The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-06-27
Centennial Of Nazareth Church.

=: Centennial Of Nazareth Church.
AS previously announced, the congregation
of Nazareth celebrated the hundredth birth
day of their church on last Saturday, the 10th
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 pure religion, had been busy
with preparations for this grand memorial day.
The present church edifce, which is commo-
dious brick structure, built 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 for
gotten which would make the arrangements
complete. The day was most propitlous
cloudy with pleasant breezes, and coplous
shower of rain to lay the dust in the afternoon;
At half-past 10 o'clock, a. m, when we reached
the spot, the beautiful grove surrounding the
church was filed with horses and carriages OF
every description, and the church crammed
with vast throng, eager to secure seats where
they could see and hear all that was done anc
said and by IL o'clock the assemblage num-
bered not less than 1000 persons.
At halfpast IL o'clock, the exercises COM
uCuCGu Will al ipHlOpl1oeO dhN OSoooA"oA ,OA
untary, from choir of melodious singers; after
which, Rev. R. 81. Reid, the faithful and loved
pastor of the church, read short sketch, pre-"
pared for the occasion, giving as briefly az
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 emigrated from Penn
sylvania and settled upon the Tigers in 176l,
and that 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 Bullocks
Creek, in York District; and that the first pub
lie road through this county was an enlarge
ment of the bride path cut out for DR.. Alex
ander to travel, when he came to discharge his
ministerial duties. The elders elected at the
organization of the church were Capt. Andrew
Barry, Robert Nesbitt, John McElrath and
Thomas Peden. We cannot undertake, with
the limited space at our command, to give this
historical sketch entire, however interesting ii
might be to many of our readers, and must
pass on to speak of the address of DIR" b. M.
Palmer.
The occasion was grand one, and every
before the vast throng assembled upon this oc-
casion, and minister at an altar consecrated by
the prayers and tears Of a century, should in
deed be one upon whom the mantle of the
prophet had fallen, apd one fred by the spirit
and genius of the Apostle to the Gentiles.--
Such were our own feelings while IN solemn
tones the speaker continued to read, one after
another, the inspired words of the Psalmist Sd
appropriately chosen as part of the iatroducto-
ry service. When, however, be had announced
as his theme "The Glory of God as manifested
through the Church." and with the muscular
strides of an intellectual giant, had carried US
with him to height where he might form some
faint conception Of the grandeur Of the subject
and the occasion, 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 flight, or any human
tongue, however eloquent, to put into words
the thoughts and feelings which crowd the
mind and swell the heart on such an occasion:
No worthier priest, however, could have stood
at this altar of our fathers, on this closing day
of the century, than this beloved minister Of
Christ, who for more than thirty years has pro-
claimed with such zeal, power and learning the
unsearchable riches of the Gospel. For one
hour and half the immense throng crowding
the aisles, the doors and windows of the build-
ing, hung in almost breathless silence upon his
words. The address in the beginning struck
the true keynote to which every heart and
mind responded, and as the heights and depths
of human knowledge were sounded to give ad-
equate expression to the vast and mighty coin
ceptions inspired by the subject and the occa-
sion, the whole audience were borne along as
upon the swelling tide of SOM grand harmony,
sometimes wild and terrible u its laundering
tones, and again melting all eyes to tears with
its deep and tender strains of sweetest melody.
AS we are too unwell to write more, and as
the address is to be published, we have re-
Trained from any attempt to give even its out
line 1t was worthy of the distinguished di-
vine who made it, worthy Of the day, worthy
to form the keystone of the arch which cen
tury had built; worthy to tell to future gene
rations the great honor with which the WOE.
shippers of this venerable old church crowned
the 18th day of June, 1872.
This day will form an important and pleasant
era in the history of this section, and will be
known and spoken of by generations yet un-
born.-Cdrolin0 Spartan.