New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-28
RELIGIOUS NEEDS OF CoLoRED MEN.

Bishop Smith at St Philips Church tPrOie'iaM Epsoopap
Bishop Smith of Kentucky, the Presiding
Bishop of tho Protestant Episcopal Church. preached
Yesterday morning before coored congregation Of
St. Philips Church, No. 305 Mulberryst. The prayers
were read by the Rev. John Peterson fcoored), the
antecommunion service by the Rev. Dr. Dennson, and
the gospel by the Bishop who then selected the follow
ing as hs text "And when cried unto the Lord God
Of our fathers the Lord heard voice. and looked
our afflcton and our labor, and our oppresson and
the Lord brought forth out OF Egypt with mighty
hand and with outstretched arm"-Deut' XVII T. g.
In the late great trouble the South said the Bishop,
It was that almost universal expectation
was felt throughout that part OF this country that Cod
would raise up another Moses to lead the coored people
ont OF the land OF their servtude 1t was natural that
the ensaved should have looked up to that great and
good man. the then President Of the United States,
the Moses who was to deliver them But here the smii-
tude ended between the two cases. so far as the deliver
auce was concerned God raised up Ills hand Tor the
accomplishment of His great work, and the late Pres
dent would the last TO have taken any credit
for the carrying out Of Gods will The colored race
was delivered from bondage by the outsretched arm Of
the Almighty, and the glory belongs to Him and not
to any human agency. The analogy between
the two cases ceases at this point The Israelites
were delivered as q nation from the midst
of foreign country, and their deliverance was
therefore the more wonderous requiring the perform
OF many astonishing luc
TO accomplish purpose: lHey "1io oAp1os ~ W ~
forth and drive out the tribes from the land or canaan
and 10 take possession OF the country. In accordance
with the promise made TO Abraham This was only to
be accomplished by force OF their own arms and In TINS
there was resemblance between the two cases But
when reflect further, there s stu more striking re-
sembance God had 80 ordered 1t mat the people VINO
great nation change had to take place in their habits
and modes OF life, and In order 10 effect TINS cnDge they
m mao 70 Co@%erciai cities they We're TO be,
come people strong enough 10 conquer
the savage tribes then occupying canaan, ana
slavery of over 400 years was necessary Tor tne accom-
pishment OF this God had said that the lraees were
favor-for they were stiff.necked generation1blt
because He had covenanted with Abraham to tn at effect
God said they should be peculiar people; the dePos
Que great God All the world was given to the worship
OF idols aud the people not only sacrificed to idols bat
also their aud daughters Precipitation for their
misdeeds The Hebrews were to prepare the way IOr
the Christian religion and 1t was therefore necessary
that they should be separated for over LOCO years from
the rest Of manknd-t0 be people hedgeu IN anu
separated geographically from Gil the Other 3asI
peculiar rites and ceremonies people SO peculiar that
their rites aud ceremonies adhered to at this present
always were and still peculiar people. During
the nearly years OF his Christian ministry the speaker
beiog 80 years old and an ordained minister OF over 81
years he had met many Christians who believed that
the bringing Of Africans TO America had been one OF the
instruments in the Divine hand for the salvation OF
Africa This very much like the carrying Of the Is-
realities into Egypt, That was for the purpose OF re-
deeming Palestine from idolatry and the light Of
iigon has from that ever since and many
Christians regard the gathering OF about 100000 OF
mel 10 the whole of Africa. These millions have been
brought together in order that they obtain knOw
edge of God of Israel and the still purer knowledge
This Thought brought the preacher to the practical
terest the Protestant Episcopal Church among the
colored people had been considerably Increased When
his family removed TO Loulsyle n.y. ne IeLt desire 70
know what existed for the religious teaching OF
the coored people. He therefore visited the different
churches and became well known among the minister's.
on occasion he visited church with Ills son, then
boy but with ideas of future usefulness as minister
and during the services the coored congregation be-
came greatly excited, threw themselves on the floor
and some tore their hair The boy cried out
ava father Take me awayIo He then received
the impression that the colored people had no other
religion than the emotional and he worked hard to
establish q church for them with service that should
appeal the heart and mind aud not to the passions
on another occasion he met colored man. and asked II
he could read. negative answer was returned Upon
askng whether the master or mistress would not teach
him. the negro replied he supposed SO II he mad asked
them. Upon telling him that the alphabet was Kew TO
the Bible he ran of shouting that as he had got religion
he had no use for the Bible THESE things made MN
satisfied that the Protestant Episcopal Church with its
rational modes OF worship was the best for the
The Bishop then asked If there were any in the con-
gregatoD, or among the members OF the church, who
would be willing after receiving some little further IN
structon to 20 South aud teach their fellow beings the
rudments OF education Unless this were speedily done
the Romish Church would do the work. and the errors
that Church would spread far and wide throughout the
South. II 10 could be sent from that congregation
short time only would have 10 eapse before by their in
sructon the number Of teachers could be Increased to
So This duty the Bishop believed was an ennobling
one, and should be considered. by those who have
felt the. value of education, as one OBLIGATORY
upon them He wished 10 find colored
persons anxious learn Hebrew which he said the
key the Arabc missionaries could then be sent to
Africa and check the progress now being made by the
followers Of Mohamed, who are propagang their false
doctrine through the country and making rapid ap-
proaches toward Liberia He knew that the congrega-
ton were abong hard to build up their church; but
they should also think OF the extension OF the church
among their throughout America and Africa.
Owing TO his advanced age he would make no further
appeal at that tme but would leave tue matter for
their owna elm reflection and future action.
EMOTIONAL RELIGION.
al