Thoughts on the Religious Instruction of the Negroes of this Country Part 2

To carry on this course, meet them twice on Sabbath and once in the week if possible. But do not claim too much of their Sunday leisure, or they will shun you.

"5th. To gain their confidence and love, sympathize with their innocent feelings, talk to them privately, preserve a mild dignity without contemning their ignorance and degradation. Have all patience with them.

"6th. Do nothing without the master's consent. Teach them what Paul directed slaves to do and be; but beware of pressing these duties too strongly and frequently, lest you beget the fatal suspicion that you are but executing a selfish scheme of the white man to make them better slaves, rather than to make them Christ's freemen. If they suspect this, you labour in vain."

Another says, "On the modes of communicating a saving knowledge of Divine Truth to the coloured population, best suited to their genius, habits, and condition, we must remember that oral instruction is the kind of instruction alone that is universally allowed in slaveholding States. Hence the question with us will be, in what mode can oral instruction be best communicated?

"I answer, 1st. Nothing can take the place of competent, qualified ministers or missionaries; men exclusively devoted to the work, who shall make it their lifetime labour and study, to whom adequate support must be given. The church is as much bound to furnish and support such missionaries, as missionaries to any other heathen people in the world.

"2d. Their labours must be at churches or convenient stations on the Sabbath; and from plantation to plantation during the week. Plantation meetings are scarcely exceeded in utility by Sabbath or any other kind of meetings, and therefore should be vigorously prosecuted. As a general rule none should attend but residents on the estates where they are held.

"3d. In addition to the preaching of the gospel, cla.s.ses of instruction should be formed, embracing in the first division, adults; and in the second, children and youth. Special instruction should also be given to those who are members of the church, and those who are applying for admission. Let hasty admissions be avoided.

"4th. The manner of communicating instruction should be plain and familiar; fully within their comprehension; without coa.r.s.eness or levity; and with fervour. In the earlier stages of instruction, the catechetical method may be resorted to with success, your subjects being of the simplest kind; as you advance and your people acquire habits of attention and reflection and improve in knowledge, your subjects may be more elevated.

"5th. The matter of preaching, at least for no very inconsiderable a time, may be chiefly, narratives, biographies, striking works of G.o.d, miracles, parables. Didactic discourses, at least at first, are far from being interesting to them. Vary the exercises of worship by singing, and sing standing. Let portions of scripture be committed to memory, as well as psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, to take the place of the foolish and irreverent ones that are often in use among them. The besetting sins of this people ought to be exposed continually. Here give line upon line, and precept upon precept, until conscience is enlightened. Give encouragement in preaching, address them as men, men whom you love, men whom you believe to be capable of improvement, and who, you make no doubt, will improve.

"6th. Of the cla.s.ses of instruction, I would say that they are of incalculable benefit. All that can be said in favour of Sabbath schools, and Bible cla.s.ses, can be said in favour of these cla.s.ses: properly conducted, they are nothing less or more, than Sabbath schools, and Bible cla.s.ses for coloured persons. Our main hope of permanently improving this people lies just where it does with every other people: in the instruction of children and youth. Be beforehand with their parents, who can only, in the vast majority of cases, inculcate evil both by word and deed; and if it were practicable, an entire separation of children and adults (as is attempted by our missionaries at some of the stations by boarding schools and the like,) would be the best thing that could be done. Every effort therefore should be made to draw out and attach children and youth to the schools opened on the Sabbath, at stations, and to schools opened in plantations. Wherever these schools are opened, if the missionary cannot be supported by good teachers, let him instruct the whole school, on the infant school plan himself. His instructions too should not be short, and imperfect, but embrace some regular system of Christian doctrine and practice; so that after a reasonable time, when the course is completed, a connected and intelligent view of Christianity will have been communicated. Connected with such a regular course of instruction, may be the use of scripture cards, and the like; teaching them to sing hymns, &c. Every thing I may say depends upon the teacher. If he is an interesting man, he will behold increased interest and rapid improvement in his cla.s.ses.

"With adult cla.s.ses the improvement will generally be slower and the interest perhaps less and not so easily kept up. Let the same general course of instruction be pursued with them, for literally they are but grown up children.

"7th. I must not omit to mention, that these efforts of regularly appointed missionaries, must be seconded by pastors of churches, and when they can, let them have in their own churches, coloured schools, under the superintendance of elders and laymen. Is it not wonderful that our churches have so long remained indifferent to this most interesting field of labour? One-half or two-thirds of our members have nothing to do. And why is it so? Because they will not labour for the coloured population. Let pastors awake and bring the subject strongly and repeatedly before their people.

"8th. The Missionary must be supported by Christian owners; they must labour to improve the servants at home; having regular schools for the children and meetings for the instruction of adults. They should encourage their people to attend public worship, especially should they send the children to Sabbath school; otherwise such schools, let the missionary or teacher do what he may, will decline in all ordinary cases.

"9th. Let owners also pay special attention to their plantation regulations; all these should be founded on Christian principle.

Discipline, labour, houses, food, clothing, should all be attended to; lest in works we deny our profession. This is fundamental.

"10th. While strict subordination is maintained on plantations, the general police of counties should be rigidly adhered to, and if possible the coloured population protected from ardent spirits. The plan now hinted at, or one very similar, will perhaps be found best suited to their genius, habits, and condition."

But we must close. If our readers feel half the interest in this subject, which its importance demands, they will thank us for these views, even if they should not concur in every suggestion made. Let every man stand in his lot, and put on the whole armour of G.o.d.