Mr. Kingsbury, named above, gave notice that he should deliver a discourse near Oakland, against the doctrine of the Restitution, and added, that he was willing I should reply, if I thought proper, at the close of his sermon. I was in Covington, Ind., the day before he was to deliver said discourse, and being detained in crossing the Wabash river till near sundown, I rode most of the night, and reached the appointed place a few minutes after he had dismissed his congregation. I rode seventy miles, between four o’clock Thursday, and twelve o’clock Friday, without any refreshment, and with about two hours rest. The congregation was called together. Mr. Kingsbury furnished me notes of his sermon, and I spoke two hours in reply. He replied, and I spoke another hour. We subsequently spent four days in discussion in Oakland. Mr. Kingsbury not being perfectly satisfied with his effort proposed a written debate. He agreed to furnish twelve letters for the Teacher. He wrote five, and then gave up the controversy.
I again visited Northern Indiana; and even extended my journey into Michigan, preaching wherever I could gather a congregation. Had some conversation with an intelligent Indian near Peru, on the Upper Wabash.
“I no believe in your Bible, or your Jesus Christ—not a word of it.”
“Well, my friend, do you believe in a God, and a hereafter?”
“That I do. I believe in the Great Spirit, and that he will take good care of all his children. No man ever killed him, as your Bible says, man killed God. He is away beyond the reach of arrow or cross. Who brought God to life if he was killed? You tell if you can.”
“The Bible does not say that God was slain. He is a Great Spirit, and in him we all live, move and have our being. You say truly, that man cannot harm him. Jesus Christ was not God, but rather a divine man; and he was sent here by the Great Spirit to instruct us in wisdom’s ways. But do you not think God has sent prophets to this world to instruct his children?”
“I do. My nation has had prophets. They taught us to use the bow and arrow; and how to raise corn, potatoes, and tobacco. We bless the Great Spirit for those prophets.”
“God is no respecter of persons. He has sent other nations prophets, and Jesus Christ is one of the wisest and best he ever gave the world. He taught that God is a spirit, and that we should worship him in spirit and in truth; that we are all his children; that he loves all, is good to all, and ever will be the Father and friend of man. Do you object to that?”
“All good, but the missionaries no talk so. They say Jesus is God, and that he was killed to save man from his own wrath. I no understand such stuff, and I no want to. I no believe God is mad, or that he was killed to be made good-natured.”
“We perfectly agree on that subject. If you will examine the New Testament, you will find that it teaches that Jesus Christ was a prophet of the Great Spirit, and that he was sent to this world to tell us how to live. He came not to quench the wrath of God, or to put out the fires of hell, but to direct our wayward feet in the path of life and salvation. His is a glorious work, and we are assured he will do it well. Your nation has likely had prophets, but acquaint yourself with this one ere you reject him.”