The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-09

has been for forty years or more most
closely bound up in interest and in his
tory with Lombard University. The
sons and daughters Of the devoted sup
porters of this church have received
their education at the University and
the students and teachers of the Uni.
versity have received from this pulpit
the spiritual quickening, 80 needful for
the refreshing and inspiring of their
daily life | count it as an inexpressible
Joy and blessing to this church and our
University and to our city that the Lord
has raised up for us such leader as
our beloved pastor, man of faith and
prayer whose life is help and example
to us ALL" In the evening a concert was
given, according to the published pro-
gramme and proved delightful. The
music was of high and artistic order.
Miss Mabel Dow gave as a reading 1.-THE
Flood Of Years" in finished manner.
HOW THE GALESBURG CHURCH GREW,
To the Editor of THE UNIvERsALIsT:
My brother, Hon. E. H. Conger, of
Des Moines. Ia, recently found among
the family relics a literary curiosity,
which | think will prove to be the first
written evidence of organized Universal
ism, out of which the splendid church
at Galesburg grew, and from which
Lombard University sprang 1t is a
subscription paper, which tells its own
story. 1t reads thus: I'VE: the subscrib-
ers, agree to pay the several sums set
opposite our names to the Trustees of
the First Universalst Society of the
counties of Knox and Warren, for the
support of j. p. Fuller as preacher of
the Gospel for the year ensuing. Said
subscription to be paid a in cash and
a in almost every kind of commodity
which is wanted in every family"
Dated Cherry Grove. ILL.,, Dec. q, 1872"
There were but few names to this
remarkable document and the subecrip-
lions were small. 1t was headed by my
grandfather, Uziah Conger, with only
S25, while the other subscriptions ranged
from S. to 81. One subscription read
"S1 in cash, and So in trade" One man
was credited with having paid twelve
and one-half cents in cash, another 81 in
trade. | found my uncle. L. c. Congers
name there. who was afterward one of
the first Presidents of the Board of
Trustees of Lombard University, and
whose son Seth B. is one of the Trustees
of the Galesburg parish, and was one of
the Building Committee of the new
church. The credits in cash or com
modities were in my fathers hand writ
ing, so infer that he was Treasurer or
collector. The names of Ellis, Jeremiah
Felt and others, whose names appear
afterward in the beginnings of the Gales
burg church, are on this paper.
The smallness of this beginning, and
the courage of these people can hardly
be realized in these days.
First, 1t took two whole counties to
make one society, so few and scattered
were these believers. Second, those
pledged on this paper were few poor
farmers along the Cherry Grove road
seven miles from Galesburg. That they
had the courage to begin, when they
were SO poor that they must pay the
preacher "in almost every kind of com
modify which is wanted in every family"
shows how the way of the Lord may be
prepared for the greatest things when
we are faithful in few things" And
when | saw this summer, that ideal
church, at Galesburg, so complete in all
its appointments, with it's strong and
devoted congregation, and saw LON
bard University with its great record,
and its greater future, l said "Our Fa
theirs builded wiser than they knew"
My brother suggested that this little
document was evidently the first record
of a movement to organize Universalism
in that part of the State. and out of it
grew the Galesburg church. So the pa
per has been sent to the Galesburg par
ish to be preserved on the walls of the
new church or among its archives for
the future historian. If the seeds of our
Gospel were nourished today as care
fully as those few brave pioneers nour-
ished it, what harvest the future would
give us. e. l.. CoNGER.
PASADENA. CAL. Oct. 25.