The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-12-20
4 . n service q tie NJ Z CAurch

strongly 20 say, the Southern delegates
In that Conference cossld not k0ue don.
dDersnsly with their solemn, honest con
victioas Of dusy, truth, propriety and ex-
pediency. And Il Is equally true that the
d. L Church, South, from that day e
this, has been faithful to her sacred mis-
sion Of ppoclaiming the goepel of the
Son Of God to bond and free. to gres,
and small alike; and these efforts have
been crowned with signal manifestations
Of Divine power, and gifts Of the Holy
SPIRIT. At the very beginning Of ON
separate organisation, the Church, South
felt itself solemnly re-commissioned. in !
sense, TO the religious instruction of the
colored race; and in one small division OF
our work-the South Carolina Conference
I'VE raised IN one year the sum of five
Thousand pounds sterling, as . mission
fund within that district, nearly all oil
which was devoted to Christian and min
isterial work among the colored people.
At the period Of the late unhappy war in
the United States we had more than 200.
900 cOlored communicates in the fold OF
our Southern Methodist Church, MANY Of
them matured and enlightened Chris
tians and when our relations with them
were so suddenly and strangely changed
by the results of our sectional war, our
wisest men took counsel to determine
how we could most effectualIy secure
these people in the enjoyment of the
Christian life; and our Bishops, by au-
thority Of the Church, instituted for them
the Colored NJ. E. Church in the United
States 7" colored ministers, of the highest
type among them, were ordained to the
Episcopal Office all church property
heretofore used by colored congrega-
tons was conveyed in fee for the use OF
these people; and all kindly, brotherly
and Christian aid has been rendered to
this fourishing and promising Colored
Church.
In the Southern States where these col
ofed people were freed, and where still
they dwell, invested with every civil and
political right which an American citizen
can possess, the white people-the same
native-b born, Southern, slave-holding white
race, are taxing themselves annually to
the amount of millions of dollars to edu-
cate the children and youth of the col
ored race, In system of public schools,
by the same methods, In the same text
books, and under the same regulations, as
the white children and youth are being
instructed Why, sir, in my representa-
tive character here, both of nv Church,
and of my own Southland, claim these
colored people as my countTymen, my fell
low-citizeus, my Deighbors, and, as Chris
tians, they are my brethren in Christ
Jesus 6 In whom there is neither Jew. nor
Greek; barbarian, Sythian, bond, nor free 4;
but all are one in Him.
Has the NJ. E. Church, South. ever
been recreant to her high trusts and sa-
cred obligations Why, the fruits of her
labors, under grace, were visible in the
recent Ecuminical Conference. There
sat in counsel colored ministers, and
Bishops, worthy of their high calling,
who were the children of that Church
while slavery was an existing institution
among us. A little to my left sat the
Rev. DIR. Potter, of Georgia, q goodly
type of the native Southern gentleman !;
and not far to my right sat Bishop Hol-
sey, of Georgia, typical of the best ele-
ments of the colored race. Said /, Doc
tor, you are acquainted with Bishop HoI-
sey? Why, said he, licensed him to
preach The lesson is obvious. Long
years ago Bishop Holsey was slave, and
DIR. Potter was a modest, earnest. labori-
Gus Methodist circuit-rider. The white
itinerant preacher, by the authorized
forms, conferred authority upon the At
rican youth to preach the Gospel to his
people; aud, now, behold these two mes
sengers Of the Lord Jesus meet in the
worlds metropolis, in . Conference of all
the Methodists in the world, to take coun-
sci how to conquer the world for Christ
Has the N. E Church, South, failed in
her sacred mission Nov there is to be
noted here historical fact, to me
strange fact, and aad fact, however it
came 70 be fact.-from the day of the
division Of American Methodism into
these two great Methodist families, the
NJ Z Church, South, was written down
as . pro-elavery Church, (albeit, the
Church had naught on earth to do with
slavery,) and as such, was ignored, and
left to herself and by herself without fra
ternal recognition or sympathy, by any
family, or branch, Of Methodism, for more
than . quarter Of . century! To say
that orr people did not feel this neglect,
would not be stating the case truly; bat
conscious OF honest purpose and firm re-
solve Of manly and Christian duty. they
felt that they cOnld sford to wait (hear.
hear,) until their circumstances could be
understood aud their motives appFecia-
ted by the Christian world. (Hear, hear.)
have AI1s1da1 ines1anfallv "a fha Iafn ,rvo,