498 History of Methodism 



age, and the like, are immoralities to be prevented or punished by 

 all proper means, both of Church discipline and the civil law — 

 each in its sphere. 



2. We denounce the principles and opinions of the abolitionists 

 in toto, and dp solemnly declare our conviction and belief that, 

 whether they were originated, as some business men have thought, 

 as a money speculation, or, as some politicians think, for party elec- 

 tioneering purposes, or, as we are inclined to believe, in a false phi- 

 losophy, overreaching or setting aside the Scriptures through a vain con- 

 ceit of a higher moral refinement, they are utterly erroneous, and 

 altogether hurtful. 



3. We consider and believe that the Holy Scriptures, so far from 

 giving any countenance to this delusion, do unequivocally authorize 

 the relation of master and slave: (1) By holding masters and their 

 slaves alike as believers, brethren, and beloved; (2) by enjoining on 

 each the duties proper toward the other; (3) by grounding their 

 obligations for the fulfillment of these duties, as of all others, on 

 their relation to God. Masters could never have had their duty 

 enforced by the consideration, "Your MASTER also is in heaven" 

 if barely the being a master involved in itself any thing immoral. 



Our missionaries inculcate the duties of servants to their masters 

 as we find those duties stated in the Scriptures. They inculcate the 

 performance of them as indispensably important. We hold that a 

 Christian slave must be submissive, faithful, and obedient, for rea- 

 sons of the same authority with those which oblige husbands, wives, 

 fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, to fulfill the duties of these rela- 

 tions. We would employ no one in the work who might hesitate 

 to teach thus, nor can such a one be found in the whole number 

 of the preachers of this Conference. 



In November, 1865, the last deliverance on this 

 subject was made in the Pastoral Letter of the South 

 Carolina Conference: 



Dearly Beloved Brethren: — Cherishing at all times a ten- 

 der solicitude for the welfare of the flock over which the Holy Ghost 

 has made us overseers, we find special reasons, as a body of Chris- 

 tian ministers, to avail ourselves of the occasion of our coming to- 

 gether in Annual Conference, to address to you a few words of salu- 

 tary counsel and admonition. 



The close of the war, which during the last four years convulsed 

 our entire country, and spread wasting and destruction within our 



