PART V. THE MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE METHODIST EPISCO- CHAP. I.-Laws on the Subject-Preachers from the Beginning held anti-slavery Views-Opposition of the Planters-The Power of the separate States-Difficulties arising from this. THE following are the regulations and laws on the subject of slavery contained in the Discipline; and are consequently those which are only in force at present :— "1. We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of slavery: therefore no slave-holder shall be eligible to any official station in our church hereafter, where the laws of the State in which he lives will admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom. "2. When any travelling preacher becomes an owner of a slave, or slaves, by any means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our church, unless he execute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably to the laws of the State in which he lives. "3. All our preachers shall prudently enforce upon our members the necessity of teaching their slaves to read the word of God; and to allow them time to attend upon the public worship of God on our regular days of divine service. "4. Our coloured preachers and official members shall have all the privileges which are usual to others in the District and Quarterly Conferences, where the usages of the country do not forbid it. And the presiding elder may hold for them a separate District Conference, where the number of coloured local preachers will justify it. "5. The Annual Conferences may employ coloured preachers to travel and preach where their services are judged necessary; provided that no one shall be so employed without having been recommended according to the form of Discipline.” The legislation of the church on this subject is somewhat curious, and was often varied, till it settled down into the above rules. As early as 1780, consequently before the termination of the war, or the vigorous exertions of Dr. Coke, we have the following minute :— "QUES.-Does this Conference acknowledge that slavery is contrary to the laws of God, man, and nature, and hurtful to society; contrary to the dictates of conscience and pure religion, and doing that which we would not others should do to us and ours? Do we pass our disapprobation on all our friends who keep slaves, and advise their freedom? "ANS.-Yes." In 1783: 66 QUES. What shall be done with our local preachers who hold slaves contrary to the laws which authorize their freedom in any of the United States? "ANS.-We will try them another year. In the mean time let every assistant deal faithfully and plainly with every one, and report to the next Conference. It may then be necessary to suspend them." In 1784: "QUES.-What shall we do with our local preachers who will not emancipate their slaves in the States where the laws admit it? 'ANS.-Try those in Virginia another year; and suspend the preachers in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New-Jersey. "QUES.-What shall be done with our travelling preachers that now are, or hereafter shall be, possessed of slaves, and refuse to manumit them where the law permits? "ANS.-Employ them no more."* "Not more than six months had elapsed after the adoption of these last rules before it was thought necessary to suspend them. Accordingly, in the Annual Minutes for 1785, the following notice was inserted: "It is recommended to all our brethren to suspend the execution of the minute on slavery till the deliberations of a future Conference; and that an equal space of time be allowed all our members for consideration, when the minute shall be put in force.' "N. B. We do hold in the deepest abhorrence the practice of slavery; and shall not cease to seek its destruction by all wise and prudent means.' "This note does not seem to refer to Question 43, (1784,) as it, with the same answer, was retained in the Discipline of 1786. From this, till 1796, no mention, it would seem, was made of the subject, except in the General Rules. "1796. The following section was introduced on the subject: "QUES.-What regulations shall be made for the extirpation of the crying evil of African slavery? "ANS.-1. We declare, that we are more than ever convinced of the great evil of the African slavery which still exists in these United States, and do most earnestly recommend to the yearly Conferences, Quarterly-Meetings, and to those who have the oversight of districts and circuits, to be exceedingly cautious what persons * " Discipline," pp. 214, 215. Last edition, 1844. they admit to official stations in our church; and, in the case of future admission to official stations, to require such security of those who hold slaves, for the emancipation of them, immediately or gradually, as the laws of the States respectively, and the circumstances of the case, will admit; and we do fully authorize all the yearly Conferences to make whatever regulations they judge proper, in the present case, respecting the admission of persons to official stations in our church. "2. No slave-holder shall be received into society till the preacher who has the oversight of the circuit has spoken to him freely and faithfully on the subject of slavery. "3. Every member of the society who sells a slave shall immediately, after full proof, be excluded the society. And if any member of our society purchase a slave, the ensuing Quarterly-Meeting shall determine on the number of years in which the slave so purchased would work out the price of his purchase. And the person so purchasing shall, immediately after such determination, execute a legal instrument for the manumission of such slave at the expiration of the term determined by the Quarterly-Meeting. And in default of his executing such instrument of manumission, or on his refusal to submit his case to the judgment of the Quarterly-Meeting, such member shall be excluded the society. Provided also, that in the case of a female slave, it shall be inserted in the aforesaid instrument of manumission, that all her children who shall be born during the years of her servitude, shall be free at the following times; namely, every female child at the age of twenty-one, and every male child at the age of twenty-five. Nevertheless, if the member of our society, executing the said instrument of manumission, judge it proper, he may fix the times of manumission of the children of the female slaves before mentioned at an earlier age than that which is prescribed above. "4. The preachers and other members of our society are requested to consider the subject of Negro slavery with deep attention till the ensuing General Conference: and that they impart to the General Conference, through the medium of the yearly Conferences, or otherwise, any important thoughts upon the subject, that the Conference may have full light, in order to take further steps toward the eradicating this enormous evil from that part of the church of God to which they are united.' "1800. The following new paragraphs were inserted : "2. When any travelling preacher becomes an owner of a slave or slaves, by any means, he shall forfeit his ministerial character in our church, unless he execute, if it be practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conformably to the laws of the State in which he lives.' "6. The Annual Conferences are directed to draw up addresses for the gradual emancipation of the slaves to the legislatures of those states in which no general laws have been passed for that purpose. These addresses shall urge, in the most respectful, but pointed, manner, the necessity of a law for the gradual emancipation of the slaves ; proper committees shall be appointed by the Annual Conferences, out of the most respectable of our friends, for the conducting of the business; and the presiding elders, elders, deacons, and travelling preachers, shall procure as many proper signatures as possible to the addresses, and give all the assistance in their power in every respect to aid the committees, and to further this blessed undertaking. Let this be continued from year to year, till the desired end be accomplished.' "1804. The following alterations were made:"The question reads,of the evil of slavery?' What shall be done for the extirpation "In paragraph 1, (1796,) instead of 'more than ever convinced,' we have, as much as ever convinced;' and instead of the African slavery which still exists in these United States,' we have 'slavery.' "In paragraph 4, (3 of 1796,) respecting the selling of a slave, before the words 'shall immediately,' the following clause is inserted, except at the request of the slave, in cases of mercy and humanity, agreeably to the judgment of a committee of the male members of the society, appointed by the preacher who has the charge of the circuit.' "The following new proviso was inserted in this paragraph:'Provided also, that if a member of our society shall buy a slave with a certificate of future emancipation, the terms of emancipation shall, notwithstanding, be subject to the decision of the QuarterlyMeeting Conference.' All after nevertheless' was struck out, and the following substituted :-'The members of our societies in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, shall be exempted from the operation of the above rules.' The paragraphs about considering the subject of slavery and petitions to legislatures, (namely, No. 4 of 1796, and No. 6 of 1800,) were struck out, and the following added: "5. Let our preachers, from time to time, as occasion serves, admonish and exhort all slaves to render due respect and obedience to the commands and interests of their respective masters.' "1808. All that related to slaveholding among private members (see 2 and 3 of 1796) struck out, and the following substituted :"3. The general Conference authorizes each Annual Conference to form their own regulations relative to buying and selling slaves.'. 66 Paragraph 5 of 1804 was also struck out. "1812. Paragraph 3 of 1808 was altered so as to read, "3. Whereas the laws of some of the States do not admit of emancipating of slaves, without a special act of the legislature; the General Conference authorizes each Annual Conference to form their own regulations relative to buying and selling slaves.' "1816. Paragraph 1 (see 1796) was altered so as to read,"1. We declare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of slavery: therefore no slave-holder shall be eligible to any official station in our church hereafter, where the laws of the state in which he lives will admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom.' “1820. Paragraph 3, (see 1812,) leaving it to the Annual Coffferences to form their own regulations about buying and selling slaves,' was struck out. "1824. The following paragraphs added :— "3. All our preachers shall prudently enforce upon our members the necessity of teaching their slaves to read the word of God; and to allow them time to attend upon the public worship of God on our regular days of divine service. "4. Our coloured preachers and official members shall have all the privileges which are usual to others in the District and Quarterly Conferences, where the usages of the country do not forbid it. And the presiding elder may hold for them a separate District Conference, where the number of coloured local preachers will justify it.* "5. The Annual Conferences may employ coloured preachers to travel and preach where their services are judged necessary; provided that no one shall be so employed without having been recommended according to the Form of Discipline." "+ It is clear from the above rules, and especially from the early enactments of the Conference, that the American preachers, from the beginning, took an enlightened and Christian view of the enormities of slavery, and set themselves strenuously to oppose it. They rightly considered it as opposed to "the laws of God, man, and nature, and hurtful to society;" and it should seem that their testimony, in private and in public, agreed to this opinion. They evidently desired to clear the Methodist church of the evil, and induce their members to take part with them in obtaining a revision of the laws of the several States; and, as it seems, did all in their power to cause them to manumit their own slaves. In some few cases they were successful. Some of the members of society had the justice and benevolence to free themselves from the blame. But it should appear that the civil power proved too strong for them in the end; and instead of relaxing their hold on the African race, they passed more stringent laws, making emancipation next to impossible. It is known that Dr. Coke preached strenuously and constantly in the midst of slave-holders against the system, and sometimes to the hazard of his life. This was not singular to him. Bishop Asbury and the other ministers bore a similar testimony. How far this testi "These provisions respecting District Conferences have been retained ever since, although District Conferences were abolished in 1836." +EMORY'S "History of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church," pp. 274-279. |