There was so much opposition to liberal principles, that the people wanted doctrinal and explanatory discourses, but I always dwelt more or less on the moral and the spiritual. Mere doctrinal and explanatory discourses, without showing the moral and spiritual bearing of truth, do but little good. In almost every place I visited, the preachers were fighting our faith, and slandering its advocates, and our friends wanted me to repel these assaults, which gave my sermons a controversial character, and some times a peppery flavor. But I always kept the great truth prominent in my ministrations, that heaven and everlasting life can be enjoyed in this world; that we should lay hold on them; lay up treasures where moth and rust cannot corrupt, and where thieves cannot break through and steal. And I had the satisfaction of knowing that not only many minds were enlightened by truth divine, but many hearts were improved by its saving influence.
And here I am reminded of another outrageous attack of a Methodist preacher, Mr. Cooper, on Universalists, in Independence. “They are,” said he, “the vilest of the vile. The jails, penitentiaries, rum holes, gambling dens, are full of them. They defy heaven and blaspheme God. This is their general character.”
I replied: This is all slander, and this lying priest knows it. He knows that he bears false witness against his acquaintance, his neighbors, the citizens of this place. He sins willfully, maliciously, and he had better not let the sun go down on his wrath. All who live in this community know that he poured out this day vials of falsehood; they know that some of the best citizens of this county are of the faith he condemns; they know also, that the wicked places he speaks of, in this community, are not filled with persons of our faith. He cannot name a grog-shop keeper in this county, who professes to be a Universalist; but I can name several advocates of eternal punishment, and some of them were once members of his church, who are in that kind of business; and for every gambler here, who ever thought of calling himself a Universalist, I can name ten who will swear over their cards and bottles, that there is an endless hell; and for every Universalist he may produce, who uses profane language, I can produce ten advocates of eternal punishment, who blaspheme God and heaven daily by their profanity. I want no better evidence of the immoral tendency of partialism than the speaker has given to-day; and I am sure that publicans and sinners will enter the kingdom of heaven before characters of his stamp. I do not pretend, that all who call themselves by our name are Christians in life and practice. Are all the believers in immortal woe Christians? History says, no; every man and woman living on earth will say, no. The persecutors and murderers of Christ and his apostles; those who pursued the Christians in the first and second centuries of the Christian Era, with fire and sword, were zealous advocates of eternal burnings. The Catholics who tortured, hung, beheaded, quartered, millions of Christians and Pagans, were all staunch believers in hell. Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Puritans, and Independents, who hung Quakers, burned witches, and persecuted and murdered each other, and the Catholics, were unwavering in the fiery faith. Ninety-nine one hundredths of all the thieves, murderers, pirates, gamblers, rum-sellers, rum-drinkers, are believers in eternal woe. These are facts, which history and observation substantiate. If Universalism had been believed, and preached as long and as generally as eternal punishment has been, and if mankind were no better than they are now, I, for one, would be ashamed to boast of its good moral influence. I do not say that all the advocates of eternal punishment are reprobates. There are noble and pure Christians in all denominations, many of them, more of that character than otherwise, but faith in hell has yet the first Christian to make. Believers in that cruel dogma, many of them, are Christians in spite of their faith in it. The tendency of faith in hell is downward, while the innate goodness of their hearts, and the many truths they cherish, direct them heavenward. I do not contend that all believers in the Restitution are practical Christians. Would to God they were, but I know they are not. But give this divine philosophy time to do its work in the world; give it time to germinate, root, bud, blossom, and yield its fruit, before you condemn it. Belief in vengeance has had ample time to develop itself in human character, and it has produced its like the world over. Give the doctrine of Love and Justice an opportunity to yield its legitimate fruit before you cast it out as evil. Besides, the immoral men, who hang at our skirts, were cradled, educated, and grew to manhood, not under the influence of our benevolent faith, but under the guns of Orthodoxy, and it, if any creed, is responsible for their character. But because Universalism does not do in a day what Orthodoxy has failed to do in years, it is said to be immoral in its tendency!
About this time, I had a discussion in a grove near Burlington, Ind., with Harper Hanna, a Methodist minister, which continued four days. I had not been in the neighborhood before the discussion commenced, neither had a discourse on the Restitution been delivered there, consequently, the people were totally in the dark concerning our faith, and strongly prejudiced against it. On the other hand, Mr. Hanna was in the midst of his friends, and had all their prejudices in his favor. It was a daring thing to debate under such circumstances, but I went through with it, and had the satisfaction of knowing that I did not labor in vain. I had afterwards monthly appointments in the neighborhood. It was amusing to see the people scan me, and watch every motion. If I had been an elephant, I would not have been a subject of more curiosity. The themes of discussion were endless punishment and universal salvation. In my first speech I said:
Put a man in prison and keep him there one year—that would be a severe penalty. Keep him there ten years—that would be an awful infliction. Keep him there his whole natural lifetime—that would be dreadful beyond description. But what is one year, what are ten years, yea, seventy years of imprisonment, compared to endless suffering in hell? Let all the suffering of head and heart, soul and body, that all mankind have endured in all ages, and all climes, be combined in one pang, and that one pang would not amount to as much woe as one soul will suffer if doomed to endure ceaseless misery. The fires in which the damned will live and move, will be in full blast when this earth shall be gray with age, when the flames of the mid-day sun shall flicker like the dying taper in its socket, yea, they will continue to burn deep into the souls of countless millions while heaven shall stand and God exist. That is endless misery; and that is what Mr. Hanna affirms, and is trying to prove, will be the doom of a large part of mankind. It is a dreadful work to charge the God of heaven with doing; to stand up in this beautiful world, amid the manifestations of God’s love, and charge the Author of all these blessings, with inflicting an eternity of woe on worms of the dust. I believe in punishment—in righteous, just punishment—but I do not, dare not, believe, that the Father of all mercies, and whose name and nature is love, will, for the sins of a day, doom innumerable multitudes of his offspring to blow the fires of hell forever.
At the close of the debate, he adopted a little expedient, that he was sure would be a perfect success—to him. He wanted the assembly to decide by vote, which party had triumphed in the discussion. Being in the midst of his friends, and relying on the prejudices of the people, he doubted not that an overwhelming majority would crown him victor. I was of the same opinion for the same reasons, and hence opposed his crafty maneuver. But being determined that the assembly should vote that he was the hero of the day, he requested all to rise who thought Harper Hanna has sustained his propositions. About one fourth of the congregation heeded his call. He looked the picture of amazement at so few voting that he was the conqueror. “Get up,” said he, “you misunderstand me;” and he again called on all to rise, who thought Harper Hanna had sustained his cause. Not another one was added to his voting friends. Finding he could drum up no more, he requested all to stand up, who thought Mr. Manford had proved that Universalism was the gospel. Two thirds of the assembly bounded to their feet. Poor Hanna turned pale as death, and uttering not a word, sunk into his chair.
On my way back to Lafayette, I rode in company with a man who had heard of the debate, but did not know me.
“There has been a discussion,” said he, “in Burlington, on Universalism.”
“Did you attend?”
“No; it is wrong to hold such discussions. Universalism is a lie, and every Christian should call it a lie, and have nothing to do with it, or its advocates. It is the devil who induces Christians to debate with Universalists. It is one of his schemes to lead souls down to hell. Several of my neighbors came home from the discussion, advocating that wicked doctrine. They were Christians, but I fear they are ruined. Two of them say they shall withdraw from our church. Mr. Hanna did wrong in debating with that Manford. He has introduced a viper into this county, and I fear some are already stung to death. Well, I did my duty. I stayed at home, and did all I could to keep my neighbors at home. But they were possessed with a desire to hear the debate, and the result is even worse than I expected. Our minister is going to try to undo the evil in our neighborhood. Next Sunday he will preach a sermon against Universalism.”