The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-08-15 00:00:00

SERMON OF AN AFRICAN CLERGYMAN IN
AID OF THE ERECTION OF AN EPISCOPAL
CHURCH FOR HIS FLOCK IN NEW-YORK.

The Rev. Alexander Crumell, one of the only four
episcopally ordained African clergymen in the United
States, has been residing for some days, on a visit, with
the Rev. Mr. Ewbank, of Everton, to whom, as well as to
many of our churchmen he was known by reputation, and
highly recommended by letter. Mr. Crumell has a large
congregation in New York, exclusively of his own race,
and the object of his mission is to obtain contributions to-
wards the erections of an episcopal church for his increasing
congregation in that city, in which there is a large negro
population, deprived of almost every means of spiritual
instruction or education that may elevate them in the
scale of humanity and religion, owing to the unhappy
prejudices which exist against them even in that "land of
the free." Mr. Crumell read prayers on Wednesday
evening last most impressively in Mr. Ewbank's church,
( St. George's, Everton,) and having obtained leave to
preach on Sunday forenoon at the same place, public no-
tice was given, and much interest was naturally excited,
from curiosity to hear a negro preacher, and still more, we
trust, from a desire to promote his benevolent object.
The church was crowded by a most respectable congre-
gation to repletion—many parties being unable to obtain
seats, and fain to stand at the entrances, and many more
obliged to retire, hopeless of even this last accommodation.
The free seats were firmly packed, as well as the organ
gallery. Everything was done by the vergers to accom-
modate as many as possible, by introducing school forms
at the ends of the aisles, &c., and their attention in this
respect was quiet and unremitting until service had far
progressed.
All eyes were rivetted on the preacher as he ascended
the pulpit. He is a good-looking man of small stature,
with an intelligent countenance so removed from the
coarseness of a large portion of his race that, but for his
sable complexion and thick frizzly hair, it might be said to
be European. His voice is strong and manly ; his articu-
lation so dear, and his pronunciation of the English lan-
guage so generally accurate, with, at the same time, a
rapid flow of words and a modesty of bearing, that lie
immediately won the deep attention of his hearers ; the
first general feeling being that of astonishment. His
powers as a preacher we shall hereafter allude to.
' After a brief prayer, he took for his text a clause from
the Bth of the 3d chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to Titus—
" That they which have believed in God might be careful
to maintain good works." He opened his discourse by
an exposition of the nature, duties, and objects of Christi-
anity, dwelling especially on the obligation of all to re-
deem the human race from sin to salvation. The object
was at once grand and majestic. The promulgation of
Christian truth was not only incumbent, but necessary.
' Science had taken rapid strides of late years ; wind and
tide had been almost overcome ; transit from place to
place had been wonderfully accelerated ; the busy wheel
of the steamer had almost superseded the sluggish sail ;
and a velocity had been attained on shore almost ap-
proaching the lightning's speed. But they must not let
physical advancement exceed spiritual advancement, which
last was also proceeding, as was happily manifested in
many parts of the world. He alluded to the retardations
as regards the last, by false reasoners and infidel writers ;
to the idolatry and paganism that still prevailed over the
greater portion of the earth, and to the Romanism which
still presented its brazen front. Millions of their fellow-
, men were yet in chains, and left in ignorance, and the
slave-trade was yet carried on in an aggravated state. He
trusted, however, that the time would come when these
evils would be removed, and that Christians would work
together until the last slave-ship had disappeared, the last,
groan of suffering humanity had died away, and all the
nations of the earth should acknowledge Christ as their
sole ruler and Redeemer. He appeared before them as
one of the most helpless and forlorn of the races of men.
His countrymen had had to undergo a fiery ordeal, and
had long been subjected to the grossest tyranny. Africa
had long been a prey to fire, famine, and the sword. The
slave-trade had there destroyed domestic peace and affec-
tion, and engendered even murder among families. From
the land of his fathers ascended the cries and the groans
of the oppressed. England had done herself immortal
honour by abolishing slavery in her colonies. France and
Germany had followed the noble example, and it was
hoped Holland and other countries would yet join them.
They might deem it strange that he should come from so
opulent a city as New York to solicit aid in England, but
a brief statement would serve to explain. There were in
the United States a vast number of slaves, who were
bought and sold like cattle. Husbands were torn from
their wives, children from their parents, and the whip was
applied to the quivering flesh of even women and children.
There was not one out of 1000 of them who had ever
heard of the Gospel. In the Northern States slavery did
not exist ; but the Africans were excluded, by cast, from
trades or social intercourse, as if they were a separate
order of beings. If they attended a church they were
placed apart, and dare not (as he had that day done there)
approach the Communion Table. They were also ex-
cluded from the schools, and their remains when dead,
from the church-yard, Without, therefore, a hope of
advancement in life, they grew up in vice, and often fell
into premature graves. There were 400,000 of them
without culture, and in the Southern States education was
forbidden amongst them. In New York there were
between 20,000 and 30,000. Many of these had no
church to attend. His own church, which had been es-
tablished 13 years, was a hired room. He had there
ministered for 10 years. The natives had no regard for
them, and he had thought of following his predeces-
sor to Africa ; but had come to this city in hopes of
meeting with ready sympathy and assistance in be-
ban. or les poor oenight,a counLir uiai,. To their labour
were the merchants of this great port indebted for some
of their staple commodities. He had come to implore
their aid to elevate them to the dignified station of men
and Christians,—for they wanted education, but still more
the Gospel. If his hearers would reflect that his country-
men had souls, they would surely assist him to redeem
them from their abject condition. He wanted friends to
purchase a site, and to build upon it a church for his in-
creasing congregation. The Bishops of London,. Oxford,
and Landaff, to whom he had been recommended, had ap-
proved of his mission, and a committee had been formed
in London to forward his views. The erection of an Epis-
copal Church for Africans, in New York, through the
bounty of the British people, would be a standing testi-
monial of their generosity and Christian feeling. The
movement would not stop there, but would lead to the
erection of others, and might ere long lead to the mora-
lization and spiritual salvation of a large portion of the
human family. He concluded by a more general applica-
tion of his text—the doing of good works. They had, he
found, great demands upon them to support the noble
charities of their own country ; but the Apostle enjoined
that they should do all good works. The field was stony,
but if they sowed upon it, the seed would not, by the
blessing of God, be unproductive, be lost, but bring forth
fruit. Let them cast their bread upon the waters, and
they would find it after many days. "Do thou thy part,
and leave to Hat the rest."

The preacher (of whose address this is but an imperfect
sketch) evidently made a strong impression upon his
auditory, and a general whisper ran through the church,
expressive of wonderment at his attainments, and admira-
tion of his Christian and philanthropic views. He spoke
calmly, not vindictively, of the wrongs of his countrymen,
and exhibited talents as a scholar and an orator in unob-
trusive and neat figures of speech, which stamp him as a
man of reading and intelligence. His manner is agreeable
and energetic. He is assuredly a living proof of the ca-
pability of the African race to be elevated to a high stan-
dard of intellectual and religious culture ; and we venture
to prognosticate that his mission to this country will—as
it deserves—be successful even beyond his early hopes.

.
At the close of the service a handsome collection was
made at the doors.

The locks from the canal into the North Docks were
opened on Thursday. The flat Joseph, Captain Robert
Alty, belonging to Mr. Edward Morgan, with a cargo of
coals, was the first to pass through.
The Albion says that the price demanded for the use of
the Theatre Royal for a single night for Jenny Lind was
£3OO. Hence her appearance at the Collegiate Insti-
tution.

CRICKET.— ALBION (SEACOMBE) V. WALLASEY.—
The return match between the above clubs came off on
Saturday last, on the ground of the latter, when the
Albion were again victorious, beating their opponents by
a majority of 34 runs. The bowling of S. H. Splatt, of
the Albion, and J. Blundell, of the Wallasey, and the
batting of J. Maddock, of the Wallasey, and W. E. Shaw,
of the Albion, were much admired.

BEBINGTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.—We observe
that the exhibition of this society will be held on Thurs-
day next, at the Rock Ferry Hotel pleasure grounds,
where, by permission of Colonel Willocks awl the officers
of the 81st, the splendid band of that regiment, under the
direction of the celebrated Mr. Crogur, (a name well known
amongst military bands,) will attend and play during the
exhibition. We believe most of the officers of the regi-
ments now on duty in this neighbourhood intend honour-
ing the society by their attendance. And should the
weather prove favourable, we anticipate a gayer scene than
is often witnessed on the banks of the Mersey.
THE MODEL OF JERUSALEM.—This interesting work
from the hand of Brunetti, has, we are glad to find, been
visited by great numbers of our townspeople, whose atten-
tion has been devoutly won by an inspection of such a
beautiful wo:k. The model represents the holy city as it
stood when trodden by the blessed feet of our adorable
Redeemer ; and every spot of this sacred locality is deline-
ated with an accuracy only attainable after the many years
of patient study which Mr. Brunetti has devoted to the
subject. A very cursory examination of the model gave
us as accurate a description of the locality as we could
attain by years of reading. As our eye wanders from
place to place, we may follow step by step that touching
drama, in which the pure blood of the Man who was God
sealed the inestimable gifts of man's salvation. Here is
the Temple in which he stood ; here are the streets in
which he taught ; and here every spot rendered sacred by
a visit from himself or his disciples.
DEFICIENT WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.—MORE PER-
SONS FlNED.—Yesterday, his worship the Mayor sat in
the Sessions-house, for the purpose of hearing informa-
tions against tradesmen, shopkeepers, &c., for selling with
false weights and measures. There were upwards of eighty
informations laid, out of which number eighty were fined
in penalties varying from 10s. to £5, the whole amount of
the fines being £96 18s. The charges were severally for
light weights, false scales, accelerating beams, and lead and
other substances under the selling scales. In reference
to the last named complaint, of which there were many
instances, his worship observed that the practice was most
dishonest and disgraceful, and expressed his determination
to inflict heavy fines in all such cases which came before
him. On one of the informations for an accelerating beam
being heard, the party accused applied to the Mayor to
know if he could summon the person from whom he got
the scales. The name of Iken was stamped upon them.
The Mayor observed, that they were most discreditable
beams. and he wished the maker could be punished as well
as those who used them,