The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 06, June, 1879 — John Shaqi
The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 06, June, 1879Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 06, June, 1879
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
in the South where I have _ever_ seen a white man ask for prayer
among the colored people and at their meeting. This was done by a
man of about 60 years, while I was trying to gather the nucleus
which formed this church. Another important Congregational seed is
planted; pray that its growth may be a success.
* * * * *
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Plymouth Church—Home and Sunday-School Work—Avery Institute—Social
Recognition.
REV. TEMPLE CUTLER, CHARLESTON.
We came here from Chattanooga about the first of March. We have
not had time to do much more than to look about us and take the
lay of the land. There seems to be no reason why we may not build
up, in this city, a strong church upon the true foundation of the
Apostles. The church here (Plymouth) is largely an offshoot from
the old Circular, Independent, or Congregational church, one of
the oldest in this city. In an old plan of the city, giving the
location of the principal buildings in 1704, the White Meeting
House occupies a conspicuous position, and probably gave its name
to the street on which it stood, which is now the principal street.
This church was established by Presbyterians, Congregationalists
and French Protestant refugees. It afterwards passed into the
hands of Congregationalists, and then suffered, as many of our
Congregational churches did, by a division, a part forming
themselves into a Unitarian congregation. Not far from 120 members
from this old Independent church have joined Plymouth church since
its organization. We do not have to contend, therefore, with the
prejudice against a new form of government and worship, as we do
in some parts of the South. Besides this, there are Presbyterian
churches among the colored people here whose mode of worship is so
like ours that the people have been educated into sympathy with our
government and worship. Notwithstanding all this, from one cause
and another, Plymouth church has had a stormy life, and is now
struggling for existence. What will be the outcome of our effort it
is not best to predict; only this: “If God be for us, who can be
against us?” I remember a Christian worker once made the remark,
that “If we have God on our side, we are in the majority, let who
will be on the other.” This is the encouragement we have. If we
can succeed in getting the membership decidedly and firmly on the
Lord’s side, the end is secured. But the obstacles and hindrances
are not few. What we need, and what alone can save us, is a baptism
of power from on high. Some of our good friends at the North are
in mortal fear of the doctrine of a higher Christian life. If they
will come down here, we will show them some of the phases of the
lower Christian life, until they will be willing to accept anything
that will tend to make Christians holy and love one another. I
don’t propose to say much about the church at present, only this:
that we need greatly a revival of pure religion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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