USA > Ohio > Twenty-five years in the West > Part 3
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
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Twenty-Five Years
Regretted having come to the state, and certainly should not have been there, had I known the religious character of the people, and how few friends we had in that region
CHAPTER II.
Leaving Maryland, I crossed the Alleghany mountains by stage in the direction of Pittsburg. Stopped at sev- eral places and delivered my message. Arriving at Pittsburg, soon became acquainted with S. A. Davis, pastor of the church in that city, and publisher of the Glad Tidings, a paper devoted to the good cause. His church was numerically feeble, for liberal principles had just begun to take root in that city as in the West gen- erally. Mr. Davis worked hard in the double capacity of pastor and editor. He is a pleasant speaker, fair writer, and an excellent man. His wife, now dead, pos- sessed much talent, and wrote clever articles for the Glad Tidings. He now resides in the East, and is still in the Master's service. His daughter, Minnie Davis, is one of our best female writers. Has written several excellent books, and contributes liberally to our period- ical literature
Had now crossed the mountain barrier between the East and the West, and was in the far-famed Mississippi Valley - merely on its border, though. Its hills and vales, its forests and prairies, its rivers and lakes, were all before me, towards the setting sun. Compare the West then to the West now ! Never since earth's foun- dation was laid, has any country made so rapid progress in such brief time. The West, in twenty-five years, has made a thousand years' growth ; and the signs of the times indicate a gigantic advance in the future. The most vivid imagination can only form a faint conception
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of its future greatness. Columbus, romantic and extrav- agant as were his visions, could not have dreamed of half the glory of the future West. Here fiction has already become fact, and dreams, realities.
I effected arrangements to travel and preach in Penn- sylvania and Ohio, for I soon learned our friends were few in the West, and I should have to travel extensively. I submitted to my fate and went to work. Visited sev- eral places in Pennsylvania, but meeting with little encouragement, passed into Ohio, where were more friends. Preached in many places on the Western Re- serve ; generally had large congregations, and found many devout believers in the Great Salvation. A large por- tion of the population of the Reserve were from the Eastern states, and they brought with them industrious habits, correct moral principles, and liberal religious sentiments- the right kind of people for Universalism to flourish among. But where wheat grows, there grows chaff, and I encountered some intolerable bigotry in that region. In Ashtabula a vinegar-faced gentleman ac- costed me thus :
V. G. "I understand you are a Universalist preacher."
M. " You have been correctly informed. Universalism is only another name for the gospel. 'A rose,' you know, 'by any other name would smell as sweet.'"
V. G. "Sweet! Universalism the gospel ! It is neither sweet, nor the gospel. It is a loathsome spawn from hell, the meanest of all the devil's mean works, and you ought not to be allowed to teach it to immortal souls. I would put a stop to such preaching had I the power."
M. "No doubt of it; you look like a villain. The mark of the beast is on you, and you would, doubt- less, like to be about your master's business. This
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world has been cursed a long time with the spirit you possess, and with men of your character; and that spirit, and that breed are not yet dead. Bigots and hypocrites like you, nailed the Savior of man to the cross, stoned Stephen, murdered the apostles, and have crucified, burnt, hung, beheaded, and quartered, the saints of God in all ages."
V. G. " If I believed as you do, I would take my fill of sin."
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M. " You are full of sin now."
V. G. "What do you preach for ? "
M. "To reform such men as you. You may think you are a Christian of the first water, but you know nothing about Christianity. The name of its Author is Love, and Christianity corresponds, letter, and spirit, with that blessed word. But what do you know about love ? and what does your fiery creed know about love ? But you know what hate means, and you would pursue all with fire and sword who do not kneel at your shrine. I pray God you may be converted; that you may know the meaning of love, mercy, goodness, justice, know that they do not signify hatred, cruelty, vengeance, and that God is served when we obey the law of love, not when we hate and devour each other."
On board a steamboat, on the Ohio river, I partici- pated in the following conversation with a fellow trav- eler :
T. " I am free to acknowledge, I cannot reconcile end- less misery with the goodness of God, and yet I have to believe in that doctrine."
M. " Others have admitted the same. The celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great moralist of the last cen- tury, conceded that God cannot be infinitely good to
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the victims of ceaseless woe- so Boswell tells us. We judge of a man's character by his works. If his works are evil, we infer his character is evil; if his works are good, we infer his character is good. Are we not safe in judging of God's character by like criterion? If he has built an everlasting hell, and to its dismal vaults consigns his own offspring to be the victims of Almighty wrath, world without end, and all for the errors of a day, it is impossible for Him to be good, much less, infinitely good. Goodness seeks the welfare, not the ruin, of the subjects of its power."
T. "But your argument, if it is sound, proves God is not infinitely good, for the world is full of misery. All, the old and the young, the good and the bad, suffer."
M. " True, there is much suffering under the sun, but it can be reconciled with the goodness of the Creator Consider, first, how short is our stay on earth. Some are here a few hours, others a few days, and none but a few years. Suppose there were nothing in this world but suffering; but if an eternity of bliss awaits us on the other side of the River, all the sufferings of earth would afford no evidence that God is not good. For every tear, every sigh, every woe, we should have millions of ages of happiness. But with very few exceptions, if there are any, all in this world, enjoy far more than they suffer. There are more muscles in the face for laugh- ing than weeping, proving it to be the will of our Crea- tor there should be more happiness in our cup than sorrow. As there is more sunshine than storm, so more joy than grief falls to the lot of mortals. But this should also be considered - most of the suffering men endure, they bring on themselves by their ignorance or willful- ness. This is a beautiful world, a garden of Eden, and
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if we observe the mandate of the Creator, taste not the for- bidden fruit, but partake only from the tree of life, there would be little suffering in this world."
T. " But we are informed, man was forbidden to par- take of the tree of life."
M. " Adam and Eve were forbidden while they were unrepentant and sinful, and so are all while of like char- acter. We cannot serve God and Baal. If we serve the one, we despise the other. We cannot possess a sinful character, and a virtuous character, cannot partake of the tree of evil and of good, at the same time. We are driven from the one when we partake of the other. But if we flee from the deadly shades of the upas, touch not, taste not, handle not, its poisonous fruit, the tree of life will be accessible to us. We are told that the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations, (Rev. xxii. 2,) showing, it is now within our reach. Yes, if we ap- proach it with pure motives, clean hands, and reverent steps, we can, even now, pluck its fruit and live. But a flaming sword prevents access to it while we are mor- ally low, debased, groveling."
T. " That is a new view of the subject; I will think about it."
M. " As the suffering of this world is of brief dura- tion ; and as we bring on ourselves most we do endure, and as we have reason to trust it will all be overruled for good, and be succeeded by an eternity of blessedness, I cannot see that the few tears, and aches of this brief life militate against the goodness of the Creator. I am sure, when we shall be done with the strifes and con- flicts of this world, and see the past in the light of their results, in the light of eternity, we will exclaim, 'Love
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and mercy pursued us all the days of our lives.' But misery without mitigation or end. without one ray of hope, can never he reconciled with infinite goodness."
A few miles below Pittsburg, in Virginia - cannot re- call the name of the place- I stopped one Saturday evening, and told the people I would speak to them the next day, if they would give me a hearing. A citizen invited me to his house, and I delivered a discourse on Sunday morning to a large assembly. In the middle of the afternoon, some ten or a dozen persons entered the house where I was stopping, and after being seated, the following ensued :
"Are you the man who preached in the school house this morning ? "
" Yes."
" Well, we have called to let you know you must not hold another meeting in this town."
"Why not ? What is the matter? "
" Your doctrine is dangerous; it is infidelity, and we want no more of it."
" Did any of you hear my discourse to-day?'
"No, and we don't want to hear such stuff."
' How, then, do you know it is dangerous and infi- del ?"
" We are not here for controversy, but to notify you that you cannot occupy the school house this evening."
My host here informed the gentlemen, he had an in- terest in that house, and I should preach in it if I desired. " This gentleman," said he, "is a stranger in this place ; I heard his discourse this morning; I know nothing about Universalism, but he uttered not a word I con- sider dangerous or infidel."
" When you reflect, " I remarked, " on the mean busi-
.
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ness you are here on, you will be heartily ashamed of yourselves, and your conduct. You admit you did not hear me, and yet are loud and angry in your con- demnation. I am a stranger in this place, and to you ; I have not harmed a hair of your heads, and yet you treat me with savage rudeness. Is this Virginia hospitality ? What do you suppose I teach ?"
." We understand you teach there is no God, no Sav- ior, no hell, and that good and bad, go to heaven to- gether."
"Nonsense. My advice to you is, to acquaint your- selves with the principles you so rudely condemn, for you are ignorant of them as Hottentots of English gram- mar."
" We have no more to say, except to repeat, that you must not again preach your abominations in this town."
" I expect to hold a meeting in town this evening, and hope you will do yourselves the justice to attend."
Exit inquisitors.
Held meeting according to appointment, but that precious set of bigots kept out of the way. They found, however, they could neither rule me nor the town, for I had a much larger congregation after their visit than be- fore. Lectured in Wellsville; a Methodist minister re- plied in a good natured manner, and we parted in friend- ship. Proceeded down the Ohio to Wheeling, where I lectured several times in a Baptist meeting-house, then to Graves Creek, on the Virginia side of the river, where I spent two weeks, speaking most every day in town or country. C. G. Cox resided there, and preached occasionally. My sojourn in this place is a green spot in my memory, for I found some excellent friends.
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which was really cheering after encountering so much opposition.
There is an artificial mound here, some eighty feet high, of a conic shape, and very steep. When, or by whom, it was made, whether by Indians, or a race that preceded them, is unknown, and the mystery will prob- ably never be solved. A few years since a shaft excava- ted through its base revealed a broken arch and human bones, indicating it to have been a monumental struc- ture.
Most of my, traveling, at this period, was on foot. Often walked twenty or twenty-five miles and delivered a long discourse at night. Traveling in this hard way, and preaching most every day, I had little time to read or write. When a traveler asked Wordsworth's servant, to show him his master's study, he answered, " Here is his library, but his study is out of doors." So, like him, my study was out of doors. The Bible was my constant companion. The portions that most interested me were the New Testament, the Psalms, the book of Job, the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. When weary, would sit by the wayside and study the Book of Life, and on resum- ing my march, reflect on what I had read, or arrange a sermon. My discourses were seldom written, neither were they wholly extemporaneous, for I often repeated portions of them.
Journeyed to Steubenville, Ohio, where I spoke twice ; then to Marietta, and thence to Chillicothe, as I was bound for Cincinnati. In Chillicothe, remained a week, and lectured four times. While in this place, had the following conversation with a Presbyterian clergyman :
P. "What do you mean by salvation ? "
M. " I mean , deliverance from evil tendencies, thoughts,
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habits, purposes, and all of their long train of sad re- sults. This is perfect salvation. It can be only partial- ly realized in this world, at best; the grace, light and wisdom of eternity will be required to perfect the work. It may be commenced here, but can hardly be consum- mated in this lower world. And this is what the New Testament means by salvation. 'Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.' Matt. i. 21. 'Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.' John i. 28. 'Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities.' Acts iii. 25. 'There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, who shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is the covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.' Rom. xi. 27. 'There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.' Rom. viii. I. 'Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people zealous of good works.' Titus ii. 14. 'Because the creature [meaning mankind] shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.' Rom. viii. 21. . These scriptures clearly teach what is gospel salvation. The recipients of it are liberated from the bondage of sin and error ; the 'chains of darkness' are broken, and they en- joy a glorious liberty, a glorious deliverance, a glorious salvation."
P. " True, that is salvation; but the Bible also speaks of salvation from hell."
M. "The only passage where salvation from hell is spoken of reads thus: ' For great is thy mercy towards me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.' Psalms lxvi. 13. Here is hell, the lowest hell, and the
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writer speaks of salvation from it. But this hell is on earth, and the deliverance is a present deliverance. David had sinned, and he expressed his sins and their results by the term, hell. But he repented, reformed, obtained forgiveness, and was then delivered from the lowest hell into which he had been plunged. And it was the mis- sion of Jesus to save the world from just such a hell, and from no other."
P. " But the Bible speaks of salvation from hell in the future world - an endless hell."
M. " The Scriptures no where locate hell in the im- mortal world. It is a condition of moral corruption, and, this world knows by sad experience something of that kind of a hell. The terms, "eternal hell, " " everlasting hell, " "endless hell," do not once occur in the good book. But if gospel salvation is deliverance from such a wretched place, it is remarkable the sacred writers say nothing about it. The truth is, God never made the horrid place the creeds denominate hell, and consequent- ly nobody is exposed to its fiery surges, and all this talk about salvation from it, is simply idle talk. But men do cherish wicked thoughts, purposes, habits, and the salva- tion the Bible contemplates is deliverance from those real evils. Here is a trinity of evils; and to purify our thoughts, correct our habits, and rightly direct our pur- poses, should be the end and aim of life. But to spend life's golden moments, trying to dodge imaginary evils, evils that exist only in our creeds, and thereby make our- selves miserable, is foolish, is suicidal. The hell we need fear is within, not without, and away in yonder world ; and if half the effort was made to save the world from that inward hell, that is made to save it from imag-
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inary torments beyond the grave, much more would be ac- complished for humanity."
Proceeded to Bainbridge, where I spent several days, and delivered four sermons to an excited people. The doctrine of the Restitution was hardly known there, even by name, but all classes attended my meetings to hear the youthful speaker, and to learn something of his strange doctrine. Some were mad, some were glad. One minister treated me very kindly, and assisted sever- al times in the services, but another boiled over with rage, but heard me through. At the close of the second discourse, the latter jumped to his feet, and told the peo- ple the speaker believed in no hell, no devil, and for my part, he added, I would as soon deny that there is a God or a heaven. I told him he was mistaken, had misunderstood me; that I believed in all the hells and devils the Bible speaks of, and no more; that possibly we might differ concerning their Bible meaning, and that it was very uncharitable for him to assert I denied the Bible because I differed from him in understanding it. Doing that is not denying the Bible, but simply differing from the gentleman. He then dashed into Revelation to prove the devil to be a huge monster, almost equal to the Almighty ; that he has his throne in the infernal regions, where he reigns "monarch of all he surveys, " that his eagle eye, from the center of hell, beholds this earth and all therein, and that he not only attends to his infernal duties at home, but is constantly besieging every man, woman and child of earth, and never forsakes a soul till he is fairly within the gates of the.New Jerusalem and the door shut in his satanic face. I replied, that there was this difference between the speaker and myself-he was a Pagan, I a Christian. I believed in one God, he, at least,
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in two-the God of heaven, and the god of hell. And I exhorted him to abandon his Paganism and embrace Christianity. He cooled down somewhat, and at the close of the meeting gave me his hand.
Went to Cincinnati by stage, and oh, what roads! There were no railways then, not even turnpikes. Mud, mud, mud, nothing but mud ; stiff, black, deep mud. I forget how many times the stage broke down, how many horses were killed, or how many times all hands had to get out into the ocean of mud, and pry the stage out of the mud. But I do remember, that when we reached Cincinnati, the horses, driver, stage and passengers, were covered with rich Buckeye mud. Mr. West was preach- ing in the Queen city in a small house on Walnut street, and Mr. Tizard and George Rogers were publishing the Star in the West. Cincinnati then contained only twen- ty-five thousand inhabitants, but now fully three hundred thousand. Still, it was the city of the West. St. Louis and Chicago were then mere villages, now each is equal to Cincinnati in population. Surely, western cities are great growers. Preached several times in C., and made many pleasant acquaintances. Was urged to remain and labor in the vicinity, but had resolved to go South, and no persuasion could change my purpose. Had to learn my mistake by experience.
Went on foot, down the Ohio river. Stopped at North Bend; saw General Harrison, who then resided there, and spent several hours in his company. He was very kind and social. Said he had thought much about re- ligion, believed in its reality and usefulness, could not subscribe to eternal punishment, did not know about the salvation of all, but added, "I believe God is just, wise, good and merciful, and that all will end well, but what
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In the West.
that end is to be I know not. I must wait for the devel- opments of the great teacher - death." Soon after, he was elected President of the United States. Saw him several times during the Presidential campaign ; heard him make his Dayton speech to congregated thousands, read with tearful eyes the announcement of his death one short month after his inauguration, and have since lingered around his grave on the bank of the Ohio.
Next went to Rising Sun, Ind., where I preached every day for a week. This was my first advent into Indiana. Since then, have traveled through its length and breadth, and preached in nearly every town within its borders. Much interest was manifested in the meetings at Rising Sun, and large congregations attended. One man, I was informed, a member of some orthodox church, who at- tended one of the meetings, became so excited, during the service, that he ate all the tobacco he could find in his pockets - three large plugs. Since then, a church has been organized and a house built. Perhaps the good seed sown then, in after years yielded some fruit. Seven miles down the river is Patriot, where I stopped ten days, and delivered five discourses. The principal families of the place were of the liberal faith, excellent people, and practical Christians. They loved the truth, loved to talk about it, and loved to attend the services of the sanctu- ary. That place was an oasis in the desert -no con- troversy, no denunciation, but peace, and harmony reigned. A fine meeting-house was built soon after, and the church prospered for several years. But pecuniary misfortune overtaking some of the leading members, and the business of the town diminishing, nearly broke up the church. After a pleasant sojourn with the Patriot friends, went to Louisville, Ky., where I preached several
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times in a large hall. Had not been in Kentucky before, but since then have traveled extensively in that state. In this city, E. M. Pingree lived, studied, labored and died. He died young, in the midst of usefulness, loved and honored by all who knew him. He was a strong man, gathered many friends around him, and built up what seemed to be a permanent church; but it did not prosper long after his death, and is now extinct. Gad Chapin was in L. on my first visit, and is there still -a patriarch in our Israel.
At Louisville, took passage on the steamer "Commer- cial, " for New Orleans, fifteen hundred miles down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Delivered three dis- courses, at the request of the captain and passengers, on three subjects - Judgment, Punishment, Salvation --- and theological points were the principal subjects of discussion the ten days occupied in going to New Or- leans. The merits and demerits of Universalism were pretty freely canvassed by all, from the captain to the barber. Captain Rudd, the commander, was a member of the church in Patriot. Met him in after years in St. Louis, where he died of yellow fever. He was a good officer, and a generous friend.
Arrived at New Orleans in January. Ten days had transported me from winter to summer weather; from where the earth was bound in chains of ice, and cov- ered with snow, to where mother-earth was teeming with vegetable life, and covered with a carpet in which were blended the tints of the rainbow. Jack Frost was busy, biting ears and fingers, in Louisville ; in New Orleans, gnats and mosquitoes were as eagerly biting at every exposed point. Heard Dr. Clapp, but he had not then embraced the better faith.
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In the West.
Traveled all over the city ; also visited the battle-ground where General Jackson gave the English such a drubbing. Wanted to preach on the spot, but could not find a door of entrance. No one seemed to care for anything but money and dissipation. Mammon and Bacchus were the gods mostly worshiped. The meeting-houses were nearly empty, but theaters, museums, gambling dens, and grog-shops, were crowded. There were doubt- less some righteous men there, but to a stranger they seemed to be as scarce as in ancient Sodom.
CHAPTER III.
Desiring to see more of the world, I embarked for Matagorda, Texas, on board of a ship bound for that port. A steam tug towed us to the Balize, and we were soon "under sail for the destined port. There were many emi- grants on board, going to Texas to make themselves homes. We were at sea one Sunday, and had religious services on that day. I stood on the quarter-deck, my hearers, numbering about one hundred, gathered around me - some on deck and some in the rigging. My text was, " And he arose and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm." I commenced by speaking of the storms to which the sea is subject ; and then spoke of that ONE, who has perfect control of its mountain waves, and of the hurricane that lashes the mighty deep into such fury. One word from Him turns the headlong tornado into a calm, and the angry surges into repose. Life is a sea, and we are all voyagers, sailing from port to port. Sometimes we have fair weather, and some- times foul weather. To-day the sun may brightly shine, and the air be gentle as an infant's breath, and our bark glide smoothly along, like a vessel on the mirrored deep ; to-morrow, clouds and darkness may gather around ; the storms of human passion, or of adversity, may threaten the destruction of us and ours, and in despair we may give up all as lost. But let us remember, through the whole journey of life, there is One who controls the storms of life as well as the storms of the ocean, and that to every troubled heart he says, "Peace -be still." A
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