While going through the hoarded family tid-bits in my home “office,” I discovered the following which appeared in a 1798 issue of the Lynchburg paper, and subsequently got tossed after posting it here:
$50 Reward
To the person or persons who will teach me the convenient art of reconciling the spirit and practice of slavery, with that of the Gospel of Christ, I would then give land for slaves, and with the profits of their labor, pay my doctors, tutors, merchants, etc. They would stay at home and work for me while I would go in splendor to the house of worship and shout and praise God roundly. And should my successful preceptor be a minister of the Gospel I will give him a hundred dollars.
There were widespread differences of opinion on slavery. In 1830 the combined clergy of Richmond passed resolutions depreciating the unwarrantable and highly improper interference of the people of another state with the domestic relations of master and slave. They quoted the example of Christ and his apostles in not interfering with the question of slavery as one which should be followed by all ministers of he gospel. Sorry, it was separated from its sorce.