Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-10-27
AN occAsIoM OF MUCH INTEREST,
Was the Recent Session Of Lexin gton
Presbytery at Old Stone Church.

=, Presbytery at Old Stone Church.
Special Correspondence to The Spectator
e FIT. DEFIANCE, Oct. 21.-Yuur cor
respondent regrets that circumstances
have prevented getting an account OIL
y the great meeting of Lexington Pres
e bytery held at Old Stone church here
t to you iii time for this week = SPECTA'
n TOR, but all event like that, the most
Interesting occasion, perhaps, in the
: history of the grand Old Presbytery
: and the oldest church in its bounds,
: must not fail to be recorded upon the
pages of The SPECTATOR, 1.-The oldest
newspaper within its bounds, and l
hope will appear next week.
, The event which gave special inter-
est to this session, was the celebration
of the l5Oth anniversary of the organ
izati0n of Augusta church by Rev.
DR.. John Craig, its first pastor AL
Il most the whole of two days session,
Monday and Tuesday, was occupied in
addresses and sermons connected with
that anniversary. during which the
church and grove was thronged with
such crowds of people as were never
seen there before, or at any other
meeting Of the venerable body. The
crowd was estimated at 400 on Wed
nesday and 1000 on Thursday, and the |
| vehicles from AGO to 500, buggies, car
riages, phaetOns. carryalis and wagons |
from every section of this and tie ad |
jacent counties standing in the large
grounds around the historic building
and its old fort was sight rarely wit
messed.
But the surprise and wonder of it
all was the ease and sumptuous man.
ner in which all this multitude was
fed, verify feasted, by the hospitable
people of the congregation and COM
munity. Upon big hollow square of
tables under the oaks WAS spread the
greatest profusion of every substan
tlal and delicacy that the country and
City markets can afford and though
the people ate with an appetite sharp
ened by the worry Of travel, the fatiguel
of sitting and the bracing October air,
there was every day, after all had fin
ished, plenty for many more. Then
again at night, the visitors by hum
dredS found the hOspitable doors of
the many homes for miles around wide
open and to the surprise of strangers.
unacquainted with the resources
OF our valley people, every one was
comfortably quartered and there was {
not heard complaint from any one a
on account of himself OF his beast. a
The Presbytery was opened on Tues
day at ii a. IN. with a sermon by Rev. t
Thornton Whaling, of Lexington. 1t
was one of his best efforts, which is l
saying great deal, as those who have U
heard him know. a
Rev. John Ruff, of Monterey, was
elected moderator and Rev. F. q. a
Hartman and Elder J. s. Craig were t
elected temporary clerks.
Candidate j. Z. Ballou was received
rom Roanoke Presbytery aid his trial t
ermon for license was heard, and was t
good. Il
After short business session We'd 4
lasday morning the anniversary exer- 1
Uses were introduced by Hon. j. A. O.
" addel, who for an hour held packed v
louse i'll close attention with q most
historical sketch of the Il
hurch, its founders, its earlier pastors,
is hetoric people and defenders in the u
ines OF the Indian wars, interspersed CT
Nth thrilling and amusing incidents. 81
BY the time that DR.. G.. Is. Stricken, al
# Union Theological Seminary, was "
eady to follow, the crowd, after filling b
very inch of space on the floor and in CT
be gallery, had grown SO large out IL
ide and clamorous to hear, that the II
windows were taken out and a stout la
able placed near one of them, was &C
INSTITUTED for pulpit on which the te
reacher stood, large audience listen Ell
ng with earnest attention as they
TODD around on the grass, or from 90
heir seats in the throng of vehicles ~,
earby. His subject, The Divine s,
)rigin of the Bible" was made so in p
eresting and convincing that few d
1oved from their places until he had ly
nished, when the great concourse N
uietly dispersed and gathered around o.
be loaded tables. nc
In the afternoon Dr. Ct. w. Finley,
be pastor of Thinking Spring, another 90
ne old Augusta church, spoke to Iii
mother large and attentive congrega- Vi
ion On the "Open Bible'' This was Dl
mother intellectual and spiritual of
east, which will never be forgotten an
y those who heard it. UT
The next day, the mem oriaI exer-
ises were continued by m.sterIy ad-
ress from Rev: DR.. w. W. Moore, also
the seminary on Piesbyterianism .,
nd Education. The crowd in attend u
nee was some larger than the day u. ~
efore and Dr. Moore maintained his W
,putation as one of the deepest think cl'
-s and finest church orators in the us
outbern General Assembly. a &C
In the afternoon DR.. Whaling gave 9!
le closing address connected with the u
lemOrial exercises, on t:.e ''Divine
rigin of Presbyterian Church Poiity''
most instructive and interesting ar
which it was a privilege to 2
err. During its delivery large con- I
outside, who couid not hear !
#. Moore in the forenoon. nor get in /
re church, now prevailed upon him to ]
.peat his address and having seated !
lemselves on the ground little wayI I
ON the church, listened with atten- !
on to it's repetition, while the Home I
ission Committee, large one, and I
veral others did their work, grouped I.
)out under the trees away from the
veral crowds.
Friday was the first day that the
resbytery had to devote to its work
r the churches. though forty-fiv CO.
inutes was taken from the dinner re- M,
,ss for visit to the cemetery, fiYe- -
inutes' walk from the church. Rev. Ill
N. Vandvanter, the ideal Presby-
rial hest, led the way, the large con- w
legation following him. At the ceme- M,
ry they visited the graves of the three ~.
st pastors of the church, Drs. Craig, HI
3eece and Wilson. After examining ia
lie old tombs beautiful tribute was Sa
aid them by DR.. Finley in brief adj
ess, followed by another very appro- y;