Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-08-28

Grler. 1t Will not be OUT OF place 10 remarB
that God has been faithful in watching over
the posterity of John Harris and Ellen, hi:
wife.
ROBERT CALVIN GR1ER, the son of the
Rev. Isaac and Mrs. Isabella Grier, was born
on the End of March, 1877. We hazard moth.
ing when we say that he was, so far as is con-
sstent with human weakness, brought up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The burden of minister's family generally
falls most heavily upon the wife and mother.
The father, being "in journeyings often," has
but little opportunity to instruct his children
around the freside. This, in many respects
most important of all instruction, devolves
upon the mother. For this work, difficult
and arduous as it is, Mrs. Isabella Grier was
we'll prepared. She had been carefully train
ed in youth. Hugh Harris. her father, and
Matte Harris, her mother, belonged to that
school which made it a matter of conscience
to reduce their profession to practice. The
Sabbath day was remembered, and an honest
effort made to keep it holy. In the same rig
id way, as we moderns would call it, the Rev.
Isaac Grier was trained. As the parents
had been trained, so did they train their son
Robert.
At the proper age, he was sent to a school
in the neighborhood, and from thence to an
academy conducted by Mr.. William Moffatt,
in Greenville county, South Carolina. In
May, 1888, he entered Jefferson College. We
suppose that he entered the junior class, since
he graduated in September, 1885. For some
time after he had completed his college
course, he and James Walker, of Cannons-
burg, Pennsylvania, taught school near Sardis
This school continued under the charge Of
these two young men for, perhaps, only about
one year. This we suppose to be the case,
since on the 4th of April 1887, R. G. Grier,
was taken under the care of the First Pres
bytery of the Associate Reformed Synod Of
the South, as study of theology.
1t may be matter of interest to some per.
sons to know where this event took place.
Technically, it was at Sardis Church, in
Meeklenburg county, North Carolina, but in
reality it was at the house of his father, the
Rev. Isaac Grier The First Presbytery Of
the Associate Reformed Synod of the South
met, according to previous adjournment, at
Sardis Church, on the 3rd of April 1887 but
when it closed the session of the first day, it
adjourned to meet at the house of Mr.. Grier,
the pastor, on the next day. R. G. Grier re-
quested that he be permitted to 30 in the
fall to the Theological Seminary in Pitts
burg, Pa. This request was granted, but for
some reason he never went.
1t may be proper in this place to mention,
that at the time R. G. Grier became student
Of theology, the principal Theological Semi.
nary of the Associate Reformed Church, was
at Pittsburgh, Pa. The theological students
connected with the Southern Synod, generally
studied privately under some of the pastors.
The Synod of the South, in 1926, appointed
the Rev. John Hemphill professor of Didac
tic and Polemic Theology, and the Rev. John
T. Pressly, professor of the Original Lam.
guages, Biblical Criticism and Church Histo.
ry. The theological students were directed
to spend an equal portion Of time with each Of
the professors. At the time R. G. Grier be-
gan the study of theology, Mr.. Hemphll was
dead, and in October 1881, Mr. Pressly had
been elected principal professor in the Theo-
logical Seminary then situated in Pittsburgh,
but shortly after moved across the river and
located in Allegheny City. In fact, the As
sociate Reformed Church of the South had, in
1887, no theological seminary. Such being
the case, R. G. Grier pursued his theological
studies, for the first year, under the direction
of his father. The Presbytery was very strict
in its requirements. In fact, it would not be
far wrong to say that the Presbytery perform
ed, most rigidly, all the functions ofa theolog-
ical seminary. 1t not only assigned the STU
dents texts for trial discourses, but pointed
out what they should study. On these studies
they were examined, and the members of the
Presbytery called upon to say whether or not
they had made progress. R. G. Grler deliv.
cred his first trial discourse at Tirzah Church,
in York county, South Carolina, on the Sd Of
October, 1887.
In 1886, the Synod having previously Sc
cured the necessary funds, agreed to establish
Theological Seminary at Due West, in Ab-
beville county, South Carolina. The Rev.
Samuel W. McCrackin, Professor of Ancient
Languages in Miami University, Oxford,
Ohio, was chosen, by unanimous vote, Pro-
fessor of Divinity. He did not accept, but
nothing could be done until the meeting of
the Synod, in October, 1887, when the Rev.
E. E. Pressly, pastor of the Associate Re-
formed congregation of Due West, was elected
Professor of Theology for period of one
year. Shortly after the establishing Of the
Theological Seminary, at Due West, R. G.
Grier repaired thither and completed his
course under that most excellent man, the
Rev. E. E. Pressly, D. D.
On the 18th of April, 1889, he was, at Sar-
dis, Mecklenburg county, North Carolina,
licensed by the First Presbytery Of the Asso'
ciate Reformed Synod of the South, to 60 out
among the churches under her care, and make
trial of his gifts. His labors, during the year
1889, were confined to the vacant churches
within the bounds of the First Presbytery.
The year 1910, he spent in preaching to the
vacant churches in Georgia, Alabama and
Mississippi.
On the 1st day of June, 1S41, he was Or
dained and installed pastor of the united con-
prerations of Pisrah. in CASTOR county. N