Communications: For The Signal Of Liberty: To The Members Of...

Dkar Brkthitkn:- I have been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Cliurch nearly seventeen year6, dtiring fourteen ofwhicb I have sustahed an official relación, and for a little more Hum scven yeará have been a licenced prracher. I connected myself with tliis Churcb ofmy choice from principie lirnily believing i in the purity of her doctrines, or.d in its modes I of worship, as being the best calcnlated to eni nble its members to grow in grnce, nnd help each otlier to work out their snlvation. I liare rejoiced in her prosperity, and mourned in her adversity. Her church polity I ahvays cons'niered as anti-republican, but from the confidence I hnd in the preacheis, their Zeal, npparenlly pure intentions and professed holiness of those who adininistercd discipline, I little tlionnht their power would bc exerted for imhoiy purposes. 1'hings ihat have lianspired tor the lasteight years havo shown me my mislakc, and I havb been compeüed to ciiange my opinión, ond adopt tlie olcl adage, "All is not gold Unit glistens,'r "fuets aro etubborn ihings." While I am convinced tiiat loo many manifest n disposition lo lord it over Gods herit'age, I thinl; otliers are acttiattd by move pure principies. During my conneciion with the M. E. C, I have found many among the prenchers nnd laity by whom I ! Imvc been reiuly benefitea in my pÜgrimoge thns f-r, some of :hose I now addres, others hiive gonc to their reward, to await the nmrniiir uf the resnrectic-n, lo be glorified and er.joy i!i t-ociety of the just made perfect. I sinceroly regret that ciccumstances are soeh lh;it frum a sense of duty to myel(j my God and tV'llow-beingfJ, 1 am compelled to dissolve my comedión with the M. E. Churcli. I atn aware that my rnutives nny bn impngned by soine, while from others I believe I shall have their sympalhies and their prayera. I have not been liaty il) forming my conclusión-', but have devoully asked the direction of ihe lloly Spint, and tliink Í act for the glory of that Gud before whose bar 1 soon expect to appear to nnswer for tiie rectilude of my intentions.I verily believe me time has come whcn tur me lo lem'iin Jonger in a lmlding and Slnvery-dofending Cliurch- one that ís upparently socking the applruise and t.onors of the worlil mere ÍTian the honor that comes from God- one that is nlakh)? rapid stiides fur o p il i ily, - -voill b; sin, an 1 by so '!oinrT woultl sanetion and lend my inrlupuce to tolérate thaf'suni of vülainie.," slavery, "tbe vilest that ever saw the gun." It reniair.s for yon an! others to act lor yourseives as those who must gíye aoco:iní to God A p'opor regará for the opinions and fcelings of my brethren wlmm I Icavo, peeins to ílemnnd the reasonrf for !he conrse I take,a few ot' whieh I now give. 1. At i lie orgnnizíition oF the M. E. C. i' was designed that it should be nn anti-sluvery chtircli, and accordingly rulos were ndop!eil calculated to extírpale elnvery from thechiuch. Bnt for ihe last forty yeare, slavery has beeu gaimng the ascendeney and the Chiirch is now nearly or quite r.ontroled by ts inflnenec. 2. The Ge.:eral Conference lias reí usen, to ral! an annnnl Conference to an account for passing a resoliition tleclarin "lavory as it exista in the United Staies nota moral evil,1; while the dicipline proliibits it under the general rule.fJí Titey have cer.sured an annual conference for lts anti slavery nction, and endeavord to (o the saine lo Preachers who have cduced tlieir slavery principies lo pracice. 4. Tliey hnve passed rules purposely to deeat the anti slavery eñterprisp, and particuarly designed to affect individuáis w lio ore aboljtionjsts. 5. Thev havepassed a reolution (called the Black Law)by which 70,000 of the members of the church are piohibiled trom giving tcsiimony in church trials merely on account of coh r, and this at the instigation of the slave power in the church. G. While the above resolution was pending in the general Conference, the colored brethren of Baltimore drew up a remonstrance, which was delivered to one of the Bishop.--, and by hini stniig-gled and was never pres nted to the Conference. 7. The M. E. C. ís a elave-holding and slavery. defending church, that ie, slavery is ti-lerated and defended by the highest judicial body of the church without rebuke and sanctioned by its discipline, and one of the candidaies for the Episcopacy is known to be a ölave-holder. and the snuthern porlion of the church have threatened a división unless he wás elected. 8. Tho course of the General Conference and sonie of the annual conferences, has been to put down abolitionism and not slavery. 9. The Christian Advocate and Journal, the great official organ of the Church, has assailed the character of and misrepresented eertair individuáis who are abolitionists, and refusec to publish a reply from the pereon concerned, - - - 10. TheC. A. 8 J. has published a speech dolivercd bofore ihe General Conference in justiricotion of ölavery, but did not pubüsh the reply. 11. One of Uie Bishops of the M. E. C. hasjurtifiudslaverby ihe "golden rule," in the addre.'s to the Genesaee and Oneida Conferences; sotne of its chirf ministers have upologised for it. 12. Annoal Conferences have reproved ond suspended soine of its members for attending anti slavcry Conventions, giving anti-slavery lectores, nnd for their acts in trying to cnrry out the principies contained in the discipline. 13. Annual Conferences have refused to admil to orders anli-slavery Preachers unloss iliey wovild renounce their principies, orpromse to be silent on the agitating subject. 14. The pieachers and niernbcrs of the M. E. C. in the Southern States are permitted to traffic in bodies and sou Is of men, wornen, and children, and bny nnd sell for the sake of gnin without rebuke from tlie proper authorities of the cliurch. 15. The propor authorities of the church have been appealedto in vain for reform, all hopes therefore of any reformation in church poüty or ifs discipline in reference to the 'snm of all vÜlninies" ate hnpeless, so long as slavcliolders control the church. 16. The Government of the M. E. C. ia arbitrary in its principie?, and by its lows, no hiy members or local preucher, had any representation vvhatever, or voice directly or indirectly in mnking the laws by wliich lliey are governed, tliernfore it is anti-republkan. 17. The luy inemhers have no VdicC in the selcction of their leiders, Prenchurs, Elders or Bishope; the nreachers in charge alone in ve the nointnation of Stewnrds and Trustees, and can prevent the Election of any one to those offices, vvhoin he chooses.18. No lay member lias any voice in the sek-ction of tlie committecs by whoni th=y or Liieir brethren are to be tned íbr offenccs: tlie prcacher aleño hns tlie selection. 19. Tiie Leaders are dependent on tlie Preaclier, Ihe oreaclipr on the Eider, tlie Eider on the Bishop tbr tlie tenure of their offices, and conseqneiitly theBishopa can control the whole. L0. The Bishops are elocíed for life, and shoulrl any or nll of ihrm become incompetent from infirmity, or bc i:i dotnge, ihey musí be Biirh'ips slill, ani the preachers are bound lo nbev their mándate?. The above are some of the reasons that I ave induced me to leave tlie Church of my enrly choice and seok an asylutn in ony more congenial to my feelings - onii in whicli al! the excellencies ortheone I lave ríitfy be ictained without subniirting to fellowship ils sins. I have vvitli many other-3 long dobired that r reforma) ion might be brouglit about in the polity and jjructice of the W. B. Church in nnswerlo thcc;rlls of Inmdreds of its ministers and thousands of its rnemners; hut from present appeamncjs it cannot be exppcted. Spcession iv)v seems to be the cnly allernative ;o all thosc who wish to onjoy religión n its original simplicity ano ptirity, froe from ecclcsiastical power and Siavery in a church whose motto shonld ever be "first pnre then peaceab'e.' And now, drar brethren, I take my leave of yon, many of" whom I rnnk among my best Chrisüfiu fiiends, 'k, still claim your prayers and sympathies: far as I know myself I do not indulge unkind feclings toward anj', and that God muy yet own, and bless the M. E. Church in all that is lovely or of good renort. is the sincere praver of vours most