Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-25

satisfy William Johnson. He con
versed with the mechanics of Charles
ton and infused into them a love o.
liberty. Christopher Gadsden became
their orator. In this way multitude:
of South Carolinians. although they
had been the pets of the English gov
ernment, were prepared to resist 1t:
encroachments upon the rights of the
sister colonies.
Long before this the seeds of rebel
lion had been sown in Pennsylvania
The soil at that time at least, was no
adapted to its growth, and the gooC
seed would not germinate. The fores
had to be cleared and the soil broker
before the germ of liberty would grow
and bear fruit. Alexander Craighead
a native of Ireland, a descendant OF
ancestors originally from Scotland ant
consequently a Scotch-Irishman, was
licensed to preach the gospel and or
dained to the full work of the ministry
by the presbytery of Donegal about the
year 1886. He was Jealous man, ful
Of energy; orthodox in his creed anc
in his preaching; pious in his deport-
ment but unwilling to be bound by
those conventional regulations which
which were common among his breth-
rem and by them held to be as impor-
tant as the word of God. He imbibeG
the spirit of Whitfield and on account
of his zeal for the salvation of per-
iShing sinners. he was charged in 114O
by his presbytery. of Irregularities
The majority of the members of the
presbytery were against him, but such
was his zeal and energy that even ir
the presbytery he made for himself
at least ardent sympathizers His case
was taken before the synod Of Phila-
delphia. Here on account of the great
revival which was progressing at tina,
time the case was lost sight of. Fol
a long time his name was stricken from
the roll of his presbytery, and conse-
lquently from the roll of the synod.
In 1851, in the month of August, the
anti Burger synod of Scotland received
a petition from Alexander Craighead
earnestly beseeching that the synod
would appoint some ministers to labor
in that part of America" At this time
ne was at Middle Octarara, in Penn
sylvania. The question may be asked
why did he in conjunction with 9TH
ers, earnestly beseech" the anti-Burger
synod to come over and help him. The
answer is this. Sometime previous to
1743, Alexander Craighead had pub
lished a pamphlet in which he gave
lutterance To sentiments far in advance
of his age. The theme was civil and
religious liberty. He acknowledged
George the Second, the rightful sOVer-
eign of Great Britain and her colonies;
but claimed that Jesus Christ is the
King of Zion. In other words, he ad-
vOcated the dismemberment of the
church and state. This was treason
able sentiment and so regarded by
Thomas Cookson, a justice of the king
of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania
The pamphlet was laid before the
synod by Cookson. Either through
fear or from principle, the synod dis
Iavowed the sentiments contained ir
the pamphlet and declared that they
were calculated to foment disloya
and rebellious practices and dissent
nate principles of diSaffectiOn. Cut
off from his brethren and without
sympathiZerS among the leaders, II
L nd fltA AlDSlnnp
Craighead and many of the people
wrote to the anti-Burger synod ot
Scotland for assistance.
In 1873, EbeneZer Erskine, william
Wilson, Alexander Moncrief and Jane:
Fisher on account Of the heterodo>
doctrines which had crept into the
church of Scotland and on account o
the unrighteous practice which pre-
vailed in that church respecting the
law of patronage, seeded from the eS'
tabliShed church of Scotland, and a
CARNEY bridge on the 5th of Decem'
Der. formed the Associate preybytery
Such was the origin of what is knowr
AS the Secession church. In lI4I, dur
ing the time that Alexander Craigheat
WAS under censure on account of hi:
, SeditiOuS pamphlet, as the synod styled
, il, division took place in the SeceS
sion church of Scotland. This diVi
sion occurred in the following way. A
the meeting of the Associate synod Il
/ Sterling. in March, l145, an overture
> was introduced with reference To th'
ldWfulneSS of what was called th
burgess Oath" In the Burgess oatl
these words occur. Il protest befor
God and your LordShips, that profes
l and allow. with my heart, the true re
ligim presently prnfeSSed within thi
5 realm and authorized by the law
} thereof: | shall abide thereat and de
MI the same to my lfe's end"
one portion of the synod declared
that they had seeded from the reli
ginn presently prufessed in this realm
> and could not take the Burgess oath
? The other part thought differently, de
+ Claring that they had not seeded iron
the established church of Scotland, btl
f from "a corrupt party in that church.
? The men in both parties were YER
!; similarly constituted. Right or wrong
they thought they were right and Wer
} willing To- maintain and defend thei
1 npiniunS To their "life's end The NOR
. lrigid of the partieS-the one Whlc
would not take the Burgess uath--Wl
+ called anti Burgess; the others Bur
1 gers. The sentiments of the anti Bur
!, gers were i'm harmony with those hel
: and promulgated by Alexander Craig
/ head. hence he wrote Ia the anti Bur
= ger synod in l751- beseeChing them I
. send ministers of the gospel to Ian
. caster. Pennsylvania.
1 Although foreign To our present "p
, ieCt il will no doubt be interesting |
Y many to know that to AleXahdt
q CIaighrad is due the credit of in
Itrnducing the ASSoCate church int
5 AmrriC;l In response To his petition
/. the anti Burger synod ordered MI
Il James Hume and John Jameson To Z
). To- America as missionaries Neithe