The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-10-14
For THE CENTRAL PREsBYrERlAN.


Mr.. Editor,-I send you the following
article which | quote just as it stands in
the Bible Society Record, published, New
York, August, 1868.
STEALING THE WORD OF GOD.
"A missionary of the American Sun
day School Union in the South, gives the
following estimate of the Bible as set
forth by colored man:
"Lsst Sabbath l organized Sunday
S,;oool for "a little settlement of colored
} oeonle Nth twenty-six teachers, of one
bnndred, and forty six scholars, and l
said 7 Ruld give Testaments to those
I nnable tabuy; but those who could, aud
,n;sbod ~ pay could have one for ten
..TTr fang colored man and said
I l.Whv AK of dat u de words of Jesus for
te ITS Why colored mems you all
know dat | larned to read before de war,
when slave, and when | had to larn at
night by de light of pine knot. Well,
you know dat ruined away and hid in
de woods Well den lost de little Tes-
lament dat | had, and [ wanted one so
bad dat broke into de Mefordist church
and stole de Bible from de pulpit and de
hymn book too. Den you know got
away Norf, and jined de army in de war.
Well up in Tennessee de enemy got after
us, and me had to leab nifty sudden, and
den 1 lost my Bible. But l couldn't get
along widout it no how; so | got into a
Prisbyterin church up dere aud stole
anoder one But bless de Lord! we don't
hao to steal de Bible no more, nor hide
away in de dark for to read it. We can
buy it and read it like men. So come
and buy de words of Jesus and den we'll
study it, and love it, and tank Him for
dis blessed day"
The following comment is by the editor
of the Record:
''There is something of l00se>morality
in the above incident, which the Bible
will correct But the facts serve to illus
trate character as well as the times We
trust brighter day is dawning and that
colored as well as white, shall rejoice to.
gether in the light of Gods word
Such articles as the above are greatly
to be regretted At time when peace
between the sections is so greatly to be
desired, it is strange that any religious
periodical should give currency to arti
cles calculated to awaken and prolong
unkind feelings; but doubly so, that any
thing of the kind should be found in the
Bible Society Record, which all might
expect to be an exhibition of peace and
truth
1. The language protesting to be from
the mouth of the colored orator, by nc
means corresponds with that of the col
ored people of the South.
2. 1t is not true that the colored peo.
pie, in the times of slavery, were pre-
vented from having the scriptures-eithel
those who could, or could not read.
lived among slaves for more than third
of century, during which l travelled in
many parts of the South, and | never
knew one instance of a slave being for
hidden to own the scriptures, or to bt
under any temptation to steal them.
have sold the scriptures to them, anc
given many a copy gratis to them, and
so far as I know, | always had the thanks
of their owners for so doing. notified
the American Bible Society of the dona
tions | made. and | received the thanks
of that Society for doing so, through
their Secretary, Rev. John c. Brigham
| also was in the habit of teaching thos
who were disposed to read the word o
God, and can now recall some delightful
instances of it. In no case was Their
ever any censure cast upon me for thes
things.
In view of the above facts, [ must con
fess that Am grieved to find the edito
of the Record seeming to rejoice that
black man in the South Can mOw procur
Bible without stealing it out of church
which he represents simply as "loos
morality"
, Truly the above representation illus
trates character as well as the times =
Ex. Xxx: l6. Ps Ii: 6.*
x. x x
*P.S. Perhaps these scripture text
: may Correct the S. S. Missionary, tn
orator and the editor