USA > South Carolina > History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 29
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We deeply regret that we lack the means of presenting in any fullness the history of the strictly Presbyterian churches, and more especially that of the central church of this order, the First Presbyterian church of Charleston. We are given to understand that there are no documents in existence, ex- cept some few accounts in reference to its pecuniary affairs, from which its history could be drawn. From a record in the papers of the Wilton church we learn that Charles Lorimer, its pastor, was a member of presbytery sitting at Charles-Town, anno 1751. He was member of a committee appointed by the presbytery at its last meeting, which committee assembled at Wiltown (properly Wilton) on the 2d of June, 1752. He is named in the records of the Independent church of Charleston as "minister of the Presbyterian church in this town," in 1750. On the second Wednesday in March, 1754, Mr Simpson says, " Mr. Lorimer gave in" (to presbytery) "a demission of his charge in Charles-Town, which was sustained, and the rela- tion dissolved." It appears, too, that he had not retained the popularity which first attended him as pastor of this church. "Mr. Lorimer, about three years ago, was most . cried up and esteemed, but is not able now to continue his ministry with any comfort and satisfaction." The church for some two years was probably without a settled pastor, and dependent on occasional supplies. Mr. Simpson attended a pro re nata meeting of presbytery in Charleston, on Wed- nesday, the 30th of July, 1755, and on "Lord's-day, August 3d, preached in the Scots church to a numerous auditory." Again, " Lord's-day, January 11th, 1756, preached on Exodus xxxiii. 18, all day." Again on the 1st of February. On the 6th, Friday, the presbytery met in that town, and Mr. Simp- son was made moderator. Their next stated pastor was Rev. Philip Morrison. Mr. Simpson notes his arrival and settlement, March 16th, 1757. To Charleston, "Thursday, 17th. Spent the evening with Rev. Mr. Lorimer and Rev. Mr. Morri- son, who has lately come in for Charlestown. Hope the Lord may make him a great and lasting blessing to that congrega- tion." Again he went to Charleston on Wednesday, the 18th of April, to presbytery ; on the 19th, preached before presby-
272
FRENCH CHURCH, CHARLESTON.
[1750-1760.
tery by appointment. There were ministers of other denom- inations present, and Rev. Philip Morrison "was installed as minister of Charlestown." Though not the oldest Presbyte- rian church, this was for long years the central church of the Presbyterian order, and the seat of most of the regular meet- ings of presbytery.
The HUGUENOT CHURCH in Charleston still had the Rev. Francis Guichard as its pastor. The South Carolina Ga- zette, December to January, 1751, represents him as propos- ing to sell his plantation and otlier property at Goose Creek, with the view of leaving the colony. He continued to serve the church until 1753. His last entry in the church register is as follows :- " J'ai joint dans le saint etat de marriage Dan- iel Trezvant, fils de Isaac et de Susanne Trezvant, et Elizabette Miller ; À Charlestown, ce 5th Avril, 1753 .- Francois Gui- chard." He was succeeded in 1753 by Jean Pierre Totard. His baptismal register commences, on the 6th of July, in these words : " Ici commence le Registre de Jean Pierre Têtard, successeur de Mr. Francois Guichard au ministère de l'Eglise François de Charlestown, 6ve Juillet, 1753." He was succeeded by Barthelmi Henri Hiemeli in 1759, whose register begins on the 10th of January that year.
The Presbyterian church of WILTON [Wiltown] in the early part of this period, was destitute of a pastor. There is in existence among the papers of this church an obligation attached to a blank call to be forwarded to the presbytery of Edinburgh, through " Rev. Thomas Bell, moderator of the presbytery of South Carolina." On the 2d of June, 1752, there was a meeting of a committee of this presbytery, appointed to settle some difficulty which had occurred in the congrega- tion. From the record containing a notice of this meeting, it appears that at that time there was no pastor in connection with the church. The document commences, " The Committee appointed by the last Presbytery at Charles-Town, met, and- Post Preces sederunt, The Reverend the Moderator, Mr. Thomas Murray, Messrs. John McLeod, Thomas Bell, Charles Lorimer, Ministers, and Samuel Davidson, Ruling Elder." It is signed " Thomas Bell, Cl. p. t." This record, and the wills and testaments of Henry Sheriff, bequeathing £200 for the support of a Presbyterian minister who shall subscribe the Westminster Confession, and preach agreeably thereto, and adhere to the discipline, government, and worship of the Church of Scotland, and of George Mitchell, Purchase Hen-
273
ARCHIBALD SIMPSON.
1750-1760.]
drick, Royal Sprey, William Ferguson, and William Sheriff, expressed in similar terms, establish the full Presbyterian character of this church.
This brings us to the introductory history of Mr. ARCHIBALD SIMPSON, a man of uncommon piety and industry in his minis- terial work, who labored for many years in the country between Charleston and Savannah-first, for a brief period, in connection with the Wilton church, and then, through the most of lis ministerial life, in connection with the Stoney Creek church, as the successor of Mr. Hutson, after his re- moval to Charleston. Mr. Simpson was born in the city of Glasgow, March 1st, 1734 or 5, and was the son of Mr. William Simpson, a merchant of Perth, and Susannah Gardner of Glasgow. He was piously educated, but from eleven years of age became delicate in health. From very early life he was the subject of religious impressions, and sat under the minis- try of Mr. Stirling. In 1744 he entered a printing-house in some capacity which he does not mention. In November of the same year, a teacher of the grammar school, perceiving his great desire after learning, spoke to his mother and ob- tained her consent that he should join his class. Soon after this he lost his much-loved brother, John, who was washed overboard at sea. His religious impressions deepened, and he sought relief in constant attendance on the means of grace. He heard with interest at this time Mr. Fisher, and Mr. Bell of Cambuslang, and partook of the sacrament first under the ministry of Mr. Stirling of the Utter [Outer] High Church of Glasgow. His diary commences in the fourteenth year of his age, anno 1748. It is filled with his own religious exercises given at great length, and notices of the preachers he heard and the services he attended. Among them, besides those already mentioned, were Hamilton of Douglas, Scott, McCulloch, Adams of Glasgow, Gillies, Wodrow, Miller of Pais- ley, Ralph and Henry Erskine, Dick, Carr, Henderson, Web- ster of Edinburgh, Maxwell, Gray, and Connell. Even at that early age he has discriminating views of divine truth. " Hears a moral sermon, beautiful but Christless," at Boston, and " a gospel sermon, but a weak one," at Greenock. He is present at the sacrament at Cambuslang, and becomes a hearer of George Whitefield, whom he greatly admires. He now is admitted to the College >: Glasgow, and soon after devotes himself solemnly to the He still continues to hear these en names have been had in reveren.
ministry of reconciliation. nent Scotch divines, whose over since. Among them,
274
ARCHIBALD SIMPSON.
[1750-1760.
besides those already mentioned, occur the names of Wither- spoon and others. His acts of solemn covenanting with God were very numerous,, indicating the sincerest piety. His Saturdays were spent in the fields, or some other place of retirement, usually with his beloved " comrade W. R." -- des- tined afterwards to be a laborer also in the province of South Carolina, in religious exercises, reading, prayer, praise, self- examination, and renewing of covenant vows. It was during a season of revival in religion, parallel with " the Great Awaken- ing" in America, which took deep hold on many hearts in Scotland. He sometimes speaks of " great concern, weeping and groaning in the congregation," under the preaching of Mr. Gillies. He was married to Jane Muir, daughter of Mr. William Muir, in August, 1752, and sailed for South Carolina on the 6th of March, 1753, leaving his wife behind, who fol- lowed him, arriving in Charleston on December 12th, 1755. He came out under an engagement to Mr. Whitefield to be employed at his orphan-house. For some reason Mr. Simp- son did not remain long at Bethesda, and when he met Mr. Whitefield in the vicinity of Wilton, the interview between them was extremely unpleasant. Mr. Whitefield upbraided him with his non-fulfilment of his contract with him, with the imprudence of his marriage, probably from his circumstances and his youth, for otherwise his marriage seems to have been eminently happy. Mr. Whitefield appears to have been ungraciously severe, compelling him to refund the money advanced for his passage out, which he did in September of the same year, 1754, paying over to Mr. Whitefield's attorney £7 8s. sterling, which, in his circumstances, he speaks of as a great burden. These circumstances in some measure estranged him from Whitefield, though in his youthful diary he had expressed himself in the highest terms of him, had can- vassed his merits and answered the objections of his enemies. His fervor, piety, and matchless eloquence had deeply im- pressed him, as well as the wonderful effects which resulted, though he thought him less instructive than many of their own divines in the Church of Scotland. Such was Mr. Simpson's introduction into South Carolina. Henceforth for a consid- erable season his diaries, which exist in ten volumes, and extend from some time in the year 1748 to March 24th, 1784, with some interruptions, must be our chief source of informa- tion in respect to many things occurring in the neighboring churches.
His journal in Carolina commences in May, 1754, when he
275
WILTON.
1750-1760.]
was residing within the limits of the Pon Pon congregation, within four miles of the church of which Rev. James Rymer was the pastor. We are immediately introduced to the presbytery then in existence, of whose proceedings we know so little. "Monday, May 13th, went to Charlestown to attend Presbytery." Wednesday, 15th, " Four of the min- isters are come to town, all that will be here." The ministers present were Rev. Samuel Hunter of Williamsburg, modera- tor ; Rev. Charles Lorimer, of the Scotch Presbyterian church, Charlestown ; Rev. Thomas Bell of James Island,
and Rev. John Baxter. Of the two absent, Rev. James Rymer was one, detained by ill health; and most probably the Rev. John McLeod, late of Edisto Island, was the other. On Thursday, May 15th, 1754, Mr. Simpson delivered his pres- byterial sermon from Eph. ii. 12, and after singing a part of a psalm, his "Exercise and Addition from Eph. ii. 8, explained," he says, "the Greek Testament, defended my Theses and signed the Confession of Faith and the Formula, was set apart by Mr. Hunter, the moderator. I was ap- pointed to preach at Wiltown, till we see what comes of their call from Scotland, and every fourth Sabbath at Edisto, which is now vacant." Mr. Simpson thus began his ministry as a probationer at Wilton.
In his first communion sermon, June 15th, 1764, Mr. Rymer preached the action sermon. In his second, on December 22d, Mr. Lorimer and Mr. Bell assisted and administered the communion, and ten persons were admitted. January Ist, 1755, " Preached in my own kirk." On the 2d of April, 1755, he was ordained sine titulo, Charles Lorimer preaching the ordination sermon, from 2 Tim. ii. 15. In his journal a full account is given of the ordination services. "Thus," says he, "was I ordained and set apart as minister at large." He could not be ordained as pastor of Wilton church, as an application, which had not been revoked, had been made to the presbytery of Edinburgh for a minister. He was given to understand by the trustees that he was to all intents and purposes settled among these people on condition that the call sent forward should not be accepted in Scotland. On Lord's- day, October 18th, being the sacramental season, eight were admitted to the church. " One was son to a worthy old min- ister of this place, and is himself old." The minister was evi- dently Mr. Stobo, and the person alluded to was his son. Over the conversion of this gentleman Mr. Simpson rejoices ; but seeking to carry out his Scotch ideas of discipline upon him,
276
MEETING OF PRESBYTERY.
[1750-1760.
in reference to matters lying in the past, Mr. Stobo becomes hostile to Mr. Simpson, and being a man of influence, the young minister, whose zeal may have carried him beyond the bounds of discretion, is soon in circumstances not altogether pleasant. The congregation becomes divided also in refer- ence to the site of their church. A chapel of ease had been built in the upper part of the congregation. It was now pro- posed to erect a new church in the centre. The matter could not easily be adjusted, and presbytery appointed a committee to meet at Wilton to settle it. The committee accordingly met on the 26th of November. Mr. Simpson preached on the occasion from Philipp. ii. 1, 2. The people of the south dis- trict were willing to have a church built in the centre, and would throw up the chapel when this was built. Till then they must have one-half of the minister's time at the chapel. The north district refused, and the meeting broke up in confu- sion. The south district declared that they would have noth- ing to do with Wilton as their parish church. In the midst of these troubles his wife joins him, after a separation of two years, nine months, and six days, and after a passage of nine weeks and three days from Leith, in Scotland. The presby- tery, at its meeting in Charleston in February, 1756, " consid- ering that they have sent frequent letters to Edinburgh to stop the call from this parish, &c., appointed Mr. Bell to come and give this people an opportunity to call me or any other. Thursday, 19th, a committee of ministers met over the river for that people to sign a call for me. The people called me, though some had before signed for Mr. Banantine. But the presbytery have other designs." When presbytery met, Mr. Simpson found a strong party against him. A party from Wilton presented a call, which he refused on account of their divisions .. The people of PON PON, whose pulpit he had been supplying, then sent in a call for his labors. He com- plains of the bitterness of many who had professed friendship: " The warm friends of yesterday are my bitterest enemies to-day." On Lord's-day, April the 4th, the church was shut against him, and he was publicly abused. He made an appointment to preach in the woods, but was invited bya gen- tleman to occupy his house. The congregation, with the ex- ception of nine or ten, followed him, and he preached under the trees, about two miles from the meeting-house, the great body of the people sustaining him. In the midst of these troubles he receives, on the 12th of July, 1756, a call from Indian Land (Stoney Creek church), made vacant by the removal of
277
PON PON AND REV. MR. ALISON.
1750-1760.]
Mr. Hutson to Charleston. " Most of them," says he, "are Independents." On the 20th of May, presbytery sits in Charleston, Mr. Simpson himself being moderator. Presby- tery will not allow him to accept the call to Pon Pon without accepting that to Wilton, because most of the Wilton con- gregation would follow him thither. He at length produces the call to Indian Land, which presbytery allows him to ac- cept, assuring the church that they would not interfere with their government, but that it might remain as before. A let- ter from Mr. Simpson to Ezekiel Branford, one of the trustees, dated at Indian Land, October 12th, 1765, shows that Mr. Simpson ministered to the Wilton church from January 8th, 1754, to April 4th, 1756 ; and that on the 21st day of May of the same year, he accepted a call to " Indian Land." There is no further notice of the affairs of Wilton church till Mr. Simpson's account of the meeting of presbytery in Charles- ton on Wednesday, the 16th of May, 1759, when " a call was presented from Wilton, or rather a corner of it, to Rev. Mr. Al-n" [Alison], "a young man licensed and ordained to the Northward, but who has been preaching to our vacant congregations above twelve months. The call was by Mr. St[o]bo and a few in that corner. The Pon Pon call was offered to me, but opposed by some people. The presbytery agreed to Mr. Al"[iso]" n's settlement, but deferred mine at Pon Pon."
This Mr. Alison's name was John. He and a Mr. Hugh Knox were waiting on the synod of Philadelphia to be exam- ined according to their rules, May 24th, 1751. They were directed to attend the presbytery of Newcastle, at Elk river, on the first Tuesday in August, for examination. On the 27th of May, 1756, John Alison was ordered to supply the vacan- cies in Virginia and North Carolina the next fall and winter .. Hugh Knox's name appears on the minutes of the United Synod of New York and Philadelphia, in 1758; that of John Alison, who was licensed with Knox, appears no more. Web- ster says (Hist., 245) "he returned to Ireland in 1756." How this could be when, as he further says, " he spent much time" among " the vacancies between Yadkin and the Catawba," we do not see. We suppose he was the same John Alison who was installed at Wilton on Saturday, May 1st, 1759.
Ministers present were Mr. McLeod, Mr. Lorimer, Mr. Morrison, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Alison himself. Mr. Morri- son presided, and preached from Mark xvi. 15, and the rest gave the right-hand of fellowship. "I never saw," says Mr.
278
JAMES ISLAND AND REV. THOMAS BELL.
[1750-1760.
Simpson, " anything like it, except the violent settlements at home." Only six held up their hands to receive him as their minister. All the rest of this once flourishing congregation having either absented themselves or refused to acquiesce. It is not improbable that Mr. Simpson's own feelings have given a coloring to all these transactions. Thus closed Mr. Simpson's connection with Wilton church. At the time of his leaving them they were in arrears to him to the amount of £60 sterling, which they did not pay for some years.
During this period of time Mr. Thomas Bell was pastor of the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF JAMES ISLAND. Mr. Simpson often visited him on his way to Charleston. "Saturday, August 23d, 1755, to James Island. Kindly received by Mr. Bell. Lord's-day, 24th, preached, and baptized Mr. Bell's child. One of the hottest of days. November 7th, Friday, got safely to James Island, about thirty-four miles. Preached the preparation sermon from Song iii. 11. Endeavored to put the crown on the Mediator's head. Lord's-day, November 9th, Mr. Bell preached his action sermon from John v. 14. Monday, preached from John iii. 2. Had an opportunity to be a witness for the divinity of my glorious Lord, Jesus Christ, against a young man who denied it, and yet sat down yesterday at the Lord's table." Mr. Bell was moderator of the presbytery in 1750, as we have seen in what. has before been written. On Saturday, 10th of February, we find the following entry in Mr. Simpson's diary :- " Rode to James Island to visit and preach for the minister there, who is very much advanced in years and greatly afflicted with sick- ness in his person and family. In the evening got safe to the Rev. Mr. Ker's. Lord's-day, 11th, preached to the congrega- tion on James Island." He was then on his way to a pro re nata meeting of presbytery in Charleston. We meet with the name of Mr. Bell no more in Mr. Simpson's diary.
The Presbyterian church and congregation of JOHN'S ISLAND was served by the Rev. Thomas Murray at the beginning of this decade. His name is mentioned as moderator of a com- mittee of presbytery that sat at Wilton, June 2d, 1752, and his death is recorded in the South Carolina Gazette of August 15th, 1753 : " Died, Revd Thos. Murray, minister on John's Island, universally lamented. As his ministerial habits, cheerful conversation, steady friendship, and unaffected piety commanded the respect and engaged the affections of all that knew him, his death is not only a particular but a public loss." He was succeeded by Rev. Charles Lorimer from the time of
-
279
JOHN'S ISLAND, EDISTO, BEAUFORT.
1750-1760.]
his leaving the "Scots meeting" in Charleston, which was in October, 1754. He was installed pastor of John's Island on the 18th of April, 1755. On the 11th of April Mr. Simpson visits Mr. Lorimer on John's Island ; on Friday, the 25th, being the last before the communion, he preached there. On Sabbath, Mr. Bell preached the action sermon, then three tables were served. On Monday, Mr. Lorimer preached. On August 20th,. 1755, he sets out for John's Island, is kindly received by Mr. Lorimer and his newly-married wife, also by Rev. Mr. Ashton, or Ashmun, then there, an old Presbyterian minister on his way from the West Indies.
Mr. McLeod appears to have retired from the ministry on EDISTO ISLAND at the time of Mr. Simpson's licensure in 1754, since he is directed to preach every fourth Sabbath at Edisto, which is vacant. On his first visit to Edisto, Friday, June 7th, 1754, he was lost in the woods, but got over the next day. On another occasion he speaks of being driven back by the winds, and reaching the island late in the night. Lord's-day, July 27th, 1755 : " Came to Edisto yesterday. Prevented
preaching by violent rain in the forenoon. At 12 o'clock, preached to about thirty people. Spent the evening with Rev. Mr. McLeod." Thursday, March 11th, 1756: "Captain Edings died suddenly. A great loss. Went by land to Edisto, the corpse sent by water. Crossed over and rode several miles to the place of interment." The notices of Edisto cease after this, and it is probable he did not preach there regularly after his settlement at Stoney Creek.
We learn from Mr. Simpson's diary, too, of the remains of a PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT BEAUFORT. July 23d, 1756 : " This afternoon went over to Port Royal Island, to preach at Beau- fort next Sabbath to the remains of a Presbyterian church, Lord's-day, 25th : was much pleased with the solid appear- ance of the congregation, which was pretty numerous, as there was no preaching in the church [Episcopal]. Monday, 1757, at Port Royal Island, he admitted two young women, converted by his labors ; and Tuesday, 15th February, admitted their father, a wonderful conversion !" Lord's-day, 20th : " a sweet communion season." Lord's-day, March 26th, 1758 : " After sermon, went with my wife and child to Port Royal by. water, along with some of my dear people who live there.", May 6th, 1759 : " My comrade, W[illiam] Richardson] at Port Royal."
The Bethel PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH and congregation of PON PON had for its pastor, in the year 1750, Rev. George Ander- son. Application had been made to the presbytery of Edin-
280
BETHEL, PON PON.
[1750-1760.
burgh for a pastor, and Mr. Anderson was sent out in pursu- ance of that application. He arrived December 25th, 1750, and was installed in March 1751, Rev. Charles Lorimer pre- siding. He served the church but for one twelvemonth, his deatlı occurring about the 20th of November, 1751. From this to the year 1754 the congregation was dependent on temporary supplies, among which occur the names of Messrs. Osgood, Hunter, Bell, and Hutson. On the 23d of December the con- gregation met with a great loss in the death of their elder, Isaac Hayne, father of the revolutionary martyr of the same name. He left Mrs. Anderson £200, and her daughter £400.
On the 20th of January, 1752, the following record is made in reference to the recent loss of their pastor and elder :- " The loss of these two valuable men occasioned the call of a special presbytery, who met at Bethel meeting-house, Pon Pon, at which time our whole church and congregation met and gave thanks to God for such an enlarged spirit of love and unity and good will as appeared among them." The business affairs of the congregation becoming entangled, they were advised by presbytery, at a pro re nata meeting at Pon Pon, January 14th, 1752, to appoint trustees, five in number, for their management. William Little, Thomas Clifford, James Dunnom, Anthony Lambright, and Joseph Gibbons were accordingly appointed, and empowered to hire out the slaves belonging to the congregation, to rent the pews, and pay the salary of the minister, who shall be a Presbyterian, subscribing the Westminster Confession, and subject to the presbytery of South Carolina. The congregation sent on a call through the presbytery for Rev. Mr. John Trotter. Mr. Trotter hav- ing other engagements, and the presbytery being thus empow- ered, filled the call with the name of Rev. James Rymer, who arrived in Charleston January 24th, 1753, and was installed by the presbytery on the 14th of February following. Mr. Rymer's ministry was hardly longer than Mr. Anderson's.
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