The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-23
SOUTH cAaoL,MA "seceogRs.'
A Religious Body Having as Prototype
DE-. Watson's D~rumtochty People.

SOUTH CAROLINA "secEoERS."
A Religious Body Having as Prototype
DE-. watson's Drumtochty People.
The Associated Reform Presbyteri-
n are spoken of commonly as seced-
ers, and trace their origin back to the
secession from the Church of Scotland,
at CARNEY Bridge in 1913. Inc come
from stock that has ever had the cour-
q OF its convictions and the power
OF resistance to wrong and oppression.
The spirit of the Covenanters is in
them-the spirit which declared that
there il no divine right in kings, that
government must rest upon the con-
sent OF the g~overned-and ''in the dec
larations of these despised Covenant
ers, we easily discover the germ Of
the American constitution" The faith
and loyalty and courage Of these peo-
pie have ever been manifested in the
history of this country: but their faith
was in God. not In earthly things. their
loyalty was to the truth as 1t is
taught in the Scriptures of the Old
inc New Testaments. and not as set
forth in royal DEGREES and acts of par
lament; n their courage was es-
tablished by patience under suffering
unto death. They fought at Kings
Jackson. When Parson Brownlow Wis
tied Fairfield county in this state some
years before the war, he wrote to his
newspaper hat he had found in that
part of the country "a strange sect
of Christians. who sang David's
Psalms. ploughed with double lines
and creased their shoes with tallow."
What the miserable old reprobate said
in a spirit of contempt indicated some
thing OF the characteristics OF these
people. They have always been OF a
frugal and industrious disposition, they
do not try to escape hard work, they
believe in paying their honest debts
and attending to their own business.
they do not care for vain and empty
show, they are the friends and patrons
of higher learning. n they have be-
lieved in the use OF a S%criptural psalm
ody in the worship OF God.
There are eight or 10 presbyteries
connected with the synod now meeting
at Chester. and in these presbyteries
every state in the South. with posi-
bly, the exception OF Louisiana. Is rep
resented. The synod has under its
control Erskine college at Due West,
Abbeville county. the oldest Of the de-
nominational colleges in the state. and
the theological seminary at that place.
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian.
hich is published at Due West also,
is the church newspaper.
The denomination gives very liberal
support to both college and seminary,
and take the paper as a matter of
religious duty. There are not many
very rich men among the S~eceders. but
they are all fairly good livers and they
are most generous in their contribu-
tions for church purposes, the college
having been endowed three times and
now having probably a larger perma-
nent endowment han any other de-
nominational institution in the state.
Besides their liberal support Of these
institutions. the church has in recent
years gone into foreign n domestic
missionary work with great zeal. the
mission at Tampico. Mexico. being one
Of the most thoroughly organized and
effective in hat country.
In recent years there has been n
great Improvement in the church
buildings of the Seceders. but none OF
the more old-fashioned have regarded
with h~esitating conservatism the mod
ern tendency to meretricious adorn-
ment in the construction of sacred ed
iices. There have also been great
changes in the music OF the hurc
during the last 25 years. and the met
rical version Of the Psalms is now
changed largely beyond the %recogni-
ton of those who were brought up on
Rouse's Version. In several OF the
churches. we believe. the organ has
been introduced as an aid to the SER
vice OF praise, and some of the minis
ttIE UdNt " wv ANhft'h - -
their clothing: so that, but for the
glorious history behind them and the
record OF the tenacity with which they
have chung to the old ways and the
old Psalms up to this time. the out
side world could not distinguish the
difference between the Seceders and
the ordinary sort of Presbyterians. II
is impossible to say how much longer
these good people will be able to re-
sist the tendency to even more mod
ern methods in churc management.
and before they shall have lost their
distinctive glory. In their customs.
and habits of thought, In
their strength and simplicity. in their
force Of character and in "the beauty
Of holiness which characterizes their
lives. the Associate Reformed Presby-
terians. or Seceders. as we prefer to
call them. resemble the Drumtochty
people described by Ian Maclaren. We
fear. however. that the are growing
away from the old standards and
the principles which distinguished the
Seceders OF an older m stronger gen.
characterization News and Cour-