New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-07


Until this week We had not known any
thing to the detriment of Randolph S
Foster. and not much of anything to his
credit, except that he was bishop in tht
Methodist Episcopal Church. That body
does not cheaper it's episcopate, and VI
never heard of bishopric within it beinf
unvalued or declined, We must presume
therefore, that BishDp Foster is a man o
some considerable mark, and has ability
somewhat commensurate to his dignity.
This over shepherd, in the performance
of his episcopal duty. has had occasion tt
visit New Orleans The Methodist Church
is small and feeble in the Southwest
! struggling for recognition. and quite too
much composed, tor respecta bility, OF col
Ored churches.
| Colored churches! Ominous sound! Are
souls coiored! Is salvation parted into
tints9 Does heaven have an ivory and al
ebony entrance gate! Is Carist divideda
| So they think IN Louisiana, and the Meth
| odist Episcopal Church in Louisiana thinks
| SO too. 1t has its white churches and its
colured churches. The white churches pro-
| vide Snow white salvation for pure white
| people, and the black churches a coal black
! salvation, Unfortunately dealt to al
| shades in geOInetIical rOgression-full
! bloods. half bloods, GuahrOons. octoroOns
| and SO on up to the ninth power of fraction
| aristOcratic, and will not allow pew
holder whore face has been never so gently
kissed by an African sun. And these are
Methodist churches of which we speak.
Northern Methodist, which have no office or
business in the South if it be not to protest
against the sin of color caste, and to teach a
more excellent way.
Bishop Foster has been visiting these
churches in Louisiana. What magnificent
or oil tys No
imagine we hear the Apostle James, that
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ, speaking through the mouth OF his
successor in New Orleans, his old greeting
to the tribes scattered abroad. He would
gather them all together, true bishop to
all their souls, and somewhat thus would he
speak:
"My brethren. count it all joy when We
fall into divers trials Let tho brother of
low degree rejoice in that he is exalted
through Christ's Gospel to an equality with
the highest; but the brother Of high degree
in that he ia made low as the lowest. Pure
religion and undctiied before God and the
Father for you who are high and favored in
the worlds estimation is this. to visit the
suffering poor and the despised, in their
aft iction. and to keep himself humble and
unspotted in the world. My brethren, have
not the faith OF our Lord Jesus Christ, the
For, II there come unto your assembly a
man with white skin, in goodly apparel,
aud there come in also black man, in vile
raiment, and We have respect to him that
weareth the white ekin, and say unto him,
Sit thou here in these pews as one of lis:
and say to the black man, Get out of this
sanctuary, and take no seat within it. and
put up with such Gospel as you can find
IN your own Niger chapels, are ye not
no fYoI in pAI Vnc
judges Of evil thoughts! Hearken, my
beloved brethren, hath not God chosen
these poor negroes, rich in loyalty to God
and to their nation, and heirs of that king
dom which He has promised to them of
every color that love Him! But We have
despised these my poor black saints. Is it |
not white men that Cypress you, that |
Ostracise you, that refuse social intercourse |
with you, that curse that Christian church |
to which you belong, and blasphems that
worthy name by which ye are called! But |
ye have respect to persons; ye have com
mitted in, and are thus convinced OF the |
aw as transgressOr5. And think not, nv |
brethren, that this is slight Offense to be |
forgiven of God; for whatsoever shall keep
the whole law and yet offend in one such |
point as this, yea, whatsoever shall thus sin
sg ainst one OF these little ones, he is guilty
Of all. If brother or sister be naked or
ACctituto Va udliS loOu. VI IL t6CG want 10
Do fed With that tru3 bread from Heaven,
md ye say to them, depart from US,
% ye warmed and fed and filled,
Ind thus shut them from the doors of your
houses anu the houses OF Your worship bid
hem BECOME as unworthy of your equal
your faith is without works
md is dead also. For in this day of liberty
70 shall be judged by the law of liberty, and
ln shall have Judgment without mercy that
VT II Gb.Nt l
,rand, hangh'y ana oppressive white men,
weep and howl for the miseries that shall
ome upon you. Behold the hire of the
aborers who have reaped down your fields,
which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth,
nd the cries OF them that have reaped, yea,
# them whom We have shut out FROM your
Orses, from your schools, even from my
wn house and table, are entered into the
als ofthe God Of Sabaoth. Ye have con
emned and killed the just and he doth not
esist you. But be We patient, my poor,
own-trodden brethren; establish your
carts, tor the coming of the Lord draweth
Ugh"
Somewhat thus, we might hope, did the
uccessor of James, when he had called to-
ether in ono place his own flock, white and
lack, address his brethren. But did he'
Bishop Foster was presiding over the
louisiana Conference. The question was
|
0 question since st. Paul and st. James
ad settled it-"Equality in the church."
he bishop pronounced on the subject the
DICE Of Jesus Christ as uttered By the |
[ethodist Episcopal Church NORTH" as it
called in New Orleans. After telling his
)lored children that il is hard thing to
1T out OF one condition into another that
,ey had been freed and ought to be thank |
Il for it: that they were surrounded by
81 |
get all their rights in day; that they :
ere much better off than they had been, t
i'd must not be guilty of the folly Of sup
,sing. that they could get everything at
zee, and that 1.-The old mother church
mes to help you aud do all in her power a
T yoll," he thus proceeded, as reported by E
e Methodist organ, the Southeastern G
tristan .AdrOcatc: '
"On the question of your right to seats in .
II church, we want you 10 understand c
1t tie general conference never has un- '
rtaken to interfere with the internal I
,rking Of congregations. 1t prescribes v
at the preachers shall have their rights 8
d that the people shall have theirs, TIE Ii
VS. in the church are the peoples. have s
IN kept out of Methodist churches many c
les. The pews were rented by the people Il
colored congregation has right to say, q
g don't want white people in our b
nrches.' The general church makes no r.
tinction in her laws between her white a
colored members. All are the same to a
:. She goes to all her people to put her Of
rs around them and help them. II any g.
her preachers arc dissatisfied they have b.
to say the word and go where they e'
ok more can be done for them" W
hat was your speech, Randolph S Fos- &C
degenerate successor OF the apostle "
H. servant OF the general conference Of ot
t branch of the Church Of Christ founded ST
John Wesley, which, on your own word. ~
axes DO distinction in her laws between ht
white and her colored members'-yor, III
+ to New Orleans on the pretense only o.
l. oil =. IL | iti