Page:Daniel Minort Baxter - Bishop Richard Allen and His Spirit (1923).pdf/26

18, 1786, Allen returned to Philadelphia and was allowed to preach at St. George M. E. Church on Fourth Street the hours 5 A. M. and 5 P. M. He was a powerful preacher so that he soon drew large crowds to hear him. As crowds of Negroes flocked to St. George, race prejudice came with them. Allen saw the rising tide of hatred and warned his brethren and proposed to them to build a place of worship for themselves then, but at that time none would agree with him, while the white elder also strenuously objected and used his influence to defeat the plan. Despite this, the colored brethren were treated meanly and were eventually told to sit only one on the end of each pew next to the wall, thus giving the congregation a picture of a white middle ground and a black frame effect. The next move they were ordered to the gallery and they endeavored up there to get front seats so as to be as near the pulpit as possible, but they were ordered to move to the back of the church in the gallery. The fatal or blessed Sunday morning came (1787) when as they came to church they were met at the door and directed to their new seats in the gallery by the sexton. Allen said, “