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A HISTORY of the AFRICAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Published by Rev. N. C. W. Cannon,
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HF.RODOTV^ ♦ HISTORTCVS
(ii; i j r., HWesley
A
HISTORY
OF THE
AFRICAN
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH,
THE ONLY ONE IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
STYLED
BETHEL CHURCH, (Gen. xxviii. 19.;
TO BE HELD FORTH IN REMEMBRANCE OP THE RIGHT REVEREND
RICHARD ALLEN, FIRST BISHOP OF THE CONNECTION.
PUBLISHED BY REV. N. C. W. CANNON.
ROCHESTER:
STRONG & DAWSON, PRINTERS.
1842.
HISTORY, &c.
To the memory of the Right Reverend R. Allen, Bishop of our
Connection, the first founder of the African Connection ; a worthy
example for us to pattern after, as ministers of Christ, for piety,
wisdom and stability of mind ; a brave soldier in due form, yea,
when his church and people were surrounded with cruel persecutors,
yes, in sincerity of heart, with the little crew which volunteered
themselves to go through with him, let the cost be what it might,
to rescue the church from the hands of the oppressors, and through
the divine wisdom of God, he, with his colleagues, came off more
than conquerors. God is to be praised—by which we celebrate
with each other in a spirit of union, (Ps. cxxxiii,) in memory of a
venerable, valiant, reverend father in Christ, with a sympathetic
feeling, the Right Reverend R. Allen, who departed this life, in
triumph of a greater, to be crowned with an everlasting crown of
glory, on the 26th of March, 1831.
In the triumph of victory, he closed his ministerial labors on
earth, to heighten the triumph around that superlative throne wher®
the stigmatizers of truth cannot enter—the victory is mine. 2 Tim.
iv. 5, 6. Notwithstanding the seven years' war he had at the out¬
set, in order to deliver his church and people, he as a brave general
went forth in the spiritual battle that they might retain their rights.
By virtue and in triumph he crossed the gulf, the ragingsea of his
persecutors, while his enemies fell in the rear, as they did in the
days of Moses5 for which I am moved with a sympathetic feeling to¬
wards the rising generation yet to come, that they may have a cor¬
rect knowledge of the first rise and progress of their ancient mother
Church, the only African Methodist Episcopal Church in these Uni¬
ted States of America, as these acts were clearly demonstrated by
virtue, as I presume that these statements will not in conscience be
denied. Then, sirs, judge the matter for yourselves, as here is a
brief statement of the rise and progress of our Church, which I sin¬
cerely hope will be truly satisfactory to the readers of this narra¬
tive.
4
We, as ministers of Christ, ought always to remember one thing :
when we pray or those that say prayers, God sees us. Matt. 7. 21.
Therefore, let us show unto those who differ from us in religious
opinions, a genuine moderation in knowledge, as it seems to be the
most uncharitable act in Christendom to reject a man on the account
of churchism. I presume it is not right to punish a man for a mere
say so, before he is proved guilty of a violation of law. Sirs, this is
a case for you to judge in due form, (Jas. i. 25,) as the knowledge
of a genuine moderation is truly needful for individuals of every
sector party, that they may have a just conception of the things of
God, which I hope will be truly conducive to your growth and edi¬
fication in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In November, 1787, the colored people belonging to the Metho¬
dist Society, in Philadelphia, convened together, in order to take
into consideration the evils under which they labored, arising from
the unkind treatment of their white brethren, who considered them
a nuisance in the house of worship, and even pulling them off their
knees, while in the act of prayer, and ordered them to the back seats.
From these and various other acts of unchristian conduct, they con¬
sidered it their duty to devise a plan in order to build a house of
their own to worship God under their own vine and fig-tree ; in this
undertaking they met with great opposition from an elder of the
Methodist Church, (J. M'C.,j who threatened, that if they did not
give up the building, erase their names from the subscription paper,
and make acknowledgments for having attempted such a thing, that
in three months they should all be publicly expelled from the Meth¬
odist Society. Not considering themselves bound to obey this in¬
junction, and being fully satisfied they should be treated without
mercy, they sent in their resignations.
Being now as out-casts, they had to seek for friends where they
could; and the Lord put it into the hearts of Dr. Benjamin Rush,
Mr. R. Ralston, and other respectable citizens, to interpose for
them, both by advice and assistance in getting their building finished,
and it was only through the mercy of God that it was completed in
such a time of outward afflictions. They were enabled to proceed
with such sympathetic feelings towards their enemies, notwithstand¬
ing the great opposition they had to contend with. They gave the
■ease into the hands of God, as they were responsible tohim-~as they
were rational beings—as men capable of investigating the subject of
truth for themselves—without any consultation with the devil, as
they had to pass through the sea of persecution, the hotter the fight,
the sooner the war will be over.
In 1793, the number of the serious people of color having in¬
creased, they were of different opinions, respecting the mode of reli¬
gious worship; and, as many felt a strong partiality for that adopt¬
ed by the Methodists, Richard Allen, with the advice of some of his
.brethren, proposed erecting a place of worship on his own ground,
5
and at his own expense, as an African Methodist church. As
soon as the preachers of the Methodist church in Philadelphia came
to the knowledge of this, they opposed it with all their might, in¬
sisting that the house should be made over to the conference, or they
would publish them in the newspapers, as imposing on the public, as
they were not Methodists. However, the building went on, and
when finished, they invited Rev. Francis Asbury, then Bishop of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, to open the house for divine service,
which invitation he accepted, and the house was named Bethel.
(See Gen. xxviii. 19, 20.)
Then, in the time of their great distress and controversy, ah!
none to discriminate between truth and error but God the supreme
of all beings, who was their pilot while they passed through the gulf
of deception—then forthwith came a friend (as he said) to their re¬
lief; but to his shame it was proved, lhat he was only seeking an
enterprise and self-exaltation, the next step to forgery—and just
before that he solemnly declared, that he had come forth to facili¬
tate their deliverance : then, sirs, mark the phraseology—when he
had laid his plans so prosperously for execution, that he might not
be again defeated in his design; but methinks that he had forgotten
that incomprehensible fort—the Christian protection, yea, he soon
found it to be an insurmountable defence, though great was the trou¬
ble ; but God fought the battle, (Ex. xiv. 14 f) then only see the
craft of him and his colleagues, as it was then, yes, as David said,
in his distress, so say I, the billows passed over our ancient fathers,
while they fought in the battle of deception which was brought on
them by men who called themselves Christian ministers; but I leave
that for my readers to judge, as actions speak louder than words—
as deep calleth unto deep, and when men are in trouble they call on
the Lord from the depth of the heart—then comes the answer, (Ps.
xlii. 7.) But when men have lost the essence of religion, they then
only retain the shadow. That is the reason why they are so well
calculated to fight for the honor of this world—God is out of the
question, by which the innocent were brought into trouble by infi¬
dels, the children of wrath, as our ancient fathers were then placed
in a dreadful situation, that is to be in a land of Christendom.
It was then proposed by the resident elder, (J. M. C.,) that they
should have the Church incorporated, that they might receive any
donation or legacy, as well as enjoy any other advantages arising
therefrom ; this was agreed to ; and in order to save expense, the
elder proposed drawing it up for them. But they soon found he had
done it in such a manner as entirely deprived them of the liberty
they expected to enjoy. By this stratagem, they were again brought
into bondage by the Methodist preachers.
In this situation, they experienced grievances too numerous to
mention ; at one time the elder (J. S.) demanded the keys of the
house, with the books and papers belonging thereto; telling them at
6
other times they ehould have 110 more meetings without his leave,
and that the house was not theirs, but belonged to the Methodist
Conference. Finding themselves thus embarrassed, they consulted
a lawyer, who informed them, that by means of a supplement, they
could be delivered from the grievances under which they labored.
The Society unanimously agreed to sign the petition for a sup¬
plement, which the Legislature of Pennsylvania readily granted;
and they were liberated from the difficulties which they experienced
for many years. They then hoped to be free from any other per¬
plexity ; but they soon found that their proceedings exasperated
their opponents. In order to accommodate matters they proposed
supplying them with preaching, if they would give $(>00 per year,
to the Methodist Society. Tiie trustees with the society not con¬
senting to give that sum, they fell to .$'400, but the Bethel trustees
were not willing to give more than $200 per year. For this sum
they were to preach for them twice a week during the year. But it
proved to be only six or seven times a year, and sometimes by such
preachers as were not acceptable to the Bethel people, and not in
much esteem among the Methodists, as preachers. The Bethel
people being dissatisfied with such conduct, induced the trustees to
pass a resolution to give but $100 per year to the Methodist preach¬
ers. When a quarterly payment of the last sum was tendered, it
was refused and sent back, insisting on the $200, or they would not
preach for them any more ; and at the same time they pressed
strongly on them to repeal the supplement, but they would not com¬
ply with their proposition. The trustees then waited on Bishop As-
bury, and proposed taking a preacher to themselves, and supporting
him in boarding and salary, providing he would attend to the duties
of the church, such as visiting the sick, burying the dead, baptizing,
and administering the sacrament. The Bishop observed, "He did
not think there was more than one preacher belonging to the con¬
ference that would attend to those duties, and that was Richard Al¬
len." They then informed the Bishop that there was some trouble
ahead : 14Sir, if we pay a minister four or five hundred dollars a
year, we shall expect him to do his duty as a minister of Christ, as
though we were ever so white, as the substance does not consist only
in the color of a man's skin, but it is the character; and as we are
acknowledged by you, sir, to be good workmen, therefore we wish
to do what is lawful and just between God and' man." Matt. vii. 12.
The Bishop's reply was this: "We will not serve you on those
terms." Shortly after that, an elder then in Philadelphia, the Rev.
S. R., declared, that unless they did repeal that supplement, neither
he nor any of the Methodist preachers, traveling or local, should
preach any more for them; so they were left to themselves. At
length the preachers and stewards belonging to the Academy pro¬
posed serving them on the same terms, that they had offered to the
St. George's preachers; and they preached for them better than
7
twelve months, end then demanded $150 per year ; this not being
complied with, they declined preaching for them, and they were
once more left to themselves, as an edict was passed by the elder,
that if any local preacher served them, he should be expelled the
connection. John Emory, then elder of the Academy, published a
circular letter, in which they were disowned by the Methodists. A
house was also fitted up, not far from Bethel, and an invitation given
to all who desired to be Methodists, to resort thither; but, being dis¬
appointed in this plan, Robert R. Roberts, the resident elder of St.
George's charge, came to Bethel and insisted on preaching to them,
and taking the spiritual charge, for they were Methodists. But they
informed him, " Sir, before you can preach for us, you must come
on some honorable terms, with the trustees but his answer was
not as that of a Christian minister, and he informed them, that he
had not come to consult with Richard Allen, nor the trustees, but to
inform the congregation, that on next Sabbath day he would come
and take the charge ; but they told him, he could not preach for them
under existing circumstances. However, at the appointed time he
came; but, having taken previous advice, they had their preacher
in the pulpit when he came, and the house so fixed that he could not
get more than half way to the pulpit; then finding himself thus dis¬
appointed, he appealed to those who came with him as witnesses :—
" Sirs, that man has taken my appointment"—meaning the minister
then in the pulpit. At the same time there were several respectable
white citizens present, who knew that the colored people had been
very ill used, and treated in a manner as though they were brutes,
and not human beings; and their reply was to the colored people,
** Fear not, for we will see you righted, and not suffer Roberts to
preach in a forcible manner after which Roberts went away.
The next elder stationed in Philadelphia, was'Robert Birch, who
followed the examples of his predecessor, came and published a
meeting for himself; but the beforementioned method was adopted,
and he had to go away disappointed. In consequence of this he ap¬
plied to the Supreme Court, for a writ of Mandamus, to knbw why
the pulpit was denied him, being elder; this brought on a law suit,
which ended in favor of Bethel. Thus, by the providence of God,,
they were delivered from a long, distressing and expensive suit,
which could not be resumed being determined by the Supreme Court;
for this mer"cy they were unfeignedly thankful.
About this time the colored people in Baltimore and other places
were treated in a similar manner as those in Philadelphia, who,
rather than going to law, were compelled to seek places of worship
for themselves ; this induced the people in Philadelphia to call a
general convention in April, 1816, to form a connection; delegates
appointed to represent different churches, met those of Philadelphia,
and taking into consideration their grievances, and in order to se¬
cure their privileges and promote union among themselves, it was
8
resolved, "That the people of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and all oth¬
er places who should unite with them, should become one body under
the name and style of the ' African Methodist Episcopal Church. _ •
As we believe, that it was the design of our supreme head in this
act, in thus uniting us together as a people, in order to mark out a
sublime way, bv. which the despised race of Africans might have an
opportunity of receiving the light of truth from their own brethren,
in their religious instruction, from which they had been kept by their
superiors, brethren in the ministry, and by thus uniting themselves
together as a body of Christians, might have the glorious privilege
to sit under their own vine and fig-tree, without respect to persons,
though greatly opposed by the prejudices of the times, and persecu¬
ted by the tongues of ignoramuses, the calumny of the world, yea,
as we had been a long time desiring for the day to come when union
might prevail throughout the church, without, our being buffeted or
stigmatized by professors of Christianity, in doors or out doors ; then
we thought that this was a good time to prove the strength of our
faith, by showing to each other our acts of benevolence, by the prin¬
ciples of Christianity, that the world might judge for themselves,
and that the rising generation might know what kind of tribulations
their forefathers passed through, in the formation of this connection,
in order to breathe free air in the church of God; (Matt, vii. 12 ;)
yea, instead of being buffeted by the great adversary of God and
man, we have had the happiness of seeing the pleasure of the Lord
prospering in our hands, to whom we appeal for our good conscience
in Christ Jesus. The work of God has spread, through our instru¬
mentality, from Philadelphia to various parts of Pennsylvania, Del¬
aware, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Canada, the barren shores of
Africa, and the Island of Hayti, and " Ethiopia is seen stretching
out her hands to God." Ps. lxviii. 31.
We esteem it our duty and privilege, most earnestly to recom¬
mend to our church, our Form of Discipline, revised and improved,
which has been founded on the experience of a long series of years ;
as also on the observations and remarks we have made on ancient
and modern churches.
We wish to see this little publication in the houses of all our mem¬
bers ; and the more so as it contains the articles of religion, more or
less, maintained, in part or in the whole, by every reformed church
in the world.
Far from wishing you to be ignorant of our doctrines, or any part
of our discipline, we desire you to read, mark, and inwardly digest
the whole. You ought next to the word of God to procure the can¬
ons of the church to which you belong. This present edition is
cheap, and we can assure you that the profits of the sale of it shall
be applied to charitable purposes.
9
As the evangelical co-workers with God, the preachers and mem¬
bers of our church having become a distinct body of people, by red-
son of separation from our white brethren of the Methodist Episco¬
pal Church, found it necessary at their first General Conference,
in April, 1816, to elect one from their own body, who was adequate
to be set apart in the holy orders. To superintend the connection
that was then formed, the Rev. Richard Allen, being seventeen
years an ordained minister by the Rev. Bishop Asbury of the Meth¬
odist Church, was unanimously elected to fill up that office; and on
the 11th day of April, 1816, the Rev. Richard Allen was solemnly
set apart for the Episcopal office, by prayer and the imposition of the
hands of five regularly ordained ministers, one of whom was the
Rev. A. Jones, p. priest of the Protestant Episcopal Church in good
standing. At which time the General Conference in Philadelphia
did unanimously receive the said Richard Allen as their bishop, be¬
ing fully satisfied with the validity pf his Episcopal ordination.
The connection having considerably increased, in the course of
twelve years, the General Conference sitting in Philadelphia, in
1828, found it expedient to have another bishop to travel through
the connection as joint superintendent. The Rev. Morris Brown,
being twelve years an ordained elder, was duly elected to fill up that
office, and on Sabbath morning, May 25, 1828, Morris Brown was
solemnly set apart by prayer, and the imposition of the hands of the
Right Rev. Richard Allen, first Bishop of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church, and five regularly ordained elders, as a joint
bishop of the said church. After the decease of the Right Rev.
Richard Allen, which took place at his residence in Philadelphia,
March 26, 1,831, the labors involving upon the Right Rev. Morris
Brown, (his successor in office,) became so great, that the General
Cppference, sitting in Philadelphia, in 1836, deemed it necessary to
appoint a junior bishop, ^s joint superintendent, to asssist in attend-
.ing to tjje business of the connection ; when the Rev. Edward Wa¬
fers (being a .regular ordained elder for many years) was duly elect¬
ed rto £11 up t^t office, and on Sabbath morning, May 15, 1836,
Edward Waters was solemnly set apart by prayer and the imposi¬
tion of the bands of the Right Rev. Morris Brown, (second Bishop
of the African Metfypdist Episcopal Church,) and five .regularly or-
.dained elders, as a jpint junior bishop of the said church.
Therefore, we go forth by principle instead of interest, in' order
to establish a principle of order and equal rights in religion among
ourselves, believjng that nothing short of a united effort in truth
jwij.1 save "us as a people from that awful, dilemma or gulf which
we shpuld otherwise fall into, and probably fall to rjse ho more.
Thus they felt this to be a subject of such vast importance which
deeply concerned every candid mind, that with a view of genera¬
tions yet to come, they arose with a sympathetic feeling, and called
upon their brethren to cpme up to the standard of truth, in one solid
10
phalanx—for the truth is mighty, and it must prevail; and they
were assured that nothing else but a union of action among them¬
selves was a.ble to move the wheels of the mighty car of a general
reformation, while they viewed their mother church delighted with
the love of the world, which caused them to weep. Yea, fanati¬
cism, superstition and confusion seems to have reigned predominant
over her subjects, who ought to have been their waymarks to Virtue
and purity; but seeing no fruit after waiting so long, they became
hopeless of seeing any change for the better, or any amelioration of
their condition, as it seemed in all probability that we should never
realize that blessing from that source, and that is for them to judge.
We therefore, in view of the solemn duty that We owe to God,
and to ourselves, and to the rising generations yet to Come, feel re¬
solved by the grace of God to snow the difference to the world at
large that exists between truth and deception, by a holy life which
will clearly discriminate where the virtue is for the fruit will be
seen, yea, it is the life of man by which truth will appear in behalf
of the innocent, when facts shall be clearly demonstrated to public
view, that principle has been the chief desire of the heart, instead of
interest. Mark the phraseology.
A DISCRIMINATOR OF FACTS.
A DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR.
It is with great pleasure and joyfulness of heart, for the consolac-
tion of the rising generation, that I set before you a small treatise
for your investigation, that you may have a perfect knowledge of
the first rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States, called Bethel Church, under the direction of
the Right Rev. Richard Allen and his colleagues. 1 T im. v. 21'.
The public are called on to judge for themselves in answer to the
discriminator, by which the sublime light lightened up our dark un¬
derstandings. In due form we were made strong, while those igno¬
minious persons that chose darkness rather than light were left in
darkness, by refusing; to come to the light. This is a subject of vast
.importance. John iii. 18—21. Yes, such men as these always ex-
.pose their ignorance to the world at large, while truth with its mag¬
nificence and splendor opens a door of liberty unto all. Ah ! men of
folly often try to shut the door of truth by their ignominious princi¬
ples. 2 Tim.» iii. 8, 9.
J leave the subject now under consideration for you to judge, as
you are called on to discriminate between truth and error, in due
form; therefore, put all your thinking powers into execution, and
notwithstanding the peculiarity of the subject, proceed permanently
without prejudice, which is the duty of all judges; and if so, you will
be fully prepared to answer.
I write these lines above to give you a just conception of the pro*
eeedingsof a discrimination, that you may judge for yourselves, as I.
11
wish truth to prevail in your discriminations, in answer to Mr. John
Forty and his colleagues. N. C. W. CANNON.
I am indebted to a brother in Baltimore for
A DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN
John Forty, George R. M'Gill and Samuel G. Weares,
And the Honorable Society to which they belong.
Bat tire final separation of the wheat and the tares we must leave until the judg¬
ment of the great day.—Matt. xiii. 38.
We, the undersigners, representatives of the African Methodist
Bethel Society in the city of Baltimore, who have recently been
charged (in certain handbills bearing the signatures of John Forty,
George R. M'Gill and Samuel G. Weares) with being schismatics ;
which society can justly adopt the language of the Apostle, 2 Cor.
vii. 2. "We have ^wronged no man ; we have corrupted no man ;
we have defrauded no man." For, notwithstanding this society hath
peaceably withdrawn from under the charge of the Bishops and Con¬
ference, yet they left behind their church property for the enjoy¬
ment of those of our African brethren who do not yet see as we see;
so that we have done wrong to none, (unless we have wronged our¬
selves.) But to return to the charge brought against us, of being
schismatics, by those novices in speculative divinity who have quoted
for their authority, " St. Ireneus, and other celebrated writers,"1
whose names they have not mentioned, now on the testimonies of
these authors, they rest satisfied as to the' accuracy of what consti¬
tutes us schismatics, for they ask and answer the question, " What
is schism % A causeless separation from such governors in the
church as have received their authority and commission from Jesus
Christ." Now whether we have as much veneration for Methodism
as our opponents profess to have, yet we are conscious that we have
more respect for the founder of Methodism than they have manifest¬
ed. For while they quote the authority of " St. Ireneus, and other
celebrated authors," we shall quote the authority of the celebrated
Mr. John Wesley, And in so doing we shall not give offense, or
incur the censure of the connection to which these men have the un¬
deserved honor of being attached, (viz. the Methodist Society.) We
shall refer the reader to the 6th volume of Mr. Wesley's Sermons,
page 151, 1 Cor. xii. 25 : "That there might be no schism in the
body."
If there be any word in the English tongue as ambiguous and in¬
determinate in its meaning as the word Church, it is the word schism.
It has been the subject of innumerable disputes, for several hundred
years; and almost innumerable books have been written concerning
it, in every part of the Christian world. A very large share of these
have been published in our country, particularly during the last
century and the beginning of the present. And persons of the
12
strongest understanding and the most consummate learning, have
exhausted all their strength upon the question, both in conversation
and writing. This has appeared to be more necessary than ever,
since the grand separation of the Reformed from the Romish Church.
This is a charge which the members of that Church never fail to
bring against all that separate from her, and which consequently
has employed the thoughts and pens of the most able disputants on
both sides. And those of each side, secure of victory, supposing
the strength of their arguments was so great, that it was impossible
for reasonable men to resist them.
But it is observable that exceeding little gpod has been done by all
these controversies; very few of the warmest and ablest disputants
have been able to convince their opponents. After all that could
be said, the papists are papists, and the protestants are protestants
still. And the same success has attended those who have so vehe¬
mently disputed about separation from the Church of England;
those who separated from her were eagerly charged with schism,
they as eagerly denied the charge ; and scarce any were able to
convince their opponents, either on one side or the other.
3. One great reason why this controversy has been so unprofita¬
ble, why so few of either side have been convinced, is this : they
seldom agreed to the meaning of the word concerning which they
disputed; and if they did not fix the meaning of this; if they did
not define the term, before they began disputing about it, they might
continue their dispute to their lives' end without getting one step
forward; without coming a jot nearer to each other than when they
first set out.
4. Yet it must be a point of considerable importance, or St. Paul
would not have spoken so seriously of it. It is therefore highly
needful that we should consider, the nature 44 of schism."
1. It is the more, needful to do this, because among the number¬
less books that have been written upon the subject, both by the Ro¬
mans and the Protestants, it is difficult to find any that define it in a
scriptural manner. The whole body of Roman Catholics define
schism a separation from the Church of Rome ; and almost all our
own writers define it a separation from the Church of England.
Thus both the one and the other set out wrong, and stumble at the
very threshold. This will easily appear to any one that calmly con¬
siders the several texts wherein the word schism occurs. From the
whole tenor of which it is manifest, that it is not a separation from
any Church, (whether general or particular, whether the Catholic
or any other National Church,) but a separation in a Church.
2. Let us begin with the first verse, wherein St. Paul makes use
of the word. It is the tenth verse of the first chapter of his first
Epistle to the Corinthians. The words are, 441 beseech you, breth¬
ren, by the name of the Lord Jesus, that ye all speak the same
thing, and that there be no schism [the original word schismataj
13
among you." Can any thing be more plain, than that the schism
here spoken of was not a separation from, but a division in the
church of Corinth ; accordingly it follows, " but that ye be perfect¬
ly united together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
This consequently was fiot a separation from the church or Christian
soeiety of Corinth, but a separation in the church; a disunion in
mind and judgment (perhaps also in affection) among those, who,
notwithstanding this, continued outwardly united as before.
3. Of what nature this schism at Corinth was, is still more clear¬
ly determined, if any thing can be more clear, by the words which
immediately follow. Now this I say : This is the schism of which
I speak. You are divided into separate parties; some of you speak¬
ing in favor of one, some of another preacher. Every one of you
saith, ver. 12, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, (or
Peter.) Who then does not see, that the schism for which the Apos¬
tle here reproves the Corinthians, is neither more nor less than the
splitting into several parties, as they gave the preference to one or
another preacher ? And this species of schism there will be occa¬
sion to guard against in every religious community.
4. The second place where the Apostle uses this word is in the
eighteenth verse of the eleventh chapter of this Epistle: " When
we come together in the church, (the Christian congregation,) I
hear that there are divisions (the original word here also is schis-
mata schisms) among you." But what were these schisms ? The
Apostle immediately tells, (verse 20,) 4< When you come together,
professing your design is to eat of the Lord's Supper, every one
taketh before another his own supper as if it were a common meal."
What then was the schism ? It seems in doing this, they divided
into parties, which cherished anger and resentment one against an¬
other, even at that solemn season.
7. The third, and the only regaining place in this Epistle where¬
in the Apostle uses this word, is the twenty-fifth verse of the twelfth
chapter, where speaking of the church (he seems to mean the church
universally, the whole body of Christ) he observes, "God hath tem¬
pered the body together, having given more abundaht honor to that
which lacked, that there might be no schism in the body." 24, 25.
He immediately fixed the meaning of his own wohfe': "but th&t the
members might have the. same care one for another: and whether
one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or ohe member
be honored, all the members rejoice with it." We may easily ob¬
serve, that the V^ord schism, here means the want, of this tender care t
for each bther. It undoubtedly means an alienatiOri of affection in
any of them toward their brethren : 'a division of heart. And par¬
ties springing therefrom, tTiough they were still' undoubtedly united
together ; though th6y still continued themselves ®f the same eternal
s'ociety.
8. But thtere seems to be one considerable objection against the
14
thing. 11 is Said> St*
supposing heresy and schism to mean the same u■' &tetkes the word
Peter, in the second chapter of his second Epis" » ^ ^ There
heresies in a quite different sense. His words aire, ^ ,
shall be among you false teachers, who.will d s ^ „ Jt ^
destructive) heresies, denying the Lord thai W g ^
by no means appear, that St. Peter here takes ^ u _ .
any other sense than St. Paul does. Even in this p g
appear to have any reference to opinions good or a . a er it
means, They will bring in, or occasion, destructive parties or sects
(so it is rendered in the common French translation) who deny the
Lord that bought them : such sects now swarm throughout the Chris¬
tian world.
I shall be thankful to any one who will point to me any other
place in the inspired writings, wjiere this word schism is to be found.
I remember only these three. And it is apparent to every impartial
reader, that it does not in any of these mean, a separation from any
church or body of Christians, whether with, or without cause. So
that the immense pains which have been taken both by Papists and
Protestants, in writing whole volumes against schism, as a separa¬
tion, whether from the Church of Rome, or from the Church of
England, exerting all their strength, and bringing all their learning,
have been employed to mighty little purpose. They have been
fighting with shadows of their own raising: violently combating a
sin, which had no existence, but in their own imagination, which is
not once forbidden, no, nor once mentioned either in the Old or
New Testament.
Now, if the above definition of the Rev. Mr. Wesley is to be re¬
lied upon, we are clear from the charge of being schismatics; and
if his definition is not correct, it follows of course, that all who have
separated from the Church of Rome, or the Church of England, are
schismatics, and we shall not bear this detestable application alone.
As to the exaggerated statement of the effect produced in this city,
in consequence of our withdrawing from under the charge of the
Bishop and Conference, it is not true.
We are sorry to say, that there has been some little eoolness be¬
tween some of the members of the two societies ; but this, thank
<5od, is greatly on the decline, and our prayer is, that the time may
speedily come,, when even this coolness shall be swallowed up in
brotherly l°ve, and we see the two societies sweetly united in the
onds of Christian affection; and then shall it be exemplified, by
oth societies, that Christians may differ in opinions, yet love like
rethren. And this we think, would soon be experienced, were it
not t°r such men as J. Forty and S. GU Weares, (who will be known
thls "Discriminator," by the appellation of the
shall trv t • 6 P\ace °f, ^sraeh) and when they write again we
V°rt™7f characters, though well
"e generality of the people of color ; and as they know
15
<+
that they live in glass houses as to character, we hope they will
take care how they throw stones.
The next thing to be noticed is the handbill of March, 1815.
They ask a question, " Did Stop and Consider charge Mr. Coker of
being the framer of. that Constitution, termed the Union Society ?
It did." But this charge is false, for we can prove by the testimo¬
ny of Mr. David Bristor, Nelson Roberts, David Duffin, Alexander
Murray and Frederick Jakes, that Mr. Coker did not frame the con¬
stitution of the Union African Society.
The next thing to be noticed is the statement of the quarterage
given for the support of the white ministry by the African Society.
These disturbers of the peace of Israel say, that " the collection for
7 or 8 years, never amounted to more than $50 per ann., the year
1814 excepted ; that year it amounted to one hundred and thirty odd'
dollars." As to the correctness or incorrectness of this statement,
we are not able to decide, (although we very much doubt its being
no more.) For if the sheep yielded so scant a fleece, why was it
said in "Stop and Consider" of the Rev. Mr. Coker, "money ap¬
pears to be his object, and money he will have," &c. ? We should
like this problem solved. Now it will be observed, that ever since
the establishment of the African Church, the white friends have
kept the books, and no account of the quarterage money (that we
know of) was given to the members of the African Society, no,
not even to the official members : but now these disturbers of the
peace of Israel have got into the cabinet, and can tell us all about
the secret, of which we believe we should have remained pro¬
foundly ignorant had it not been for this separation, so that it
must be self-evident, , that this much good the Rev. Mr. Coker
and the separation have done for the people of color in this city,
viz : putting them into the possession of the knowledge how their
money goes.
The next thing to be considered is, that these disturbers of the
peace of Israel tell us, that "this money was for the traveling
ministry." True; but what says the Rev. Mr. Coker in his cele¬
brated sermon ? " Again, why, I would ask you, my colored offi¬
cial brethren, have you not been sent to carry the news of salva¬
tion, (at least to those of your own color, that would have glad¬
ly received it from your lips ?) for there are scores of you, that
have been thought worthy of obtaining licenses as local preach¬
ers ; and yet not a solitary instance of one of you being sent on
this important mission, notwithstanding your colored brethren in
the different African Churches, have contributed their mite for
the support of the Gospel." But we hope that the provision for
colored men to travel and preach to the people of color, will
now be made by the Conference, for something we believe they
must do to keep their people quiet.
The next thing to be considered is, these disturbers of the
16
peace of Israel charge the Rev Mr. Coker with hadTa
say they, " the Rev. Mr. says, that the colored pr , j ..
baptize; this is a notorious falsehood, for it will be observed that
none but himself was authorized to baptize." We answer, the
Rev. Mr. Coker could not have meant to deceive, by saying that
the colored preachers had to baptize, &Cs ; for it would have been
no disparagement tothatRev. gentleman, to have acknowledged that
he was the only colored minister in this city that was authorized
to baptize ; but we think it rather a mark of his humility, like
St. Paul, for while he informs us, that he khew a man who had
the honor of being distinguished from his brethren by being caught
up in the third heavens, yet the Apostle did not possess arrogance
enough to say, I w^s the man. But no doubt, had these disturbers
of the peace of Israel been the only men authorized, to baptize,
&c. they would have proclaimed it upon the house top. So that
the Rev. Mr. Coker, in concealing his superiority over his breth¬
ren, rather shows the spirit of the humble Christian.
The next charge brought against our Rev. Pastor, by those dis¬
turbers of the peace of Israel is, they propose the question : " We
will ask Mr. Coker, whether he did not positively enjoin and en¬
force it on all the official colored members, and that not only once,
but several times, (we mean those of them who were of his way of
thinking,) that if they should be asked to bury any one, not to do
it V «Scc. Now this charge we can prove to be false by our breth¬
ren. RICHARD HALLIDAY, Exhorter.
JOHN WYE, Preacher.
VINCENT BLAKE,
ISAAC JONES, Exhorter.
RICHARD WILLIAMS, Preacher.
HENRY HARDEN, do.
JAMES COAL, do.
CHARLES PRINCE, do.
JACOB PIERSON, Exhorter,
jBut fiere .we will disclose the whole matter. About three years
ago, the colored preachers belonging to the African society, imbibed
an opinion that they were imposed upon, by being called off so re¬
peatedly from their work, (seeing they were all laboring men,) to
bury the dead, visit the sick, &c., seeing the whole of the money
raised in the African societies, for the support of the Gospel was
received by tl?e .white elders. This is acknowledged by these dis¬
turbers of the peace of Israel. The Rev. Mr. Coker, who was the
orgq,n for the official body, asked the presiding elder, in one of the
quarter conferences, whose business it was to perform those servi¬
ces. Ttje elder acknowledged the question was important, but he
evadefl.^n a,nswer, by saying, "Brother Shinn, who is the ruling
preacher, is not presentso that no satisfaction was obtained from
that court,
11
Shortly after this, the Bishop arrived in Baltimore. A commit¬
tee, (the Rev. D. Coker, Mr. William Moore, Mr. Rich&rd Russell,
Mr. Jacob Gilyard, Sen., and others,^) had an interview with the
Bishop, to obtain the information which was sought at the quarter
conference, but it could not be obtained. The Bishop did honor to
himself, and the important station he filled in the church. For he
promised that at the conference, that was then about to set, he would
appoint an elder, to take the charge of the African church, and that
in future the society would apply to him, but observed to the Rev.
Mr. Coker, that as he was the only ordained colored preacher1, it
Would be well for him to give the elder what aid he could, to which
he cheerfully consented. But it will be observed that he could not
aid the elder much, as he had charge of a large' school oft which he
had to depend for the support of a growifig family* The Bishop-
appointed the Rev. Mr. Stansbury.
Shortly after this, Mrs. Baily, an old member of the African so¬
ciety, lost a relation. She applied to several Of the colored preach¬
ers to attend the funeral, but could get none', seeing they were all
at their labor. She then went to the Rev. Mr. Coker, and'he could
not leave his school; so he referred her (as the Bishop had directed)
to the Rev. Mr. Stansbury. She went and asked him; he told herJ
in plain terms he would not, but referred her to the colored preach¬
ers, and shortly after this told Mr. Jacob Gilyard, Sen., who was
then a trustee of the African church, that if the Bishop of the con¬
ference was to tell him to attend the funerals of the colored people,
he would not do it. And at this very time', the colored society was
contributing every three months for his support. ' The Rev. Mr.'
Coker spoke to him about it, but he still persisted to refuse to dis-,
charge this duty. And at the next conference it can be pmyed that
the official members unanimously went forward and met the Bishops,
at. Mrs. Deckin's, to state their grievances. Mr. Coker was • again'
chosen by the official board to be their organ, and none spoke but
him, except Jacob Forty, the father of one of these disturbers of the
peace of Israel; he contended that the colored preachers ought tO1
do these duties; but we would ask this intruder among the sons of
the prophets, how many afternoons he has ever deprived Mr. Lin-
denburger of his services, by discharging this last kind office to a
deceased friend. The Bishops, however, heard their, grievances,
and undertook to redress them by appointing' the Rev*. Mr'. Grubef
successor to Mr. Stansbury.
Now although we confess that Mr. Gruber did mufch to keep the
society quiet, yet we would ask, had Mr. Grubfcr hife foot inside the-
African burying ground, during the whole year he was stationed in
this city, in the capacity of a minister of the African society 1
Again, we would ask, can it be proved that ever one elder has
(except Mr« Kingston) headed a colored funeral in the streets of
Baltimore, until a few weeks ago, the Rev. Mr. Hagerty (whom we
18
x „ J j r.inpral of Mrs. Crawford
hold in the highest in us thaf this Rev.
a colored woman 1 and it exciio ^ ^ ^ and ^
gentleman has been a uke before . an(j we are ready to ask
wtoB.Slt0wSdeh«e' been the case if the separation had not taken
PlThe *jext circumstance we would notice is—these disturbers of
the peace of Israel have endeavored to criminate the Rev. Mr. Coker
by charging him with ingratitude; for observe their language:
" and we do say that his liberty was effected by the Methodists of
Baltimore, ungrateful man for favors past." Now as to the circum¬
stance of the Rev. Mr. Coker obtaining some aid from- his colored
brethren, towards effecting his liberty, he acknowledges it with
thankfulness ; but this is no secret, for it was done in the colored
society publicly, by the Rev. Michell Coats, who we believe is now
receiving his reward in glory, of whom the Rev. Mr. Coker always
speaks in the highest terms, and the Rev. Mr. Coats spoke of him in
the same. Hundreds in this city can witness, and we believe that
the aid given at that time by our friends was done with, pleasure
from a belief that he'would be useful; and if these disturbers of the
peace of Israel gave any thing and are now needy, let them inform
us and it shall be reimbursed, for he has friends enough, both in
Sharp-street and Bethel church, &c. But have we been disappoint¬
ed in his usefulness ? No ; and this every unprejudiced man must
acknowledge, though it may be said-of him, " he hath labored and
other men have entered into his- labors." John iv. 38. Now we
would ask by what means was a lot of gro^d, now held and" enjoyed
by our brethren in Sharp-street, obtained ? Through the instrumen¬
tality of Mrs. Nicholas Norris, Mr. George Collins, the Rev. D.
Coker, Jacob Gilyard, Sen. and Mr. Richard Russell. For it will
be remembered that these friends begged from the benevolent citi¬
zens of Baltimore upwards of one thousand dollars, to purchase said
lot. And who were the projectors of this plan 1 Mrs. Norris, who
gave the first five dollars towards it, and the Rev. Mr. Coker.
Again, two dwelling houses on said lot, worth $14 per month, are
owing to the indefatigable labors of that Rev. gentleman. In a
word, upwards of three thousand dollars improvements were effect¬
ed, during his connection with this society. And ask old brother
Russell, and brother J. Gilyard, Sen., who we believe will give the
credit of devising the plan for raising the money to accomplish the
same to the Rev. Mr. Coker. Add to this, when he came to this city
to take charge of the school, he had to begin with seventeen schol¬
ars, and when he left the school, he left about one hundred and fifty
scholars, under the charge of his worthy friend, Mr. Crawford ; and
should the cause of his leaving the school be demanded, it will be
with pleasure that we shall give a statement to the public. Add to
this his ministerial labors in this city for more than six years, and
19
"we believe that there are hundreds that belong to Sharp-street socie¬
ty, that will in spite of all that can be said by the disturbers of the
peace of Israel, ever hold this our Rev. brother in the highest es¬
teem ;. for he often speaks with pleasure of his Sharp-street friends,
and in his pulpit he breathes the same language. Now we would
ask the question, If he is this useful man, has he not long since made
■compensatory returns for all that has been done for him ? We be¬
lieve that the majority of the citizens will answer in the a'ffiiMative.
The next charge is that he was not free when he was ordained,
(Did we not know that these men wrote jintjler the influence of prej¬
udice, we should be much astonished.) Now we would ask, Is it a
secret just disclosed, that the Rev. Mr. Coker did receive ordination
prior to his purchasing himself ? No ; for the collection to aid him
was made in the colored society, publicly as before stated. Again,
was it thought in him a crime, that he received orders before the
purchase ? No ; for the elders then spoke of him in the highest
terms. But .should it be said that the elders did not know at that
time of bis concealing his situation from the Bishops, then this would
go to criminate the Bishop ; for it would follow that the Bishop did
ordain bim, notwithstanding he knew he was not free. But the
truth is, the Bishop did not know his situation, and this the elders
knew when the aid was given him ; yet they did not view it as a
. crime, for the Rev. Mr. Bun read his ordination license in the Afri¬
can church and explained his situation, and then recommended him
to the society, and he stood high as a minister until he withdrew,
and would have done till this day had he staid.
The next charge brought against our Rev. brother is, that the
Bishop received a letter, informing him.that he had ordained a slave,
and that he received a letter from Mr. Coker, &c. We would like
to know when these letters were received, for if they were received
any considerable time before the separation, we shall then wonder
that the Bishop had not made these things known before. But it is
said that the Rev. Mr. Coker has been guilty of ingratitude. In
what? for withdrawing? Then Mr. Wesley, George Fox, Martin
Luther, and every other dissenter and nonconformist have been
guilty of ingratitude ; for all that Mr. Coker has done is, that he has
withdrawn and is now worshipping God with his brethren, agreea¬
bly to his own conscience ; (and he is not ashamed to own us as his
flock, in the street, in the garret, in the kitchen, in the quarter, in
sickness or in death ; and such a shepherd we think suits the de¬
scendants of Africa best.) We are almost compelled to say, that
there could not be more clamoring and grumbling about Mr. Coker's
withdrawing, if he had been Suffragan, Bishop of the Methodist con¬
nection ; and if he was such a useful man, we would ask, would it
not have been better had those disturbers of the peace of Israel ap¬
plied to the legislative body to pass an act on purpose to confine him
to the connection, whether he would stay or not ? The next thing
20
is his confuting the malicious slander, by Certificates- ^ ^ j
be observed,, that it is not denied, nor dare not be
obtained those certificates from Mr. Thatcher, and *1^ Hon. Mr
Clinton and that he obtained them at the time of his Jeav ng that
city. " This is to certify to all whom it may concern, that Daniel
Coker is a Deacsn of acceptable standing, m the African Zion Meth¬
odist ^^■f'lTCLChurch, in the City of New York, and as such he ls
herebVfeSmended by William Thatcher, ruling elder, in the
Methodist Episcopal Church, in the City of New York. New York,
March 27, 1809." "I, De Witt Clinton, Mayor of the City of
New York, do hereby certify as my opinion that the within certifi¬
cate is entitled to full credence. DE WITT CLINTON.
" Dated 6th of April, 1809."
Now it only remains to refer to the minutes of the Methodist con¬
ference, to know what station the Rev. Mr. Thatcher then filled in
the church, and it will be found that he was ruling elder, (as his cer¬
tificate certifies,) and that with the presiding elder he*had a seat in
the African quarter conference; and all that are acquainted with
the discipline of the Methodist church know, that at every quarter
conference there is an examination made of the standing of all the
preachers, so that Mr, Thatcher must have been acquainted with
the Rev. Mr. Coker's standing, and if he gives a false recommenda¬
tion, (as the above must be, if Mr. Coker was not a deacon of unex¬
ceptionable standing,) it will prove this much, that the elder and
conference kept within the pale of their church a man that was not
of acceptable standing, which we believe the Methodist church would
not do knowingly, if the man had the talents of a Grecian orator, or
the Archbishop of Canterbury.
i As to the circumstance of our purchasing our church, &c. without
the knowledge pf the elder, we can prove it to be untrue, by a quo¬
tation from the memorial sent to the Bishops and conference ; for
^ay the petitioners, " Should we establish another church, will the
Bishops take us under their direction V' Again, as to the rumor of
our trying to get another African church, founded on a different ba-
sisji it is not without foundation. Now it will be observed that this
petition was handed into conference, and we can prove by the arti¬
cles of agreement between us and Mr. Carmel, of whom we pur¬
chased the church, that we did not purchase the church till some time
after the adjournment of the conference. There are several other
things said as to the purchase of the church in the handbills. But
we think them not worth an answer.
. Again, these disturbers of the peace of Israel say, " Mr. Allen
and some of his official members, disagreeing in consequence of Mr.
Allen's improper conduct." Now we wonder that he had not been
charged with ingratitude also ; but we suppose they were deterred
from this, knowing that he was a rich man, and that scores of the
servants of God, now in the traveling ministry, (who before the sep-
21
aration held the Rev. Richard Allen in the highest esteem,) found
his house and table like that of the Shunamite woman, 2 Kings iv.
8. " And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was
a great woman ; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it
was, that, as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread."
And that these heralds of the Most High, on the principle of grati¬
tude, would have remonstrated against such a charge.
The next thing to be considered is, that these disturbers of the
peace of Israel deny that the African church in Philadelphia was
gained from the Bishops and conference ; for they ask the question,
" Who did they gain their church from % from the Bishops and con¬
ference, or from their colored brethren ?" Now the validity of this
evasion will be shortly tried, and to satisfy the public that it will be,
we shall here insert an extract from a letter recently received from
the " self-created Bishop Allen," so called. But we would ask, did
the celebrated Rev. Ezekiel Cooper, one of the greatest luminaries
in the Methodist church, in conversation with the Rev. Mr. Shinn
and the Rev. Mr. Neal, one morning at the breakfast table, in
Light-street, consider him so ? or rather, we would ask, did not this
.distinguished divine, who was well versed in the controversy as to
what constitutes a bishop, say in the most positive manner, that
properly speaking the Rev. Richard Allen was the Bishop of Bethel
church? " Dear Brother, as soon as possible we intend giving a
true and full statement of the whole of the trial." Now we think
that when the document to which Mr. Allen refers shall appear, the
public Will take up the language of the prophet, Isa. xxviii. 20 :
" For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it;
and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it."
Now Robert Green, (a colored man,) was the tool with which the
elders worked. In a word, Green is the bed and the covering to
which we allude, in the text just quoted.
Now the last thing that we shall notice is, that after the proof-
sheet of the handbill that gave rise to this answer fell into our pos¬
session, the press was stopped for some days that they might imake
the following addition in the handbill. And we know not at which
to be the most astonished, whether that it should take three scribes
three days to make this addition, or the falsehood of the same. But
why do we speak thus, when we believe that the main body of their
handbill had bestowed on it five or six months' labor, whereas we,,
like our celebrated minister at Ghent, have bestowed but one or two-
<Jayson this discriminator, and have not had recourse to Light-street
library neither ? Now that it may appear what those men were la*-
boring for three days to bring forth, we will here insert it, and then
confute it: 0^?°" Mr. Coker says that the colored member^ in Phi¬
ladelphia and Baltimore, though withdrawn from the society, a.re
Methodists still. But it will be observed that they wtere legally tried
according to the discipline, and were excommunicated, and of course
22
they are not Methodists." Now to co:^hi^was established
observe that when the Bethel church in Ph P the advantage
notwithstanding the members of that church had n ^ ^ ^ p
ut-
care to
rf."Sutton, and although ™|
most confidence in^their charter a power which we
wish' o-°Shar"itreet brethren had this day, viz: the trying of their
brethren by Jcomnritteo of the members of their own society; f0I
this and this only saved our brethren in Philadelphia from being ex¬
communicated as above stated. It is a fact not to be denied, that
agreeably to the charter of that church, the elder could not try
one of the members but by a colored committee ; for observe what
says the elder, the Rev. Mr. Emory, in his circular, published in
1814, 011 account of the African society being dissatisfied.
Philadelphia, July 17,, 1814.—"But you have not acted accord¬
ing to that declaration, (viz. the charter,) and therefore, after long
forbearance, we must tell you, that we cannot serve you any
longer.
"In saying this, I have the sanction of Bishop Asbury, and of the
trustees and quarterly conference of the Union church ; we hope
you will take this subject into serious consideration. We pretend
not to dictate to you, nor do we mean to attempt any harsh meas¬
ures. JOHN EMORY."
But nine months after this, the Rev. Mr. R. Roberts went to
Bethel church, and insisted on preaehing, and nothing but the aisles
being stopped up by the congregation prevented him, and here a
disturbance began.
Now we would ask, why did not Mr. Emory try them? We an¬
swer, because he knew that he was bound by the charter to try them
by a colored committee. But why did he not try them by a colored
committee ? Because he knew that the society was so united that
they would not turn each other out, for contending for their rights.
We will give you another extract from the Rev. Richard Allen.
"We called the society together on the 13th April; there were
one thousand and fourteen met; and they were unanimously of one
mindso that you may see that they could not have been excom¬
municated ; for the discipline makes no provision for excommuni¬
cating members without giving them a trial first; and we would
ask, have the fourteen hundred and odd members belonging to Beth¬
el church in Philadelphia, been tried and excommunicated according
to discipline ? No ; and no man that regards his standing in society
will say it. The truth is, they withdrew, as did the members of
Bethel church in this city, and are almost daily withdrawing, and are
For had the elder had to try all that have lMY j
joined Bethel, we will venture to say he would havt'S but littU
23
ime to study his Bible, unless he had tried them in the aggregate*
k.nd after all these disturbers of the peace of Israel can say, We are
till Methodists, and will sing,
" A Methodist, it is ray name,
I hope to live and die the same;
Oh may I always live in this,
And die a faithful Methodist."
Our pens must now become stationary, and when we take them up
;; igain, we shall expect it wilt be to answer men of better character
han John Forty and Samuel G. Weares. And should we have to
mswer them again, we will venture to say the public shall know
vho they are.
We must conclude in the words of our much beloved pastor :
"And my [or our] prayer is, that we, the descendants of Africa,
Triay enjoy, and not abuse our glorious pi*ivileges ; and always retain
i high sense of our obligation of obedience to the laws of God, and
the laws of our land ; 4 For who are these uncircumcised Philistines,
-that they should defy the armies of the living God V "*
NICHOLAS GILYARD, 1
DON C. HALL, ( , .
NELSON L. ROBERTS, fMen of color>
WILLIAM H. GRIGGS, j
.Since the above went to press, we have received a letter from the
Rev. Richard Allen, now pastor of the African Church in Phila¬
delphia, which we think will be proper here to present, as it will
go to confirm the above statements.
February 18, 1816.
To the Rev. Daniel Coker, Minister of the African Bethel Church?
Baltimore.
Dear Brother—I received your kind letter, and was happy to
hear that your family is well; and above all, that the work of the
Lord prospers among you. The hymn that was composed on the
victory of Bethel church came safe to hand. I have given one to
Lawyer Binney and one to Lawyer Brown. Mr. Sergeant is gone
to Congress ; at our trial we got the States Attorney, (Mr. Israel
Ingersoll,) in his place. .On the 26th of December, the Rev. Mr.
Burch, (one of the white Methodist elders,) sent to me a notification
that he should preach on the 31st inst., in Bethel church, and re-
* To be innocent in'all our proceedings, by which we prove to the world our
sincerity, that we work the works of righteousness; by which we intend to con¬
quer our enemies by love; yea, this is the sublime knowledge that we desire to
retain in heart; then truth will,cut its way through the world, by which thp
enemies of the cross will lose the skirt of their robes, which will strengthen the
cause of the innocent; and we say—-Amen, Christ will save his own.
Yours, in the bonds of affection. 1 Sam. xxiv.
24
♦ that he would preach
quested me to give notice to the congregation, nQtice gh
at 3 o'clock in the afternoon : however, for eyening> and ga,,
not be given, he came down himself on Jcted it, and told tfc
out the appointment for himself. But I ^ Whejj ^
congregation, that I did not believe he began meeti
day arrived on which he intended to p ^ and the aisles all
little after 2 o'clock. The house was !
filled with people and benches, so that he c Kpforp S n'M ^
the aisle; forobserve, he came about a quajte
He said, "Jacob Tapsicoe, [who is one of our colored ministers,j
did you not know that it was my appomtmen . ^ aP®lccje
demanded silence, and said he was preac ing in e name of his
God, and by the authority of the laws of his country. The elder
presently withdrew, together with his company. Un Monday, the
first of January, 1816, he applied to the Supreme Court, for a writ
of mandamus, to restore him the pulpit of Bethel church. Our law¬
yers repulsed his motion, and granted him a writ to show cause why
the trustees should restore him the pulpit. In this our lawyers n®
nceuvred to try the whole case. On the 11th of January, it was
brought before the Supreme Court. Mr. Binney opened the case
very copiously ; he had not spoken one hour before the Court ap¬
peared to be convinced. Mr. Binney, however, took up the whole
of the first day in opening the case. Mr. Binney pleaded that the
Rev. Mr. Burch, nor any other elder in the connection, had aiw
right to the pulpit of Bethel, contrary to the wish of the society; for
any grant that had been made to the elder by the trustees might be
taken from him at their pleasure, as there was not a third person's
name to the deed, or act of incorporation, and no temporal emolu¬
ment arising therefrom. Secondly, that he was not a member of
the incorporation, nor a party in the deed, and that the congregation
had a right to take from him what the incorporation had given him.
This was also the decided opinion of the judges, and the judge fur¬
ther asked, what profit he expected it would be to them, by forcing
himself upon them, contrary to their wishes; and that they held too
high a hand over the colored people, and they would drive them all
from them if they continued to carry so high a hand over them, and
he perceived that he had no right to the church, and that the whole
of them could be. expelled. Now, had not the church there been
sold, we should have gained our cause ; for the court was of the
opinion, from the above assigned reasons, that they had no right to
preach for us, contrary to our wishes, or to impose themselves upon
us. As to a libel that I see in circulation, (in your city,) bearing
the signature of John Forty, about the sale of the church, I will here
observe, I have had a judgment bond and mortgage against the
church, ever since 1803, for fourteen hundred and sixty-four dol¬
lars, and a judgment bond for three thousand nine hundred and six¬
ty-nine dollars.
So
. With regard to the sale of the church, the elder authorized a man
to come forward to bid for it; he run the church (and the adjoining
lot) belonging1 to the church up to ten thousand five hundred and
twenty-five dollars; the elder then proposed to the sheriff not to
make out a deed, till the overplus of the money was paid, but in
that he failed ; the elder then applied for a writ of mandamus, (as
before stated,) but in that he failed. But he got an execution
for us to shew c&use why the trustees should not deliver him the
pulpit, and upon this the v^hole case was tried.
Please to let me know who that John Forty is, and what he is ;
for what he has asserted is nothing more than a libel about Bethel
church, which we can make appear. I am in haste, as I have to
preach. No more at present, but remain your loving brother in
Christ.
N. B. Since writing the above, I haVe understood who this John
Forty is, and I think him beneath my notice ; for I had made up my
mind to prbve his assertions false, in every respect, by a bill to be
laid before the public, or by a daily advertisement; for what does
this man know about the dockets of our Supreme Court ? At the
first sight of his bill, I found him to be a man of deceit; yea, I
found him worse, viz., a man of untruth, in saying that the decision
af the Supreme Court authorized him to say that you had told what
was not true. As to what he says about the society's being opposed
l,o the sale of the church, and of my being overbearing, the union
~}f Bethel society will prove it to be false. There was but one man
svho opposed us, and he had been a fractious member and was diso¬
wned for his improper conduct. In 1812 he appealed to thequar-
erly conference ; the elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church was
hen president of the conference ; the judgment of the committee
•Vas confirmed in his expulsion; but when Mr. Roasell was stationed
n this city and Could not'get one single member of Bethel church,
le made a tool of Robert Green. I shall get the decision of the Su-
jreme Court, and forward it to you. You will exouse my not send-
ng our church deed, as we are now getting a new deed formed and
i new law. No more at present, but remain your loving brother in
he bonds of a pure Gospel.
Rev. R. ALLEN, with his other colleagues.
' (Read this letter in your church, as often as you may think proper.
^Tow it will be observed that the property of Bethel society in Phi-
adelphia is worth between twenty and thirty thousand dollars.)
' Therefore, " without holiness no man shall see God" in peace,
rithout any respect to character, or this world's wealth ; then, of
bourse, purity is demanded of all mankind, which denotes that the
uotto of such is holiness ; therefore, their victory is sure; the meek
!je the pure in heart; they shall see God in due form. Matt. v. 3,
I. All such characters arei truly ble6t in the sublime matters of di-
D
26
vine iruth, which will show the principles of their faith, by which
all such expect the sublime continuance of God's divine favor with
them, yes, by an act of obedience, in compliance with God's divine
law, as we know of a truth, the mighty God of Jacob has been with
us for the last twenty-seven years, in a particular manner: yea,
punctuality in obedience is the life of Christians, the art of which I
have learned, to trust the Lord for his grace, (M9,tt. vi» 33,) which
has caused an increase of knowledge among us as a people, the in¬
gathering of thousands of precious souls into the fold of Christ.
Yes, the work of the Lord is still going on among us—spreading
rapidly far and wide, from east to west, from north to south—six an¬
nual conferences this season : the Baltimore conference, in the city
of Washington, on the 23d of April; the Philadelphia conference,
on the 21st of May ; the New York conference, on the 11th of June;
the Canada conference, on the 2d of July, at Hamilton ; the India¬
na conference, on the 25th of August, at Vincennes ; the Ohio con¬
ference, at Columbus, on the 17th of September, 1842.
My prayer is to God, to increase the number two to one, that truth
may abound among us; as I have been blest to see sever* General
Conferences of the African Methodist Episcopal Society. The sev¬
enth one met in the city of Baltimore, May, 1840, which is great
joy to my soul, while I am conning these lines, when I reflect on the
joyful triumphs of this connection. I was one among the first in the
itinerant service, about four years a,fter the death of my father,
Beaves Cannon, who died Jan. 6, 1813. I left my esteemed moth¬
er in the State of Delaware, Sussex county. I got religion before
the death of my father, as near as I can tell, in July, 1806, at a
camp meeting, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Chandler, between Lau-
reltown and Salisbury, in the State of Delaware. After the death of
my father, I worked about home nearly three years. I then left
my esteemed mother, two brothers and a sister, and saw them no
more until fourteen years had past over my head. I had then left
the Methodist Episcopal Church, where I had been in society for
twelve years, without a charge. After the time above mentioned,
I had the pleasure to meet with my esteemed mother and sister, at a
camp meeting near Lewistown, Delaware. The meeting was con¬
ducted by the Rev. Lewis Cork, about the year 1829. Great joy
was truly manifested by them on seeing me, mine being the same,
after being absent so many years, which caused our love and affec¬
tions to increase to such a height, that neither they nor myself were
able to express our joy in returning thanks to God for his divine fa¬
vor, which is natural for a mother to do, on seeing her children who
have been long absent, when thus permitted through the divine mer¬
cy of God to see each other in the flesh.
In June, 1840, 1 saw my esteemed mother in the flesh for the last
time. While I was going forth sounding the gospel trumpet, I re¬
ceived a letter giving an account of her illness; but it was not in my
27
power to reach the city of Philadelphia in time, therefore I shall see
her no mol'e until the sound of that glorious trump when I Expect to
see her on that joyful morning, according to her joyful testimony
which she left behind. Rose Anne Cannon, she is gone hence,
about one hundred and six years of age. She died on the 22d of
February, 1841.
My father was between sixty and seventy years of age, and in
like manner he gave us all a strict charge to be faithful until death,
as he had been before us. He then said Amen, my work is
done, my warfare is accomplished." In triumph he crossed the gulf
of death. Oh, may that be my happy lot! 1 Tim. iv. 15,16.
The Rev. Samuel Todd, my esteemed colleague in the itineran¬
cy, was a faithful brother, a sincere friend, a consistent, uniform
Christian, an exemplary minister, a husband indeed, an affectionate,
tender parent, which I presume will not be denied by any that knew
him. At home or abroad, in his various appointments, he discharged
the sublime duties of a zealous, pious, faithful minister. He was
truly esteemed in his different stations, by small and great, wherev¬
er he had any acquaintance,, particularly in and about the city of
New York, where he spent many years of his ministerial labors in
triumph ; but at last he was sorely attacked with the dropsy in the
chest, in January, 1837. In the spring he left the city of Wash¬
ington with me to go to Baltimore to conference ; but his afflictions
seemed to increase very rapidly. However, he made out to preach
an ordination sermon of two deacons, which was about his last exer¬
cise in the ministry. He then returned home to his family in Phila¬
delphia. In the month of May his afflictions increased so rapidly,
that his case became hopeless; but he still continued striving for the
victory, saying " All within is well." Just before his departure I
had to leave the city for a few days. When I returned, he had
closed his royal commission, in full triumphs of faith, in the sublime
hope of gaining an everlasting crown of glory. In June, 1837f he
departed this life. The answer of a good conscience makes up the
whole man in time and in eternity. Amen. 2 Tim. iv. 5—8.
Oh ! the sublime results of obeying the divine command of our
Supreme Master, the joyful triumph over the world, by which We
retain a knowledge of our sins being forgiven—a knowledge of
which is denied by thousands ! but it is still the same ; hark ye,
philosophy.
In ancient times, men which were distinguished for their superior
learning and knowledge and their correctness in judgment, were
called sophia, that is, Pythagoras and Socrates, two of the most em¬
inent men of their city, although that was thought to be too high a
title to be given to any one but God himself; and from that time of
controversy* they were known by a more modest name, the lovers
of wisdom—philosophae, or philosophers. St. Paul answered some
of that kind of men in his day, and informed them of better things,
28
that though they were the wisest of the wise of their day, yet they
had first to become fools, before they by any means could be wise ;
that is, to become a fool in the eyes of the world; then there is a
hope of such becoming wise unto salvation, by faith in the Son of
God ; and if any man lacketh the knowledge of repentance, he is
just as wise as the devil desires him to be ; if he will only continue
so unto death, never mind about his knowledge of the Bible, or his
philosophical knowledge of the world, if he only dies unregenerated,
he will remain a fool through all eternity. 1 Cor. iii. 16—19.
But my prayer to God is, that I may fight the good fight of faith ;
yea, that I may in full triumph overcome my last enemy, in the
strength of victory, the love of Christ in my soul, which covers the
whole man from the charms of the world, the only wisdom that con¬
quers the world, like unto the Rev. Jeremiah Millee, a soldier of
thp cross, who departed this life on Wednesday, the 8th day of April,
1840, in the 73d year of his age. Yes, he fought his battle in the
triumph of victory, over him that has slain millions of millions of
the world as heroes, but when they saw their end they trembled for
fear. Rev. vi. 12—17. But it was not so with the Rev. J. Miller,
but in full faith of the happy results of an everlasting life in that
sublime world above, (yea, this is the result of being obedient to the
divine law of God unto death,) there to enjoy an eternal inheritance,
which is now incomprehensible to mortal eye, which is only to be
discerned by a spiritual eye—the eye of faith. Oh ! what a sublime
knowledge is this, which the obedient possess while here on earth,
(Matt. v. 5—9 ; 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16.,) to know that they will be sure
to dwell with God and Christ, when they go hence, in a world with¬
out end, which was the sublime prospect of my reverend father in
the ministry, as he said, when he was about to enter the vale of
death. " Oh death ! where is thy sting ?—all is well—-amen," said
my beloved father in Christ. He was an itinerant minister of the
gospel about 23 years, and among the first of the pioneers in laying
the foundation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in this
country. The Lord blessed him abundantly in his labors in the
ministry. He was a man very peculiar in his manners and deport¬
ment, and by many of the more refined, objections were raised against
him as a man unsuited for the polished societies of the day. " Yet
wherever he traveled, like the apostles of our heavenly Master, he
possessed but little of earthly wealth and talents ; however, as a
minister of Christ, the observer could always identify in him the
marks of the dying and suffering of his Lord and Master, which he,
as the apostle of the Gentiles always bore about him even unto his
last moments, glorying in the cross of Christ, preaching and declar¬
ing in his old age and infirm state of body the truths of the gospel,
to those both far and near, inviting all poor, weary, wandering sin¬
ners to take shelter under the great Rock of our salvation. He was
at this time about to clos6 up his affairs for the year, among his peo»
29
pie at Albany, N. Y., over whom he was sent by the bishop to pre¬
side. His labors among that people were attended with great suc¬
cess, particularly in the latter part of the year—the Lord having
visited and blessed them in a wonderful manner, adding, at a pro¬
tracted meeting which he had just closed, as a seal to his ministry,
about 64 souls to the church. On the closing of this protracted
meeting, he was about to take leave of his people, for his family at
Philadelphia, and for the general conference which would then sit
in a few days at Baltimore ; being conscious that he should see their
faces no more in this life, he called the church together and preached
to them his farewell and final discourse from the 11th chap, of the
1st Corinthians ; after which he administered the Lord's supper to
the communicants of the church, and on the next evening he held a
love feast with all his members, shewing his last token of filial love
and fellowship to them. He was now ready to take his departure
to join with his family and brethren in conference, having to all
appearance completed his mission, but the Lord's superruling hand
was in the appointment, He always working as seemeth him best.
He went home from the love feast, which was on the evening of
April 6th, and was taken sick. He soon found in this affliction that
he should not see his family and brethren again in this life. His
sickness was of short duration. II e, therefore, placed himself wholly
upon the beneficent arms of his Lord and Master who he was confi¬
dent would not desert him in his last and most trying season. His
mind was calmly and serenely fixed upon the Savior during his
struggles with death ; and on the second day of his illness, he closed
his earthly career in the triumphs of faith, " having fought his way
through and finished the work that was given him to do."
Amen, complete is the work of a wise master builder, in the sub¬
lime degree of victory. "I take you to record this day, that I am
pure from the blood of all men," by an act of obedience in compli¬
ance with the divine will of my Lord—amen. Then let us follow
the example of the Rev. J. M. Acts xx. 23—28.
Therefore, with joy I now close my history, with a sublime hope,
a glorious hope of enjoying the same triumph of victory in my last
expiring moments—and so be it, Lord, unto me—amen. I now re-r
main your beloved and esteemed brother in the bonds of peace, by
wishing you to follow my example. If I were disappointed by one
that I thought was a friend indeed, it was by lies and deception, there¬
fore the Lord will forgive the debt, as it is far better for me to be
deceived by persons, than for me to deceive others, as principle is
my only object, for which I shall receive a supply of interest. Rom.
viii. 1—28.
But when interest is the only motive in hand, it will eat up the
principle ; the person then becomes bankrupt in a spiritual sense,
and the soul must die because their case is uncontrollable. There¬
fore, my advice to you is, to flee from these things, that heaven may
30
be yours in the end, as truth is the life of Christians. 1 Tim. iv.
13—16.
As this was the sublime practice of the ancient ministers, let us
now hope for better things, that truth may be our theme, that God's
name may be praised, for which I offer these remarks, by saying,
the Lord is my Strength, the God of my salvation, my Deliverer
when in trouble. His works are sublime, his knowledge is the same
by which his children are preserved from the power of the wicked
one and his crew, by an act of obedience; they are blest with a
knowledge of discrimination, by being subordinate to his divine will.
The sovereignty of his government is sublime in its nature, sub¬
stantial in its magnificent appearance, insurmountable, not to be in¬
vaded by human skill, by which I expect to enter his superlative
abode, there to investigate three wonders.
First, how I overcame this evil heart of mine, when surrounded
with the beauties of this world which are so enticing to human na-
* ture, and in triumph to conquer them all, there to live with Christ
in his kingdom forever, amen. Then I with the rest can say, I am
here, amen. Matt. vii. 12—14.
The second wonder will be, to see millions of millions that once
bowed around their splendid church altars, who we supposed were
Christians indeed ; but hark ye for a moment, they were uncon¬
verted, strangers to virtue, had no knowledge of a change of heart;
oh ! what a mistake ! no resemblance of .Christ. 1 John iii. 5. My
beloved readers, think on this subject before you go hence. Matt,
xxiii. 23—37. These are they who on the account of riches forget
the things that bejiong to their peace, which clearly proves to us that
it is an awful thing to neglect the salvation of our souls, Luke xix.
41, 42, by which we become enemies to our souls as well as to each
other in time and in eternity. Heb. ii. 3.
The third wonder of all the sublime scenes will be, to see millions
of millions join the innumerable company that were rejected by
ministers of different orders in their splendid churches, as not being
fit for their society, nor for heaven, not thinking that all Christians
belong to one family, the church of the first-born, which will go up
with shouts of victory, ctfying "Victory! our suffering time is
over," to range the ample regions of endless bliss. Amen. Heb.
xii. 23 24. We have overcome once for all. Amen, my heart re¬
plies—all such will then be at rest. Rev. xiv. 13.
Yes, my beloved readers, it will be great wisdom in us to follow
the sublime examples of such, as our end is drawing nigh. Let no¬
thing but truth stimulate us to duty, as the great concern of our
welfare. Acts xvii. 30—33.
I still remain yours respectfully, in the bonds of peace. 1 Tim.
iv. 15, 16. ^
N. C. W. CANNON.
SI
OUR LORD'S PRAYER.
The sublime instructions to be received in prayer, which is the
strength of our souls, the knowledge of our sins being forgiven by
experimental acts of obedienc, were taught by Christ to his disciples,
by which it was not possible for them to be mistaken.
"After this manner, therefore, pray ye Matt. vL 9. "Our
Father," that is by adoption, "which art in heaven the Redeem¬
er of our ancient fathers, thy name is from everlasting. Isa. lxiii. 1(L
" Hallowed be thy name." Lord, my Father, I presume to ad¬
dress thee as my Father, from experimental knowledge of thy holi¬
ness through faith, as thou art my chief object, the desire of my
heart, as thou knowest that it is my heart's delight to praise thy holy
name, as one Father, one God, the sublime Creator of us all. Then
I ask the question, Why do men deal treacherously, every man
against his brother % "Sir," said Mr. D., "I cannot answer that
question." Well, sir, it is because such are lacking in grace, by
which they profane the covenant of our Father. Mai. ii„ 10. Heav¬
en is thy dwelling place, that all the people may know thy name,
(as Solomon's house was called by thy name,) as being the conquer¬
or of thine enemies. 1 Kings viii. 43.
" Thy kingdom come." That is, prevail over us> all supremely,
throughout soul and body, as the only promise of prosperity to them
which do believe in Christ.
" Give us this day our daily bread." As our wants, if faithful,
are daily, which demand a daily supply of his protection, that our
strength and knowledge may continue to increase as we advance in
years, that we through faith may have a just conception of his di¬
vine character, that we may know when we need a supply, then to<
ask in faith accordingly. Matt xviii. 19.
Then, with propriety, we can practice as well as say, " Thy will
be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Amen, so be it. Ps. cxlv. 16*
Therefore, be it remembered, that public prayer is no more a du¬
ty than, private devotion. Therefore, those who never give alms or
pray but in public, may be assured that neither their prayers or
alms will be acceptable to God. Private prayer, in particular, is
the true essence of vital piety, a life of personal devotion, by an
experimental knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ. As Christ
was their example, so let him be ours. As next to privacy, he tru¬
ly urged simplicity, in all its branches, that his clergymen and fol¬
lowers might not be corrupted by the love of this world, which was
calculated to destroy both soul and body; therefore, let us as Chris¬
tians, be wise unto salvation, and not use vain repetitions, like the
heathen, as we have some of their examples in the worshippers of
Baal and of Diana; and we have thousands now of such heathen,
vain hypocrites, which glory in their shame. 1 Kings xviii. 26 :
Acts xix. 34. Let us have the truth in knowledge, virtue and wis¬
dom, by which we may be enabled to avoid the evils of repetitions,-
32
and at the safne time we will guard against the omission of our peti¬
tions, which are essentially necessary, by .which our knowledge in¬
creases- As being a proper medium to bring light to the meridian,
our Lord gave his disciples a prayer, containing holiness within,
which was both as a model and form of their devotion. As hypoc¬
risy and deceit were to be unknown among them as ministers, they
were to be distinguished by their sincerity and plain dealing, which
was sufficient to secure them against all danger, by which the world
might discriminate between its inferiority and the superiority of the
disciples, in their sublime qualifications, the knowledge of pardon¬
ing love, as no man is fit to preach without that knowledge, and all
that are lacking of that virtue are unable to discriminate between
truth and error, and in consequence of which they use vain repeti¬
tions instead of truth. Matt. vi. 7.
A sincere prayer is the desire of the heart, offered up through
simplicity of obedience, by which we are taught to address the Al¬
mighty as our Father, in a superior sense to any other, as in one
respect he is the Father of all his creatures, but we being sinners,,
can therefore only approach him through a mediator, through whom
we can presume to address God as our Father of mercy, as we can,
only be .heirs of God by being joint heirs with Christ. 1 Pet. i. 4, 5.
The knowledge of prayer is truly a sublime understanding. As
to the first petition, with regard to his divine glory and magnificent
splendor, it certainly ought to be a primary object with us as Chris¬
tians ; yea, when we reflect how intimately his divine glory is con¬
nected with our salvation, by which mercy and truth have met to¬
gether, and righteousness and peace have kissed each other..
"Thy kingdom come." That is, prevail over us, the pure in
heart for the advancement of his kingdom, as his children grow in
grace, which may be understood, as I comprehend the meaning, the
glorious progress of the gospel through the world. The sublime
light of Revelation, the Gospel of the kingdom,^first announced by
John, secondly by Christ himself, and afterwards powerfully pro¬
claimed by his disciples as the kingdom of God, is within us, which
is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom. xiv. 17.
"Thy will be done in earth," that is in us, by an act of obedi¬
ence, " as it is in heaven/' as the earth is his footstool, the dwel¬
ling place of his children at present, where they shall gain the vic¬
tory, to go heuce in triumph. Isa. lxvi. 1 : Matt. v. 35.
Oh ! how sublime is prayer which unites us in one band, so close
is the connection between temporal and eternal blessings; yea, that
which death cannot Vescind, Faith and holiness, the love of God
in us, complete the whole, in our daily wants, by which our fellow
creatures are" incited to duty, the sublime exercises of divine
worship in adoration and praise to God, which are the great constit¬
uents of real happiness. As these principles are truly sublime,
springing from the exercise of obedience, which exalts believers
33
above the children of the world, so they, the heirs of salvation, will
derive the greatest portion of their felicity in the world to come
from them. As thy name is glorious, our bread is sure. Ps. cxv. 1.
Man shall not live on bread alone, but he shall feed on truth, as
truth will abide forever. Matt. iv. 4.
Oh ! the sublime enjoyment that these first three petitions con¬
tain ! the superiority of their employments, as well as the present
enjoyment, which enable them to hope with confidence for the future
reward of an everlasting life, which is so intimately connected,
which makes the promise sure to them that endure to the end. Ps.
lxxxvi. 11.
The three following petitions are rather more confined to our
present state, but when we are in the world to come, these petitions
with us will be over, because we shall not need prayer there ; it
will be praise for the past blessings of our sublime labors, which
will entitle the faithful to a crown of life. Amen. Jas. i. 12.
Then to you that wish to stay behind, for the sorry favor of cus¬
tom, I bid you adieu.
I know that, said the Rev. J. C., but I am compelled thus to do,
because it is the custom of our country.
Well, sir, said the oppressed sons of Africa, truth will decide the
case between us all, whether we as ministers of God, as professors,
are disposed to do by others as we would that they should do by us
or not, as though the age or size, or the color of the skin were a
crime in the sight of God, of which we leave you to judge, as you
profess to judge with a theological judgment: whether it will be by
the things abovementioned or by the principle of moderation, as
now is the only time for a farther consideration to regulate the min¬
istry of Christ, as genuine co-workers together in moderation, that
we all may make a wise improvement of all other Christian graces,
which will show to the world that our knowledge is genuine. Yes,
sir, the moderation that is here recommended is sublime, which lies
at an equal distance between an indifference to truth, and the merci¬
less spirit of uncharitableness. But charity is truly sublime in its
nature, a virtue that is much talked about among many theological
ministers, and many eminent discourses (so called) have been deliv¬
ered on that subject, without an experimental knowledge of the true
meaning.
Why §6, sif ? said Mr. J. S.
I answered, Sir, charity is truly sublime in its nature, without
arty respeet td persons ; principle is its only object; therefore, those
who make so much ado about charity, they themselves prove to the
world by their actioiis, that they understand not its principles; and
the worst of all is, it is so little practiced among the professors of
religion, on account of the deception which is continually piacticed
in th6 house, which is called the church of God. Heb. xii. 23. Yea,
such as these, I suppose, call this doing by others as they wish oth-
34
ers to do by them ; bat this I leave for you, my readers, to judge.
Matt. xxii. 39. If we are all created anew in Christ, (2 Lor. v.
17,) "hark ye, mark the phraseology, the answer of the Rev. Mr.
J. S. , t
Sirs, it is only for the peculiarity of your color that we are com¬
pelled'to reject you in the church, and not that of prejudice.
Well, sir, I must tell you, that the devil knows better than that;
for do you not know, sir, that when you reject the Ethiopian, you
reject your friend ? (Ps. lxxxvii. 4;) and if I were such a fool as
that, 1 should have the same right to reject you and yours, on the
same ground of argument. Well, sir, I say more pity for you ; for
I thought from some of your past conduct, that you were one of Sa¬
tan's ministers, but now you yourself have proved the fact, by an
act of your own in keeping back a part of the price. Ah, sir ! let
rae say unto you as a friend, unless you and all such repent, and that
speedily, your fate will soon be like that of Ananias. Acts v. 2, &, 5.
, Oh ! ye rejecters of truth, and you who call in question that which
God himself approves—ah ! sirs, I am not the author of my com¬
plexion ; therefore, you must judge me by my conduct, which is
calculated to show the principle that is within, as those ministers
do who say that the slaves cannot be free here where they were
born, but they must go to the hot shores of Liberia, and then they
can be free there; but how can that be possible, when they are
continually bringing them to this country to enslave them, and yet
these that are here must go back to Liberia before they can be free ?
Yes, sir, said Mr. J. C.
Well, sir, I perceive that is the logic of your ignominious- argu¬
ments which you have premeditated ; but, sir, your work will be
accomplished before that day, according to the word of God, (Ps.
lxviii. 31,) because these theological ministers are only saying
prayers which are truly injurious to themselves and to- their hear¬
ers, by which truth has been brought forth to the light. Therefore,
no man of color ever need to expect to receive equal rights in any
such churches, where deception is practiced in the extreme. Isa.
xxxiv. 8, 9. But, sir, it may not be too late yet; if we as ministers
have done that which was wrong, that is no reason we should con¬
tinue in wickedness in order to make our case better but as minis¬
ters let us return and repent, and that speedily, and come to the
throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in due time and in due
form. 1 Tim. ii. 8.
We therefore pray, that God may enable us as ministers of his
word, to live a life of holiness as we preach unto others, which will
show that we have a pure principle at least, instead of interest; as
I have learned that God will accept of nothing but truth-, as an an¬
cient writer once said to his colleague. I often perceive by the in¬
ferior actions of some men, that interest often diverts judgment, be¬
cause they esteem interest to be superior to truth, which denotes
35
that such do not understand the subject of charity. I speak unto you
that follow the examples of your forefathers. Matt, xxiii. 25—33.
There is a mist which covers the eyes of such ; then they are cal¬
culated to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, for the want of
knowledge, yet holding themselves to be wiser than {heir Creator,
by rejecting their own kindred, by calling in question the age and
the size and complexion of men ; they thus say to God, Why dost,
thou make man so 1—by which they charge their Creator with an
act of injustice ; but in all the points of their objection, the charac¬
ter is not once mentioned, and that is the only thing to be considered
after all that is said and done : " Blessed are the pure in heart: for,
they shall see God," which denotes the time is nigh at hand, accord¬
ing to the signs of the times, when all things like deception or preju¬
dice, which now so powerfully exist in churches of a superior taste,
or in the stages or cars in traveling the highway, will be done away,
to die with their advocates, and 1 say amen, let love prevail. Ps.
cxxxiii. But wo to those theological ministers of deception, who
will continue to misinterpret the word of divine truth on account of
the abovementioned things—they must abide the consequences.
Therefore, judge ye for yourselves, before ye go hence, (1 John iii.
16—20,) for now is the time, and the only time, for the ministry to
unfold the mystery of godliness, as the Christian world, so called, is
now divided into different denominations, each of which seems to be
distinguished by sentiments which seem to be peculiar to itself.
And for me to presume to delineate the true nature of these points,
and point out the only course or foundation, and appreciate the ten¬
dency of every individual opinion, would surely be an endless task,
if I were in possession of the wisdom and talents of a Solomon ;
therefore, my only design is briefly, to enumerate a few leading
points of the several parties, which have attracted my notice, and to
make this variety of religious opinions a, subject of inquiry among
the numerous throng, the groundwork for the exercise of modera¬
tion, which is greatly wanted, the knowledge of doing to others as
you would that others should do to you, which is the very essence,
the life of religion. Ah ! what say you to this subject, ye ttieologi- ,
cal ministers ? Now, sirs, judge and discriminate for yourselves the
difference between truth and error, as God will soon decide the ,
case, let us be right or wrong in our opinion?. He will decide the
case by the purity of the character, (Matt. v. 8,) and by the love of
equal rights in truth, (Matt. vii. 12,) by which interest will never
be able to force the Christian from the pure principles of Christiani¬
ty, (Rom. viii. 14—28,) unlike those that are lifted up so high by the
love of this world's honor, that they have forgotten the world that is
to come, for the sake of gain, which has caused the excitement of
interest to completely overrule the principles of Christianity; then,
they can carry on their clandestine objects, in order to confederate
with the world, which is the standard of evil doers, only in the way ;
36
to seek objects of enterprise, not for the good of the souls of men,
but the wisdom of this world. 2 Tim. iii. 4.
THE OBJECTS OF ENTERPRISE.
Sir—In answer to what has been done in order to elevate my
colored brethren in these United States, the enterprise seems to grow
smaller ; the current of prejudice runs s© strong, the light is almost
gone out, and in a great measure the church is in darkness, which is
the cause of the heavy yoke of oppression remaining still in the
church on our necks, and of the heavy drag, the wheels being
clogged with deception, which causes the elevators to look around
themselves in due time, lest they themselves become castaways.
But the Lord was with them here and elsewhere, to bless and to
give success to the gospel labors, wherever the sound was heard, in
which cause I bid them God speed, the true Israelites indeed, as our
sad condition has been truly a subject of great consideration with
me, although much has been done to ameliorate it.
Yes, sir, said Mr. A. S., we of the American Missionary, or rath¬
er of the Colonization Society have done much to heal your mala¬
dies.
Yes, sir, but the scab is still on the place that was sore, and of
course the flesh is yet tender if not sore. Although thousands of
dollars have been spent in order to carry this project into execution,
yet they seem to lack of aid by millions of dollars, while millions of
us still remain at home in a state of ignorance, by which their pro¬
ceedings in many cases seem to be unsuccessful; but perhaps they
know the cause of that.
Sir, said Mr. A. S., what is the cause of our defeat ?
Sir, I atnswer, your zeal is greater than your knowledge; sec¬
ondly, you lack the art of holy living, which is the substance of life.
Matt. vii. 12. 44 United we stand—divided we fall." When preju¬
dice creeps in, then sir, adieu to the light of the royal throne, for
union is the strength of any nation, by which they retain knowledge,
the sceptre of peace. Heb. iv. 16.
Well, sir, that is the impression of my mind, and I acknowledge,
said Mr. A., that we, as a society, have not done justice to you and
yours.
Well, sir, is it too late now ?
I hope not.
Well, sir, commence, and we will meet you more than half way.
Matt, xviii. 21, 22.
Well, sir, I must confess that your argument is a logical one.
Well, sir, without this kind of knowledge, every thing will move
dry and irksome, let the knowledge of science be what it may.
Truth will surely prevail, and in consequence of which we may
suffer a little here; but we had better suffer a little here, where we
37
,ere is nntmety our suffering, than to suffer hereafter, where
iere is n0 remedy for na;n b
Yes, sir. saiH u i, Pain*
Then, sir ] t^at t'10U8'lt is worthy of our attention,
s the lipht h *ruth by the light of virtue, arouse us up to duty.
iund of the htrk yV° thu tr"mPeters» whi'eTthe sublime
nH in rnnco 6 ^ 1 echoes through the horizon, and 1 say amen ;
nhlp. to onU which, a few of the brethren thought it advi-
iugust 1841 vent'on» at Hartford, Connecticut, on the 18th of
This meeting was truly designed in its arrangement, so as to era-
jrace a evangelical denominations of color, that we, as ministers of
^iirist, might meet together, and calmly deliberate on the subject
with simplicity, without an eye to sectarianism. As prejudice here¬
tofore nas been the great stumbling block long enough, now let truth
come in, by which virtue may be retained, that we may be enabled to
enter into ways and means, in time to come, God willing, so as to be
able to send forth colored missionaries to the land called Africa, (but
the right name is Ethiopia, Gen. ii. 13,) or elsewhere if need be, but
there in particular; and believing that this idea will meet with a fa¬
vorable reception, by which we hope to gain great strength of both
soul and body, that we may be enabled to carry our object into execu¬
tion. Then let us be continually united in prayer, three times a day,
at the throne of grace, yes, that is the holy spot for us to meet, (1 Tim.
ii. 7,8,) that we may learn the art of holiness in all our interesting
studies, which is the most sublime thing in the whole circle of sci¬
ence, to be united together in heart, by the sacred tie of love ;
the* we can with faith press onwards, with an unyielding perse¬
verance, in tfie sublime path of duty, with virtue—the knowledge
of true religion, which is the sublime art of holiness, (Matt. vi.
33,) as knowledge from any other source will fail in time to
ome, on account of its inferiority. 2 Pet. iii. 17,18. Then let
s in triumph retain the joyful theme of a real pleasing study,
»ne which will directly tend to adorn and dignify human nature
cith knowledge of a substantial utility, which will meliorate the
condition of man, and go directly into execution to unfold and
nature our mental powers, and elevate us as a people to our prop-
;r rank in society. Yes, sir, this is the only thing to set us in
he sublime scale of intellectual existence. Yea, while I am
;eeking after this kind of knowledge, I see a beautiful scenery
,f science, which is superior to any other object, which will en-
ible the faithful to converse with a thousand worlds As they
tdvance in these sublime degrees of knowledge, hey will dis¬
cover the truth of these remarks, and feel the sublime force of
t* anolication to the heart. As this is the only knowledge that
vilf answer in a dying hour, let us, my brethren, obtain it now,
>y an aS of obedience; then we can say that Christ is ours,
md we are his. Amen. John xiv. 1 14.
as
THE SUBJECT OF ^MARRIAGE* thoughts
Sir—Before I close my address, I wish to ofier» e rjtes
on the subject of matrimonial proeeedings, as to the leg
of scripture, and the great responsibility that persons ta^ "em-
selves, as it is to be feared, without due consideration ol me conse-
quences that follow.
First. Let it be remembered, that the contracting ot new debts
will not rescind the old bond.
No, sir, said Mr. Breaker.
Well, sir, I take this course of reasoning, as I wish to have tangi¬
ble ground to work on. Sir, do you believe that it was the design
of God that human laws should ever have power to rescind a mar¬
riage bond, if it was given for a definite period ?
No, sir, says Mr. Breaker.
Well, sir, I say the same. As Christ sanctioned the marriage
bond as being a divine appointment, by the authority of God, and
his decision was, that persons may be separated on account of adul¬
tery ; yet he left nothing on the page of truth, that I have seen, for
either of them to marry again ; and for this cause, I think that it is
not a proper subject for human legislators to do much with, unless
they are able to rescind the old covenant, or else they and the par¬
ties concerned will be found fighting against God. Acts 5. 38, 39.
Sir, I presume that a marriage covenant is for a definite period of
time.
How long, sir ?
I answer, sir, Mr. Breaker, this period of time holds its undenia¬
ble legitimate claim until death rescinds the act; then, sir, the other
is at liberty to marry the next day, according to the declaration of
the divine law.
But Mr. Breaker said, Nay.
But, sir, you cannot alter the word of God, as you took Miss S. A.
for better or for worse, from that day, henceforth, until death doth
you part.
Yes, sir, that was my obligation ; but, sir, she is so bad and devil¬
ish, that I cannot live with her.
Yes, you can, sir, for you have not lived faithful as you ought,
and this affliction is to bring you to your duty; then your wife must
repent or die, as she is then in your hands ; then ask for her salva¬
tion, and if she refuse she shall die, (Matt, xviii. 19, 20,) only ask
in faith, (John xiv. 13, 14.) Therefore, be it remembered, sir,
that the rejectors of truth will at last tremble for fear, because God
will take them at their own words. " Out of thine own mouth will
judge thee." Luke xix. 22. Mr. Breaker, sir, remember that.
No sf6' S^' ^ ^°U Proceec^ any farther, you will commit yourself.
eJ,Yyou w'iii befom^gurn^.™6inSti,Utionofmarriaseberescind"
39
Well, sir, what am I to do in this case, as you by your argument
have cut off all my hopes ? (Matt. v. 31, 32.) Where is the reme¬
dy for my malady ?
Sir, I answer, repent and forsake your evil doing, and Christ will
receive you. By getting religion, the love of God will be your
theme, as you never knew a man and wife to separate that were
both religious.
No, sir.
Well, sir, this is the effect of love, while faith is in exercise,, by
an act of obedience to God, by which every stumbling block is
quickly removed either by a conversion or by death. Yes, sir, such
is the sublime effect of a sincere prayer, when offered by a sympa¬
thetic feeling of sincerity ; yes, sir, confidence in God that he will
hear and give answer to the case in hand. And my prayer to God
, is, that these proceedings may be the theme of the rising generation!
to come, that all things may work for their present and future pros¬
perity ; and so be it Lord, as this enterprise is of such vast impor¬
tance, as Christ has emphatically forbidden any person to go con¬
trary to his word, but to come to his word and there is a balm for
every wound. Matt, xviii. 19. Therefore, if any person will be so<
presumptuous as to take such responsibility on themselves, after be¬
ing thus forbidden, by forcing themselves into such unlawful meas¬
ures against light and knowledge, they must abide by the conse¬
quences, that awful judgment which will be sure to follow such.
Sir, God is not like man in these cases. No, sir, he is not; foxr
man will deny his word—his own children in some cases, wheft he-
ought to acknowledge them ; but God will do no man injustice, and
all those that will so presumptuously speak or act against Christ of
contrary to the demands of divine justice, God will judge them ac¬
cording to their works. Then these cases will be decided, (Matt-
xii. 32,) without the failure of one jot or tittle of the law. Matt,
v. 18.
Mr. Breaker says, that a man has an undoubted right to put away
his wife, if she commit adultery ; for she is then dead to him..
Well, sir, I admit that for the sake of argument. Then, sir, Mr,
Breaker, please to show me within the Bible, where you are autho¬
rized to marry again to another.
Mr. Breaker says in Matt. v. 31.
No, sir, our Lord says not, (Mark x. 11,) because they both be¬
come one flesh ; and the only safe way that I can see for you to do-
is, to do as a man does when he meets with the misfortune to lose an
eye or a leg. When you see any symptoms of such danger, it is for
you to look out in time for a remedy for such diseases; for should
it so happen to a man after he has done the best he could, that he
should lose an eye or a leg, then it would be time enough to seek
for another, for it would be impossible to put another leg on until the
other was amputated; and it is the same in this case. When the
40
husband and'wife are amputated from each other by death, then, sir,
there is hope for such, for they are free ; the wound is healed by
Christ, the great Physician of soul and body. The only method of
restoring health in such a critical case is to apply to Christ, who is
the great Physician, as sincere prayer will enable you to stand fast,
with stability of mind, and take Christ at his word which will relieve
your mind ; then you in faith can pray for the conversion of your
wife or husband, and my soul for yours, the answer will come, (John
xiv. 13,) the work will be done, either by a conversion or by death,
the stumbling block will be removed, the word of God must prevail,'
if you only proceed by faith ; yes, by conversion or death ; there¬
fore, only use the means, the victory will be sure; take God at his
word, then the battle is won, without any doubt. What say you, Mr.
Breaker ? Ah! are you silent i No wonder a man of science, sir,
you must return and try it again when you get converted. Ah! sir,
you and your crew who profess religion must have a better knowl¬
edge of God's love than that, or you will never see God in peace.
Ah! sir, such as you and your crew are only a pest to a religious
society. Yes, sir, you and your crew are such as Christ emphatic¬
ally pronounced to be adulterers, by putting away your wives;
there are no ifs nor ands about it; you are violators of God's law.
Mark x. 6—12: 1 Tim. iii. 2—12. These sublime rules were for
examples for the church, and you are a great minister to preach the
gospel with two wives! Sir, where is your example for preaching
the gospel which the ancient Christians were to set forth, the sub¬
lime example which was held forth by the church to the world, that
the church might retain her purity, as a Christian example to the
world at large ? Therefore, when the word of God points me to a
rule (or ministers to have a plurality of wives, then, sir, I will go
along with you ; but, sir, it is contrary to the word of God now.
Such ministers and members of churches as these are on a specula¬
tive scale in order to gratify their own lust, for the time being $ but
the Worst of all is, their holding themselves for an. example for the
church of God. And yet they are without piety, with no symptoms
of humility, the very things by which the Christian church has re¬
tained her purity. James ii. 8—10. These characters lack virtue!
Oh, that sublime subject! the leading traits of the true minister's
character, virtue being the substance through faith, of a well
grounded hope, the life, the consolation of a bishop, as being an ex¬
ample for the church, for all young ministers to pattern after, as be¬
ing the husband of one wife, and ruling their children well. But
since that period, the devil has enlarged his sway, and some men
have become so wise through his medium, that they can in these
days have two or three wives, as they call them.
Ah! Mr. Cannon, your sentence is too hard.
Well, Mr. Breaker, it will be a harder one to be turned into hell,
with your brother Antichrist. James iv. 3—5.
41
Ah! for such as you and your crew, Mr. Breaker1, 1 have no
sympathetic feeling to think that any such are Christians; and no
man that is a Christian will pattern after such characters.
Therefore, unto all who work in due form, I bid God speed.
When you read these lines, rejoice in hope of victory, as the crown
of the faithful is sure. Farewell j and to fare well, is to do well.
1 Tim. iv. 15, 16. Yours, respectfully.
THE SPIRIT OF UNION,
By which I hail the sublime characters, after their initiation into
the ministry, the royal brotherhood of the clergy, in three links-
faith, hope and charity. Ps. cxxxiii. Oh, brothers! we must stand
in due form, which is a perfect rule of faith and practice of that
sublime degree of religion, which distinguishes the characteristics
for their universal benevolence and unbounded charity. Therefore,
these cannot but be found in due order, zealous for the interests of
the free and accepted ministers, which ties the knot with the strong
cord of love, by which they inculcate the same charity and benevo¬
lence. Yea, that is the kind of religion which will always encour¬
age every moral and social virtue ; yes, sir, which introduces peace
and good will among mankind, which is the centre of union among
those who otherwise might have remained at a perpetual distance
unto this day.
Therefore, whoever is Warmed with the spirit of charity, the sub¬
lime substance of Christianity, will esteem, will love the free and
accepted ministers. Yes, such is the sublime nature of our institu¬
tion, union is truly cemented by a sincere attachment; sir, mark
the phraseology, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among such.
Sirs, punctuality is the life of business, for the present and future;
the consolation of pleasure is reciprocally communicated by the
cheerful observance of every minister that feels the weight of his
responsibility in his filling that sublime office of the ministry* as he
is responsible to God for his conduct.
Yea, we are bound by honor and duty, to keep truth and virtue
in view, as the only grand object in life; yea, luminous as the me¬
ridian sun which shines forth in his refulgent ray, in the highest
degree on the mind, enlivens the heart, and converts the cool ap¬
probation into a warm sympathy and cordial affection, which will
pass through the heart of every man who will carefully listen to the
divine dictates of reason.
Oh ! may this be my lot, to arrive at a clear persuasion of that
beauty, as I see the great necessity of such virtue, both public and
private. Yea, that, and that alone is truly a full recommendation
of any society. Yes, sirs, these are the pursuits for us as ministers
to keep continually in view, which will bring around every other
point in our favor.
F F
42
As truth is the sole object of our association, sirs, this is the sub¬
lime path for us as ministers to walk in, the laudable bonds which
unite us together in one indissoluble society, in the temple of God,
which is sublime beyond that of Solomon's superstructure, because
God is and will remain the same. Amen. Heb. iv. 16.
Yours, respectfully, in due form, N. C. W. CANNON.
43
A COMMENTARY:
A Book written by the Rev. N. C. W. Cannon,
A Member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in relation
to a Dictionary, alphabetically arranged.
A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments—A work
which I trust is well calculated to expand and strengthen the intel¬
lectual faculties, as a knowledge of the arts and sciences is march¬
ing onwards so powerfully, with such gigantic strides. In the midst
of greater science, I being a hero venture to' put in my claim for
truth, that my successors in office need not fear to join the royal
ranks, that they may possess the land of liberty, on which the smile
of Heaven has beamed forth with its glorious light of Revelation.
Brother Clergymen in the Lord—follow the example by which I
catch the healing stream of knowledge. Matt. vi. 33. Let obedi¬
ence be your theme, and your souls will remain in a state of health;
yea, press onwards with truth and justice, and virtue will continue,
yea, knowledge will increase with uncommon refulgence of light,
while we press forward with an unyielding perseverance in well¬
doing, in the path which leads to honor and renown. Therefore,
come on—press forward, ye rising generations—liberty, virtue,
truth and peace are for all that are obedient. Jam. i. 25.
Then study to show yourselves approved of God in due time—as
workmen that need not be ashamed of the truth, by your honesty in
rightly dividing the word of truth, by which we shall be enabled to
gather the laurels on the hill of science, and there to dwell among
her unfading beauties; then we shall drink deeply of her crystal
fountain, which will enable us to join in the march of fame, in pro¬
claiming salvation to the fallen world of mankind. Then we will
not be unmindful of our duty to our Creator, nor to ourselves, nor
to our country, nor to the succeeding generations, as knowledge is
power, and understanding is the greatest of wisdom. Then let vir¬
tue be our object, that we weary not in well-doing. Therefore,
meditate on these things in due form. 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16.
Now proceed, and as you read on, understand that truth is jus¬
tice, by which we must measure, and all things will be beautiful,
and work systematically together for our present and future happi¬
ness. Matt. vii. 11, 12.
This work will be put to press as soon as we can procure a
sufficient number of subscribers to sustain the work.
Yours, respectfully, N. C. W. CANNON.
44
As the little ship Bethel, in triumph launched into the deep „
liverance, " Behold her sails expanded around her towering J*1 •>
in wisdom's path she was enabled to stem the tide through beating
storms of persecution and tribulations deep and heavy ; ^ut umon
was her motto. Ps. cxxxiii. A victory so brilliant, so unexpectedly
achieved by our Rev. father, R. A. and his little crew, a brave pa¬
triot of Christ—the Lord will protect all such. Jam. i. 25.
" And on her deck in order her joyful sailors stand,"—a loud cry
of victory. 1 Tim. iv. 15,16. "In harmony and love," "0, here
we go, to Immanuel's happy land."
Now let us sing the Mariner's Heavenly
HYMN.
1 The people called Christians, how many things they tell
About the land of Canaan, where saints and angels dwell;
But sin, that dreadful ocean, encloses them around,
With its tides still divides them from Canaan's happy land.
2 Thousands have been impatient to find a passage through,
And with united wisdom have tried what they could do;
But vessels built by human skill have never sailed far,
Till we've found them aground on some dreadful sandy bar.
3 But when the King of Heaven a glorious plan devised,
Of which the world by nature had never been apprized,
He built a ship for sailing around the world with me,
And all true hearted Christians may have a passage free.
4 The Everlasting Gospel has launched the deep at last,
Behold her sails expanded around her towering masts,
And on her deck in order her joyful sailors stand,
Crying, 0, here we go, to Immanuel's happy land.
5 To those who stand spectators, what anguish must ensue.
To hear their old companions bid them a long adieu :
The pleasures of your paradise no longer can invite ;
While we sail, you may rail, but we'll soon be out of sight.
6 We are now on the wide ocean, we bid the world farewell,
And where we shall cast anchor no human tongue can tell;
About our future destiny there need be no debate,
While we ride, on the tide, with our Captain and his Mate.
7 The crew are all united in harmony and love ;
The wind is in our favor, how sweetly we do move •
Let tempests then assail us, and tow'ring billows roar;
e will sweep thro' the deep, till we reach that happy shore.
Robert W. Woodruff
Library
Gift of
Randall K. Burkett
EMORY UNIVERSITY
Special Collections & Archives
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