Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-10-01
Its One Hqndreth Year

| l.
| CELEBRATION OF THE CENTEN-
NAL or LEXING TON
PRESB
TT TAKES PLACE IN A ONE-HUNDRED-
| AND.THIRTY-YEAR-OL CHURCH-THE
CROWD PRESENT TO WITNESS IT
! RELICS OF THE ~PAsT-THE YOUNG
! PEOPLE TAKING THE PLACE OF THE
OLD oNEs-ROCKBRIDGEH OsPITALITY.
&C., &C., &C.
Reported for the Staunton VINDIcAToR.1
Two miles from Timber Ridge station,
on the Valley Railroad, stands a
church of grey stone. Its narrow
windows look like portfolios for war, and
its solid walls give it the appearance Of q
] diminutlve fort. When it was erected one
hundred and thirty years ago, it wss even
smaller than it is now; its pulpit stood at
| the North side instead of the end and was
overhung by sounding board; its en-
trance was on the South side and the door
was overhung by stone portico, and its
little gallery was entered by flight of
steps that ran up outside of the church.
1t has been changed now by an addition
at one end, which makes vestibule and
gives an inside access to the gallery and a
new entrance to the church. In front of
the pulpit, which is now at the South end,
stands first communion table used
by the congregation. 1t is made of wood,
with open wicker-work sides. On the table
is the old silver wine fagon out of which
the fathers drank at the communion SER
| vice. 1t is pot-bellied jug with handle
of such thickness and strength that man
could swing his weight by it. The old
church was built on precisely the same
| architectural plan on which the old stone
/, church, now called the Augusta church,
was erected. A dozen steps from the
church door. in the quiet little graveyard,
lie many of those who built the church
and still more of those who have worship
ped in it during the past century and a
| quarter. The first three men who estab-
llshed the post here were Mckay, Sallings
and Mcdowell. A coffin-shaped slab marks
the grave of Mckay in the graveyard
oalllngs was killed by the Indians at the
forks Of James River. The old church is
not exclusively to be valued for the reli-
gious utterances that have been made in
it; for its first pastor made perhaps the
earliest statement, if not declaration, -
of Independence. that was made in the
| Tn 10 Of A noria
were much disturbed about what would
be the outcome of the policy of George l.,
and he was freely discussed. Rev. John
Brown, the pastor of Timber Ridge,
preached to his congregation sermon on
the situation. He went straight at the
subject when he said to them. 1.-THE ques-
| ton with you is whether you shall obey
! George I, or not" He boldly expressed
the opinion that obedience to princes was
not called for by any divine right, but in
the present case the prince ought to have
a fair trial and not be judged before
being heard
| A CENTURY OLD PREsBYTERY.
But it was not to celebrate any anntver-
sary date of the old church that the
grounds around it last Saturday were filled
with visitors; that the little church was
packed to suffocation, or that one could
not walk dozen steps anywhere in the
vicinity without coming to table cover
ed with food and Injuries, standing free
to all who would partake. It was because
on that day Lexington Presbytery was ex-
actly one hundred years old, and because
the old church having been its birth
place, its members had met there to cele-
brate the event. One thing was notice
able to locker on-the scarcity Of old
ry. The oldest member of the body now
living, Rev. Patterson Fletcher, or Rock
ingham, was there, and five or six others
of advanced age, but the white heads
were few. Lexington Presbytery is so
often spoken of as venerable body''
that one forgets what is fact that there
are very few old men in it. Their success
sols are lot of keen, chippery young
, men quick, sharp takers, and vigorous,
tireless workers. didn't see two sickly
looking young men in the lot. They have
a good deal of the tough faith about them
. that marked the fathers of old, who at the
very first meeting of the Presbytery hun.
, dred years ago and before the Indians had
gotten out of the way, sent an Evangelist
to work in Tygarts Valley where the Rev.
Plumer Bryan now is.
3 THE CENTENNIAL SERMON.
r The preacher Of the centennial sermon
selected by Presbytery. was Rev. Dr. G.. D.
t Armstrong of Norfolk. He was pastor of
l this church forty-eight ago, and minister.
: ed here while he was Professor of Chemis.
try at Washington College in Lexington.
1t was while occupying thai position that
| he planned all the Professors residences
which are standing at this day. He is a
white haired preacher of seventy.two years
of age, but his voice is firm and his step is
light. During the delivery of the sermon,
, and when speaking of the trials through
which the church had passed. he seemed
J as father speaking of the dangers through
which his child had passed, and his deliv.
cry was often checked by an emotion
which was very touching to those who
witnessed il. I send you sketch of his
sermon:
One hundred years ago to-day, said the
speaker, an assembly of minister and ruling
elders, met in this house to erect Lexing-
ton Presbytery. Probably, the assembly
of the people was quite as large as that oil
to-day, for, though the country was sparse
ly settled, to the people of it the Presby
; terrain church was their church as it had
been the church of their fathers, The
, eleven ministers who that day occupied
these seats we're John Brown, William