Or, A Colored Man's Reply to Bishop Foster. 63
members^in any denomination, separating on a color-line. Such
a'separation is not needed. Grace is needed perhaps to con¬
vince some people that Christianity requires the closest union o
the members of the Church of God.
{b) Inherent rights* There are only a few who know the
law of the Methodist Episcopal Church who will deny that our
rights are inherent. The General Conference of 1868 declared
our status in the Church not proselytes, but sons and daughters
of the old parent stock. We have never seceded therefore our
claim is legitimate as any other member's.
The result of race division. Whenever races of any coun¬
try divide on account of color the result is always antagon¬
ism. Ifsuchanevil prevails in any branch of the Church of
God the result in its effect would appear worse than in the
State. Some seem to advocate race division in the Church, we
suppose for no other reason than they have not had a vision yet
to convince them that God is no respecter of persons. It is our
duty to remain in the Methodist Episcopal Church unless we
are forced out. And repression will force us to agree to a plan
(of separation) because we have manhood. We will choose
starvation and death before repression. We are no longer
ignorant of the true principles of Christianity, and for these in
all of their bearings we mean to contend. We never, never,
never ! intend to agree to discrimination on account of color as
long as the law remains as it is. And for the Methodist Episco¬
pal Church to turn its back on one of the finest historic records
that God ever allowed his followers to make would be retro¬
gression. We prefer remaining with and in the Church
wherein we were born ; yea, in peace. But we desire it perfectly
understood that the 250,000 colored members cannot agree to
abandon expection of the preferments which are guaranteed to
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