The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1873-12-11
For the Lancaster Ledger.
Reply to "Shiloh and Tirzah.,

body Of men, to be misrcpresented
and silently allow 1t to pass, would
appear rs consenting to the charges.
For one man, (or had it been done
by the whole body of Shiloh and
Tirzah, which is not the case,) TO
make such statements through the
public press regardless Of the action
of the whole Presbytery, composed
Of some sixteen ministers and an
equal number of Elders, it does app
pear TO ns that there is some neces~
sity for reply.
"Shiloh aud Tirzah" says: "since
"the freedom of the press, kept with
Gin proper bounds, is protected by
claw, for the publication of current
"Iacts Tor the information OF the peo-
"ple, Snrely the first Presbytery ought
"not TO object to have their official
"scts fairly act before the people,
Although this may be lawful. yet,
what thinking mind will consider it
expedient for thus to be sounding i'm
the ears of the public, church mats
ters-sarred things. 1t Is after much
deliberati0n that we have concluded
to reply to "Shiloh and TirZah" be,
cause of its unseemlncss. We cam
dldly admit that, if we did not cons
slider such writings derogatury to
the interest Of truth, and thus inju-
rious to the furtherance of the Cos.
pei of Christ, we would have by
no means noticed it. For these rca>
sons, one who was an eye witness Of
nearly all the transactions OF Press
bytery, at Winnsboro'>fcels it to be
his duty to speak.
We will not follow "Shiloh and
Tirzah" in all his various windings,
but will merely state facts.
During the late war, some dlssat.
isfaction sprung up between some of
the members of Shiloh and the Pas
tor, and if | am not mistaken, the
pastor applied TO Prcsbytery to he
released from his charge at Shiloh,
and as far as [ am aware none of
this congregation objected to it
We are all aware Presbytcry IS by
no means willing TO release a pastor
of his charge unless satisfied that
there is cause sufficient. They there.
fore set abou: and a reconciliation
was made between pastor and flock.
Not long after this some other diff
ference arose. In this last instance
there were about twenty families,
making about fifty members. The
dissatisfaction grew to such an ex>
tent, that this body held meeting
and appointed a delegation to wait
on the pastor, ana ask MIN 10 with
draw from Shiloh otherwise tha,
he he released by Presbytery from
this charge. This body was compo-
sed of some five Elders, and was
otherwise the strongest pillar in the
church. This last request was no,
complied with, or consented to by
the pastor. Notice, here is the crit.
ical point, fifty members, strong pill.
lars Of the church, whose feelings
were wrought up so far that they
felt they could not longer worship
God truly and sincerely under the
then mnIstra,ion. Under such cir
cumstances W hat steps should he Ia.
ken ? The dissatisfied members, or
a portion OF them, were Just on the
eve of going ever to the Prcsbyte-
rians, but after further dclibcration,
they determined to lay their case
before Presbytc,y, and ABIDE the de.
cision thereof.
Earnest preparations were made
on both sides, the other part of Shi-
loh and Tirzah were anxious that the
pastor be retained. On the other
hand the fifty members desired Prca-
bytcry TO release him. Preshvtery
met nj Winnsboro, both parties be-
Ing fairly represented. "Shi!oh and
Tirzah" says, that che was removed
"hy the first Prcsby,cry from one of
"his charges against his, and their
"conscnt, without judicial invcstiga.
"lion or conviction OF crime, was an
"act too nnchristian 10 he endured"
The facts were laid before a special |
(ihcre was no charges !
brought against either party, but the
object was, whicn :arty should hoii !