postle of the Gentiles
a stinging rebuke for stultifying his conscience during that exciting
controversy which was to settle once for all whether Christianity was to
be a racial or a universal religion. But because there never was a
perfect church is no reason why we should speak lightly or condone the
defects of the Negro Church. Our ideal of the Negro Church is one which
will have as few defects as possible. If we expose these defects it is
because our aim is to correct them so as to reach as near as possible
our ideal. We hope we shall not be misunderstood if we submit for
investigation the following defects in the Negro Church.

I. THE TENDENCY TO LAY STRESS ON OUTWARDNESS RATHER THAN INWARDNESS.

All life is known by its manifestations. The latter is the outcome, the
effect of the former. The manifestations of life cannot by any means be
more important than the life which makes them possible. Christianity is
a religion of inwardness, it finds its root in the heart and soul of
man, then effects the outward life. Whenever the inner or spiritual life
is renewed, there follows from necessity a renewed exterior. There must
be first life in the soul. Nor can there be any evolution of the soul or
of society without a previous involution in them. The whole nature of
man must be wrapped up in the image of God before any fruits of
Godliness show themselves. The tendency in the Negro Church is to look
for these manifestations rather than to work for the indwelling spirit
who is the cause of such manifestations. Parallel with this tendency in
the church, is the effort which is being made after expression of
religious life when it should be directed along the line of impressing
it. The church is in need of a deep spiritual life, nevertheless it is
impossible to express what is not previously impressed in the mind.

There is a form of oratory prevalent among us, a mere jingle of sounds,
an expression of nothing of much value. Under its spell the man of the
world is caught, received into the church as a convert, but not being
impressed with the divine life and ideal, he soon falls away. The mad
rush after quantity rather than quality of converts is another
indication of the outwardness of religion in the church. One of the most
significant words spoken by Christ was, "Many are called but few
chosen." The church seems to be carried away with the idea of the
extension of God's Kingdom when it does not sufficiently grasp the idea