Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-07-15
PSALM SINGERS THRIVE IN THE SOUTH.
"seceders,' the Old Scotch Presbytsrians, In.
crease so Per Cent IN Ten Years.
[From The washington Times. ]

From The Washington Times.J
The Presbyterians in the United
States are divided into severa
branches, each branch having a dis.
tinct organization. The Assooiat,
Reformed Presbyterians, found in
the South and commonly known a,
.Seceders,' constitute one of the
branches.
The "Seceders," who are Psalm
singers, are a type of Presbyterian
ism as it existed in Scotland, it,
original home, where only Psalms
the hymns of the ancient Hebrews
were admitted as proper to be sung
in religious worship. A relaxation
in this regard long since took place
among Presbyterians in most Other
countries, hymns of human compo.
sition being permitted to be used il
church services equally with the in
spired songs of the Bible.
In this country the Scottish o,
Psalm-singing branches of the Pres.
byterian Church in the North and
West coalesced in 1858, under the
name of "United Presbyterians,'
but the "Psalm- singing p Presbyterian
of the South held aloof from the
coalition and retained their old name
of "Associate Reformed Presbyte.
rians."
NOW TRYING TO UNITE.
These two bodies of Psalm sing.
ing Presbyterians have for severa
years been considering the subject
of organic union. Rev. Oliver John.
son, of South Carolina, by direction
of the Associate Reformed Presby.
terian Synod of the South, the high.
est ecclesiastical body of that de.
nomination, bore the fraternal greet
ings of the Synod in 1900 to the
General Assembly at Chicago of the
United Presbyterian Church.
The greetings reciprocated in cor.
dial expression the desire that the
time should come when Their
churches, which are one in matters
of doctrine and discipline, should be
also one in organic action.
The following year, in a conven
tion of United Presbyterians, helc
at Winona Lake, Ind, Mr.. Johnson
who had been invited to attend, anc
make an address, was presented OF
the floor of the convention with {
gavel, which had been made expressl,
for the Southern branch of the
church.
The gavel was of wood secured al
CARNEY Bridge, Scotland. On one
side was inserted a piece of ston,
from Mars Hill, where Paul preached
to the Athenians, on the other side ,
stone from the monument that mark,
the grave of the Pharaoh who op
pressed the children of Isreal, Will,
the front was inlaid with olive from
the mount overlooking Jerusalem.
Under the words "Gairney Bridge
on the gavel was inscribed the date
"December, 1733," the latter being
the year in which Ebenezer Trskin,
and his coadjutors met at Gairne,
Bridge and organized the movement
which came to be popularity knowl
in Scotland as the "Secession'
church, and which was the progeni
tor in this country of the "Associat
Reform Presbyterian" Church, tn
members of which are still familiarl,
known as "Seceders."
OPPOSED ROYAL INFLUENCE.
Erskine and his followers had pro
tested against the prelatizing influ
ence of the crown, which had caused
the Church of Scotland, as they be
lieved, to degenerate from what it wa
in the days of the solemn league an,
covenant. So far, as doctrine an,
practice are concerned, the "Seceders
of the South have retained more O
Scotch type of Presbyterianism, as
existed prior to the reign of Charlie
III, than any other branch of the Pres
byterian Church in America, and il
this respect they are in striking
contrast with all other Christian
denominations in the South.
The Seceders are a small denomina
tion, but, under the inspiration an,
active leadership of its board Q
home missions, the membership Q
the denomination has increased NOR
than 80 per cent within the last te
years. Most of the ministers of tina
denomination for more than sixt
years have been educated at Du
West, s. O., that place being tn
seat of Erskine College and of tn
Erskine Theological Seminary, inst
tutions which the Seceders estat
lished in the early part of the las
century.
Double tracking of the souther