“I want five minutes to show that this doctrine has no foundation in the Bible, or in common sense.”
He had been a regular Baptist minister, had engaged in trade, and in the sale of liquor, had backslidden, and was preaching the unconditional salvation of all men.
“You will want more than five minutes, sir, to do that,” I replied. “It is already half past twelve, and the people need rest and refreshment. When I have closed this afternoon, you can speak as long as they wish to hear you.”
“No; this is just the place and time for me to speak, and the people want to hear me.”
“We will submit the matter to the congregation, and let them decide it for us,” was my reply. I then asked those who agreed with me that the gentleman had better wait till afternoon, to rise up. Nearly the entire congregation were at once on their feet. I then asked those who chose to have him speak immediately to arise. Ten or twelve young men, who looked like finished ruffians, arose. The congregation was immediately dismissed for one hour.
In the afternoon I spoke upon Matt. xxiv, and, expecting a battle with the Universalist preacher, gave some time to the examination of the view that Christ came the second time at the destruction of Jerusalem. My arguments told on the congregation, and the minister felt it. When I had closed my discourse, I said, “There is now room for that gentleman to speak as long as the people wish to hear him.” He arose embarrassed, and said in substance:
“I do not want to act the part of the scoffer, or fall under the denunciation of him who says, ‘My Lord delayeth his coming, and smites his fellow servant;’ but I wish to make a few remarks relative to a portion of scripture commented upon by the speaker this forenoon, which you will find in the sixty-fifth chapter of Daniel.”
He immediately commenced to ridicule the idea of beasts in Heaven. I saw at once that it was Isa. lxv, and not Daniel, that he referred to. And after he had gotten fairly under way, I called his attention to the fact that he had made a mistake in giving the prophet Daniel credit for speaking of the lion and the ox both feeding on straw, and the leopard and the kid lodging together. It was not Daniel, but another prophet who had thus spoken. He rebuked me for interrupting him. I stated that as he should proceed to show in five minutes that the doctrine I preached had no foundation in scripture, or in common sense, I should see that his reference was all correct. But he affirmed that he was right in quoting Daniel, and went on with his remarks in a style well calculated to disgust the people, and turn them in strong sympathy with me. And when his unsanctified tongue was moving off at full speed, I called to him again, saying, “I am not willing the gentleman shall proceed any further till he reads from Dan. lxv, the scripture from which he is speaking. Please turn and read, sir, and satisfy us all that you are correct, and I will consent for you to go on.”
He took up his Bible and turned from one side of it to the other, colored up, appeared greatly agitated, and said, “The book of Daniel is torn out of my Bible.” “Here, sir, is mine,” said I, and reaching it toward him, said to those seated near me, “Please pass it to him. Mine has the book of Daniel in it.” As my Bible was being passed from seat to seat toward this man, he looked distressed. He could not readily find the book of Daniel, not being familiar with his Bible, and evidently made the false statement for the occasion, that this book was torn from his Bible.
He took my Bible and searched from one lid to the other several times for the book of Daniel, but was so agitated that he could not find it. The people fixed their eyes upon him, some with pity, others with apparent anger, while still another class laughed at him. My pity was moved toward him, and I stated that I could help the gentleman. That it was Isaiah, and not Daniel, that he wished to quote. That there were but twelve chapters in all the book of Daniel, and that he wished to speak upon Isa. lxv, 17-25. I then quoted these nine verses from memory, and said, “This is what you want, is it not?” “Yes,” was his reply, and after a few broken remarks which showed his complete confusion, he sat down and covered his face with his hands. The people were ashamed of him, and seemed astonished that I should know from his remarks what chapter and verses he wanted, and that, without my Bible, I could repeat nearly half a chapter.