The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14
The Tennessee discussion.
DISCUSSION AT HENDERSON.

Rev. J. n. Hall, Baptist, and Rev. j.
WILLIAMSON, DID, Universalist, came off
in the Baptist church in that place
Tuesday-Friday, March 20-23. The
audiences were large and the interest
great; people we're in attendance from
distance of thirty miles. AS most OF
those outside the village came on horse
back. the neighborhood Of the church
showed numerous cavalcade instead
of the vehicles that would have sur
rounded the meeting in the North
ern States.
The appearance of the second named
above needs no description to our read
ers. The first named, Mr.. Hall, is
medium sized, with bald head, high
over the region of selfesteem, with
broad basal brain, small frontal and
low coronal development, but large
perceptional faculties, indicating the
shrewd tactician, the attorney rather
than the theologian, the exhorter rath-
or than the reasoner, a voice OF great
volume and harsh beyond description,
with tremendous energy of action;
these make up the appearance and
manner of the advocate Of Gods relent-
less wrath. At times his denunciation
of the doctrine he opposed and of its
supporters made him seem almost fit
exponent of the God he advocated. He
was accompanied by three of his fellow
clergy, who rendered themselves con-
spicuous by passing notes to their prin-
cipal, and by many manifestations of
assent or dissent, smiling approval OF
him and not seldom ''grinning horribly
CHASTITY smiles at an unanticipated
turn against them, audibly chuckling
when their champion seemed for the
moment to have got the matches of hell
securely fastened, and poor wretches
roasting in the literal fire he advocated;
and even whispering so as to compel
their opponent to pause and once to re-
buke them for unseemly interruption.
The audience composed of people
four-ffths of whom were of other
churches than ours, conducted them
selves with perfect propriety, once only
openly applauding when they thought
Mr.. Hall had got Dives back into hell,
after hell was emptied and destroyed,
but the most perfect courtesy and pro-
priety was observed throughout by the
people setting an example on their
part; that the ministers might have
copied to their advantage.
DR.. Hanson was accompanied by Rev.
D. B. Clayton, of South Carolina. He
was one of the moderators, Rev. Mr.. Mil
burn the other, and Rev. Mr.. Booth, of
the Christian church,-a model of the
Christian gentleman,-was umpire.
The closest attention was paid through
out, sometimes of the most intensely
eager character, on the part of candid
people who for the first time listened to
our sentiments.
Mr.. Halls Affirmative. 90
Mr.. Hall began by beseechiNs his
hearers to be candid and unbiased,
not allowing preconceived opinions to
warp their judgments, and then warn
ed them that if they decided the ques-
ton against his position, they did so
at the peril of their souls. He began
the advocacy of the proposition that
"The Scriptures teach that some por-
ton of mankind will suffer endless pun
ishment," in a carefully written speech
of an hour, read with lightning rapid
ity in which he scarcely attempted
word of proof, but gave number OF
assumptions and quoted large number
of texts containing everlasting" etc.,
with no effort to show that they teach
endless duration.
His positions were ~ that endless
punishment is IN harmony ,oith God s toUe,
which is only one attribute of his be-
ing. and not the principal attribute.
To this it was replied that love is not
an attribute of God, but is his nature
and essence, and that every act of God
is dictated by his essential nature.
s'God is Love-" His justice is the
Justice of love, his punishments the
punishments of love, and as "love
works no ill.," God can never permit
any event that infinite love will not
sanction. Hatred of God and mutual
hate on the part of man are contrary to
Gods nature, or therefore cannot be
perpetual. If God is love endless pun
ishment is impossible.
2. His second assumption that end
less punishment is IN harmony Nth God
goodness, was but repetition of his first.
The reductio dd dbsurdltm was applied
to this position. God is infinitely good,
loves good and hates evil, and there
fore he has instituted constitution of
things that will defeat the end he
desires, perpetuate the thing he hates
and destroy that which he loves, and
prevent what he desires to perpetuate
The proposition refutes itself.
8. Endless punishment hGrmonizeS
Nth divine justice. 1t was replied that
God is not a Shylock; his justice is not