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| Waller's Church which still exists today in Partlow, Virginia |
CHAPTER XIII
Historical
Sketches of the Churches in the Goshen Association[1]
This is a
mother church indeed. Their corresponding letter to the Association in 1791
says : " We have lately constituted two new churches, which make fifteen
that have been taken off from our church." She was first called Lower
Spotsylvania, in contradistinction to Upper Spotsylvania, now called Craig's.
Elder John Waller was chosen pastor January 2, 1770, which was a few months
after the church was constituted; he continued to fill that office until 1793,
when he moved to South Carolina.
When Mr. J. Waller declared himself independent, this church adhered to him,
and was, of course, excluded from the Association. When he was reinstated, so
was the church. It is worthy of remark, that although Mr. Waller was an
Arminian, and on that account broke with the Association, and carried with him
this church, yet the church was far from being unanimously Arminian.
Some of
Mr. Waller's nearest relatives stood firm to the Gospel plan. At one time,
previous to Mr. Waller's reinstatement into the Association, there were few, if
any, less than 1,500 members in this church. Although she has had various ebbs and flows,
and knows well the difference between declensions and revivals, yet few, if
any, have experienced more uninterrupted prosperity.
Of so much
importance to the good standing of a church is an exemplary preacher, who
understands the art of combining the hearts of all in one great object, it
seemed providential that, when their former pastor, who had grown old, and
thought proper to change his place of residence, their present pastor was ripe,
both in talents and experience, to fill his place ; and, it would seem, had obtained
his uncle's mantle and a double portion of his spirit ; for under his care the
church has flourished more than under that of their first pastor. They have one
of the best built and most comfortable meeting-houses in Virginia. For, however
the Baptists may excel in matters of greater magnitude, they cannot be admired
for the elegance or convenience of their houses of worship.[3]
In 1787,
the set time to favor this part of Zion arrived, and under the ministry of
Elder Harriss, who was now on a visit to them, this revival burst forth on
every hand, nor did the war cease until many of the sons and daughters of the
enemy of God fell as victims to invincible grace. About two hundred were
baptized. In 1790, as if to encourage their young and ardent pastor, God
granted a heavenly move among the people, and Mr. Waller baptized fifty-four. Few
years have elapsed in which there were not some baptized.
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| Convenient religion at Waller's Baptist Church |
[1]
This appears on pages 197-199 in the 1894
edition of History of the Rise and progress of the Baptists in Virginia by
Robert B. Semple and Rv. G.W. Beale.
[2]
The meeting-house of this church was
situated about fourteen miles southwest of Spotsylvania Courthouse. The present
house of worship, erected in 1874, occupies the original site. A former
building was burned
in 1873. Elder John Waller was succeeded in the pastorate of
this church by his nephew, Absalom Waller. The subsequent pastors have been
John A. Billingsley, Charles A. Lewis, Joseph A. Billingsley, John Bray, Edward
G. Baptist, Samuel B. Rice, F. L. Kregel, L. J. Haley, W. G. Roane, E. W. Winfrey
and C. T. Taylor.
[3]
The meeting houses of the early Virginia
Baptists were commonly plain weather-boarded structures, without paint either
on the outside or within. There were no facilities provided for heating them.
As a rule, the windows were high and narrow, and the seats were rude benches
without backs. To enlarge their accommodations, sheds were sometimes added on
two sides, which gave to some of the churches a barn-like appearance.
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| John Waller's original church was part of the Goshen Association |
Letter
written in Middlesex Jail by Elder John Waller
Urbanna Prison, Middlesex County, August 12, 1771. Dear
Brother in the Lord: At a meeting which was held at Brother McCan's, in this
county, last Saturday, while Brother William Webber was addressing the
congregation from James ii., 18, there came running toward him, in a most
furious rage, Captain James Montague, a magistrate of the county, followed by
the parson of the parish and several others, who seemed greatly exasperated.
The magistrate and another took hold of Brother Webber, and dragging him from
the stage, delivered him, with Brethren Wafford, Robert Ware, Richard Faulkner,
James Greenwood and myself, into custody, and commanded that we should be
brought before him for trial. Brother Wafford was severely scourged[2],
and Brother Henry Street received one lash from one of the persecutors, who was
prevented from proceeding to further violence by his companions. To be short, I
may inform you that we were carried before the above-mentioned magistrate, who,
with the parson and some others, carried us one by one into a room and examined
our pockets and wallets for firearms, etc., charging us with carrying on a
meeting against the authority of the land. Finding none, we were asked if we
had license to preach in the county; and learning we had not, it was required
of us to give bond and security not to preach any more in this county, which we
modestly refused to do; whereupon, after dismissing Brother Wafford, with a
charge to make his escape out of the county by twelve o'clock the next day on
pain of imprisonment, and dis missing Brother Faulkner, the rest of us were
delivered to the sheriff and sent to close jail, with a charge not to let us
walk in the air until court-day. Blessed be God, the sheriff and jailer have
treated us with as much kind ness as could have been expected from strangers. May
the Lord reward them for it! Yesterday we had a large number of people to hear
us preach ; and among others, many of the great ones of the land, who behaved
well while one of us discoursed on the new birth. We find the Lord gracious and
kind to us beyond expression in our afflictions. We cannot tell how long we
shall be kept in bonds; we therefore beseech, dear brother that you and the
church supplicate night and day for us, our benefactors and our persecutors. I
have to inform you that six of our brethren are con fined in Caroline jail,
viz., Brethren Lewis Craig, John Burrus, John Young, Edward Herndon, James
Goolrick and Bartholomew Choning. The most dreadful threatenings are raised in
the neighboring counties against the Lord's faithful and humble followers.
Excuse haste.
Adieu. John Waller.
[The address of the above letter did not appear.]
[1]
This letter appears in the appendix on p. 481-483 in the 1894 edition of
History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptist in Virginia by Semple and
Beale.
[2]
There are multiple synonyms for
the word “scourged” including flog, whip, beat, horsewhip, lash, flagellate,
strap, cane, thrash as well as afflict, plague, torment, torture, curse,
oppress, burden, bedevil and beset. It is not clear in the text what sort of
punishment was being applied but whatever it was it does not sound good.
I really enjoyed reading this information! John Waller was my fifth great grandfather and I only discovered him through my recent forays into genealogy.
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