Chapter 16

Story of my descent from the faith of my childhood, to doubt and unbelief.--Bad theological teaching in my early days.--Dreadful results.--Perplexity.--Madness.--Survive all, and get over it.--The first arguments I heard for the Bible.--True basis of religious belief.--Reading on the evidences.--Effects.--Unsound arguments.--_Their_ effect.--_Internal_ evidences best.--Negative criticism, long continued, ruinous both to faith and virtue.--Moving ever downwards.--The devil as a theologian, a poet and a philosopher.--Bible Conventions.--W. L. Garrison, A. J. Davis.--Public discussions in Philadelphia with Dr. McCalla.--The Doctor's disgraceful failure.--Great,--mad,--excitement.--Narrow escape from murder.--Eight nights' debate with Dr. Berg.--The good cause suffered through bad management.--The Doctor took an untenable position.--Undertook to prove too much and failed.--Substantially right, but logically wrong.--Other debates in Ohio, Indiana, England and Scotland.--Mean and mischievous opponents.--Honorable and useful ones.--Bad advocates of a good cause, its worst enemies, 269