Chapter I: Front Matter

Transcriber’s Notes:

Text enclosed by underscores is in italics.

Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end.

* * * * *

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE WEST.

BY ERASMUS MANFORD

CHICAGO:
E. MANFORD, PUBLISHER.
1867.

* * * * *

TO
MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS
IN THE WEST,
_WITH WHOM I HAVE LIVED_
AND LABORED MANY YEARS,
THIS VOLUME
IS DEDICATED

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE 9.

Parentage and Childhood; “Lord” Timothy Dexter; At School; In
Haverhill; Shoemaking; Early Aspirations; Converted; Must be a
Minister; On a Plank; Attend School; A Long Walk; Studies with J. C.
Waldo and Dr. Cobb; First Preaching; With W. S. Balch; First Tour;
First Debate; Came out Second Best; Talk with an Englishman about
American Coarseness; Conversation on Slavery; In Maryland; Talk with
an Episcopal Clergyman concerning Endless Woe not being Taught in the
Old Testament; Traveling and Preaching on the Eastern Shore; Return
to Baltimore; A Storm; Where Truth Flourishes and Where it Does Not;
Another Location; Self and Faith Abused; Preach in Harper’s Ferry,
Charleston, Winchester, Va.; A Hard Battle; Cross the Alleghany
Mountains.

CHAPTER II.

PAGE 33.

In Pittsburg; S. A. Davis, Wife and Daughter; The West; Preach
in Pennsylvania and Ohio; Western Reserve; Talk with a Bigot;
Conversation on a Steamboat; Forbidden to Preach; Grave Creek; A
Mound; My Study; What is Salvation? Proceedings in Bainbridge; Mud;
In Cincinnati; General Harrison; In Rising Sun; Patriot; Preach in
Louisville, Ky.; E. M. Pingree; On the Mississippi River; Preach in a
Steamboat; In New Orleans; Battle Ground.

CHAPTER III.

PAGE 47.

A Sea Voyage; A Meeting at Sea; Tornado; Strange Vessel; In Texas;
Travel to Houston; Hard Fare; The Country; Sleeping on the Ground;
Very Thirsty; Must have Water; Colorado River; Sound Asleep on its
Banks; Cross the River on Logs; Corn Cake; A Surprise; In Houston;
General Houston; The Attorney-General of Texas; San Jacinto Battle
Ground; A Pandemonium; Buck Wheat Cakes; Embark for New Orleans; A
Condemned Vessel; On Allowance; In New Orleans; A Contrast; Ague and
Fever; Up the Mississippi.

CHAPTER IV.

PAGE 55.

Labors of E. B. Mann; N. Wadsworth; Owner of a Horse; Preach in
Indiana and Kentucky; A Profane Life; General Clarke; Atheism; The
Eyeless Fish; A Presbyterian Minister’s Wisdom; No Hell, No Heaven;
Travel in Ohio; Another Preacher Replies; Labors in Dayton; D. R.
Biddlecom; George Messenger; R. Smith’s Somersault; J. A. Gurley;
George Rogers; Start for Indiana; Battle in Harrison; Universalism
an Old Doctrine, and of God; Partialism an Old Doctrine, but of
Satan; Grove Meeting; Father St. John: Badly Treated; John O’Kane
on his Creed; In Indianapolis; A. Longley; A Horse; Questioned by a
Methodist; In Terre Haute; Very Unpopular.

CHAPTER V.

PAGE 74.

Journey in Ohio; Intemperance; General Baldwin; In Columbus; Death
Penalty; How to Deal with Offenders; Preach in Newark and Zanesville;
Hell Discussed; Mrs. Frances D. Gage; Invited to Settle in Marietta;
W. H. Jolly, In Chillicothe; Opposition in Richmond; --. Webber; In
Kentucky; Dr. Chamberlin; Opposition in Lexington; Is Universalism
Infidelity? A Slanderous Story by a D.D.; In Paris; Excursion to
Patriot; A Discussion; Daniel Parker; Cure the Ague; Good Health.

CHAPTER VI.

PAGE 87.

A Journey East; Talk with a Baptist Minister; Preach in Delaware and
Centerville, Ohio; W. Y. Emmett; Doors Closed; A. Bond; A. B. Grosh;
In New England; On the Sea; A Storm; Methodist Preacher Frightened;
Blow the Trumpet; In Philadelphia; In Delaware; In Pittsburg; Return
to Cincinnati; Go to Chicago; Bad Roads; In Richmond; Talk with
a Quaker; A Spirit Returns to Earth; A Spirit Out of the Body; A
Strange Sight; Preach in God’s Temple; Preach in Chicago; Preach in
Joliet; Aaron Kinney, an Early Preacher; Bill of Fare; Hard Luck in
Magnolia; Why Preach; In Hennepin; Political Humbugs; Opposition in
Washington; Justice of God; In Pekin and Tremont; Frozen; A Preacher
Replies.

CHAPTER VII.

PAGE 103.

Located in Lafayette; The Christian Teacher Commenced; A Circuit;
Society Organized; Meeting-house Built; All Alone; Conflict in
Frankfort; Old Testament Doctrine of Punishment; Debate Proposed
in Frankfort; Discussion in Independence; Character of my Sermons;
Slander Refuted; Debate in Burlington; Endless Woe; Some Voting; The
Use of Discussion; A Traveler.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAGE 119.

Debate in Lafayette; Die in Adam; Alive in Christ; This World and
World to Come; Battle Ground; In Monticello; A Reply; A Preacher
Whipped; D. Vines; S. Oyler; I. M. Westfall; B. F. Foster in Indiana;
Revival Poetry; Ladoga Camp-Meeting; Worship; In Michigan City; An
Episcopal Preacher; A Wet Ride; Debate in Dayton; Discussion in
Jefferson; Everlasting Punishment; End of the World; Second Coming of
Christ; Eternal Life; Meaning of Everlasting.

CHAPTER IX.

PAGE 140.

Questioned J. O’Kane in Dayton; He Beat a Retreat; He Replied in
Crawfordsville; Three Resurrections, National, Moral, and Immortal;
Conversation in West Lebanon; Everlasting, Forever; Kingdom of
God; Sin, Error, Suffering not Endless; In Southern Indiana; Why
Live a Christian Life? Bigotry in Breckenridge; Discussion with
Mr. Dickerson; Calvinism; Arminianism; Universalism; Debate in
Chambersburg.

CHAPTER X.

PAGE 161.

Move to Terre Haute; Lecture in Fort Wayne; A Discussion There; Dr.
Thompson; Visit Illinois; Opposition; Discussion in Charleston;
Prayed For; Called Infidel; Debate in Green Castle; Conditions of
Salvation; God’s Will; All are Spirits; Form of the Teacher Changed;
J. Burt and J. H. Jordan, Editors; Oliver Cromwell; Foundation of
Character; In Many Places; A Celebration; Meeting in the Rain; Fourth
of July Celebration; Debate in Martinsville.

CHAPTER XI.

PAGE 172.

Journey into Northern Illinois; Temperance Lecture; Result of
Temperate Drinking; Married; Homeward Bound; High Waters; Difficult
Traveling; Trouble in Crossing Streams; A Cold Bath; End of the
“Bridal Tour”; A Hard Ride; Debate with E. Kingsbury; In Northern
Indiana; Conversation with an Indian; Dark Man and Dark Night;
Explanation of Hebrews ix. 27, 28; End of the World; The Earth and
Man.

CHAPTER XII.

PAGE 193.

Discussion in Franklin; Justice of God; What the Gospel Is; Society
Organized; Discourse on Total Depravity; Conversation with a
Presbyterian Minister on Christian Rewards; Talk with a Catholic;
A Methodist; A Presbyterian; A Campbellite; Salvation; A Mormon
Sermon; Reply to It; A Journey to Louisville and Cincinnati.

CHAPTER XIII.

PAGE 213.

Move to Indianapolis; Extensive Traveling; Henry Ward Beecher; A
Fossiled Calvinist; Supposed to be an Orthodox Preacher; Debate
in New Philadelphia; Strife Between the North and South; The Old
Convention Dead; The New Convention Organized; Discussion in
Springfield, Ill.; Abraham Lincoln; God is Love; Is Merciful; Is
Just; Is Holy; Travel in Illinois; Conversation with a Presbyterian
Clergyman on the Origin of Hell; In Iowa City, and Other Places in
Iowa; Home Again; W. J. Chaplin; Discussion with Benjamin Franklin;
Debate in Covington; Discussion with Mr. Russell; Publish the “One
Hundred and Fifty Reasons”; Review of “Universalism Against Itself”;
Publish Another Book; Olive Branch Discontinued; Travel Far and Near.

CHAPTER XIV.

PAGE 231.

Conclude to go to St. Louis; Commence the Golden Era; Association
in Crawfordsville; Debate in Dayton; Man in God’s Image; God the
Father of All; Man Immortal; Man a Spirit; High Waters; In St. Louis;
Why Moved to St. Louis; But Few Friends; First Journey in Missouri;
Wet, Hungry, Out in the Cold; In Troy; In Ashley; Four Brothers;
In Louisiana; Opposition in London; In Hannibal; Good Friends;
Questioned in Palmyra About Slavery; Conversation on Judgment;
In Memphis; Questioned; A Presbyterian Preacher Replied; Was to
Debate in Newark; Covered with Ice; Missouri River; Discussion in
Georgetown; In Southern Missouri; Questioned in Warsaw; In Jefferson
City; Hard Work in Danville; Return to St. Louis.

CHAPTER XV.

PAGE 251.

The Golden Era Issued Semi-Monthly; The Missourians; Slave Holders;
Travel in Southern Missouri; If Endless Woe is True all Nature would
Weep; Region of Iron; Dunkards in Millersville; In Southern Illinois;
Philosophy of Christ Being the Savior of the World; Refuse to Debate;
Discussion in Carlyle; Inspiration; Our Name; Partialism Approaches
Infidelity; Three Downward Steps; Reply to a Sermon; Hayne’s Sermon;
Mr. Lewis Debating on his Knees; Written Discussions with two
Methodist Ministers; In Northern Missouri; A Preacher Replies; A Log
Cabin; Talk with a Slave; Thomas Abbott; Negroes Hung; The Golden
Era; Mrs. Manford Lecturing; Let Woman Work; A Circuit in Missouri;
Travel in Cold Weather; Debate in Quincy.

CHAPTER XVI.

PAGE 277.

The Golden Era; Extensive Traveling; In Missouri and Kansas; Talk
with a Deist in Jefferson City; Moses; The Prophets; Replied to
in Pisgah; Talk with a Rum-seller; In Kansas City; In Wyandotte;
Conversation with a Clergyman Concerning Christ and his Work;
Lectured in Leavenworth; Destruction of Man’s Enemies; In St. Joseph;
The Mercy of God; In Kingston; Rich Man and Lazarus.

CHAPTER XVII.

PAGE 293.

The Rebellion Commenced; What Senator Douglas Said; Defenders of our
Country; Camp Jackson; Rebel Flag; Great Expectations; Subscribers
Lost; Money Lost; All but Two of the Religious Journals Stopped;
Could do but Little in Missouri; Society in St. Louis; G. S. Weaver
Left; The Unitarian Society; Published Pamphlet on Water Baptism;
Discussion with B. H. Smith; Extracts from the Discussion.

CHAPTER XVIII.

PAGE 315.

Discussion in Pontiac; The Apostle’s Faith; His Argument in Romans;
Extensive Traveling; In Kansas and Missouri; Price’s Raid; In
Ohio and Indiana; Dark Night and Walk in Toledo; Conversation on
Destructionism; The Victory; The Death; President Lincoln; Debate in
Milford, Ohio; The Restitution an old Doctrine; The Sentiment Wide
Spread; At Work in Iowa; Laborers There; Murderers Saved and the
Murdered Lost; Intellectual and Moral Growth; What Man Was; What He
is to Be; The Victory; Spiritualism; Immoral Preaching; Saved Without
Repentance; Preaching a Means of Salvation; A Methodist Minister
Believes; The Suicide.

CHAPTER XIX.

PAGE 346.

Last Campaign; In Galesburg, Ill.; The United States Convention;
Lombard University; Other Schools; Journey to Missouri; In Macon
City; In Brookfield; St. Joseph and Other Cities; Grove Meeting; On
the Missouri Bottom; Beautiful Country; Preach in Fillmore and many
other Places; Return Home; Anti-Orthodox Preaching; Funeral Sermons;
Death; Life; Conclusion.