The New York herald., 1876-12-04
CENTENNIAL BAPTIST CHURCH.

THE STRAIN ON SOUTHERN CHRrsTIANITY-
DISCOURSE BY JUSTIN D. FULTON, d. D.,
BROOKLYN.
At the Centennial Baptist church. Brooklyn yester-
day morning. Justin d. Fulton, d. D., delivered dis
the past and present conditions OF the col
ored race South, taking for his portion Of the
Goth verse OF the 10Th chapter OF St Luke:-"And
who is my neighbors" He called attention TO the
meaning OF the term "ne,ghbor'' among tho Jews
OF The olden time, and its meaning among the white
men OF the South. Among the Jews there were none
considered "neighbors" who not OF the jewish
persuasion They were not permitted TO look upon
Gentle as ucighbor So was II with the white rulers
OF the South. There man neghbor who
was not OF their special ruling family OF
SIMPLY as their properly. their slaves, not their
nelghbors. And he was prepared to declare tnat the
same poor miserable mon OF the South who were
formerly owned us slaves stood now in dread Of losing
the liberties they had gained through the possible
suit OF The late Presidential election, should it give
power 10 the men who had formerly been their
He then referred at length the condition OF the
negro cnsaved in the South PRIOR TO the war
comparison that time with the recent past and the
present While doing so he made almost angry refer
TO the fact that two clcrgvmen South. Bap-
list and the other Presbyterian, nad been found will
ing to do the dirty work Of the devil for those who
been the owners Of the coored people.
He ic that he would not caro- to be resident Of the
South, and yet he had hesitation in saying that hc
would have preferred 10 deliver the discourse no
then delivering in the South He felt that the qucs
ton might well be asked, DO these ministers
sent the rcigion OF the South ~ In answering the
question he thought II well 10 remind his hearers
that before the war no clergyman OF the South
dared 10 his voice against tho SIN of slavery,
about politics in any form. They set all labor and
cal conditions aside from consideration the ground
that they, ministers OF churcnes, wcrc there 10
preach the Gospel. not to dabblc IN politics They de-
cared that slavery existed there before their time
was liked condition in the country, and that all they
could do IN relation 10 the existing condition
in Scrptural form TO cxhort the slaves TO obe-
dicncc to their masters. They never referred to
pocs in their sermons; In fact, he believed that he
the first minister who, In Southern pulpit, made
iorcibc reference 10 what he looked upon the hor
rors OF slavery. BY dong he deprived OF all
sympathy Of the ruling class. He had never
such week OF excitement as the last had been, ana
yet he felt 1t to have been the best that cond have
been and thanked God for tor the closeness OF the
election. He not there TO say who ought TO have
won who would win. He did
know; but II the thousands of poor ignorant
people had voted they did not vote the result would
have been different Returning to the question in
he repeated his declaration concerning the Jews
and Gentilcs and the whites and blacks In the South,
fixing them the same, and asFcd fcrventy that the
clergy OF the South be called upon to care for the
blacks The religious pros he did not consider
all courageous in It's duty in that regard the
spectacle daily press, he ielt that there far
more Of honesty among the politicians than there
among the ministry on the question Of the freedom OF
10 hIacks