d with rags of self-righteousness.

Thou enquirest how many communicants there are in our church. The precise
number of my communicants is 457. All our members are communicants. There
is a communion of saints which exceeds all formality, and which even the
Apostles were ignorant of, when they gave an account to their Master, on
their return from their mission, and told him, "We saw men casting out
devils in thy name, and we forbade them, because they followed not us." Yet
I still continue of the same mind, that it would be best for thee to be a
member of some religious society.--The teachings of Priscilla and Aquila
have been found profitable to the eloquent and wise.

The members of the African Methodist Episcopal church (called Bethel) live
in love and harmony with each other.

My fellow laborer, Absalom Jones, joins me in a salutation of love to thee,
with desires for thy growth and increase in the favor of God: He says he
would have written to thee, had he known of thy continuance at New York.

Praying God to bless and make thee instrumental in promoting his glory and
the good of souls, I remain, thine, &c.

Richard Allen

LETTER FROM AN AFRICAN, RESIDENT IN PHILADELPHIA, TO DOROTHY RIPLEY

May 17, 1803.
_Respected Friend_,

I am perhaps presumptuous in troubling you to read this. But cannot let
slip an opportunity of addressing you with what I wish you to know even
when you have arrived at your native country, and may contemplate on a
subject which I hope will not displease you, and I will thank Heaven I have
it in my power to let one amongst the people called Quakers[2] see, written
by the hand of an African, the sentiments of his soul. I mean only to
trouble you with the obligations that race of people, myself amongst that
great multitude, are to you indebted; and may the unremitting pains which
have been taken not fall to the ground. We have been oppressed with cruelty
and the heavy task-masters in the West Indies and the southern States of
America for many centuries back, with not only the horrible weight of
bondage, but have been subject to heavy iron chains, too heavy to bear, had
not the Creator of all things framed our constitutions to bear them, and
all the deep cuts and lashes the inhuman-hearted drivers please to mangle
us with. Had not the all-directing hand of Providence made us come under
the notice of the Friends, who formed an abolition society for our relief,
many thousands of us woul