hirty
pounds.

It was while I was exerting myself to pay off this debt that I offended
the leaders of my congregation by giving up public worship. The person
who said that in doing so, "I had been guilty of a crime, compared with
which that of Judas in selling his Master, was honor and piety," was
this same Mr. Blackwell. When I began to print for myself, he demanded
the instant payment of the remaining two hundred and thirty pounds, and
followed the demand by legal proceedings. A friend, Mr. John Hindhaugh,
who had heard how I was situated, and who had also heard that Mr.
Blackwell had said that he would soon put a stop to my printing, went
and paid the amount demanded, and brought me the receipt, and said, that
if ever I found myself able, I might repay him the amount, but that I
must by no means put myself to any inconvenience. In course of time I
repaid my friend, and was once more out of debt.

It was just while tried by this sad affair, that I formed the resolution
to throw off all restraints of prevailing creeds and customs, and enter
on a career of wholesale and untrammelled investigation and discussion.
I was not in the fittest state of mind to do justice to the forms of
Christianity in favor with the churches. On the contrary, the influences
to which I had been long subjected, and the peculiar state of excitement
in which I was still living, could hardly fail to carry me into
extremes. No matter, I set to work. I printed thousands upon thousands
of hand-bills, announcing a three months' convention and free discussion
in my chapel, and had them posted and distributed all round the country.
Free admission and freedom of speech were promised to all comers. Among
the subjects announced for discussion were, the Trinity, the Godhead of
Christ, the Atonement, Natural Depravity, Hereditary Guilt, Eternal
Torments, Everlasting Destruction, Justification by Faith alone, the
Nature of Saving Faith, What is a Christian? Trust in the Merits of
Christ, Instantaneous Regeneration, Christian Perfection, the direct
Witness of the Spirit, the Sabbath Question, Non-resistance, Peace, War,
and Human Governments, Law-Suits, the Credit System, Toleration and
Human Creeds, the Church, the Hired Ministry, Public Prayer, Public
Worship generally, Preaching, Sunday Schools, Freedom of Thought,
Freedom of Conscience, Class-Meetings, and the Duty of the Church to its
Poor Members.

The chapel was kept open every day, and every day, wh