The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-06-20
OnNTENN1AL OF NAzAaErR CHURCH.

CnNTENNIAL OF NAzARErR OHURoH.-l
AS previously announced, the congreqa-
tioc OF Nazareth celebrated the hun.
dredth birthday of their church on last
Saturday, the 18th inst. For weeks past
the good people of that neighborhood,
who are inferior to none in the State in
intelligence and in their devotion to the
claims of q pure religion, had been busy
with preparations for this grand memo
rial day. The present church edifice,
which is commodious brick structure,
oullt In 1882. was made to look almost
new IN its fresh coat OF paint, and large
awnings were stretched along the ends
and one side OF the building, in order to
accommodate those who would not be
able to find seats inside the church.
Nothing WAS forgotten Which would
make the arrangements complete. The
dny Was most propitious; cloudy, with
pleasant breeZes, and a copioua shower
OF rain to lay the dust in the afternoon.
At half-past 10 O'Clock a. NJ, when we
reached the spot, the beautiful grove
surrounding the church was filed with
horses and carriages OF every descrip-
ton. and the church orammed with
vast throng eager to secure seats where
they conld see and hear all that was
done and said; and by II O'Clock the as
semblage numbered not less than ], 900
persons.
At half-past II o'clock, the exercises
commenced with an appropriate and
beautiful voluntary, from choir of me-
lodious singers; after which, Rev. R. 81.
Reid, the faithful and loved pastor of
the church, read q short sketch, pre-
pared for the occasion, giving ns briefly
as possible the facts concerning the
origin and life OF the church, during the
century through which it had lived.
According to the history thus given
US, the first house OF worship built upon
the site of the present building, was
erected in 1765, by few families of
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, who emil
grated from Pennsylvania and settled
upon the Tigers In 1851, and that q
church was regularly organized in the
spring of 1772. That the first minister
who preached for this congregation was
DR.. Alexander, who then resided on
Bullook's Creek, in York District; and
that the first public road through this
County was an enlargement of the bride
path cut out for DR.. Alexander to travel,
when he came to discharge his ministe-
rial duties. The elders elected at the
| organization of the church were Captain
Andrew Barry, Robert Nesbitt. John
McElrath and Thomas Peden. We can
not undertake, with the limited space at
our command, to give this historical
sketch entire, however interesting it
might be TO many of cur readers, and
must pass on to speak Of the address Of
DR.. B. M. Palmer.
The occasion was q grand one, and
every one felt that the priest who should
stand up before the vast throng assem-
bled upon this occasion, and minister at
an altar consecrated by the prayers and
tears of century, should indeed be one
upon whom the mantle of the prophet
had fallen, and ono fred by the spirit
and genius of the Apostle to the Gen
tiles. Such were our own feelings
while in solemn tones the speaker con.
tinued to read, one after another, the
inspired words of the Psalmist so ap.
propriately chosen as part of the intro
duotory service. When, however. he
had announced as his theme 'The
Glory of God as manifested through the
Church" and with the muscular stride.
OF an intellectual giant, had carried nj
with him to height where we nigh
form some faint conception of the
BTauuouE Oi tuo SuDJeCI ana Inc OCC8
sion, we felt ten-fold more than before
the impossibility for any human mind
however wide its grasp or broad the
horizon it may sweep in its majestic
fight, or any human tongue. however
eloquent, to put into words the thoughts
and feelings which crowd the mind ant
swell the heart on such an occasion
No worthier priest. however, could hav,
stood at this altar Of our fathers, or
this closing day of the century, thar
this beloved minister Of Christ, who fo
moro than thirty years has proclaimed
with such zeal, power and learning th
unsearohable riches of the Gospel Fo
one hour and half the immense thron1
crowding the aisles. the doors and win
dows of the building. hung in almos
breathless silence upon his words. Til,
address in the beginning struck the true
keynote to which every heart aud mint
responded. and as the heights ant
depths of human knowledge were sound
ed to give adequate expression to tn
, vast and mighty conceptions inspired b.
the subject and the occasion. the Who'll
audience we're borne along as upon tn
; swelling tide of some grand harmony
sometimes wild and terrible in it's thun