From the very circum-
stances of its beginning, the church was confined to the
plantation, and consisted primarily of a series of disconnected
units; although, later on, some freedom of movement was
allowed, still this geographical limitation was always impor-
tant and was one cause of the spread of the decentralized and
democratic Baptist faith among the slaves. At the same time,
the visible rite of baptism appealed strongly to their mystic
temperament. To-day the Baptist Church is still largest in
membership among Negroes, and has a million and a half
communicants. Next in popularity came the churches organ-
ized in connection with the white neighboring churches, chiefly
Baptist and Methodist, with a few Episcopalian and others.
The Methodists still form the second greatest denomination,
with nearly a million members. The faith of these two leading
denominations was more suited to the slave church from the
prominence they gave to religious feeling and fervor. The
Negro membership in other denominations has always been
small and relatively unimportant, although the Episcopalians
and Presbyterians are gaining among the more intelligent
classes to-day, and the Catholic Church is making headway
in certain sections.
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