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I make no comment, but leave the reader to make his own inference of the man and his mind.
ADDRESS OF JOHN GLOUCESTER IN 1811, TO THE FIRST
AFRICAN CHURCH.
Glad tidings of great joy to the African Race, and particularly to the infant Church, in which the hand of God has been so visible in collecting so many of us from the dark mountains of ignorance, sin and woe, to the bosom of the visible Church. The ground of our joy being somewhat similar to that ancient branch of God's Church who had been so long enslaved under the Babylonish yoke, but having accomplished the years of their suffering bondage, they were permitted to return to the land of Canaan and rebuild their temple. After they had begun this building they met with great discouragement which stopped the work of the Lord's house for eight years, after which time Ezra and the friends of Zion began and finished the temple, which was a subject of great joy to them and to all the well wishers of Zion, but terminated in the grief and confusion of their opposers. In like manner many of us have accomplished the years of our captivity, and returned to the land of blessed light and liberty. In the year 1810, a building was begun for the poor and afflicted sons and daughters of Ham, in Moyamensing district at the corner of Seventh and Shippen Sts., which was patronized by many of the worthy inhabitants of this city; we had the honor at the commencement of the building to have the following gentlemen go before us as the chief agents and planners of the work: Messrs. Ralston, F. Markoe Captain Moore and John McMullin. By the pious exertions and influence of these gentlemen, united with many of the well disposed and benevolent inhabitants of this place, this house of worship was raised and made comfortable for use in the same year in which it was begun but left in an unfinished state for two reasons: first, many of those who were free from temporal bondage were still willing to be slaves to sin and Satan, the worst of masters, however faithfully served and the wages eternal death. Secondly, The number of those that seemed to be sensible of the invaluable blessings of the Gospel, and that of Christian liberty, were but few that attached themselves to this place of worship, and for them there was sufficient room, but since that time the Lord has increased us in number, and I hope somewhat in heavenly wisdom, so that many of those in years past who have undervalued the blessings of Gospel privileges have now learned how to
