552 CHURCHES. 



of local political bodies were avoided. The parish system, founded in 

 part on the representation of territory and wealth, sprang out of it. 



But the spirit of the people was opposed to conformity with prescribed 

 forms of any sort. George Whitfield, a gifted and eloquent divine, de- 

 clined to be bound to the observance of church forms, and, during thirty 

 years of controversy with the church, preached almost daily to crowded 

 congregations. Besides the growth of other denominations in the low 

 country, the upper country became settled almost exclusively by Presby- 

 terians and Baptists. So that when the entire physical force of the coun- 

 try was called on, in the war against Great Britain, one of the very first 

 acts of the Legislature, with a view to prevent all discord among religious 

 sects, was the repeal of all the privileges granted to the Episcopal Church, 

 and the establishment of all religions on an equal footing. This wise 

 movement fully accomplished its object in uniting all parties in the 

 struggle for independence. Notwithstanding there are those who think 

 that certain long prevailing differences, and even jealousies, between the 

 upper and the lower sections of the State, owed their origin, in part, to 

 the supremacy during the colonial days of the Episcopal Church. Even 

 after the Revolution it was still known as the Church of England, at a 

 time when all things English were not favorably regarded. At this time 

 the Episcopal Church suffered much embarrassment. Deprived of State 

 aid, it was for the first time thrown upon its own resources. While the 

 severance of the tie with the church in England was such an obstacle to 

 the Apostolic succession that no ordination of ministers in the State oc- 

 curred for twelve years previous to 1795, when all difficulties were re- 

 moved by a convention of Bishops, in Philadelphia, two American Bish- 

 ops having been ordained at the Archiepiscopal palace of Lambeth, in 

 England, some years previously, in 1787. 



Numerous Scotch and Irish j^eople among the first settlers of Carolina 

 were Presbyterians. Unaided by tlie State, they at once established 

 churches, and early in the 18th century the Presbytery of Charlestown was 

 constituted agreeably to the principles and practice of the Church of 

 Scotland. 



In 1685, Rev. Mr. Screven established the first Baptist .Church in 

 Charlestown. Prior to the Revolution this denomination had thirty 

 churches. In 1804, there were 130 churches, 100 ministers, and 10,500 

 communicants of this persuasion. 



In 1790, the Independents, or Congregationalists, established a church 

 in Charleston, the latter forming themselves into a separate congregation 

 in 1730. 



In 1756, a Jewish Synagogue was erected in Charleston. 



In 1759, the German Protestants built the first Lutheran Church. 



