In 1785 these rules were suspended, as it was thought they "would do harm," though still the destruction of slaverj' was to be sought "by all wbe and prudent means." In 1796 the following section was inserted in the Discipline :
" Qttext. What regulations shall be made for the extir- pation of the crying evil of African slavery? ^-Ids. l.We declare that we are more than ever convinced of the great evil of the African slavery which still exists iu these United Stales, and do most earnestly recommend to the Yearly i CcinlcKiK ('-. ((uaiterly meetings, and to those who have the o'.(r-i::lii c 1 (li-uiits and circuits, to be exceedingly canii'ii- wlial inr.-ons they admit to oflicial stati(nis iu (iur Chuicli ; and iu the case of future admission to oflicial stations, to require such security of those who hold slaves for the emancipation of them, immediately or gradually, as the laws of the stales respectively, and the circum- stances of the case will admit; and we do fully authorize all the Yearly Conferences to make whalcver regulations they judi:e pi'oper, in the present case, respecting the ad- mission of |)ersons to ollicial stations in our Church. 2. No slaveholder shall be received into society till the preacher who lias 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 im- mediately, after full proof, be excluded the society. And if any member of our society purchase a slave, tl'.e ensu- ing quartcily meeting shall determine on the number of years in which the slave so purchased would work out the piiec of his purchase. And the person so purchasing sliall, immediately after such determination, execute a le- gal instrunieiit foV the manumission of such slave at the expiration of the term determined by the quarterly meet- iiiL'. And ill default of his cxecutini: such instrument of manumission, or on his iclnsal to submit his case to the jU'lL'tneiit of the quarteilv incctiiig, such member shall be excluded the snciciv. /■/..r/-.'M/ «/«), that in theca-eofa female slave it slmil !"• iiiMiieil in the aforesaid instru- ment of manumi--iMii lli.il all her children who shall be born during the \ears < fli.r >ervit!ide shall be ficc at the followin- times, "namely : every female child at the age of twenty-one. and every male child at the age of twenty- tive. '.Wrt'illii-lcKs, if tlic member of our society executing the said iiisti iimenl id' nianuinission judge it proper, lie m.iv lix the times of nianuinission of the children of the feiiialc 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 sub- ject of iicL'ro slavery with dee|) attention till the ensuinjj (ieneral I'oiiference ; and that they imjiart to the (ieneral Coufeicnce, throuirh the niedhiin" of the Yearly C-nfer- eiici's, iM-otherwisi\ ;iny im; .. I i i i In iiLrhts upoii the sub- ject, that the I'onfe.eii^ . : , . : i!l li-ht. in order to tak<' further stejis Iowa' I .; iii;,' this enormous evil from that jiart of tin i an ii , , (,,nl lo which \\c are united."
In 1800 the following new paragraphs were inserted: ",'5. Wlieu anv travelling preacher becomes an owner of i a slave or slaves by any means, he shall forfeit his niiiiis- } lerial character in our'ciuirch, unless he execute, if it be ' practicable, a legal emancipation of such slaves, conform- I ably to the laws of the state in which he lives. «. The I Auiiual Confcreuces are directed to draw up addresses for
M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH
183
M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH
the cradaal emancipation of the slaves to the legislatures I of those stales iu which no ijeneral laws have beeu passed [ for tluU purpose. These addres^es shall ui'j.e, in the most respectful but pointed manner, the n(.T(.->iiy of a law for the .'radual emancipation of tlie slave.-; ])rni)er comrait- teesshallbe appointed bv the Annual Conleiences, out of the most respectable of ..ur fiicnds, for the conducting of the business; and the presiding elders, elders, deacons, and travelling preachers, shall secure as many proper sig- natures as possible to the addresses, and give all the as- sistance iu their power iu every resjiect to aid the com- mittees, aud to further this blessed undertaking. Let this he continued from year to year till the desired eud be ac- complished."
In 1804 the following alterations were made : the ques- tion reads, "What shall be done for the extirpation of the evil of slavery?" In paragraph 1 (179G),insteadof "more than ever convinced," it reads, " as much as ever con- vinced;" and instead of "the African slavery which still exists in these United States," it reads simply " slavery." In paragraph 4 (3 of 1796), respecting the selling of a slave, before the words "shall immediately," the follow- ing clause is inserted: "Except at the request of the slave, in cases of mercv 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." This new proviso was inserted : " Pro- vided 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 Quarterly-meeting Conference." All after " nevertheless" was stricken out, and the following sub- stituted : " 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 petitioning legislatures were cancelled, and this was added : " G. Let the preachers, from time to time, as occa- sion serves, admonish and exhort all slaves to render due respect and obedience to the commantls and inter- ests of their respective masters." In 1808 it was ordered that " no slaveholder shall be eligible to the office of an elder, where the laws will admit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoj' freedom;" but all that related to slaveholding among private members, and paragraph 5 of 1804, were cancelled, and the follow- ing substituted: "3. The General Conference authorizes each Annual Conference to form their own regulations relative to buying and selling slaves." In 1812 this was altered thus : "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 biu'ing and selling slaves." In 1816 paragraph 1 of 1796 was altered thus: " l.We de- clare that we are as much as ever convinced of the great evil of slavery ; therefore no slaveholder shall be eligi- ble to any official station in our Church hereafter, where the laws of the state in which he lives will atlmit of emancipation, and permit the liberated slave to enjoy freedom." In 1820 the paragraph leaving it to the An- nual Conferences " to form their own regulations about buying and selling slaves" was cancelled. In 1824 the following paragraphs were added : " 4. All our preach- ers shall prudently enforce upon our members the neces- sity of teaching their slaves to read the Word of God ; and to allow them time to attend upon the public wor- ship of God on our regular days of divine service. 5. Our colored preachers and official members shall have all the privileges which are usual to others in the Dis- trict 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 colored local preachers will justify it. 6. The Annual Conferences may employ colored preachers to travel and preach where their services are judged necessary ; proviiled that no one shall be so employed without having been recommended according to the Form of Discipline."