The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-08-16

McCreery was old and frail but living
at that time. The church was irregu-
larly ministered to by Rev. John b.
Kennedy. In 1914 Rev. Edwin Cater
gave the church one-fourth Of his time
and during his ministry the church was
revived and a good many were added to
its membership. MI. Cater ordained as
elders Mr.. Robert Clintock and DIR.
Thomas Wier. Rev. S. B. Lewser sue
ceeded Mr. Cater, and preached until
the fall meeting of Presbytery until
1849. Rev. E. F. Hyde then served
the church for one-half his time. In
1850 he was giving one-fourth of his
time to the church and the membership
varied from q to 43.
Here DIR. Howe's History breaks off,
and l know not where to get the con-
tinuation. But doubtless many of TIE
older people will remember the state of
the Church from that time on. The
present stone building was built be-
tween 1902. And to-day the old
Church still stands, deserted by it's
former neighbors, lonely under it's ma
jestic tress, keeping guard over the
numerous graves of those old pioneers
and their descendants, who first pene-
trated what was then a wilderness and
took possession of the new land. Many
stony years have passed over the old
Church. Indians were a terror and a
danger for many years, then came the
beginnings of the Revolutionary trou-
bles and the fierce and bloody feuds be-
tween the Tories and the rebel fac
tions.
Even after the close of the Revolu-
%tionary War there were some disorders
and disturbances, arising from the bit
ter passions that had been stirred.
Isaac Watts and his new version of the
Psalms stirred up another strife, and
the Church was often rem and tori by
the struggle between the young preach
er who wanted Watts, and the old
~Scotch-Irish element who preferred
Rouse. Wandering preachers came
along who preached fine which
they had stolen out of other mems
books and expressed pious and moral
sentiments which they did not illustrate
by their lives. Elders were known as
brewing the finest whiskey in this Sec
tion, and no doubt many of those early
preachers were asked to take a toddy
when they came in from a long ride.
Here and there the slavery question
came in for discussion and one minister
disagreeing with the Presbytery, re-
signed his Churches and went to the
free State of Ohio. Sometimes the
Church languished and seemed ready to
die; and then again it would revive and
flourish for a while. Other Churches
organized later, like Clinton, Bethany
and Shady Grove drew away members,
and some drifted into Baptist and
Methodist Churches. The Civil War no
doubt impoverished many who had been
in comfortable circumstances and it
swept away many of the old landmarks
all v the South. Ku-klux times sue
ceeded, and perhaps some Of our old
members may know those who left the
State and remained for years, or set
tied down in Arkansas and Texas. We
may we'll hope those stormy years have
passed away, that no more war shall
call away our young men and desolate
our homes. Could those old fathers OF
the Church rise from their graves they
would rub their eyes. They would be
astonished to hear that slavery had
been over forty years, that Rouse was
no longer sung in D~uncan's Creek OF
Watts either, and that the Exist OF
whistles" had been brought in to helr
out the music. They would wonder
why elders no longer distilled whiskeS
and preachers no longer took toddy or
their personal calls. But after all, they
would find many things the same. =
Friendship and neighborly kindness,
love and marriage, sickness and death
sin and suffering, would be still part OF
the experience of all lives. Still for us
who are pilgrims and strangers here
as all our fathers were," there remains
the same old Gospel, the same hope OF
forgiveness, and the same prayer would
rise from u lips today as one house.
hold of faith.
20, God of Bethel. by whose hand
Thy people still are fed,
Who through this weary pilgrimage,
Hast all u fathers led.
Our vows, our prayers, we now present
Before thy throne of grace;
God of u fathers be the God