The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-10-24

L y
propose to celebrate your 25th annivers-
airy, the miles that separate us and the
oceans that roll between us seem ami
hilated, and [ am in your midst again.
Nay, the years that are gone seem to
shrink up. and your past history and
mine, SO long intertwined, is wildly be.
fore me.
In 1S39-'40 when [ was very little
boy, my father, who was at that time
Chaplain at the University, full of the
missionary spirit, went over in the stage
to Staunton, to preach. To my childish
Imagination, Stanton seemed then far
Their from Charlottesville than it now
seems from Rome.
In 1S5O-'51, was teaching school in
the County of Fluvana, and was sent
with General Cooke as a delegate to the
State Temperance Convention in Staun-
ton. The journey was m9de in General
Cookies carriage. During my stay in
Staunton, I was with other delegates,
Hospitality entertained in the family OF
Mr.. Donagne, and was much impress
ed by the gentle and active piety Of Mrs.
D., and her charity for all christians. [
remember thinking that if she were a
type of the Staunton people, that would
ca most pleasant field of labor for q
settling there did not occur to me- On
inquiry l could not hear of white Bap
fist in the place. If my memory does
not deceive me, Iheard ola colored Bap-
tist brother, and of a Baptist lady living
in the country.
Two or three years later, when / was
a student at the University, some excite
ment was produced among the Baptist
students by the laying of the corner
stone OF Baptist M. H. in Staunton,
and some of them went up to the cere-
mony, and came back full of enthusiasm
at DR.. Burrows sermon or address which
1 believe was delivered in the Episcopal
Church. It was either on this occasion,
or al the constitution of the church, that
the eccentric, excellent, Littleberry w.
Allen, the leader of the Goshen Associa-
ton in those noble missionary enter
prises which made it for many years the
Banner Association of the State, if not
of the land, delivered an address, in the
course of which he said, in his own
tonians thought the Baptists very poor
people, but he would tell them that there
were many sections East of the Blue
Ridge in which the Baptists owned all
the lands and the slaves besides. In
the changes of the times, the Goshen
Association has lost much Of its wealth
and prestige, but let it never he forgot
ten that that body originated and for
many years helped to sustain the Bap4
tist work not only in Staunton but in
many other important centres in the
Valley and in Western Virginia.
Some months later, passed though
Stanton in a private conveyance, on
my way to the Healing Springs. AS I
rode up Main ST., I looked with rather
melancholy interest at the begun church
edifice, upon which no work seemed to
be going on. 1t doubtless dragged heavi-
ly, and, as I afterwards heard, many
were the predictions made in the town,
at that epoch, that the enterprise would
never be completed. But there were one
or two brethren there who loved it as
their life; and as he is gone to his. rest,
it will not be considered invidious if I
name as one Of the chiefest, Simpson F.
Taylor. There were also ladies, whose
name will readily occur to many, who |
labored diligently with the needle to
raise funds for the cherished object, and |
these labors, recounted by the Agent, as
he traversed the State, awakened SYM
pathy and almost romantic interest in |
many hearts, and doubtless called forth |
many contributions. This Agent was
Elder L. B. Rice, who, having been sent
as missionary to the town, aud after
wards elected as pastor Of the church,
judiciously gave most of his time and
energy to the collection of funds for the |
building. He was interchangeable in his |
efforts, Visiting in his buggy scores of
country churches, holding protracted |
meetings, at the close of which he would |
take collection for Stanton. Every
where, he seems to have been well re-
ceived, and if the Goshen Association
originated the work, the brotherhood at
large seem to have come forward with
cordial co operation. [ question if any
similar enterprise ever met with more
general sympathy on the part of Virgin
ia Baptists.
In the Summer of 1857, I, having con-
cluded my pastorate of the franklin
Square Church in Baltimore, was called
to, and accepted. the pastorate of the
Staunton Baptist Church. It was ar
ranged that I should begin my labors in
the ensuing October, contemporaneous
ly with the opening of the main audi
ence room of the church edifice I COM
menced those labors at the appointed
time, and from that date till about five
years ago, when came to Italy, except
the two years of my University Chap
laincy, my home and work were in
your midst. During those years, pass
ed from youth to middle age, I married,
became father, and again and again
was called on to follow my children to
the tomb. In all my joys and sorrows,
dear brethren and friends in Stanton,
sympathised, as did in theirs. During
that pastorate, also passed through the
trying and sad scenes connected with
the war, and encountered the difficulties
which can be imagined, better than de-
scribed, incident to the early history of
such an enterprise as building ups Bap-
fist Church in community in which
our principles and practices had been
previously unknown, and in which they
were certainly not regarded with favor.
Often, in those early years, was much
cast down, and but for the sympathy of
my little band of brethren and sisters,
and the counsel of my father, who en-
couraged me to hold on, would proba-
bly, have abandoned my post in dis
couragement. Yet those were years of
mercy, and in reviewing them, my
prominent feelings are gratitude to God
for goodness, and sorrow that I was not
more earnest and devoted.
The M. Ell. was to have been dedicat-
ed on the lst Sunday in Oct. But that
was stormy day. felt desolate enough.
Specially had fears for congregation,
for our members did not exceed, If they
reached a dozen, and we had no outside
adherents on whom I could count.
shuddered at the thought of preaching
to empty pews. But God was better
than my fears. On the End Sunday in
Oct. we had very successful opening.
Crowds gathered. I preached, in the
morning, the dedication sermon from
the text Lord loved have the habita-
ton OF thy house and the place where
thine honour dwelleth;" and, at night,
my Introductory, as pastor, from the
words, AS much as in meis, I am ready
to preach the Gospel t. you, that are at
Rome also ;''-little dreaming, by the
way, that this was afterwards to be
literally fulfilled in my history.
During that Fall and Winter some
thing Of the enthusiasm belonging to the
novelty of our enterprise was maintain
ed, and ere this waned, we were blessed
with a "season Of refreshing' in connec-
ton with aprotracted meeting in which
we had the aid of brethren J. A. Broadus
and Cornelius Tyree. BY this meeting
we received new impulse and gathered
in much good material, principally from
the Sunday School. This last, which
had been established and conducted to
considerable prosperity by the well di-
rected efforts of brother Alex. Pope
Abel, during his temporary residence