USA > North Carolina > Sketches of North Carolina, historical and biographical : illustrative of the principles of a portion of her early settlers > Part 29
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On this charge with the specifications, the commission of Synod " view it as involving in it doctrines already referred to the General Assembly, and therefore unanimously agree to refer the charge, with the testimony, to the General Assembly for consideration and judgment."
During this part of the trial, one witness made a statement, which, although it bears not on the merits of the case, and was incidentally given in, is nevertheless interesting, viz : "Mr. Balch said he had no new doctrine, though Mr. Doake and Mr. James Balch had labored to establish that he had. In his late tour (to , New England) he had gathered no new doctrines, only explana- tions, for he considered mankind as guilty as ever he did, only the old way was a lie, and the new one was true." From the frequent reference to Dr. Hopkins, it would seem that he intended to hold and preach the peculiar doctrines of that celebrated man.
The third charge was "for marrying Joseph Posey and Jane Reeves together, knowing that he, Joseph Posey, had a lawful wife living within three miles of him." The first part of the charge, the marrying, he admitted ; the latter part, involving cri- minality, he denied. Though he admitted he knew she had been his lawful wife. The judgment of the commission was, that "Posey had not been legally freed from his former wife " at the time Mr. Balch performed the marriage ceremony, and that " Rev. Hezekiah Balch had conducted in a precipitate and irregular man- ner, in marrying Joseph Posey to Jane Reeves, and that this ac- tion, if received as a precedent, would introduce great and mani- fold evils, both in church and state."
The fourth charge was for creating a new session in Mount Bethel, contrary to the constitution. The fact of creating a new session was admitted ; and the principal circumstances were agreed upon by the witnesses. The new session had suspended the old, and those who went with them; and great confusion had arisen in the congregations and the Presbytery. The cause of division which led to the appointment of the new session, was the novelty of the doctrines Mr. Balch preached, which, notwithstanding all his explanations, appeared to many of his people, and part of the Presbytery, to be erroneous ; they have been stated under the 2d charge. The new session was made up of friends to Mr. Balch, -the old session greatly opposed him.
The judgment of the commission was, "that the new session was unconstitutionally created, and all their judicial acts null and void." Mount Bethel was released from the pastoral care of
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Mr. Balch, and pronounced a vacancy. The petition of Abingdon Presbytery for division, was granted : and the Rev. Charles Cum- mins, Samuel Doake, Jacob Lake and James Balch, were set off to compose ABINGDON Presbytery, to meet at Salem on the 14th instant, Mr. Lake to preach and preside ;- and Rev. Hezekiah Balch, John Cossan, Samuel Carrick, Robert Henderson and Gideon Blackburn, to compose the Presbytery of UNION, to meet at Hopewell on the 2d Tuesday of February, 1798, Mr. Carrick to preach and preside ; in case of absence of either person ap- pointed to preside, the oldest member present to supply his place.
The subject of promiscuous communion was taken up by the commissioners on an overture ; and the decision was, that as it was not necessary, and as it gave offence to some of the people as implying a coalescence with other denominations in doctrines not held by him, from "prudential motives," a minister ought to ab- stain. No decision was given respecting the occasional commu- nion of private members.
SESSION XI.
Bethel Church, South Carolina, Oct. 18th, 1798.
The session was opened by Rev. S. C. Caldwell, the last moderator, with a sermon from Philippians ii., 12th and 13th, and the Rev. Francis Cummins was chosen moderator. The Pres- bytery of Concord reported new members, Wm. C. Davies, from South Carolina Presbytery ; and by ordination, George Newton and Samuel Davies : the Presbytery of Union reported Samuel G. Ramsey by ordination ; the Presbytery of Hopewell reported the death of John Springer.
Inquiries were made about the edition of Doddridge's Rise and Progress ; no satisfactory information was obtained. Rev. Ed- ward Crawford, who was suspended in 1797, as being member of the Independent Presbytery, appeared ; and having made suita- ble concessions and received an admonition from the chair, was ceived as a member of Synod and a member of Abingdon Pres- bytery.
Charges which had been brought against Rev. Hezekiah Balch, by the old session of Mount Bethel, before Union Presbytery, and by them referred to Synod, were read : The 1st charge accused Mr. Balch of having held an election for elders in Mount Bethel Church, soon after the first meeting of the Presbytery of Union, while the congregation was vacant, against the will and desire of
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the old session : and refusing the privilege of voting to any who had not signed a call for himself. The 2d charge accused him of intruding on the congregation the first Sabbath after his return from Philadelphia, and preaching without leave of session, while they had two young men engaged and there, on that day : and also ordaining elders against the express order of the existing ses- sion ; and also for persisting to preach in the congregation. 3d charge-" We charge Mr. Balch for deviating from the truth, by denying in the Assembly, that he ever said in Presbytery, August, 1796, that he meant the same by the word transfer as impute. Also for denying in the Assembly that he ever held that there was not a covenant made with Adam ; for proof of which, see the As- sembly's judgment on his creed. And that he did hold there was not a covenant made with Adam."
The 4th charge accused Mr. Balch of falsehood in denying what he had said in a sermon about original sin, and of charging his accusers with drunkenness, &c.
5th Charge .- " We charge Mr. Balch for saying since his re- turn from the General Assembly, that he was fifty thousand times stronger in belief of that definition of holiness (alluding to the creed) than he was before he went away. For those expressions we give Josiah Temple and Alexander Galbraith as evidence ; and that that definition of holiness was pointed out as erroneous by the General Assembly, we refer you to the judgment on his creed."
Charges were brought against Mr. Balch by two other indivi- duals, of minor importance.
Mr. Balch brought charges against the old session, for using violence towards him, by driving him from the meeting-house ; and for not keeping their word, &c.
Synod judged on the first and second charges, that the election of the elders after the rising of the commission (held at Mount Bethel) was irregular ; and that Mr. Balch is highly censurable for ordaining them so disorderly and schismatically ; and that he was imprudent in preaching in the house to but a part of the con- gregation. Respecting Mr. Balch's charges against the elders, the Synod decided,-That the elders " had blameably violated " their promise in not withdrawing certain civil suits ; and were highly censurable for interrupting Mr. Balch in time of worship, and driving him out of the house ; and that one of the elders had improperly used the name of God, for which he is highly censur- able.
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As the other matters were not ready for trial, Synod postponed final sentence on these matters until the Extraordinary Synod, ap- pointed to be held at Little Britain, on the second Tuesday of Feb- ruary, 1799, for the purpose of attending to all the charges and all matters of. difficulty.
EXTRAORDINARY SESSION.
Little Britain, Rutherford Co., N. C., 13th Feb., 1799.
Synod was opened by the moderator, Francis Cummins, with a sermon from Titus iii., 10, 11. Present thirteen ministers and seven elders.
About thirty folio pages of evidence on the three remaining charges against Mr. Balch, for and against them, had been taken by a committee, and were read in Synod. Mr. Balch was heard in his defence ; and Mr. Galbraith was heard for those who had accused him : and both professed they had nothing more to say in the case.
The Synod decided on the 3d and 4th charges brought by the session, that they were not sustained by the evidence. On the 5th charge Mr. Balch acknowledged that he had expressed himself as charged, and that his only objection was, it was not strong enough ; " instead of fifty thousand times, he would say five hundred thou- sand times." Whereupon " the Synod, after mature deliberation, judge, that Mr. Balch has acted with duplicity in expressing him- self as laid down in the charge, considering the judgment of the Assembly, and his submission to that judgment."
The two other charges were pronounced unsustained.
The Synod proceeded to pronounce sentence on Mr. Balch : " Do hereby suspend him from the exercise of his office as a mi- nister of the gospel, and refer him to the Presbytery of Union, to which he belongs, who will be adequate to the removal of the suspension, when reformation on the part of Mr. Balch shall open the way." They also pronounced the sentence of suspension from the office of elder and the communion of the church upon four of the elders who had appeared against Mr. Balch, for the impropriety and irregularity of their course ; also the sentence of a public reprimand on two others who appeared; and that of a pri- vate reprimand on two others, as not having exhibited a proper spirit. A committee was appointed to repair to Mount Bethel, and communicate the sentence and administer the admonitions.
On the sentence being read, Mr. Galbraith, who appeared in the
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name of the session, expressed his submission Mr. Balch asked till the next day for consideration. The next day Mr. Balch asked a re-hearing, which was refused, as, in the judgment of Synod, there did not appear to be sufficient cause.
After a session of six days, the record of which, with the evi- dence, covers about forty-one folio pages, the session closed with the following minutes :
" The Rev. Hezekiah Balch read the following paper, which he requested to be entered on the minutes, viz : To the Rev. Synod of the Carolinas : As I do not wish to do anything that may have the least appearance of obstinacy, I do cheerfully submit to your judgment ; at the same time solemnly declaring that I am not con- scious of anything, in the matter referred to, more than impru- dence, which I hope I shall always be ready to acknowledge, as far as I can without injury to my conscience or the truth. I hum- bly request that this, my answer, may be entered on your minutes.
" I am yours,
(" Signed,) " HEZEKIAH BALCH."
" The parties having both submitted to the judgment of Synod, received a suitable admonition from the moderator." "At the request of Mr. Balch, Mr. Galbraith and he shook hands in the presence of Synod in testimony of their personal affection to and cordial wishes for the welfare of each other, and hopes of a per- manent friendship hereafter." And the Extraordinary Session closed.
SESSION XII.
Hopewell Church, October 31st, 1799.
Rev. Francis Cummins opened the sessions with a sermon from Luke xiii., 22; and James McRee was chosen moderator.
Four new names appear on the list of Orange Presbytery as ordained either in the year '97 or '98 ; the list of '97 was lost with records ; and in '98 the list is not given. The four were William T. Thomson, William Paisley, John Gillespie, Samuel McAdo, and Robert Tate. The Presbytery reported also Mr. John An- derson, from another Presbytery.
Several cases came before Synod, by overture or request, con- cerning marriages within the forbidden degree of relationship : one respecting a man marrying his former wife's half-brother's widow ;
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-dismissed, as not within the prohibited degrees : one of a man who had married his deceased wife's sister's daughter,-laid over till the matter could come before the Assembly, for a general rule on such subjects : and one of a man who had married his former wife's sister, and had with her been under suspension for some time,-laid over.
The case of Mr. Bowman, who had been suspended by the - Abingdon Presbytery, for unsound doctrine, was taken up; and, after hearing Mr. Bowman's explanations, the Synod reversed the sentence, and addressed an affectionate letter to the Presbytery. The subject of dispute was the extent and manner of the offer of the Gospel-Mr. Bowman using the phrases of Dr. Hopkins, and his views of Election, which were disagreeable to his brethren, and, though not altogether agreeable, yet not condemned by Synod.
This year four of the Presbyteries presented a report of their preachers, with their places of preacing, which may interest the reader.
PRESBYTERY OF ORANGE-14 members.
Henry Pattillo, Grassy Creek and Nutbush.
David Caldwell, Buffalo and Alamance.
Colin Lindsay, without charge.
William Moore, Upper and Lower Hico.
William Hodge, without charge.
Samuel Stanford, Black River, and Brown Marsh.
Angus McDiarmid, Barbacue, Bluff, McCoy's.
James H. Bowman, Eno, and Little River.
William F. Thompson, New Hope.
John Gillespie, Centre, Laurel Hill, and Raft Swamp.
William D. Paisley, Union, and Lower Buffalo.
Samuel McAdo, Speedwell and Haw River.
John Anderson, without charge.
Robert Tate, South Washington and Rockfish.
Licentiates-John Rankin, Robert Foster, Andrew Caldwell, and. Edward Pharr. Candidates-Daniel Brown, Ezekiel B. Currie, John Matthews, Duncan Brown, Murdock McKillan, Mal- colm McNair, Hugh Shaw, and Murdock Murphy. They have ordained William McGcc ;- have licensed Barton Stone,-and dismissed them both to connect themselves with the Presbytery of Transylvania.
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PRESBYTERY OF SOUTH CAROLINA-18 ministers.
Joseph Alexander, Bullock's Creek. John Simpson, Good Hope, and Roberts. James Templeton, Nazareth.
Francis Cummins, Rocky River. Robert McCullock, Catholic and Purity.
James W. Stephenson, Indianstown and Williamsburgh. John Brown, Waxhaws. Robert Wilson, Long Cane. William Williamson, Fairforest.
Robert B. Walker, Bethesda.
David E. Dunlap, Columbia.
Samuel W. Yongue, Lebanon and Mount Olivet.
John Foster, Salem. James Gilleland, Bradoway.
John B. Kennedy, Duncan's Creek and Little River. George E. Macwhorter, Bethel and Beersheba. Andrew Brown, Bethlehem and Cane Creek. John B. Davies, Fishing Creek and Richardson.
They have three licentiates,-George Reid, William G. Ros- borough, and John Couser : and two candidates,-High Dickson and Thomas Neely.
PRESBYTERY OF CONCORD-15 ministers.
Samuel E. McCorkle, D.D., Thyatira.
James Hall, Bethany.
James McRee, Centre.
David Barr, Philadelphia.
Wm. C. Davies, Olney.
Samuel C. Caldwell, Sugaw Creek and Hopewell. James Wallis, Providence.
Joseph D. Kilpatrick, Third Creek and Unity.
Lewis F. Wilson, Concord and Fourth Creek. Humphrey Hunter, Goshen and Unity.
John M. Wilson, Quaker Meadow and Morgantown, John Carrigan, Ramah, and Bethpage.
John Andrews, Little Britain. Samuel Davies, Mamre.
George Newton, Swannanoe and Rim's Creek. They have one candidate, Thomas Hall.
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UNION PRESBYTERY-4 members.
Samuel Carrick, the Fork and Knoxville.
Robert Henderson, Westminster and Hopewell.
Gideon Blackburn, Eusebia and New Providence.
Samuel G. Ramsey, Ebenezer and Pleasant Forest.
It would have been gratifying, if the other Presbyteries had made a return, that we might know the places in which the ministers of the Synod labored at the close of the last century ; with all the candidates, vacancies, and licentiates ; a reference and compari- son would be advantageous to the present generation.
On petition, the Presbytery of South Carolina was divided, and Broad River made the dividing line. The members on the north- east side of the river, viz., Joseph Alexander, Robert McCullock, James W. Stephenson, John Brown, Robert B. Walker, David E. Dunlap, Samuel W. Yongue, John Foster, George E. Macwhorter, and John B. Davies, to constitute the first Presbytery of South Carolina, to meet at Bullock's Creek, on the first Friday of Feb- ruary, 1800, and Rev. Joseph Alexander to preside, or the senior member in his absence. And the members on the south-west side, viz., Joseph Simpson, James Templeton, Francis Cummins, Robert Wilson, Wm. Williamson, James Gilleland, John B. Kennedy, and Andrew Brown, to be known as the Second Pres- bytery of South Carolina, to hold its first meeting at Fair Forest, on the first Friday of February, 1800. The Rev. John Simpson to preside, or in his absence the senior member. The first named Presbytery to keep the records of the past, furnishing to the second such extracts as they may need.
Synod resolved to hold its annual meetings, hereafter, in Octo- ber, commencing the first Thursday.
SESSION XIII.
Sugaw Creek, Oct. 2d, 1800.
Synod was opened by Rev. James McRee, with a sermon from Ist Tim. iv., 16. The Rev. John Brown was chosen moderator. The Rev. James S. Adams and Thomas Price, of the Indepen- dent church, being present, were invited to seats as corresponding members.
It appearing, that the letter, on the subject of the difficulties attending marriages in affinity, which was prepared for the last Assembly, failed to reach the Assembly ; a committee was appoint- ed to draft another this meeting.
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From the report of Orange Presbytery, it appeared, that the Presbytery had conditionally suspended Colin Lindsey, and had dismissed Wm. Hodge, Samuel McAdo, and Mr. John Rankin, to go to the West. An overture for the purpose of commencing a correspondence with other religious denominations in the State, about petitioning the legislature for the emancipation of the slaves, on the principle that all children of slaves born after a fixed time, shall be free, which was brought in last meeting of Synod was taken up and disposed of by the following report, which was adopted : " Your committee report, that though it is our ardent wish that the object contemplated in the overture should be obtained ; yet, as it appears to us that matters are not yet matured for carrying it for- ward, especially in the southern parts of our States, your com- mittee are of opinion that the overture should now be laid aside ; and that it be enjoined upon every member of this Synod to use his influence to carry into effect the directions and recommenda- tions of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, and those ad- ditionally made by the General Assembly, for the instruction of those who are in a state of slavery, to prepare them the better for a state of freedom, when such shall be contemplated by the legis- latures of our southern States."
" The Synod considering the importance and necessity of carry- ing on the missionary business,-that the Rev. James Hall has been appointed by the General Assembly to the Natchez, and ought, if possible, to have company,-determined to send with him two members, viz., the Rev. Messrs. James H. Bowman and William Montgomery, who are directed to spend eight months, if convenient and they find it expedient, in that country and places adjacent ; commencing their mission about the 15th instant : and for the support of these missionaries the Synod itself to give them thirty-three and one-third dollars per month from the time they engage in the work; they rendering a regular account of all moneys received by them during their mission." (The reason for passing the subject of missions for a few years is nowhere given.)
Overture from the First Presbytery of South Carolina .- " In case of fornication, will an acknowledgment before the church session, and reported to the congregation, be sufficient ?" Answered in the negative.
A pastoral letter on the subject of domestic missions was pre- pared and sent to the Presbyteries to be laid before the congrega- tions.
Rev. Hezekiah Balch brought a complaint against the Presby-
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tery of Abingdon for having ordained Mr. Witherspoon in Mount Bethel church before they had settled their money accounts with himself; and also because Mr. W. held the following sentiments, as expressed in a public sermon : "Ist. That Jesus Christ is not the object of faith. 2d. That the justification of a sinner through the atonement of Christ is an act of justice. 3d. That the justifi- cation of a sinner through the righteousness of Christ, is not as wholly an act of God's frec grace, as if there had been no atone- ment made. 4th. That there was no difference between saving faith and historical faith, only in degree of evidence."
Trial of the complaint was ordered for next meeting of Synod.
On petition from Hezekiah Balch and others, a new Presbytery was set off, to be known by the name of GREENVILLE, to consist of Rev. Messrs. George Newton, Samuel Davis, Hezekiah Balch, and John Cossan, to meet at Swannanoe church, on the third Tuesday of November next, and Mr. Newton to preside and preach ; and that Messrs. John Bowman and Stephen Bovelle, with their congregations, be attached either to the Abingdon or Greenville Presbytery, as they may choose.
SESSION XIV. Fishing Creek, October 1st, 1801.
Synod was opened by Rev. John Brown, with a sermon from Rom. xi., 13; and William Montgomery was chosen moderator.
The Presbytery of Orange reported they had removed the con- ditional suspension of Colin Lindsey, dismissed the Rev. John Anderson to the first Presbytery of South Carolina : that they had deposed Robert M'Culloch, and ordained William Rosborough ; the Presbytery of Concord, that they had suspended Rev. David Barr ; the Presbytery of Greenville, that they had ordained John Bowman and dismissed him, and had ordained Stephen Bovelle.
" The reports of our missionaries to the Natchez were called for and read, together with some other papers relating to that business. The Synod were happy to find, that by the blessing of Divine Providence, the good consequences of that mission appear to have far exceeded their most sanguine expectations. The missionaries received the cordial thanks of the house for their prudence, zeal, and diligence, in the execution of the important duties assigned them."
The case of the man who had married his wife's sister's daugh- ter, and was put under discipline by the Synod at its session in 1789, was taken up, and after much consideration the Synod
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adopted the following : "This Synod so far rescind their former judgment, as to leave it to the church session of the congregation to which Mr. Latham belongs, to do as they think prudence and duty may direct them ; keeping carefully in view the glory of God, and the peace and happiness of the church in those parts."
The complaint of Mr. Balch against the Presbytery of Abingdon was taken up. On the first complaint (see last session) the Synod judged that the Presbytery ought, at the time Mr. Balch presented his claim against the people, or at some other convenient season, to have endeavored to bring the matter to a proper adjustment ; and also that it was neglect, if not unfriendly, in Mr. Balch, not to have presented his claims earlier, for a fair adjustment.
On the complaint and charges against Mr. Witherspoon (see last session), the action was as follows : Having heard Mr. With- erspoon explain the first specification that, he meant " the immedi- ate object of faith ; the Scriptures, or the report of the Apostles about Christ was the immediate object, the Synod do judge-that the young man's mode of expression was unhappy and unguarded ; yet it appears to this Synod, that the Presbytery may probably have had satisfactory testimony of his orthodoxy on that particu- lar." On the second specification, Mr. Witherspoon said, he used the expression, " and well remembers that he added, it was also an act of mercy ; that it was mercy as it respected the sinner, but justice as it respected God, who passed the act; that the atone- ment answered the demands of justice, and laid the ground for the act to pass in justice." Synod judged-" Mr. Witherspoon's phrase, that justification, as it respects the atonement, is an act of justice, may be explained in a good sense." On the third specifi- cation, Mr. Witherspoon said, he had read in a work of Mr. Ed- wards, borrowed of Mr. B .- " that the justification of a sinner is as wholly an act of God's free grace as if there had been no atone- ment," and that he had expressed a doubt on the matter, that the atonement might thereby be superseded. The Synod passed by what might have been said in private by Mr. Witherspoon, and judged, " inasmuch as Mr. Witherspoon appears to have held, and still to hold, that the justification of a sinner is not wholly an act of grace, or not as wholly as if there had been no atonement, the Presbytery ought not to have proceeded to ordain Mr. Wither- spoon, without endeavoring to bring him to a right view of the doc- trine." On the fourth specification, after hearing Mr. W.'s expla- nation, the Synod judged, " that Mr. Witherspoon's proposition is not true ; yet he has explained himself consistently with truth ; and that the Presbytery ought to have endeavored to bring him to
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