RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION

OF

THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,

CHARLESTON, S. C.

FOR THE

TEMPORAL GOVERNMENT

OF THE CHURCH.

AS REVISED BY THE ASSOCIATION IN

1837.

6-VOL. V.

RULES FOR THE TEMPORAL GOVERNMENT

OF

THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

PREAMBLE.

Origin of the Association.

WHEREAS, an Association was formed for the purpose of raising a fund for the extinguishment of a debt due by the Corporation of the Second Presbyterian Church, on certain conditions, as expressed in Resolutions ratified by that body on 3d August, 1823, in words following, viz:

Resolved, That an Association be formed for the purpose of raising a fund for paying or extricating the Corporation from the debt now due by the Church, as per Schedule, amounting to twenty-three thousand four hundred and sixty-five dollars, sixty-seven cents.

Resolved, That the Corporation shall transfer all their right, title, and interest to the said Company or Association when they have made the necessary arrangements for extricating the Corporation from the debt, still reserving the right to all pewholders who have paid the original assessment, and who shall pay to this Association an amount equal to the assessment of 1817 and become stockholders to that amount. And the pewholders paying that sum, shall not be liable to any future assessment by the present Corporation, or the Association to be formed for the payment of the debt now due by the Church.

Power of the Association.

Resolved, That the temporal affairs of the Church, viz., such as fixing salaries, pew rents, &c., shall be under the exclusive control and management of the Association, who shall make such bye laws as they may deem suitable for the interest of the Church; and in all the elections of proprietors they shall be entitled to vote in the following ratio, viz.:

Each member who has paid one hundred to two hundred dollars, one vote.

Above two hundred, to four hundred dollars, two votes.
Above four hundred, to eight hundred dollars, three votes.
Above eight hundred, to fourteen hundred dollars, four votes.
Above fourteen hundred, to two thousand dollars, five votes.

Above two thousand, to three thousand dollars, six votes. Above three thousand, to five thousand dollars, seven votes. Above five thousand dollars, eight votes.

Right of Voting.

Provided, nevertheless; that in all elections for Pastor and Clerk and in all the spiritual affairs of the Church the male pewholders only, shall be entitled to one vote each; but any person who has not been a pewholder for one year previous to the election, or who exceeds six months in arrears for rent, cannot debate, or vote, until his arrears are paid up; except within the first year, when six months pew rent will be required in advance before any such pewholders will be entitled to vote.

Doctrines of the Church.

Resolved, That the said Association shall guarantee, that the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, according to the Confession of Faith, as established by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, shall be the rule of government for the Church.

Trustees.

And whereas agreeably to the said Resolutions, an Association was formed and did extinguish the debt, as specified in said Resolutions, and on the 1st day of January, 1828, a regular and legal transfer of all the corporate property was made to John Robinson, James Adger, William Aiken, William Smith, jr., and Richard Cunningham, in trust for said Association, by Alexander Black, Esq., President of said Corporation, by and under the stipulations of the aforesaid Resolution, and also by the direction of that body under a resolution unanimously adopted on the 21st day of August, 1827, in words following, namely:

Resolved, That the President of the Corporation, be authorized and directed to transfer and sign over, forthwith, to such persons, as may be appointed Trustees by the Association, all the right, title and interest of this Corporation, in and to the premises of the Second Presbyterian Church, subject however, to such reservations and provisions as are contained in the resolutions approved and confirmed by this Corporation on the 3d August 1823. And as every association or union of men, either for civil or religious purposes, must of necessity be governed by certain known and established rules, the Association of the Second Presbyterian Church, having agreed to define the great outlines of their government, in accordance with the foregoing preamble, in bye-laws, which shall be binding on all, who are, or who may become members thereof.