The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-01
THE PSALM SINGERS.
"Seceders,, the Old Scotch Presbyte-
rians, Increase so Per Cent In Ten
Years.
Washington Times.

Washington Times.
The Presbyterians of the United
States are divided into several branch
es, each branch having a distinct or
ganization. The Associate Reformed
| Presbyterians, found in the South and
commonly known as "Seceders," con-
stitute one of the branches.
The "Seceders," who are psalm sing
ers, are type of Presbyterianism as it
existed in Scotland, its 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
composition being permitted to be
used in church services equally with
the inspired songs of the Bible.
In this country the Scottish or
psalm singing branches Of the Presby-
terian Church in the North and West
coalesced in 1858, the name of limited
Presbyterians," but the psalm-singing
Presbyterians of the South held aloof
from the coalition and retained their
old name of Associate Reformed
Presbyterians."
NOW TRYING TO UNITE.
These two bodies of psalm-singing
Presbyterians have for several years
been considering the subject Of organ
ic union. The Rev. Oliver Johnson,
Of South Carolina, by direction of the
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Sy-
nod of the South, the highest ecclesl-
astical body of that denomination,
bore the fraternal greetings of the
synod in 1900 to the General Assembly
at Chicago of the United Presbyterian
Church.
The greetings reciprocated in cordial
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 convention
of United Presbyterians, held at
Wipona Lake, Ind, Mr.. Johnson,
who had been invited to attend, and
make an address, was presented on the
floor of the convention with a gavel,
which had been made expressly for
the Southern branch of the Church.
The gavel was of wood secured OF
CARNEY Bridge, Scotland. On one
side was inserted a piece Of stone from
Mars Hill, where Paul preached to
the Athenians, on the other side a
stone from the monument that marks
the grave of the Pharaoh who Oppress-
ed the children Of Israel, while 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 Erskine and
his co-adjutors met at CARNEY Bridge
and organized the movement, which
came to be popularity known in Scot
land ss the secession" Church, and
which was the progenitor in this
country of the Associate Reformed
PRESBYTERIAN" Church, the members of
which are still familiarity known as
"Seceders."
| OPPOSED ROYAL INFLUENCE.
Erskine and his followers had pro-
tested against the prelatizing influence
of the English crown, which had
caused the Church of Scotland, as
they believed, to degenerate from
what it was in the days of the solemn
league and covenant. So far as doc
trine and practice are concerned, the
"Seceders" of the South have retained
more of the Scotch type of Presbyteri-
anism, as it existed prior to the reign
of Charles II, than any other branch
of the Presbyterian Church in Ameri-
ca, and in this respect they are in
striking contrast with all other Chris
tian denominations in the South.
The SecederS are small denomina-
ton, but, under the inspiration and
active leadership of its board of home
missions, the membership of the de-
nomination has increased more than
so per cent within the last ten years.
Most of the ministers of that denomi-
nation for more than sixty years have
been educated at Due West, s. c.,
that place being the seat of Erskine
College and of the Erskine Theological
Seminary, institutions which the
Seceders established in the early part
Of the last century.