Page:Annals of Augusta County.djvu/53

 into the province such, there was always less difficulty in obtaining license for houses of worship than in those counties east of this Ridge, where no Dissenters, or but few, had settled, and those that appeared were converts from the Established Church." The early meeting-houses in Augusta, erected before the year 1745, were doubtless registered in Orange county.

Early in the century the American Presbyterian Church became divided into what were known as the "Old Side" and the "New Side." There was no question in regard to doctrine, but only as to the proper methods of promoting religion. The New Side Presbyterians, sometimes called "New Lights," were admirers and followers of George Whitefield, who traversed the country, and by his zeal and eloquence caused an extraordinary religious excitement. The Old Side party was composed of the more conservative and less aggressive element of the church, who feared excitement, and perhaps were not specially zealous. The various Presbyterians adhering to the Old Side were associated as the Synod of Philadelphia, and those of the New Side as the Synod of New York. There was no Presbytery in Virginia till the year 1755, when Hanover Presbytery was formed by authority of the Synod of New York, and was composed of New Side ministers and churches. This Presbytery consisted at first of only six ministers, including the celebrated Samuel Davies, of Hanover county; Rev. John Brown, of New Providence, and Rev. Alexander Craighead, of Windy Cove. The Rev. John Craig, of Augusta and Tinkling Spring, was not a member of it till the breach was healed, in 1758, and the two parties came together again. During the alienation most, if not all, the Presbyterian churches in the present county of Augusta adhered to the Old Side, and those in the region now composing Rockbridge county (New Providence, Timber Ridge, Falling Spring, Hall's meeting-house, afterwards Monmouth, or Lexington) to the New Side. While the strife lasted much bitterness of feeling was exhibited, and the cause of the Dissenters, and of religion itself, was no doubt greatly injured thereby. Missionaries were sent to Virginia by both the Northern Synods. A minister named Robinson, sent out by the Synod of New York, was preaching in the Valley, when one of the inhabitants of Augusta, going into the lower country for salt and iron, met some of the attendants upon Morris's meetings in Hanover, and recommended Mr.