Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical SketchesAdams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Religion
Fifty Notable Years: Views of the Ministry of Christian Universalism During the Last Half-Century; with Biographical Sketches
Adams, John G. (John Greenleaf)
Universalism; Universalist Church -- Biography; Universalists -- Biography; Universalists -- United States -- History
The adventurous wight who was willing to
appear as a condemner of their doctrines was the very one for whom
they were looking, and for whose presence and opposition they were
profoundly thankful. Their meetings were electrifying. Such debates
and orations, such questionings and rejoinders! Such hymns and
spiritual songs, too, sung often by the Hutchinsons to the old tunes
of "Amherst," "Lenox," and "New Jerusalem!" We hear them now; they
brought the shouts and tears.
We remember a scene in Marlboro Chapel one afternoon during
Anniversary Week. There came up for debate the question: "Does the
Constitution of the United States justify slavery?" Rev. John Pierpont
took the negative, and very logically maintained it for more than an
hour. He appeared in the greatness of his strength, and at the close
of his argument proposed to those of his auditors who wished, to
question his statements. And never was seen a hungrier company of
interrogators than then and there came upon him. But he was unmoved as
a sea-rock in the midst of the breakers. His side of the question was
not popular with most of the speakers and their sympathizers there,
and he was subjected to a most searching cross-questioning. But he
came out triumphantly (as it seemed) through it all. When three or
four would speak at once, he would say: "One at a time, friends; the
miller's rule holds,--first come, first served. I desire to hear you
all." The afternoon sunshine suddenly blazing in from one of the
windows upon his face, he aptly remarked: "Some subjects are involved
in impenetrable darkness; but here we seem to have a super-abundance
of light!" When the last inquirer had been answered, the speaker
asked: "Are you all through?" And no other one questioning, he said:
"And now, after the fashion of the good old divines, I come to the
'Improvement';" under which head he carefully and briefly reviewed the
substance of the debate. It was a masterly plea.
But the end was not yet. There was an evening meeting. Again the hall
was filled, to listen to a reply to Mr. Pierpont by Wendell Phillips.
The orator was in his best mood, and his silvery speech kept the
audience spell-bound. It was a complete refutation of the arguments
adduced in the afternoon. A clergyman sitting near to Mr. Pierpont
said to him: "How can his arguments be answered?" to which the latter
replied: "I should like to see the man who could tell me!" So Greek
met Greek in those stirring and stormy days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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