Part 22 (2/2)
Whitney, an ultra Universalist, in which Mr. W. engaged to prove: 1.
That the last judgment is confined to this life. 2. The final salvation of all men. 3. That ultra Universalism is better, in its moral tendency, than any other system of faith. The order of discussion was a sermon each. Mr. Badger spoke first, taking for his entire speech four hours and twenty minutes. The plot of his sermon is very lengthy, and laid out in the form of a ma.s.sive strength. It was one of those masterly efforts to which a successful reply would seem impossible.
Volumes of interesting personal reminiscences, those that would be characteristic of the man might be written, provided his contemporaries would pour out their recollections in a form that would be available for a writer's use. I would here narrate an incident given me on good authority, which ill.u.s.trates his readiness for an emergency. In the village of his residence, some eight or ten years ago, the Episcopal Church, and the citizens generally, had a.s.sembled in their chapel, splendidly illuminated on Christmas Eve, expecting to hear a sermon for the occasion from an Episcopal clergyman from a distance. The clergyman arrived in town, but not sufficiently early to look over his papers, and to prepare for the service. He declined to speak. The leading man of the society, who felt deeply the disappointment, saw but one method by which to save the credit of the occasion, which was to get Mr. Badger to preach. No other clergyman would dare to attempt it. The people were a.s.sembled, expectations were high. He at once came to Mr. Badger's house, found that he had just returned from Lakeville, weary with labor, and was reclining in front of the fire. He told him the facts of the case, that he must go to the church and preach the sermon, that not a moment could be lost. Mr. Badger arose, and without waiting to find a text, to brush his coat, or to comb his hair, walked with him to the chapel, entered the desk, and without much apology, gave, what the citizens have ever since declared to be, a most eloquent and able discourse--a better than which, they had never heard him give.
In the village of Springport, during his labors there, a few men of skeptical cast of mind thought they would embarra.s.s him by sending him a text, accompanied by a respectful request that they would be glad to hear him preach from it. The text was Ecc. 3: 21: ”Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?” It was handed to him one evening, and he preached from it the next. After speaking respectfully and thankfully of his indebtedness to some three or four gentlemen for the subject on which he should speak, he proceeded to give the import of the pa.s.sage thus: King Solomon, he said, was an observer, a thinker, and a man of knowledge. He saw the two natures of man, his body and spirit: that as respects the former, all go to one place, man and beast; but that notwithstanding the plainness of these outward phenomena, an impenetrable mystery remains in respect to the spirit of each. ”Who _knoweth_ the spirit of man that goeth upward?” that is, who _comprehends_ it, who can declare the whole mystery of its powers? Who comprehends the spirit of the beast?--this too is mystery. The wise man, said Mr. Badger, knew the _limit_ of knowledge. After giving this view of the pa.s.sage, which cleared it of all imagined difficulty, and which is justified by the letter of the text, he preached a sermon on the immortal nature and destiny of man. Near the close, after applying the subject quite effectively, he called attention to the object for which the gentleman had given the text.
”The only purpose,” said he, ”why this pa.s.sage was sent me under these peculiar circ.u.mstances, was to establish the doctrine that _man_ is a _beast_, that he has only the destiny of a beast. This,” said he, ”is a grave position.
Were I to meet one of those gentlemen to-morrow, and in my salutation call him a beast, would he not regard it as a gross insult? Look at the origin of this request. A few _men_, or _beasts_ if they are determined to have it so, meet and _talk_ about the Bible, the church, religion and the ministers. They say the Bible is a fable, religion is imagination, and the clergy are after the people's money.
Now let us send the minister a text that proves there is no hereafter. Is not this conversation on a pretty high order of subjects for beasts? And this handwriting too (holding up the note) looks very handsome and fair for a beast.
Animals are fast ascending.”
The power of this satire, as given by him, was perfectly triumphant, and it is needless to add that he was ever after left to choose his own subjects. But in this line of remark we are obliged to desist, not having been supplied with material for a chapter of personal recollections.
A few remarks from two or three of his contemporaries will close this chapter. Rev. L. D. Fleming, of Rochester, N. Y., writes as follows:
”He is a.s.sociated with all the remembrances of my early Christian experience. In many respects he was an extraordinary man. Few men take as deep an interest in the wants and necessities of young ministers as he did. He was always ready to lift them up when through discouragement they were falling; and he had a most happy gift for drawing them out, for developing their mental resources, for inspiring them with hope when hopeless, and with that necessary self-reliance which many lack, and for the want of which many abandon their calling. He treated them not only as babes in Christ, 'feeding them with the sincere milk of the word,' but as fellows with him in the Gospel mission. This was an _inspiring fellows.h.i.+p_, where lay much of his hidden power. How often have I known him to ask the advice of the young minister on important subjects, not, probably, that he expected that they could unravel knotty questions, or enlighten him. He intended to draw them into a new field of thought, to set them in pursuit of their own resources, and to kindle up the fires of mentality as no other means would have done it. He had tact and talent peculiarly his own. His nature overflowed with the milk of human kindness; this, a.s.sociated with his peculiar organization, gave him that great social power which was one characteristic of his life. Although I cannot hope by anything I can say, to add to his fame, I feel a pleasure in bearing testimony to those entrancing social qualities and Christian virtues, which should be emulated by all lovers of the Gospel he professed, and by which he became endeared to mult.i.tudes.”
From Rev. O. E. Morrill, of Plainville, Onondaga County, N. Y., we take the following lines:
”Much has already been said, and well said by Messrs.
Hazein and Fay, in their obituary notices, and it would seem superfluous in me to reiterate the same things. It may be proper for me to observe, that, within a few past years many of our worthy brethren in the ministry, with whom I have battled in the Lord's war for more than a quarter of a century, have retired from the battle field with an honorable discharge. The name of Joseph Badger now becomes cla.s.sified with those of Peavy, Bailey, Clough, Morrison, Shaw, Fernald, and more recently with our deeply lamented brother Barr.
”I knew all these men when young, and loved them as my own natural brothers. They were all pious, devoted ministers of the Gospel. They were persevering, faithful pioneers, and true to the spirit and doctrine of the Christian reformation. Men of the first cla.s.s of natural talents, but of moderate literary accomplishments, they were emphatically a cla.s.s of self-sacrificing men, public benefactors of our race. They commenced in the ministry when young, labored hard, fared hard, lived upon short pay, and survived to see their storm-beaten vessel under full sail before a refres.h.i.+ng breeze, and died in peace.
”Of all these good men it may seem invidious to make a distinction, but without intending the least detraction from the rest of them, I may be permitted to say, that, from some strong affinity of our nature, or some other cause I cannot now explain, Mr. Badger was always nearer and dearer to me than either of the rest of them. We loved like Jonathan and David. Our souls were knit together. We were raised in adjoining towns in New Hamps.h.i.+re, and he was but a few years my senior. His whole nature was cheerful, his address familiar and easy, and all his a.s.sociations were frank, kind, and interesting. His natural turn was affable, and he enjoyed sociability with an uncommon relish.
”In preaching, his voice was not heavy, but clear, soft, and musical, and capable of being heard at a good distance.
His sermons were methodical, his ideas clear, distinct, and comprehensive. He was familiar with the Scriptures, and evinced a sufficient knowledge of books and of literature, for all practical purposes. He had a well-disciplined mind, a retentive memory, and a happy faculty of communication.
He was never at a loss for words to express his thoughts, nor did he confuse his hearers with a redundancy of them.
His preaching was not loud, but soft, easy, and pleasant to the hearer, yet pathetic and commanding. His manner was never boisterous, but mild, quiet, and agreeable. He never lost his balance of temper in debate, but always bore himself through with much unaffected pleasantry and good humor. He was a ready writer, a close thinker, a fair debater, a good editor, an excellent preacher, and a strong man. He was strictly evangelical in doctrine, according to Dr. L. Beecher's definition of that term. To the honor of his name be it said, he never had the least sympathy with Campbellism, Millerism, Calvinism, or Universalism, but was a whole-hearted Christian individually, theologically, and denominationally.
”To be sure, Brother Badger had his foibles, imperfections, and mortal weaknesses as well as other men; but now, having gone from us, and his account sealed up to the great day, let the broad mantle of Christian charity cover these forever, as he can give no further explanations, make no defence, nor be benefited by our limited extenuations.
Peace to his ashes!”
Rev. J. Ross, of Charleston, N. Y., says:
”My first acquaintance with Mr. Badger was, I think, in the fall of 1816. He then, in company with ministers Avery, Moulton, and J. L. Peavy, called at my father's house in Milton, Saratoga County, N. Y., and held a meeting. Mr.
Peavy preached. This was a little over two years after my profession of religion, and the organization of the Christian church at b.a.l.l.stown. There was then a church existing at Galway, ten or twelve miles distant, and brethren scattered throughout various towns in the vicinity. Jabez King and Philip Sandford, both young men, were nearly all the help we had in that vicinity. Mr.
Badger and his a.s.sociates called to hold a general meeting of all the brethren who could a.s.semble at Galway, for the purpose of seeking out and commending to the work, such persons as gave evidence of having gifts profitable for the Gospel field. The meeting was held in Galway, in the first chapel ever erected by our people in the State of New York.
A number of young and diffident brethren, who afterwards became ministers, were here taken by the hand, by those more experienced, and encouraged to improve their gifts, whilst the churches were taught their duty to them. The sympathy and union generated by that interview doubtless still live in several hearts. This was our first acquaintance; and the act of meeting for the encouragement of young men whose eye was on the ministry, I deem peculiarly characteristic of the subject of the memoir. No young man in the circle of his influence was permitted to hide a profitable gift in a napkin, or bury his talent in the earth. He knew how to draw out the most diffident, could make the most of them when drawn out, and none could inspire their minds with stronger fort.i.tude. At our first conference at Hartwick, Otsego County, 1818, he was there the active, moving spirit of that body. And whatever of order and good arrangement we now have in our conferences and conventions, may be attributed, more than to any other cause, to the impetus given by him in those early times.
”There was little of Don Quixote or of Utopianism in his const.i.tution. He judged accurately of the effect of causes.
He was cool, calm, and self-possessed amidst exciting scenes that moved the mult.i.tude; and wherever his Gospel labors proved effective, society was built up and order was established. He was a close observer of men and things, took the gauge and dimensions of men quickly, and it was usually safe to take his estimate as the true one. He saw coming events in the shadows which preceded them. Seemingly inspired with the sentiment that the Gospel was the G.o.d-appointed lever designed to lift the world from its moral degradation, he showed but little sympathy for any humanly devised means of reformation. '_The Gospel!_ THE GOSPEL! THE PURE GOSPEL!' was his cry for the cure of moral evil. A want of confidence in the many professedly reformatory measures and a.s.sociations of the age was calculated to affect his popularity in many quarters, but he adhered unwaveringly to his motto, 'the Gospel.'
”His sermons had method peculiar to himself. They always had order and arrangement; but the coherence of the parts was not always apparent to the casual observer. His manner in the pulpit was often playful, exciting a smile from the light-hearted, and sometimes a sigh or a tear from the most devout, as he rowed out into the sea of public discourse.
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