The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1842-04-28
From The xa,eLerbsslsr.
Tag WAY 10 DISMISS MINISTERS
Ease oF PARsoN GrRar

CHAPTER n.
CASE OF PARsoS GERRY.
tfer he dissais.ioH Of Nc. BsssA. n.
rha'eh IN Saakeslne rema,usd lar : sr..l
l.aEIh IL time unopened. The sxei,s.
n,ni hal been 81 furious. and lhe feel
sag, al the religious parliaa el The com.
munily 90 sxsperstsd. that there seen.
ell % be sn indifference whether an,
church was esrr resasrll.ted. h. ~h<u
Ihss found that Mr. Brush "a. innoeens.
sni that fh,y we're 10 The wrong, there
~" massmest 'alaediairly manifested
nPraerre aha,her rlersyman.
N" me was mere f.a~srd in mi. work
than Mrs. Msrks. Mrs. Dos. Mss. Blown.
aud Miss Polly Sly these evil spirn,
wha hal by their senamaus tongues FRA,
p'is"ned the cangregal.sn. |. Vas re
solVrd that an old mn shauld be proear
ell; one whom slsndrr could m, touch:
one who had bren tried in the frry far
mare; one IN kae whnse age should zen
der him invulnerabie 20 an ,he shaft.
wh'ch aalise could forge. or Islander DE-
tec'.
After some weeks. . cid Parsoa Ger.
~" was hn upon - The very man OF all
Others 10 gu the pulpi, in SlokeylIIr. He
w's .bau, sixty yesrs Of sse. and as ve-
hs'sble 10 appearance as me pictures Of
the apostle. iIss fine head. quick pi, &c.
ing eve. wrinkl.d bsnw. end thin gray
h''r. gave 10 him . reverend and holy a..
pet. lie vas installed. and wnh . r.
mhv OF ten rhildrea, csuioriably l0e 4sed
In the parish hanse. lie was one III these
~aose fortune 10 had been. 80 !. lao often
the case with members Of che clerical pro
fes'i"n. never 10 be seilled; 10 be tempest
Iosed through The wesld. without ever
finding port. Tie had preached in every
state On the Union. and slmosl in every
town. lie had sever been in one spo,
long en"ugh To take foo. and when he
came to SIokesille. with his children
swarm'ng aroaad him. he seemed .ded
out of I'll .p'r,,s; a. one indeed who LINK
ed 10 III, grave .. hls only resting pl.re.
Old Paraon Gerry ~as the t,wn's tx
fm some months. Every b"dy called
spoa hs family. and every mau,h vas
open ~ their praise. The old man was
rxwllrd a. "sa,nt. IL ever there vas
sne:" his vile vas q female Samaritan.
and his daughters were al beautiful.
&" VIVA, . good old man Pnsan Gerry
Isl" sail Mrs. Merks--. What an ami
able vile he hasg'' rj.ined Mrs. Daw.
" What lovely daughtets!" said Mrs.
Btosn. The whde psblic sentimen,
had changed. There was al length de
lighful cslm sfIer the late terrible s.orm.
Several large parties were given on par.
son Gsuys account. aud h,s daughters
were h,iIed as the spii, and soul oI them
oil. Presents were made 20 the family: !
and q really seemed for some months |
that h vas imp'.sibIe;tn do too much for. |
or rksii too highly. old Parson Gerry aud
his Incompatible family.
Mr. Meeks, husband Of Mrs. Mseks.
vas the hrst m'n 10 break IN upon the
quiet 81 the church the second time. II
so happened that the old pss.en. On one
or Two "cc.si"a'. emitted a portion of the
service. Mr. Meeks detected this At once.
aud oI course vas stuck dumb wiIh hor-
Tor. lie said he had beea troa ght up
Shurchman.. in the seserest sense of The
word; aud IL woun''ed his feelings. and
reused his sstOnishmeH,. 10 6nd Parson
"ery guilty Of such sacsilege! There
must b. something wruag about him: he
was eIther no christian or else his faith ~
the discipline ofthe church vas sadly per-
verified " or course flame was sum
blown up, whIch spread wider and VII
der; but before II had consumed che old
gen'lemen. s"me friendly hand exun-
Ru''hsd ~. harm"uized the congregation,
AMI tranquility was sestWed.
1t vas snou observed. that in spite of
The harmony resioretl, shere was a grow
Tug dislike to Pat.on Gerry and his
preaching. The people we're abou. " gs,
ing tired" cf hin. a. the phrase 10. Ills
congregation began 90 dfsp of one alter
an"her. until SCARCELY an apology for an
audience was lett. Every member he'd
his "~o excuse fT no, attending church.
Sumo did not like his discourses brcanse
.h"y were So lung; o,hers dsliked them
oreau'e they were prosy sHd dull; and
many said he did not preach The nue
orlh"d"x doctrine. There were thou
sand obi 'ctIons To him; and each one
VII" had an objection. found 10 !, "a ex
e"'e i"r deserving the church, until. as
we have said. he had scarcely an apollo
ev Tor an audience left.
IL ~as NECESSARY To find some grave
eharee 10 justify the removal Of P.rson
"e''!; aud The ingenuity of S,okev'lle r
s'"" iramei one. After torurlng every
a''ha' had ever been coamiued by The
m'"s'er az his family, they discovered
t''' " Person Geuy's wife and dauah-
'efs we're exusssgsni in their dress"
s"' I" ""~nded the telling. of,he congre
ga ton TO Oeh.ld christian .s,mplicIIS1n
outraged.