The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-15

cnreer. his discourscs were in the main doc
trinal, rather than practical, anu nehce me-
Paul and from the discourses OF the saviour.
His great forte as q preacher was EXPOSITION,
and only those who have heard MN oltch
know how successful he was In that depart
mcnt. The Bible was his great text DOCK. ne
madcit the study of his life, and III ms lnter
years especially he was wonderfully ianiilihr
with it. His apprchcnsions OF Divine trutn
were clear and distinct. He had Il thorough
understanding of the doctrines or the blDle,
and his statements of them In the pulpit were
clear rs the light. Hcncvcr left any one IN
doubt rs to his meaning. He understood
clearly what he wanted to say, and he never
rested until he had made his proposiiions
clear to others. His discourscs on loiil lIe-
pravity. the Atonement, JustificatlSm ny
Faith, the Conversation of theSinner, Sancti-
fcation,. God sovereign and Man lrcc, cue,
etc, if gathered together would make a VOL
umc of great value to the christian worlo.
AS A PROFESSOR.
The great work of nr. PrcsSly remains to be
noticed. About the year lSl0, MS reiailon
with the churches In Alabama. when nc hhG
served so acccptably, was diSsolEed; ana
while he was looking about for anotllcr ne'u,
he was elected by the Synod Professor OF Ian
guages In Erskine College. Ihis cnanGeH In M, -
pastor in Alabama he started q class OF boys
In Latin, but up to the day of his election 10
a protcssorship in Erskine College, mat was
then to be, we have no reason TO suppose thai.
he expected to be anything but minister u
The College was organized in 1871 with a
Faculty Of three, uhl OF whom were graduates
of Miami UnIversity-Rcv:, H., +. LrcsSlS'
President. and Professor Of Mental and Moral
philosophy; Rev. Jas; 7. PreSsiy' nroissS S0 OF OF
Mathematics. 1t was the day OF small things
The synod that had undertaken the work. was
q small body, scattered over Nortn Lhrolila'
south Carolina, Georgia. Alabama ana lGi1-
....,o s,I-, T,cfitt,finp had neither Dlllu-
ingS nor endowment. But the enterprise was
undertaken in faith and 1t was conSccr:'tcu
to God, who commands the resources Oh ihC
universe. The motto adopted "Ihc lear OF
the Lord is the beginning uf WISDOM shows
the character of the founders Oh inc lnS,,'ur
ton. Trusting in God, whose arm IS iull ot
power, and who can make the weak thillss
This world to confOund the mighty, they went
forward, and success, glorious success, crowi-
cd their efforts. ,
ing was laid in 1872. About ten years altcr-
wards Lindsay Hall was erected, and about
ten years after that. or not quite so much the
Euphcmian Hall was built, ana then soon
followed the Philomathcan Iall-the whole
forming a group OF buildings hat "ouio 10
honor to any College.
The Faculty, though small at first, was com
posed of men whose ability was only equai.
led by their devotion to duty and their self
sacrifice. They lived upon the income from
tuition, for Il numbero OF years, which afforded
them only II Sclnty support. Othcrs were
added to the Faculty as they Werre,nnMese de aanv
changes in her faculty. Her first President,
DR.. l.. +. PRESLEY, ancrservlng her for a period
of eight or ten years, retired with shattered
health, and was gathered TO his fathers IN
1860. His successor, DR.. Robert G. Gricr, who
by his learning and wisdom widened the rep
utation of the College. having served Two
terms, fell OH sleep, in the prime of his nltn-
hood, March 81. ISL. Between the two terms
of DR.. Gricr. Rev. f. l.. Patton, the present
learned Professor of Greek in the college,
filled the Presidents chair for a period which
was brought to an abrupt close by the opening
OF the lute war. After the second term Of Or.
Gricr, ST., the present incumbent, Rev. W. NJ.
Grler, ID. D., became the successor OF his III
ther. ,
In the occupants Of the Professors chairs
there have been various changes, which we
need not mention here. OF the original tncui.
ty only one survives. Like an oak OF
many winters, he still stands a monument of
the goodness Of God, and in his solitude a
warning Of the desolations OF time.
DIR. Pressly was identified with the College
from the day of its organization up to the day
of his death, one year ago, and a more faith
| full, devoted servant no Institution ever had.
Conscientious in the discharge OF every duty,
he prepared himself thoroughly for his work,
made himself master of what he undertook to
teach. and then with a punctuality worthy OF
all imitation. he was always In his place. pre-.
pared TO instruct. He impressed his pupils at
once with his own competency, and he insist
cd on thoroughness on their part. Honest
himself, he liked honesty In Others. Truthful
himself. he demanded truthfulncss In others.
Faithful himself, he required fnithfulncss In
others. y scholar himself: he labored to have
all his pupils scholars likewise. He was
therefore, a rigid teacher. Woe to the young
man that went into his room unprcpared.
kind and always ready to help, the idle and
tho careless received no mercy at his hands.
The prctcndcr in his room was sure to be
unmnSlkcd. and the young man that mounted
~, cttt<e In bic t,rprpt,on , aro1 III a. gu n n 1nu.n
with u crash. 1t is safe, therefore, 10 say that
but few men have been more successful as
teachers OF languages than vas DR.. Pressly.
And during the thirty-five years of his con-
that will carry his name down to .posterity.
In the minds and hearts of the hundreds and
hundreds Of pupils that sat at his feet, Is
erected Il monument more enduring than
brass, and generations yet unborn will rise up
and call him blessed. His name is n house
hold word in q long list OF families scattered
When the memory OF many OF the heroes OF
earth shall have faded away, the name and
the decds Of DR.. James p. Pressly will be fresh
and green.
IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY.
During the whole period OF his connection
with Erskine College, he was also Professor of
Greek Excgcsis and of systematic Theology
In Erskine Theological Seminary, And here
he found the work that was most congenial to
his tastes. DR.. Pressly was II scholar, i'm the
| highest sense Of the word. but after oil, per-
haps, his highest attachments were in tho de-
partmcnt of Theology. Here his heart and
his mind. his taste and his talent, ran together.
Here he found a field for the boldcst flights Of
his genius. and here a field for the widest en-
pansion Of his heart and feelings. The inveS-
litigation and unfolding of the grand scheme Of
human redemption, as 1t lies scattered here
and there over the pages OF inspiration, and
as il Is Systematically stated by the Westmin-
stcr divincS, was his ono great life work.
Great as he was in other things, he was great
,. IN Chi. lf,tpl, nS tl,n rhi1rSh SinlnhtnI IN
| him FOR his abundant labors In other fields,
she Is most indebted TO him for what he did as
Professor in her Theological seminary. AS n
preacher, or rs q teacher Of Latin anu Greek,
he was II standard, his interpretations OF
Scripture were accepted without cavil and
| without dispctc. AS teacher of Theology he
stamped himself upon all who placed them
selves upon all who placed themselves under
his instruction.
In tbs College he signed every diploma that
was ever issued from the date Of It's orgnniZ:-
| ton TO the day of his d%cath-and in the Semi
nary lsc taught Theology to about our-fiflhs Of
! the ministers of the Associate Reformed Syn
cd Of the South. But few men are permitted
to occupy such q position of usefulness, and
for 30 long n time rs he did, and but few dis
charge the duties Of such a position SO faith
| fully and SO well.
As AN EccLEsIAsTIc.
Tho cOnScicntiouSncSS which characterized
him in other things, made him q regular at
tendant upon the courts of his church. But
here as elsewhere, he uniformly declined 10
take the lead. lie was by far too often, his
brethren being judges, q silent member. Not
that he was ~liStlcSS or indifferent. No one
took a deeper Interest in church affairs. But
his innate and unconquerable timidity caused
him to sit still when he should have spoken.
He was n very silent member Of church courts
but nevertheless n very influential one. His
age and experience commanded respect; he
had been the teacher of most OF the members
Of his Presbytcry and Of the Synod, and they
naturally deferred to him.. But beside all tins
his perceptions were unusually clear, his
Judgment sound, and the ability to unravcl
guished him above others. lie spoke but
rarely. and always briefly, hut when he did
speak his word WAS usually accepted as law
on dOctrinal points and constitutional qucs-
tons absolutely rs law. He was Il mar ol
moderate views and conservative in his feel
ingS. He WAS q devoted church man, but &
liberal constructioniSt He was u wise coun'
scllor and 4 safe guide In all religious and &C
elcsiasiical questions.
HIS oMESTT LIFE.
DR.. PreSSly was married three times. III.
daughter Of Col. John Hearst, of Cedar Spring
and u sister of the noble, large hearted chris
tian gentleman. the late DR.. John w. Hearst
She was q beautiful but fragile flower. tina
wiihcrcd and dropped and died Hlmost before
IL was fully blown. She rests in the cemetery
of Lebanon church, Alabama. His Sccout
wife was II member OF his church In Wilcox
Ala. II daughter of Shmuc Young. Esq. and
sister OF the late Rev. J. NJ. Young. She wa:
likewise Il delicate woman, and died early
She left two children. one Of whom has FOL
lowed her mother to the grave. The mothe
sleeps by the side Of her husband in the GENE
terry In DXe West; the daughter lies bcncatl