of the ters in Christ! Our general rule on the greatest importance that she be right on subject of slavery is proclaimed by our all moral questions. She cannot be neu- Southern brethren to be a dead letter! tral on any great question of moral re- It was not always so. Methodist preachform. This is utterly impossible. Her ers were once anti-slavery men, not only influence will be given to one side or in word, but in deed and in truth. No the other of all the moral subjects agi- Methodist minister attempted to write a tated in the land. And it is to be feared, Bible argument thirty, nor even ten years that hitherto, her influence on the Slave- ago, to justify slave-holding under any ry question, has been on the wrong side. circumstances; but now our college and This has not, perhaps, been the design church officers, and even one of our bishof the majority; but such, it is believed, ops has done this! No conference of has been the fact, her disciplinary regu- Methodist ministers would have asserted, lations to the contrary notwithstanding. that slavery is "not a moral evil," even At any rate, this is a matter that de- ten years ago; but now this doctrine is mands our serious examination. If we boldly and openly proclaimed by the are indeed as much as ever convinced of Georgia Conference, and in substance the great evil of Slavery, is there not an by the Baltimore Conference. Our last inconsistency between our convictions General Conference condemned, plainly and practice? Are we doing as much and pointedly, modern abolitionism, as ever to get rid of slavery? I do not while it refused to express any sentiment ask, whether we are all abolitionists; against slavery, though earnestly requestbut are we doing any thing to purge the ed to do so. How unlike the doings of Church and save the country? Do one former General Conferences! Several of

our annual conferences have taken strong favor of it, who are laboring day and ground against abolitionism; but slavery night to destroy it. Neither do regulahas been passed over in silence, except tions, saying, we are as much as ever in two instances, where a simple con- convinced of the great evil of slavery, struction has been given to our disci- prove that we are, as a people, as much plinary regulations on that subject. The as ever opposed to it, providing our conEastern conferences have indeed desired duct is the reverse of what it once was. to oppose slavery, as Methodist confer- I think, however, I would be willing, so ences used to do, but our bishops have far as the success of the argument is interposed, and prevented any action concerned, to rest it on a comparison of upon the subject! our present with our former disciplinary provisions. But I shall avail myself of another consideration, viz. How are

THE INFLUENCE OF SLAVERY.

Slavery has gained an awful, and an these provisions carried out at the presalarming ascendency over both Church ent time, compared with thirty, forty, and State, within a few years past. And and fifty years ago?

how it is possible for any sober man to The attention of many of our brethbelieve that there is as much opposition ren has been called to this contrast of to slavery now in our country, as there ancient and modern Methodism as conwas fifty years ago, I cannot conceive. nected with. slavery, again and again. Such must not only believe without evi- But it is my present purpose to go more dence, but contrary to the clearest evi- fully into this subject-to examine both dence. our Church regulations and our practice; and I, for one, will agree to abide the issue of facts and sound reasoning, whatever may be the result,

MR. WESLEY'S SENTIMENTS.

There are four times as many slaves in our country now as there were fifty years ago; and there is, to say the least, four times as much of the spirit of slavery, both in Church and State, as there was then. I speak now of the whole Mr. Wesley's sentiments on the subpeople, North and South. If the spirit ject of slavery are well known. He was of slavery had not increased with the the uncompromising opponent of that increase of slaves, a very dark cloud, system of abominations, called SLAVERY, that now hangs over the country, would in all hands and under all circumstances. be dissipated.

OUR CONduct.

Never did he write an apology for the slave-holder under any circumstancesmuch less did he ever attempt to sancTo say, that republicans and Chris- tion the relation of Master and Slave by tians love slavery now better than they the Golden Rule! He would as soon have did fifty years ago, or, in other words, defended horse-stealing and highway that they hate it less, is making, I admit, robbery, from the Bible! No abolitiona very strong statement. And I am ist has ever expressed views more ultra sorry that there are so many facts to on this subject, than Mr. Wesley, in his authorize it. If we are indeed as much tract on Slavery. And I have no doubt as ever opposed to slavery, (to say noth- but it would be death to any Methodist ing about being convinced of the "great minister to distribute this tract of our evil,") then the Church has been slan- venerable founder among Methodists, dered by modern abolitionists;-but if through the Southern States. I know the contrary be the fact, then the pres- this tract is contained in his works, and ent agitation, or some other, is loudly that many copies of these are in the called for. The facts upon this point slave-holding States; but let this part of are not to be gathered so much from his works be printed separately, and existing regulations, which have come circulated extensively, and see what the down to us from former times, but which consequence would be, even among are acknowledged to be a dead letter, as Methodists and Methodist ministers! from our present conduct. If the Me- There is no connection between this thodist Church were to make a law say- tract and his other works. It was first ing, that we are all in favor of slavery, written and published separately. Modit would not prove that those are in ern abolitionism, then, in the M. E.

Church, is, to say the least, as ancient ty to whom liberty is due, that is, to every as JOHN WESLEY; if indeed the rankest child of man, to every partaker of human nature. Let none serve you but by his own act of us may presume to claim affinity with and deed, by his own voluntary choice. Away him in bold denunciations of slavery and with all whips, all chains, all compulsion! Be slave holders. He held to "instant" gentle toward all men; and see that you invaemancipation, which comes very near riably do unto every one as you would he should do unto you. J. WESLEY." being immediate. The following is a short extract from his work on Slavery: Such were the spirit, sentiments, and "And this equally concerns every gentleman language of him whose praise is in all that has an estate in our American plantations; the churches, and whose soul, we yea, ALL Was this the SLAVE HOLDERS, OF WHATEVER doubt not, is with God. actly on a level with men stealers. Indeed you ence? Was this the language of the RANK AND DEGREE; seeing men buyers are ex-language of our last General Confersay, I pay honestly for my goods; and 1 am

not concerned to know how they are come by.' Georgia and Baltimore Conferences at Nay, but you are; you are deeply concerned their last sessions? Does this sound like to know they are honestly come by. Other- the Counter Appeal, and slavery enjoined wise you are a partaker with a thief, and are not

a jot honester than him. But you know they by the Golden Rule? Spirit of Wesley, are not honestly come by; you know they where hast thou fled? Who now, in the are procured by means nothing near so inno- M. E. Church, except the persecuted cent as picking of pockets, house breaking, or robbery on the highway. You know they are abolitionists, cry out for "instant" "all procured by a deliberate series of more compli- emancipation? Who now puts cated villany, (of fraud, robbery, and murder,) slave holders, of whatever rank and dethan was ever practiced either by Mahomme- 99 66 gree, EXACTLY ON A LEVEL WITH MEN dans or Pagans; in particular, by murders of all kinds; by the blood of the innocent poured STEALERS?" Who makes slave holders upon the ground like water. Now, it is your partakers with a thief?" Who now money that pays the merchant, and through charges them with "blood guiltiness?" him the captain and African butchers. You, ("Thy hands, thy bed, thy furuiture, therefore, are guilty, yea, PRINCIPALLY GUILTY, of all these frauds, robberies, and murders. You thy house, thy lands, are at present are the spring that puts all the rest in motion; stained with blood!") Certainly not they would not stir a step without you; there- Bishop H., not President F. No; not fore, the blood of all these wretches who die before their time, whether in their country or even the abolitionists! We believe with elsewhere, lies upon your head. The blood of Mr. Wesley; but alas! we have spoken thy brother' (for, whether thou wilt believe it in whisper tones and in soft language or no, such he is in the sight of Him that made compared with his.

THE ENSLAVEMENT OF CHILDREN.

him) crieth against thee from the earth,' from the ship, and from the waters. O, whatever it costs, put a stop to its cry before it is too late; instantly, at any price, were it the Is he correct in saying, that it is "imhalf of your goods, deliver thyself from blood possible that any child of man should guiltiness! Thy hands, thy bed, thy furniture, thy house, thy lands, are at present stained with ever be born a slave? Liberty is the blood. Surely it is enough; accumulate no right of every human creature as soon more guilt; spill no more the blood of the in- as he breathes the vital air; and no hunocent! Do not hire another to shed blood; do not pay him for doing it! Whether you are a Christian or no, show yourself a MAN! Be not more savage than a lion or a bear!

man law can deprive him of that right which he derives from the law of nature." Is this a correct sentiment? Can we "Perhaps you will say, 'I do not buy any doubt it? I think not. And if we adnegroes; I only use those left me by my father.' So far it is well; but is it enough to sat- mit it, what is the character of those who isfy your own conscience? Had your father, make slaves of children born on their have you, has any man living, a right to use an- plantations? Just what it would be if other as a slave? It cannot be, even setting Reve- they were to go to the shores of Africa, lation aside. It cannot be, that either war, or

contract, can give any man such a property in and take children from that country and another as he has in his sheep and oxen. Much enslave them! Just what it would be if less is it possible that any child of man should they were to come to the free States, ever be born a slave. Liberty is the right of every human creature, as soon as he breathes and take either white children or black the vital air; and no human law can deprive ones, and enslave them! The blacks are him of that right which he derives from the law born as free as the whites-and one of nature black is born as free as another. "No

"If, therefore, you have any regard to justice human law can deprive one of that right (to say nothing of mercy, nor the revealed law of God), render unto all their due. Give liber- which he derives from the law of na

ture," said that old, obsolete divine, the original kidnapper-which penalty John Wesley. No matter then if ten was death! And Mr. Wesley, as has thousand human legislatures make laws, been shown, puts all slave holding on saying that children are slaves-of what the same ground. avail are they before God? Legislation

EARLY METHODIST PREACHERS.

How unlike is American Methodism can never make that which is morally to the principles of Wesley, and Weswrong, politically right. The Southern leyan Methodism as it now exists in States have the same right to make laws Great Britain ? to enslave their white children that they have to enslave the blacks. But we all know that it would be a crime of the Imbued with such principles, the same nature to enslave white children, preachers sent to this country sixty of after such laws should be made, that it seventy years ago, by Mr. Wesley, came is now. We have the same right to with the most deadly enmity to slavery. make laws in the North to enslave our They preached, talked, and wrote against children, that the South have to enslave it, both in the North and South. Bishtheirs; but neither we nor they have ops Coke and Asbury are admitted to any more right to make such laws than have been hot-headed abolitionists; we have to attempt to legislate the Al- though it is said they cooled off some, mighty from his throne! And this busi- before they died. The former is reportness is as bad in the hands of professed ed to have kindled up such a fire in Christians and ministers, as it is in the South Carolina, as did not go out for hands of infidels! Ignorance is the only thirty years. Would to God it had apology that can be offered for either. burned till this time, and burned till it And even this apology cannot be made had consumed slavery, root and branch. much longer. It is true, the early Methodist preach

If Mr. Wesley was ultra on this subject, ers did receive some slave holders into so were our Fathers who put forth the their societies, with the utmost caution, Declaration of Independence! They subjoining plain pointed exhortations, said, "We hold these truths to be self and adopting strong rules and regulaevident, that all men are created equal; tions against slavery. These pioneers that they are endowed by their Creator of American Methodism never intended with certain inalienable rights; that that slavery should be continued in the among these are life, LIBERTY, and M. E. Church. Of this fact, we have the pursuit of happiness." "All men," the best evidence. They perhaps not all white men, but "all men-crea- thought they could cure slave holders ted equal" and "liberty" an "inalien- sooner, when awakened, by taking them able right." What then is the character under their own immediate watch and of that man who makes a slave of a hu- care, and dealing plainly and faithfully man being, born as free as he is, and with them. But in this, I think, they with the same inalienable right to liber-erred. To baptize and ordain an evil is ty? You will fix it by the same stand- a poor way to cure it. Little, however, ard that you would a man's character, did our Fathers suppose, that before who goes to the shores of Africa, and their bodies were scarcely cold in the takes human beings and enslaves them. grave, slavery would put in its high Neither human laws nor geographical claims for a bishop! So do evils increase boundaries can change moral principles. when once admitted into the Church. And the slave holders of the South will

SLAVE HOLDERS?

find, in the day of final accounts, that DID MR. wesley approvE OF RECEIVING the plea, "the laws forbid emancipation," or the laws justified stealing and We have no reason to believe that enslaving innocent children, and keep- Mr. Wesley ever approved of receiving ing them in bondage all their lives, will slave holders at all. Not a word can be be but a poor excuse for making mer-produced from his writings to show that chandize of God's image! Among the he did. On the contrary, we can proJews, to be "found" with a stolen hu- duce evidence to show, that he considman being "in his hand," subjected one ered "American slavery the vilest that to the same penalty as if he had been ever saw the sun"-and that he placed

"all slave holders exactly on a level with We may, therefore, fairly conclude, men stealers." From his well known that slaves were never received into the sentiments, therefore, we ought not to M. E. Church by Mr. Wesley's authorisuppose that he approved of receiving ty or approbation.

slave holders at all, without the most

1780.

The early American Methodists were

indubitable evidence. But, it may be SENTIMENTS OF THE M. E. CHURCH IN asked, if Mr. Wesley did not approve of it, why did he suffer it. I answer, if Mr. Wesley did not approve of the tak-warmly opposed to slavery, however ing the name of bishop, by Coke and mistaken they might have been in their Asbury, why did he suffer it? He cer- Church policy on this subject. Now tainly did not approve of it, but disap- for the evidence. But before giving it, proved of it in the warmest terms; and I will just say, that the Western Chrisyet they were called bishops! In a letter tian Advocate of Dec. 8, 1837, makes dated "London, Sept. 20, 1788," Mr. the following statement in relation to Wesley thus writes to Mr. Asbury on this subject. this subject: "How can you, how dare you, suffer yourself to be called bishop? has neither given up nor MODIFIED ANY of her I shudder, I start at the very thought! strong Scriptural doctrines or REGULATIONS on the subject of slavery, the declarations of Men may call me a knave or a fool, a recent abolitionists or others to the contrary rascal, a scoundrel, and I am content: notwithstanding."

"Our readers should know that our Church

but they shall never, by my consent, And in the Christian Advocate and call me a bishop! For my sake, for God's Journal of Jan. 26, 1833, Rev. N. Bangs sake, for Christ's sake, put a full end says, our Church "has always held ONE to this!" See Wesley's Works, vol vii. UNDEVIATING LANGUAGE in opposition to p. 187. I make this extract, not out of slavery." Strange statements these! any disrespect to our bishops, but to Four years before our Church was orshow that Coke and Asbury did some ganized in this country, that is, in 1780, things, or suffered them to be done, the Conference bore the following testiwhich Mr. Wesley warmly disapproved. mony against it:

But it may be said, that had he, in this "The Conference acknowledges that slavery is manner, disapproved of receiving slave contrary TO THE LAWS OF GOD, MAN, AND NAholders into the Church, it would be TURE, and hurtful to society; CONTRARY TO THE DICTATES OF CONSCIENCE AND sufficient to settle the point. But how PURE RELIGION; and doing what we would could it be possible for him to disap-not that others should do unto us; and they pass prove this more strongly than he has their DISAPPROBATION upon all our friends who done. "American slavery, the vilest keep slaves, and they advise their freedom." that ever saw the sun"-and "all slave This was the "language" of our holders, of whatever rank and degree," Church then, but is it her language now? "exactly on a level with men stealers!" Was this the language of the last GenWhat a license this, to receive such per- eral Conference? Is this among "her sons into the Church! But how do we strong scriptural doctrines or regulaknow what private instruction Mr. Wes- tions now? Slavery was then contraley gave his preachers on this subject ?ry to the laws of God." Now the Golden How do we know how many letters he Rule requires it in certain cases-then, wrote them touching this business? It it was doing what we would not that is not to be supposed, that all his letters others should do unto us." Now, it is and private instructions have been pub- doing what we would that others should lished. Again: It may be asked, Why, do unto us. [See Bish. H.'s Address.] when he found that they had received "one undeviating language?" In 1780, slave holders, did he not order them ex- the "disapprobation" of the Conference pelled? Perhaps he did. For when he was passed upon all our friends who learned that Asbury had taken the name keep slaves-now, Bible arguments and of bishop, he ordered him to "put a full addresses from high authority defend the end to this." But did he do it? In a relation of Master and Slave, as in itself letter dated April 21, 1775, Mr. Wesley a sinless relation. Then universal freeordered Mr. Asbury to return to Eng- dom was advised" ("all our friends") ́ ́rout delay.” But did he do so now one of our highest Church office

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