Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 421
the colony's first spiritual shepherd. The missionary zeal of the devout
young Wesleys in preaching to the Georgia Indians and in planting at
Savannah the world's first Sunday school—fifty years in advance of
Robert Raikes—may have presaged the reform work of coming itiner
ants; but the great movement known as Methodism was still to be
organized. These emissaries of the Cross came to America as Episcopal
divines, and what they here wrought for humanity's sake was wrought
within the bounds of the Church of England. Whitefield was also an
Episcopalian, with strong Calvinistic leanings.
But the issues raised by the Revolution between the Crown and the
colony, eventually weakened though it could not wholly, sever this tie.
Georgia was loath to lower her colonial flag. She loved the historic
island of which she was the youngest offspring, whose language she
spoke, whose traditions she revered. She loved the established church,
its splendid ritual, its noble history. But when, to gain her independ
ence, she found herself at war with England, it was difficult for her
to avoid a certain feeling of antagonism toward a church so intimately
related to a kingdom against which her sword was drawn; and while
fighting England political she began to relinquish England ecclesiastical.
Consequently, it was not until years after the Revolution that Episco
pacy began to revive. Even then its renaissance came by slow degrees.
This was due in part to the fact that certain aristocratic elements
ill-adapted it to pioneer conditions. Years were still to elapse before it
was strong enough to form a separate diocese; but finally, in 1841, Dr.
Stephen Elliott, of South Carolina, was consecrated its first spiritual
head. Bishop Elliott was one of the choice spirits of all time. He came
of a family illustrious for its scientific. attainments and was himself a
man of broad scholarship, of ripe culture, and of spiritual vision. But
having already discussed the beginning of the Episcopal Church, we
cannot in this connection treat the subject further.
Presbyterianism came into Georgia with the Scotch Highlanders.
Efforts to connect Oglethorpe himself with this household of faith appear
to rest solely upon the fact that, in his political sympathies, he was a
Jacobite, friendly to the cause of the exiled Stuarts. In the absence of
any positive proof as to his religious affiliations, there are numerous
intimations which point to his connection with the established
church. According to Dr. James Stacy,*- there were four centers of
early Presbyterianism in Georgia: (1) The community at Darien,
founded in 1735. John Mclntosh, sometimes called John Mohr Mcln-
tosh, was the head or chief of a clan which settled at this point, on the
upper bank of the Altamaha River; but the pastor of the flock was Rev.
John McLeod. (2) The Midway settlement, in Liberty County, dating
back to 1752. Though organized upon Congregational lines, the church
at Midway became a center of Presbyterian influence in Georgia. With
only two exceptions, it was served by Presbyterian ministers; and all of
the churches to which it gave birth were of the Presbyterian faith and
order. But a full account of the Midway settlement is elsewhere given.
(3) The Independent Presbyterian Church, of Savannah, founded in
1755. This is the oldest Presbyterian church in the state, the one at
'History of the Presbyterian Church in Georgia," James Stacy, pp. 7-10.