USA > South Carolina > History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. II pt 1 > Part 31
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310
ORDINATION SINE TITULO.
[1810-1820.
Louisville, and Rev. Stephen Saunders of the Presbytery of New Castle employed as the evangelist of Presbytery, gave in his report. Thus were the infant churches in our sister State of Georgia kept alive pre- paratory to a wider extension in future years.
It is proper that we now turn from the individual churches and the Presbyteries to the Superior judicatories whose super- vision extends over them.
During the three first years of this decade the Synod of the Carolinas had supervision over the Presbyteries of South Carolina and Georgia. The first act of the Synod touching the proceedings of Presbyteries having jurisdiction over our churches was to give its advice in the case of William C. Davis to the Presbytery of Concord which had acted in his case, that "the way is entirely open to proceed to the last step of discipline." The Presbytery subsequently reported that they had suspended him on the 3rd day of April, 18II, from the exercise of his functions as a minister of the Gospel, and on the 4th day of October, deposed him from the office of the ministry. In their review of the minutes of the Presbytery of Harmony they take exception to the action of that body in ordaining the Rev. Ezra Fisk sine titulo. Mr. Fisk was to be employed as an evangelist in destitute settle- ments, and the Presbytery declared that "it is altogether inexpedient to consult the Synod in this case as has been usual in similar cases, and that the right or power in all cases is originally inherent in the Presbytery, and has never been formally surrendered to the higher judicatories of our church." The Synod disclaimed this principle "as having never been granted by our discipline." The Presbytery of Harmony having proceeded in another instance to ordination sine titulo, i. e., without a call from any or reference to any particular church, the Synod appointed Rev. James Walker, John M. Wilson and Joseph Caldwell to bring in a report on the same.
In this report the committee showed that these ordinations were contrary to the usage of the church of Scotland "without permission expressly granted by a superior judicatory," that the Presbytery of Orange had declined to ordain without the permission of Synod, that in 1810 the Committee of Bills and Overtures in the General Assembly had expressed themselves to the same effect, that in 1795 they had granted liberty to the Synods of Virginia and the Carolinas "to direct their Presbyteries to ordain such candidates as they may judge
312
MISSIONS.
[1810-1820.
now reaffirmed by this body (Min., p. 172), and again for- warded to the Assembly. Previous to this, however, the Assembly had addressed a letter to the Synod of the Caro- linas and to the Presbytery of Harmony, partly pacificatory and partly apologetic, owning that there is "a considerable diversity of opinion among the judicatories and ministers of our communion as to ordinations sine titulo, but sending down the rule anew for reception or rejection by the Presby- teries. The result of the whole was, that from the thirty Pres- byteries which took action on the subject, twenty-six decided against the rule, and four in the affirmative, among which was the Presbytery of South Carolina. The great argument against ordinations sine titulo is, that a call from some par- ticular congregation or congregations for the pastoral services of a probationer is proof of his ability to teach, and so a link in the evidence that he is called of God to the ministry of the Word. Presbyteries should be careful how, by ordinations sine titulo, they dispense with this proof, and though the necessities of evangelistic and missionary services require such ordinations, Presbytery should be careful lest they create a class of "perpetual candidates," whom no church will have as pastor."
On October the 8th, 1811, the Synod of the Carolinas re- signed the missionary business, to which they had hitherto attended, into the hands of the General Assembly. Yet, in October. 1812, their commission reported that they had em- ployed Rev. James Hall D. D., as a missionary in Georgia. His report, which was read before the Synod, showed that during four months and sixteen days he had traveled 1485 miles, and preached 58 sermons.
By request of the Synod of the Carolinas, that body was divided by the General Assembly, and the Presbyteries of Orange, Concord and Fayetteville constituted as the Synod of North Carolina, which held its first meeting at Allemance Church, on the first Thursday of October, 1813, and the Presbyteries of South Carolina, Hopewell and Harmony, as the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, which met at Upper Long Cane on the first Thursday, being the 4th day of November, 1813, and was opened, in the absence of Dr. Kollock, who had been named by the Synod of the Carolinas, and appointed by the General Assembly, by Rev. Francis Cummins, by a sermon from Romans ii. 15. One of the first
313
CASES DECIDED.
0-1820.]
is of this Synod was to petition the President of the United ates to appoint a day of general thanksgiving to God for favor to us as a nation, in crowning our arms with success land and water, on the Lakes, and to the confusion of our es. Dr. Waddel and Messrs. Hodge and Baird were the mmittee on this address.
The overture : " Is a woman, a communicant previous to harriage, to be continued in communion after marrying her ceased sister's husband ? " was answered unanimously in e negative.
An elaborate report touching such cases, prepared by Dr. hn Brown and Thomas J. Baird, committee, was submitted the Synod on the 16th of November, 1816, adopted by is body, published, and distributed among the churches.
A reference of a similar character from Bethel Church, buth Carolina, had been made in ISIo to the General ssembly, who referred for answer to their decision of 1804, hich implies that such parties, if otherwise worthy, should t be debarred from the privileges of the church, but leaves to subordinate judicatories to act according to their best ght. [Minutes, pp. 456, 306.] The principle which seems have governed the Assembly in this and subsequent de- sions, is, that the act of forming such relations is criminal, et when constituted, the marriage is valid, and the parties e not necessarily to be permanently debarred from the ivileges of the church.
Another case was thus decided. A man had married a oman not knowing that she had been guilty of unchastity. he had proved an adulteress after marriage, and he had left er, and after a lapse of years had contracted marriage with hother woman. He had always been a man of a correct life, as shown evidences of piety, and established worship in his wn house. He desires now to be united to a church. Can e be regularly admitted ? "It was resolved " by Synod, That whereas the crime of adultery by the decision of Jesus hrist dissolves the marriage contract and gives the innocent arty a right to a bill of divorcement, in all cases where civil dress cannot be obtained, as in the State of South Carolina, subsequent marriage. of the said innocent party shall not be bar to communion in our church. The Synod, however, onsider the case contemplated, solemn and critical ; and 'ould insist on admitting, with great caution, such a person the privileges of the church." [Minutes, p. 17.]
314
VARIOUS DECISIONS. [1810-1820.
The overture " what shall be done in a case where a man places himself under the care of a Presbytery, professes our doctrine and consents to our discipline, receives ordination and thus becomes a member. Afterwards he renounces our government, rejects our doctrines, preaches heresy and de- mands a regular dismission or enters a declinature," was an- swered by the following resolution : '
" Resolved, That the Presbytery proceed with such persons as directed and authorized by the Book of Discipline of our Church."
A proposition was made to divide the Synod so that there should be two, one in the up country and one in the low country. (Min. p. 49.)
This was referred to the Presbyteries to decide. A com- munication was received November, 1819, from the Synod of North Carolina, enquiring if the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia would not unite with them in endowing a Pro- fessorship in the Seminary at Princeton. To this they re- turned answer by resolutions.
Resolved, That is consequence of the heavy pecuniary calls which are expected to be made on this Synod and the churches under their care in aid of the contingent fund of the Theological Seminary, and in aid of the funds of a Missionary Society for the 'supplying the destitute parts within our bounds with the means of grace, and of extending the means of religious instruction to the Indians on our frontiers, which this Synod contemplate establishing in the course of the present year, the further consideration be postponed till our next session."
The churches within the bounds of the Synod did, however, contribute handsomely, especially within the Presbytery of Harmony, considerable sums for the Seminary, and at the next session entered into an agreement to raise $ 15,000 towards the endowment within the next five years. The Mis- sionary Society of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia was duly organized, whose object was declared to be "to send the Gospel to the destitute parts within the bounds of the Synod, and to promote the civilization and religious instruc- tion of the Aborigines on our borders." Of this Society Rev.
315
10-1820.] MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF THE SYNOD.
m. H. Barr was President, Rev .: Richard B. Cater, Rev. enj. R. Montgomery. D. D., and Rev. Thomas Alexander, ce-Presidents, Rev T. C. Henry, Corresponding Secretary, ev. Hugh Dickson, Recording Secretary, Rev. Zebulon udolph, Treasurer.
Directors for the Frontier .- Rev. John Brown, D. D., Rev. s. Hillhouse and Mr. John Harris.
Directors for the Interior .- Rev. John R. Kennedy. Rev. nthony W. Ross and Mr. Thomas Means.
Managers .- Rev. Andrew Flinn, D. D., Rev. Nathan S. S. eman, Rev. George Reid, Rev. John Cousar, Rev. Joseph illhouse, Rev. Thomas Archibald, Col. Thomas Taylor, M. swald, Esq., Andrew Norris, Esq., Mr. James K. Douglass. r. Wm. Pressley, and Mr. Hugh Means.
The address of the Society dated at Columbia, November 7, 1819, was published with the Constitution of the same, in e Evangelical Intelligencer of Charleston.
The action of the General Assembly in the affairs of this ynod refers to only a few items. One is as to the case of Lev. W. C. Davis. Another, Act of the General Assembly. fers to a letter from the [old Scotch] Presbytery of Charles- on, of both which we have written, and if further satisfaction ; needed, the case of W. C. Davis may be found in Baird's Digest of the Acts of the General Assembly, pp. 634, 637, nd in reference to the Scotch Presbytery, or otherwise the Presbytery of Charleston, in the minutes published in 1847, . 188, and onward, and Baird's Digest, pp. 548, 549.
A question was submitted to the General Assembly in 814, by advice of the Presbytery of Harmony, in these words : A person who had been baptized in infancy by Dr. Priestly, pplied for admission to the Lord's table. Should the baptism dministered by Dr. Priestly, then a Unitarian, be considered alid ?" The question was determined in the negative. "In he present state of our country, whilst Unitarian errors, in various forms, are making their insidious approaches, whilst he advocates of this heresy, in many cases, are practising a system of concealment and insinuating themselves into the confidence of multitudes who have no suspicion of their defec- fion from the faith, the Assembly feel it to be their duty to peak without reserve. It is the deliberate and unanimous opinion of this Assembly that those who renounce the funda- mental doctrine of the Trinity and deny that Jesus Christ is
316
MISSIONS.
[1810-1820
the same in substance, equal in power and glory with the Father, cannot be recognized as ministers of the gospel, and that their ministrations are wholly invalid." Minutes, pp. 546, 549.
While the Assembly continued to appoint its missionaries by its own direct vote.
The Rev. Colin McIver was appointed a missionary for three months, between Baltimore and Charleston, S. C., on missionary ground, in 1812, and John McLean was appointed missionary for four months in Western Georgia and the Mississippi Territory ; in 1813, Mr. William McDowell for six months, between Washington and St. Mary's ; in 1814, Mr. Francis H. Porter, in the Presbytery of Concord, for two months ; in 1815, Rev. Daniel Gray, for three months, commencing his mission in Union District, thence passing through the Cherokees to Duck River, thence to Elk, thence through the western part of Kentucky to Indian Territory ; in 1816, Mr John Covert, six months in South Carolina and Georgia, to be prescribed by Rev. Dr Flinn of the Presbytery of Har- mony ; Mr. Francis H. Porter, for two months within the bounds of the Presbytery of Concord. Though Mr. Porter was of the Presbytery of Concord, his missionary labors may have been performed in those con- gregations in South Carolina which were for a season connected with that Presbytery.
The Presbytery of South Carolina was diligent in mission - ary efforts.
Its Committee of Missions sent ont the Rev. Andrew Brown into the Alabama territory on a mission of three months, and he reported his fulfillment of his commission at the fall meeting, in October, 1819. His report was accompanied with an address from a number of inhabitants west of the Black Warrior River, thanking Presbytery for their atten- tion in sending Mr. Brown among them, and requesting a continuance of missionary labors. Thomas C. Stewart, who had itinerated within the bounds of his Presbytery for four months, was appointed at that meeting to itinerate as a missionary in the Alabama country, and was furnished with one month's pay in advance by the treasurer of Presby- tery. An interesting account of his tour may be found in the second volume of the Christian Intelligencer, published in Charleston, p. 54. He set out from Rev. John Harrison's, in the State of Georgia, on the Ist of November, 1819, through a wilderness of about 180 miles before reaching the territory. First preached in the upper part of Jones' Valley, proceeded through Roop's Valley to the town of Tuscaloosa, a flourishing place of about 1,300 inhabitants. A band were meeting at each other's houses for religious services on the Sabbath, had a house of worship nearly completed, and were desirous of obtaining the service of a Presbyterian clergyman for a part of his time. He next visited Mckeon's Bluff, and preached on Sabbath, November 4th, in a Methodist Church, to a large audience. Thence to St. Stephen's, Jack- son Claiborne, Blakely and Mobile. At Blakely he found a very good church edifice occupied by Presbyterians, where some one reads a sermon, and performs the rest of the service in the Episcopalian mode. He speaks of Mobile as having a population of about 2,500, having no
317
BIBLE SOCIETIES.
0-1820.]
btestant church at that time, but as designing to build one. On the he preached at Cahawba, having about 250 inhabitants, and desiring Presbyterian preacher Then to Pleasant Valley, thickly settled h Presbyterians, where Rev. Mr. Porter, eighteen months before, had yached to the Valley Creek Church, as they had named it, and ad- tted between thirty and forty to the Lord's table. His congregations Fre were crowded and attentive. Thence to the Mulberry Settlement, Pence to the Cahawba Valley, thence to Canon Creek, where he met h Rev. Mr. Newton, who was quite infirm and able to do little in he way of ministerial duty.
Rev. John S. Wilson and Mr. Humphreys were missionaries of the esbytery during the same period. (Minutes of Presbytery, p. 69).
South Carolina engaged early in the circulation of the riptures. The first Bible Society in the United States was istituted in Philadelphia in 1808; the second, the Connecti - t Bible Society, in 1809, and the Massachusetts and the New Jersey Bible Societies in the same year. In 1810 the New York Bible Society, and those of Beaufort and Charles- n, in South Carolina, and of Savannah, in Georgia, were aganized. The Columbia Bible Society followed in 1816, e same year in which the American Bible Society was rmed in New York, to which the Columbia Bible Society came auxiliary in May, 1825. The first effort to benefit amen in the Port of Charleston was made on the 14th of pril, 1818, when a meeting was called through the columns the Charleston Courier, which resulted in the formation of Marine Bible Society (of which Mr. John Haslett was Presi- ent, and Rev. George Reid, Secretary), for the circulation of e Scriptures, without note or comment, among seamen. Charleston Courier, 14th April, 1818 ; Hist. Sketch by Rev. Vm B. Yates, Charleston, 1851, p. 8.) These things we have mentioned on preceding pages.
There was no small amount of liberality shown within the ounds of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia towards he beneficiary education of men for the ministry. The merican Education Society acknowledges the receipt from he bounds of this Synod, to 1821, the sum of $18,842, within period of about 10 years, for this object, some small por- on only from other denominations, but the most of this mount from Congregational and Presbyterian congregations.
318
INDEPENDENT CHURCH, ARCHDALE STREET. [1820-1830.
The following table exhibits the statistics, as nearly as they can be ascertained, of the denominations in South Carolina in 1819 (Rel. Intelligencer, 1, 190) :
DENOMINATION.
ORDAINED MINISTERS.
CHURCHIES.
COMMUNICANTS.
German Lutheran
6
18
600
Congregational
7
9
1,500
Episcopal
22
18
1,200
Presbyterian
49
68
10,500
Methodist
100
300
15,000
Baptist.
109
170
14,000
The Associate Reformed and Roman Catholics are not in- cluded in the above estimate, the number of whose ministers and churches we have no means of ascertaining. A con- siderable portion of most of these denominations are colored persons.
BOOK THIRD.
(1820-1830.)
CHAPTER I.
The INDEPENDENT CHURCH IN CHARLESTON was served during this decade by its pastor, the Rev. Benjamin Morgan Palmer, and after the unhappy division which resulted in the independent organization of the Archdale Street Church, it prospered greatly under his ministry. It did not attempt any more to establish a collegiate pastorship. The labors, therefore, of the one pastor were greatly increased. Under the former arrangement, the sermon that was preached in the Circular Church in Meeting Street in the morning, was preached to the other portion of the congregation at the Church in Archdale Street in the evening. Time was thus saved for study or pastoral visitation to each of the ministers thus associated. But there were left behind active and work- ing members, among whom were a number of devoted female co-workers whose names will not soon be forgotten.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN ARCHDALE STREET .- Henceforth this is to be reckoned a Unitarian organization, and will not belong to this history.
319
WAPPETAW.
2-1830.]
The part which Mr. Parks had taken in the ordination of Gilman, drew forth from parties on both sides a number pamphlets and communications. Mr. Parks, writing also his own defence, yet admits that he had acted under wrong pressions, and without due consideration and with imperfect Dwledge. Brought up in early life in comparative retire- int, he knew little or nothing of the Unitarianism which al been emerging in Massachusetts, and with a degree of f-reliance which he afterwards regretted, paid little heed some time to the remonstrances of others. He afterwards ake with regret of the course he had pursued, and admitted it he ought not to have laid "these (his) hands upon one ose acknowledged sentiments give too much reason to r that he will become a Socinian." [Letter of November 1820.] He also, April 1821, in his last communication to Association, says: "I regret the style and manner in ich I preached at the opening of the Association last year. m sensible that I was too much under the influence of ger when I composed and delivered that sermon. I hope i believe that I will never preach another sermon of the ane character." "I acknowledge that I erred in the ordi- tion of Mr. Gilman, not for the want of zeal, but from the perfection of knowledge. If I had obtained, before I en- ged to take part in the ordination. all the information I now ssess, I never would have engaged in it. I would rather my hands in the fire, than lay them upon the head of a own Socinian. Unitarians and Socinians formerly appeared me more different from each other than I now find them be." These concessions should remove a portion of the hsure which rested on Mr. Parks. And although we can- t recognize in Unitarianism the religion of Paul ; nor in eir view of Christ, the Christ of the Scriptures, but regard as a mere system of morality, a religion without a Re- emer, an atoning Priest, a divine Intercessor, and a Media- rial King, we are willing to give them credit for all those rsonal and social virtues they may possess.
INDEPENDENT OR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT WAPPETAW, IRIST'S CHURCH PARISH .- Mr. Perrin disgraced his minis- y by irregularities of life which were reported to the Pres- tery of Harmony at its meeting in Charleston in April 1820. e was absent from the State at that time, but he was faith- lly dealt with by letter, and cited to appear before the Pres-
320
DORCHESTER AND BEECH HILL.
[1820-1830.
bytery. He replied by letter acknowledging his fault, and desiring to remove stumbling blocks out of the way, but he being now in a remote part of the United States, and not within the jurisdiction of any local Presbytery, he was deposed from this sacred office on the 19th of April, 1821. Informa- tion concerning this church is exceeding scanty during this period. It was probably dependent on such occasional sup- plies as they could receive from missionary labors or the kind offices of brethren in Charleston. The Rev. Alfred Wright who had been in the employ of the Congregational and Presby- terian Missionary Society of South Carolina, and was not yet ready to proceed on his mission to the Choctaws, spent several months in faithful and acceptable labors among this people in the winter of 1820. [So. Evang. Intelligencer, Vol. II, p. 61.] The church was served from about 1820 to 1828 by a Mr. Reid, probably Rev. George Reid. On the 21st of December, 1822, the Legislature incorporated this church, as follows : " That those persons who now are, or hereafter shall be, members of the Independent or Congregational Church at Wappetaw, in the Parish of Christ Church, be, and the same are hereby, declared a body politic and corporate, by the style and title of ' The congregation of Wappetaw, in the Parish of Christ Church'" [Statutes at Large, Vol. VIII, p. 325.]
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF DORCHESTER AND BEECH HILL. The Rev. Wm. States Lee continued in the service of this Church until the 23d of April, 1821. They then called a Mr. Luke Lyons and on the 24th of May, 1822, there is an order for the payment of a quarter's salary. His service must have been a short one. On the 5th of May, 1823, hav- ing no pastor, they invited Mr. Jones to serve them in that capacity. Yet on the 8th of October, in the same year, the death of their esteemed pastor and chairman is mentioned. At this same time they call Mr. Luke Lyons on a salary of $600, but are unsuccessful. On the 19th of November, 1824, they extended a call to the. Rev. Edward Palmer, who had been received by the Charleston Union Presbytery, after for- mally adopting the Confession of Faith and the Form of Government of the Presbyterian Church. He was installed as pastor the 3rd of February, 1825. To assist in the sup- port of his family he is permitted to take a few young ladies as pupils during the summer months. The church received
3-1830.] STONY CREEK-BEAUFORT. 321
e aid also from the Missionary Society towards this same
In April, 1827, he received a call from the Church of hel, Pon Pon, which the Presbytery advised him to accept. Church was now dependent, it is believed, for a length of le, on occasional supplies.
STONY CREEK INDEPENDENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Mr. D. Parks continued to preach to this Church as pastor, or tated supply, it is not clear which, until the Sth of May, 1821, len any regular and stated connection with the Church sed. There are entries in the account books to show that preached as an occasional supply after this date. Occa- pal supplies were obtained also from the North during the ter months from 1821 to 1824. Among these was Joseph pwn, then a licentiate, who visited Stony Creek early in cember, 1820. He reports about 15 communicants (white ?) a fund of $Sooo belong to the Church. First Report of Young Men's Domestic Missionary Society, 1821. In ril, 1824, Richard H. Jones, a licentiate, commenced aching to this congregation. He was ordained and install- their pastor on the 13th of January, 1825. He resigned November, 1826, and the church became again dependent occasional supplies, among whom Mr. A. Greenwood is ntioned in 1829. [MS of Wm. F. Hutson. Minutes of arleston Union Presbytery.]
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