“His noble example in dying for man, has strengthened the martyr’s faith on many a scaffold, and when chained to many a fiery stake. And he died like them, a martyr to truth and righteousness. He taught love to God and man; he lived what he taught, and he died confirming his teaching and his life. That precept, that life, and that death, have been a power in the world for eighteen hundred years, and they will be a power in this world in all coming time.”
“But the Bible talks about man being saved by the blood, or death of Christ. Do you think there was no special efficacy in his blood and death?”
“We say that our fathers died to save us from the oppression of Great Britain. In the same sense Christ died to save us from the bondage of sin, and to cleanse us from all allegiance to despotism. Blood from any one’s veins can only cleanse in a figurative sense. It is the truth which Jesus taught that cleanseth the soul; and as his blood was shed in attestation of the truth, the Bible refers figuratively to that blood as the efficient cause of our deliverance and salvation. In this sense he ‘bore our sins and our iniquities,’ was ‘wounded for our transgressions,’ and ‘by his stripes we are healed.’”
“There are men in high places in our church who entertain similar views, but in my estimation, they are erroneous. I accept the creed of the church, that Jesus was God, and of all the sequences of that proposition.”
Proceeded to Leavenworth, where I delivered four discourses. This was then a small town, but is now a large city, and destined to be a very important one. We ought to have a minister at work there. A large congregation could soon be gathered. There are many influential families who would give such a man their hearty support. While here I heard the following conversation in an adjoining room at an hotel:
“Did you attend the Universalist meeting last night?”
“No; I have no faith in the creed of that church. What was the preacher’s text?”
“‘I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,’ were the words. I must confess, I was much interested. It was the first Universalist sermon I ever heard, and I am inclined to think it was the first gospel sermon I ever heard. I have, all my life, heard about the abominations of Universalism, and I supposed it was a mass of corruption. But if that man last night preached Universalism, I don’t know but I must be a Universalist.”
“What did he say that took you so?”
“Among other things he said, salvation was not from hell, but from sin, from error, from mental darkness; that Jesus came not to save us from eternal burnings, but to make us good fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, neighbors, friends, citizens. There is good sense in that.”