Thoughts on the Religious Instruction of the Negroes of this Country

Excerpt

Many centuries ago, a holy seer said, "Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hand unto God." In view of the fulfilment of this prophecy, the royal bard called for a song of universal praise. The words next succeeding this prediction are, "Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth: O sing praises unto the Lord." The writings of Jeremiah inform us who the Ethiopians were, when he speaks of them as contra-distinguished from the rest of the race by their colour, as the leopard is from the rest of the feline tribe by his spots.

The first step in the providence of God towards an amelioration of the spiritual condition of the negro race was their dispersion among other races of mankind. This work, both cruel and bloody, had not been completed, when Christian philanthropy, ever vigilant, sought them out in bondage, and bore to them the cup of divine consolation, which the gospel offers to all, and especially to the sons of sorrow. As early as the year 1732, the United Brethren commenced missions to the negroes in the Danish West Indies, viz., St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. Jan. In 1754 they began their labours in Jamaica: in 1756 in Antigua: in 1765 in Barbadoes: in 1775 in St. Kitts: in 1790 in Tobago. In 1735 they began their labours among the free negroes of Surinam, and in 1736 they commenced a mission in South Africa. The same zeal led the same people to labour amongst the slaves at and near Paramaribo. One mission was at Paramaribo and one at Sommelsdyke.

The difficulty of establishing the first missions among the negroes can scarcely now be conceived. This difficulty was neither blindly contemned, nor timidly feared. With a zeal which Christ knows how to reward, "two of the Brethren at Hernhutth offered to sell themselves as slaves, should they find no other way of obtaining an opportunity of instructing the negroes." In almost every instance some ignorant or viciously disposed persons chose to misunderstand and misrepresent the object and tendency of this missionary labour; and thus at first opposition was frequently violent. But in every case this hostility was found to be unreasonable and died away. Thus in St. Thomas through the bitterness of some, of whom better things might have been expected, the missionaries were at one time imprisoned for fifteen weeks; but soon after the governor and most of the planters on the island were convinced, by experience, that the instruction of the negroes in the principles of religion, instead of impairing, promoted the interests of their masters; and therefore they were pleased to see their slaves attend on the preaching of the gospel. Thus also in St. Croix, when a dangerous plot was discovered among the slaves, who had bound themselves to murder all the white people on the island in one night, certain malicious persons reported, that some of the negroes baptised by the missionaries were concerned in this conspiracy; but their ignorance was soon vindicated by the criminals themselves. As long as the disturbances lasted, the Brethren by the governor's advice, omitted the large meetings of the negroes; and when he authorized them to begin them again, he and some other gentlemen were present and encouraged the negroes in their attendance. On another occasion when an order was issued that no negro should be seen on the streets or roads after seven o'clock in the evening, he made a regulation that such negroes as had attended the meetings of the Brethren, and could produce a certificate to that effect, signed by their teacher, should pass unmolested by the watch....