The New York herald., 1872-12-24
THE METHODIST PREACHERS.
Another Tilt with tho Prayer Testers
Educational Matters in the south-An

Another Tilt with the Prayer Testers
Educational Matters In the south-An.
Inhalation.
Yesterday the Methodist preachers, for the TWEEN.
teth time, demolished Professor Tyndal and his
prayer test, and raised the standard Christianity
on the ruins OF the scientists. Rcvs. Mallory,
Taylor, Wood, French and others opened their
masked batteries on the strongholds Of science.
Mr.. French gave an Illustration from ms own per
sonal experience OF q physical answer to prayer.
When, as young man, he entered the Methodist
ministry In the Northern Ohio Conference he had
disease in his eyes which compelled him
to wear green glasses. He found that his
ministry was not as effective as IL might
have been on this account. For two years, there
fore, he prayed that God might heal his eyes. One
day, while dining with u large company, the Lord
babe him to remove his glasses and declare to the
quick as thought his sight was wholly restored, so
that, though he Is now sixtytwo years OF age, he
does not wear glasses, nor has he ever worn them
Rev. Mr.. RItledge, OF Nashville Tenn, spoke on
EDUCATION AMONG THE CoLoRED PEOPLE
OF the South. He showed that while the Methodist
Episcopal Church has given attention to mission
ary efforts, Church extension, tract distribution
and other interests among the negroes IL has
failed in the educational interests, which he
deemed one Of the most Important features Of
gregatonalists, Presbyterians and other de-
nominations are there with their teachers.
ton, q Congregational body, spent s22s, COO
ana maintained 346 teachers In the South. This is a
larger sum than the Methodsts expended there for
all their correctional interests. The Presbyterians
spent $4,000 there. The Congregationalists have
but 1900 co0red members In the entire Southern
country. The Methodists have 10000, and ye.
maintain only seventy-fve teachers. The teachers
OF the south stand between the preachers and the
people and tend to destroy the influence OF the
former. The Church is obliged to call uncarned
IN en- to the ministry. Some OF them can read, bue
cannot wrlte while others can write well, but are
barely able to read. The Methodists build most OF
the churches for the colored people, and every
church In the South Is q post o1lce, and Mr.. Rut-
ledge believed that at least 500 letters are dis
tributed in most OF the churches every sabbath.
These are read on by the teachers because
the ministers are unable TO do IT, And
these teachers thus stand between the pastors
and the people, and many ofethem are hostile to
THE ITINERANT sYsTEyoF METHoDlsM.
The Catholic Church, TOO, fs paying much more
attention to the education OF the colored people
than to their evangelization. The Sisters OF
Charity 20 from house to house instrnctng the
colOred women In domestic duties and In the rudi-
ments OF common school education. And while
they NAV not have much success with the older
fok there rs great danger, as Mr.. Butler remarked,
that the yonng people WIN take to that Church in
large numbers. Mr.. Butler thinks that the MethO,
tinct from conferences Of white ministers Is detri
mental TO the best interests of the coorcd people,
who are not yet intelligent enough to carry on
their own spiritual affairs unaided 1t fosters, also.
the spirit or caste, which he conceivcs to be In
furious Mr.. Rutledge is here now preaching
among tho churches to awaken an interest In behalf
of Methodist education in the South. Next Monday
the preachers will have an original essay on "Annl
hilatt0n." by Rev. N. s. re'""