The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-13
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For the Herald and News.
nEDXN

!Nessrs. Editors II your paper Of
the 23d ult., is communication
signed Peace He says, In 1888
or 81, one hundred and thirty years
ago, George Ill, King OF England,
granted to John Adam Epting and
Christian Dickert, the former Lu-
theran. the latter Presbyterian, one
hundred acres of land
Instead Of Christian Dickert: 1t
was Peter Dickert. a German Re-
formed, who came over to this coun-
try with colony Of Germans. The in
formation has come from our fore
fathers that they built a rude log cab
in, and did name it st. Johns in
which house they worshipped'till their
number increased so much that they
ventured to build, as they thought:
fine house,-hewing the logs 6 by
10 inches, and dovetailing the cor
ners in the old German style. This
house was used until 1909; when by
Rev. Waliern's influence the present
St. Johns church building was erect
ed.
Wallern died about the year 1914.
I remember very we'll when Rev.
Moser was sent here from the n. G.
Synod, about the year 1914, and
when he took charge of st. Johns,
St. Jacobs and Zion's churches. He
preached at st. Johns twice month,
one sermon in English, and one in
German alternately. In his mother
tongue (the Germany he was consid-
cred very effective minister; not so
much so, however, in the English
language. He was, nevertheless, a
good Christian man. He served his
congregations acceptably until 1880;
after which time some began to find
fault with him on account of his
strict discipline. The dissatisfaction
caused some to become interested in
the doctrine of Universalism. When
Rev. Moser discovered that his SER
vices were not agreeable to all, he
made arrangements with Rev. Dreher
to attempt reconciliation, in which
the latter was quite successful; for
he was considered one of the ablest
ministers of that time. Mr. Dreher
Ito my knowlcdge) never acas called
by the congregation of St. Johns ;
but, after he hsd reunited the parties,
Mr.. Moser desired to be alone in the
management Of his congregation to
which some of his people with Mr..
Dreher would not consent. This, of
course, caused a new difficulty, which
resulted in the division Of the church.
Moser preferred charges against
Dreher,- accusing him Of heresy, ,and
brought it up before Synod which ex-
onerated him from the charges. Yet
from some cause Dreher was not sat-
isfed, and withdrew from the S. c..
Synod, without, however, attaching
himself to the Tennessee Synod.
Neither was there any objection to
his doctrine on the Lords Supper, in
as much as it was the same as that
taught to-day by the S. G. Synod. If
Moser or Hope ever preached that
the bread and wine in the Lords
Supper were simply embZems OF the
body and blood Of Christ, l rever
thought so; and I have heard them
both preach on the same subject. 1
am confident that neither Of the
above.named ministers ever preach
ed the Romish doctrine of transsub-
sanitation.
Peace also says, "Some of the
members suspecting that the Eptings
and Dickerts might at some time as
sert claim to the Church land un-
der the title secured by their ances
tors, survey ed it in the night It
was not surveyed in the night; nei-
ther were any persons afraid of these
men asserting any claim to the land.
Nor was it through ignorance; for
they, who surveyed it, were intelli'
gent, business men. One Of them. 3
good surveyor, did the work, which
saved them from expenses and even