APPENDIX III.

CHURCHACTIONONSLAVERY. Inreferencetothisimportantsubject,wepresentafewextractsfromthefirstandsecondchaptersofthefourthpartofthe"KeytoUncleTom'sCabin": LetusreviewthedeclarationsthathavebeenmadeintheSouthernchurch,andseewhatprincipleshavebeenestablishedbythem. 1.Thatslaveryisaninnocentandlawfulrelation,asmuchasthatofparentandchild,husbandandwife,oranyotherlawfulrelationofsociety.(HarmonyPres.,S.C.) 2.Thatitisconsistentwiththemostfraternalregardforthegoodoftheslave.(CharlestonUnionPres.,S.C.) 3.Thatmastersoughtnottobedisciplinedforsellingslaveswithouttheirconsent.(NewSchoolPres.Church,Petersburg,Va.) 4.Thattherighttobuy,sell,andholdmenforpurposesofgain,wasgivenbyexpresspermissionofGod.(JamesSmylieandhisPresbyteries.) 5.Thatthelawswhichforbidtheeducationoftheslaveareright,andmeettheapprobationofthereflectingpartoftheChristiancommunity.(Ibid.) 6.Thatthefactofslaveryisnotaquestionofmoralsatall,butispurelyoneofpoliticaleconomy.(CharlestonBaptistAssociation.) 7.TherightofmasterstodisposeofthetimeoftheirslaveshasbeendistinctlyrecognizedbytheCreatorofallthings.(Ibid.) 8.Thatslavery,asitexistsintheseUnitedStates,isnotamoralevil.(GeorgiaConference,Methodist.) 9.That,withoutanewrevelationfromheaven,nomanisentitledtopronounceslaverywrong. 10.Thattheseparationofslavesbysaleshouldberegardedasseparationbydeath,andthepartiesallowedtomarryagain.(ShilohBaptistAss.,andSavannahRiverAss.) 11.Thatthetestimonyofcoloredmembersofthechurchesshallnotbetakenagainstawhiteperson.(MethodistChurch.) Inaddition,ithasbeenplainlyavowed,bytheexpressedprinciplesandpracticeofChristiansofvariousdenominations,thattheyregarditrightandpropertoputdownallinquiryuponthissubjectbyLynchlaw. TheOldSchoolPresbyterianChurch,inwhosecommunionthegreaterpartoftheslaveholdingPresbyteriansoftheSoutharefound,hasneverfeltcalledupontodisciplineitsmembersforupholdingasystemwhichdenieslegalmarriagetoallslaves.Yetthischurchwasagitatedtoitsveryfoundationbythediscussionofaquestionofmoralswhichanimpartialobserverwouldprobablyconsideroffarlessmagnitude,namely,whetheramanmightlawfullymarryhisdeceasedwife'ssister.Forthetime,allthestrengthandattentionofthechurchseemedconcentrateduponthisimportantsubject.ThetrialwentfromPresbyterytoSynod,andfromSynodtoGeneralAssemblyandendedwithdeposingaveryrespectableministerforthiscrime. Rev.RobertJ.Breckenridge,D.D.,amemberoftheOldSchoolAssembly,hasthusdescribedthestateoftheslavepopulationastotheirmarriagerelations: "Thesystemofslaverydeniestoawholeclassofhumanbeingsthesacrednessofmarriageandofhome,compellingthemtoliveinastateofconcubinagefor,intheeyeofthelaw,nocoloredslave-manisthehusbandofanywifeinparticular,noranyslave-womanthewifeofanyhusbandinparticularnoslave-manisthefatherofanychildinparticular,andnoslave-childisthechildofanyparentinparticular." Now,hadthischurchconsideredthefactthatthreemillionsofmenandwomenwere,bythelawsoftheland,obligedtoliveinthismanner,asofequallyseriousconsequence,itisevident,fromtheingenuity,argument,vehemence,biblicalresearch,anduntiringzeal,whichtheybestowedonMr.McQueen'strial,thattheycouldhavemadeaverystrongcasewithregardtothisalso. Thehistoryoftheunitedactionofdenominationswhichincludedchurchesbothintheslaveandfreestatesisamelancholyexemplification,toareflectingmind,ofthatgradualdeteriorationofthemoralsensewhichresultsfromadmittinganycompromise,howeverslight,withanacknowledgedsin.Thebestmindsintheworldcannotbearsuchafamiliaritywithoutinjurytothemoralsense.Thefactsoftheslavesystemandoftheslavelaws,whenpresentedtodisinterestedjudgesinEurope,haveexcitedauniversaloutburstofhorror,yet,inassembliescomposedofthewisestandbestclergymenofAmerica,thesethingshavebeendiscussedfromyeartoyear,andyetbroughtnoresultsthathave,intheslightestdegree,lessenedtheevil.Thereasonisthis.Aportionofthemembersofthesebodieshadpledgedthemselvestosustainthesystem,andperemptorilytorefuseandputdownalldiscussionofitandtheotherpartofthebodydidnotconsiderthisstandsotakenasbeingofsufficientlyvitalconsequencetoauthorizeseparation. Nobodywilldoubtthat,hadtheSouthernmemberstakensuchastandagainstthedivinityofourLord,thedivisionwouldhavebeenimmediateandunanimousbutyettheSouthernmembersdomaintaintherighttobuyandsell,lease,hire,andmortgage,multitudesofmenandwomen,whom,withthesamebreath,theydeclaretobemembersoftheirchurches,andtrueChristians.TheBibledeclaresofallsuchthattheyarethetemplesoftheHolyGhostthattheyarethemembersofChrist'sbody,ofhisfleshandbones.IsnotthedoctrinethatmenmaylawfullysellthemembersofChrist,hisbody,hisfleshandbones,forpurposesofgain,asreallyaheresyasthedenialofthedivinityofChrist?andisitnotadishonortoHimwhoisoverall,Godblessedforever,totoleratethisdreadfulopinion,withitsmoredreadfulconsequences,whilethesmallestheresiesconcerningtheimputationofAdam'ssinarepursuedwitheagervehemence?Ifthehistoryoftheactionofallthebodiesthusunitedcanbetraceddownwards,weshallfindthat,byreasonofthistoleranceofanadmittedsin,theanti-slaverytestimonyhaseveryyeargrownweakerandweaker.Ifwelookoverthehistoryofalldenominations,weshallseethatatfirsttheyusedverystringentlanguagewithrelationtoslavery.ThisisparticularlythecasewiththeMethodistandPresbyterianbodies,andforthatreasonweselectthesetwoasexamples.TheMethodistSocietyespecially,asorganizedbyJohnWesley,wasananti-slaverysociety,andtheBookofDisciplinecontainedthemostpositivestatutesagainstslaveholding.ThehistoryofthesuccessiveresolutionsoftheConferenceofthischurchisverystriking.In1780,beforethechurchwasregularlyorganizedintheUnitedStates,theyresolvedasfollows: "TheconferenceacknowledgesthatslaveryiscontrarytothelawsofGod,man,andnature,andhurtfultosocietycontrarytothedictatesofconscienceandtruereligionanddoingwhatwewouldnotothersshoulddountous." In1784,whenthechurchwasfullyorganized,ruleswereadoptedprescribingthetimesatwhichmemberswhowerealreadyslaveholdersshouldemancipatetheirslaves.Theserulesweresucceededbythefollowing: "Everypersonconcerned,whowillnotcomplywiththeserules,shallhavelibertyquietlytowithdrawfromourSocietywithinthetwelvemonthsfollowingthenoticebeinggivenhim,asaforesaidotherwisetheassistantsshallexcludehimfromtheSociety. "NopersonholdingslavesshallinfuturebeadmittedintotheSociety,ortotheLord'sSupper,tillhepreviouslycomplywiththeserulesconcerningslavery. "Thosewhobuy,sell,orgiveslavesaway,unlessonpurposetofreethem,shallbeexpelledimmediately." In1801: "WedeclarethatwearemorethaneverconvincedofthegreatevilofAfricanslavery,whichstillexistsintheseUnitedStates. "EverymemberoftheSocietywhosellsaslaveshallimmediately,afterfullproof,beexcludedfromtheSociety,etc. "TheAnnualConferencesaredirectedtodrawupaddressesforthegradualemancipationoftheslaves,totheLegislature.PropercommitteesshallbeappointedbytheAnnualConference,