The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-01
ELOQUENT COLORED MAN
REV. NJ. G. n. MASON AT CENTRAL
AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH.
He Discusses the Spread of Religion
and Education Among Negroes
of the SOUTH.

The service in Central-avenue Methodist
Episcopal Church yesterday morning pos
sessed unusual interest from the fact that
the sermon was delivered by the Rev. NJ.
c.. Il. Mason, a brilliant colored divine from
Cincinnati, o. DR.. Mason is secretary OF
the Freedmen's Aid Society of the Meth
odist Church and Is in the city attend
ing the sessions of the Lexington Confer
nee in Simpson Chapel. Any one listen
ing to the eloquent preacher without see
ing his face would scarcely suppose that
he is a full-blooded negro. He is one OF
the most famous men of his race in relig-
ious and educational work, having been
unanimously chosen TO his present posi-
ton when IL was vacated by the eleva-
ton of DIR. Hamilton TO the episcopacy.
Mr.. Mason himself came within a few
votes of being made a bishop at the last
General Conference. Mr.. Lasby, pastor of
Central-avenue Church., recalled that DIR.
Nacy's occupancy of that pulpit was not
the first instance in which a colored min
lister had addressed the cultured people
of the church. Bishop Hamilton has been
heard I'm Central-avenue Church on at least
one occasion. Prominent features of the
service were the large attendance and the
heartiness with which the congregation
greeted the colored preacher at the close
of his sermon. The chorus choir rendered
an exceptionally fine musical programme.
conspicuous features of which were the
solos by Mrs. Dolan, contralto. and Mr..
Bussey, tenor.
DR.. MASON'S SERMON.
The text of DIR. Mason's discourse was
a part of Matthew XIV. 40: '1nasmuch
as We have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren We have lone it unto
me-" He said in part:
1.-The Methodist Episcopal Church, from
the very beginning of her history, was
cosmopolitan in her membership and has
since grown 10 be worldwide i'm her jur-
isdiction. In the field Of ecclesiasticism she
has never been a negative, but always a
positive factor. She has never been so
much a protest against other forms of
church organization as rather a positive
declaration for a christianity that was es-
s~entially Christ's life and spirit. Her
going forth, therefore. into the South after
the close of the war was but the legiti-
mate outcome Of her history, the natural
result of a position which for more than
three-quarters of a century she had main
tanned as one of the most conspicuous
leaders In every religious and moral reform.
Standing here as we do this morning 10
leave with you something Of the results
of this movement, i think the facts in
the case warrant us in the assertion that,
Notwithstanding the difficulties in them
selves difficult, difficulties growing out Of
misconceptions, difficulties made more diff
ficult because of the spirit OF unfairness
which exaggerated them, / think that not
withstanding these difficulties, that the OBJ
stacles which we have overcome, together
with the victories We have won, stand
without a parallel in the history OF the
Christian church In any age, in any cline.
But what has the church accomplished in
her greatest work in the SOUTH Z call
your attention, my Christian friends, 20 this
face because. as great as this work OF
Christian education. as marvellous as are
ing these years. yet the greatest work to
which God has called the church is the
work of helping people into the kingdom
and therefore giving them In that very
work. I'm that very fact. a basis for a
higher development and for purity of life
I'm the family circle and everywhere where
His thought finds expression. And 1 sub
In this work i'm the South. failed I'm the
conversion OF the souls OF the people and
also failed in leading them to higher and
purer lives. then We might Just as well
cancel all that work down there. for there
would be no foundation firm and steadfast
upon which We could build and from which
we could hope TO receive lasting and perma-
God has blessed us In the work. then I'm
that fact itself greater and high, and
above all more pertinent 10 the whole
work we have a foundation firm and stead
fast upon which 10 build. and Gods word
gives US the hope that from IL we shall
receive permanent and lasting results"
SPREAD OF THIS WORK.
DR.. Mason gave a number OF statistics 10
show the great spread Of Christian educa-
tionaI work in the South since the civil