Page:The religious instruction of the colored population.djvu/9

 II. The colored population of this city and its suburbs are not much less than 20,000 in number. Let us see what provision is made for their spiritual necessities. The galleries of all the evangelical churches in this city, put together, could not, by any posibility, be made to receive more than one-half their number. But, whether those places, closely packed, would or would mot contain more than ten thousand people, we may safely say that not more than 6000 of this people do actually find their way into those galleries. How large a proportion, of these 6000 do you suppose are qualified to comprehend and to profit by the sermons preached to the while people? Is it one-half—is it even one-third their number? How small a fraction, then, of the whole mass, can be said to have the gospel preached unto them! Two thousand of them are thus favored! Eighteen thousand of them are thus neglected! I know that some in this community would say that our poor servants are, provided for in this respect. Yes! They are provided for, as a hireling shepherd might be said to provide food tor his master's sheep, who should retire into a small enclosure with their provender, well knowing that not one hallf of them could crowd in after him. Yes! they are provided for as that hireling might be said to have provided food for that hungry moiety of his master's flock, who, after he had been pursued by them into that narrow stable, should then hold up their food so high as to be quite beyond their reach! Do you a«k whether I mean to reproach the pastors of our white churches for not preaching, in a more simple style? I answer that my object is neither to approve nor to condemn the conduct of ministers in this city. It is not them, as individuals, I compare to the unfaithful hireling shepherd. It is the ministry and the church, in general, who have neglected to see that the gospel is preached to our poor. The conduct of the individual ministers may be excusable, or it may be inexcusable. They might be able to preach, in a suitable manner, at the same time, to both classes of their hearers, or they might not be able so to preach. I am not concerned, at present, to decide that question. The individual minister is but the creature of the present prevailing system. I am dealing with facts as they are. I say, the present plan of preaching the gospel to our poor is a failure. These sheep of our Master are not supplied with spiritual food. The truth, as now dispensed, does not leach them, and they cannot reach it. Nor, in the present plan, can we ever hope to do our duty to them.