1845 A Universalist Preacher's Visit

George Rogers was extremely successful in organizing Universalist churches in Indiana and during his efforts in Switzerland County and Jefferson county he organized societies at Patriot and Madison. Here he describes a reaction to his effort to distribute a denominational publication that epitomizes

Memoranda of the Experience, Labors, And Travels of a Unversalist Preacher. Written By Himself. Cincinnati: John A. Gurley, Publisher. 1845.

Dec. 8. Rode to Madison, twenty-four miles: arrived there between three and four o'clock ; called on the agent for the Sentinel, Mr. Wellington, by whose active co-operation I was enabled to get up a meeting in the Court House that evening, a bell-man having been employed to cry the appointment through the town.

Madison is a brisk and rapidly growing place, handsomely situated on the river : present population four thousand. Lectured there two evenings, to pretty good congregations; nothing short of a good degree of anxiety to hear the gospel

would have induced those to attend who composed my audience on that evening. I have hopes of Madison, ardent hopes; it is a moral and religious place; and in such a place I can operate with pleasure and hope; but save me from places which are characterized by an infidel indifference to all religion ! Too many such on these western, waters. I believe

I entered every store and shop in Madison, soliciting subscriptions for the Sentinel: it would amuse the reader were I to report many of the answers I obtained.

"Where is it published ?'' inquired one. " At Cincinnati," I replied. "Thank God it is so for off," he rejoined. "Subscribe to a Universalist paper!" exclaimed a second : " I would subscribe to have it burnt." "The deuce!" rather angrily responded another — " Think I'll support a paper that I know to be lies from end to end." etc., etc