Sunday, August 30, 2009

Allen Fuller travels in 1834

Trumpet and Universalist Magazine. April 11, 1835.

Br. A. Fuller's Journey
Newberry District, SC, December 14, 1834

Br. Whittemore - I have arrived home after an absence of ten weeks , during which i traveled above 800 miles. I left home on the 4th of October, on account of the poor state of my health, being afflicted with intermittent fever, and proceeded by short stages toward the Mountainous parts of the State. On the 12th i preached for the first time after my sickness, in Greenville District; and at the meeting of the Convention in Anderson District on the 17th, my health was so much improved that i performed the part of the services which were assigned to me, without any apparent injury. There I enjoyed the satisfaction of participating in the consecration of the house of worship erected by the spirited exertions in that place in the past year, and had the pleasure of welcoming one brother to the cause of the ministry, and sixteen to membership in the society. it was truly one of the most joyous occasions i have every witnessed.
From the Convention I proceed to Georgia, preaching in Oglethorpe, Walton, Henry, and Pike counties on my way to the dedication of the First Universalist meeting house in the State of Georgia, situated in Harris County. At that place i had expected to meet our worthy brethren Andrews and Atkins from Alabama, but being disappointed, the whole of the services devolved on me. Having fulfilled this appointment of 3 days in succession, and preached again on the following Sunday, I proceed to Montgomery Alabama, where Br. Atkins was ordained on the 16th of November. With Br. Andrews and family, I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted at the time of their visit to South Carolina, the past summer, and it was truly refreshing to meet them again after traveling so far among total strangers. By his zeal and perseverance, Br. Andrews, has given our cause a powerful impulse in that section of Alabama, and nearly silenced that overbearing opposition which the Partialist clergy generally exhibited on his arrival. His labor and exertions to establish the SOUTHERN EVANGELIST are truly laudable, but I fear that his support is not equal to his necessities.
With Br. Atkins I had no acquaintance until this visit. He also is a brother with whom I am much pleased. Added to a good education and as strong mind, he posses a good practical knowledge of our doctrine, and an unspotted reputation.
Before he was expelled from the Methodist church, of which he was a worthy class leader, the church in that place numbered 66 members; it has not now more than 15. Then the meeting House, which stands on his land, which would not hold near all who assembled therefor worship; now is never filled on any ordinary occasion; and these changes are traced without difficulty to the arbitrary proceedings against him, and the influence of his opinions on others. The charge by which he was condemned by his Judges (the church not being permitted to be present) was holding and advocating heretical and unscriptural doctrines. he admitted that he held and was ready to defend the doctrines alluded to, but denied that they were either heretical or unscriptual. They, however, decided that they were, and proceeded to accordingly to expel him from their church. Br. Atkins preaches in various places in Alabama , but does not devote his whole time to the ministry.
Having delivered two discourses in the Universalist Meeting House in Montgomery, (which is a very neat building, pleasantly situation, and furnished with elegant SETTEES
and adorned with a beautiful chandelier; and it was expected that it would soon be supplied with a bell and organ,) and two at Mount Olympus, the Universalist Meeting House in the fork of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers. I returned to Georgia, and thence home. I preached twice in Talbot, and twice in Jones Counties; in the former of which i could not learn that any of our faith had ever before preached. my first discourse there was on the day of the TOTAL eclipse of the sun, and though it was nearly half obscured before the close of my services, yet so fixed was the attention of my audience, that scarcely one showed any sign of impatience. This I regarded as somewhat extraordinary, considering the seldom occurrence of such a phenomenon.


******* 2009 notes:
Some of the preaching stations mentioned in Georgia had regular services, just not a meeting house. The Harris county meeting house is 24 by 34 feet, on the road from Columbus to LaGrange. **** added - This would be the Mulberry Grove Church. Im not sure if it made it up to the Civil War, or ended a few years before. - McMorris and Hubbard were ordained there, part of the Chattahoochee Association. ***** These three meeting houses would be all the non-union houses for Georgia and Alabama, all in land that just opened for settlement slightly over a decade before. The migration from SC to Alabama and Mississippi was starting to heat up about this time, leading to the decline of the congregations in SC.

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