The Cornerstone
a brief life of John Murray for young people, by Irene Carrow Rees
VI. John Murray Encounters Universalists
It was now that all London became aroused by the doctrines of James Relly, a conscientious and zealous preacher of the doctrine of Universal Redemption. The Murrays were urged to hear him but refused to be an "eye witness of his blasphemies. Some months after Mr. Murray's marriage, the congregation of the Tabernacle were shocked to hear that one of their most devout and charming young women had become "ensnared" by Relly's teachings. Soon she announced herself as a firm and unwavering believer in Universal Redemption.
"Horrible, most horrible!" was the verdict of Mr. Murray. He was amazed that so fine a young woman could have been induced to listen to the "pernicious errors of this detestable babbler." An ordinary backslider would have been denounced and excommunicated, but this "hitherto meritorious female" was considered worthy of an attempt to reclaim.
It was proof of the esteem in which he was held that "young Brother Murray" was selected to persuade this wandering lamb to return to the true fold. He was quite willing to undertake what he considered an easy task. "He that converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins," he quoted, and he asked several of his "Christian brethren" to go with him.
In solemn silence, broken only by occasional deep sighs, they sat about the room, the young woman's serenity remaining unruffled during this trying ordeal. Prefaced by a deeper sigh than usual, Mr. Murray began a violent denunciation of unbelievers — in this case, Universalists. With dignity and clearness the young woman answered him and in the discussion which followed had decidedly the best of the arguments. In concluding Mr. Murray remarked that Jesus never was and never could be the Savior of any unbeliever.
"Do you think Jesus is your Savior, sir?" she asked.
"I hope he is. "
"Were you always a believer, sir?"
"No, madam. "
"Then you were once an unbelieverthat is, you once believed that Jesus Christ was not your Savior. Now, as you say, he never was and never will be the Savior of any unbeliever; as you were once an unbeliever, he never can be your Savior."
"He never was my Savior till I believed. "
"Did he never die for you till you believed, sir?"
Just here Mr. Murray's growing embarrassment got the better of him. He could think of nothing to say and devoutly wished himself out of the house. He shook his head, sighed bitterly and after expressing deep commiseration for the poor souls who bad nothing but head knowledge, drew out his watch and remarked it was time to go as he was already late for an engagement. He was deeply mortified at this result of his first encounter with Universalism and his humiliation was increased by the presence of his friends, who quite evidently realized that the laurels of victory belonged with the young woman.
In his report to the church Mr. Murray advised the congregation "to bold no further arguments with these apostates," and for himself he adds, "I am resolved to carefully avoid every Universalist and most cordially do I hate them."
The church needed no admonition to beware of Universalists. Murderers and thieves were scarcely held in worse repute. The most scandalous stories were reported about Relly. It was affirmed that only the unprincipled went to hear him and that the street before his luxuriously appointed church was thronged with the carriages of rich profligates. The various sects of London fought furiously with each other on many points but united in their denunciation of Rellyites.
About this time a new religious society for the discussion of difficult Bible passages was formed with a leading Baptist, named Mason, as president. The meetings opened with prayer and the announcement of the subject by Mr. Mason. Each one present was allowed five minutes to express his views, the time being measured by a sand glass on the table around which the members were seated. Mr. Mason gave the signal to stop by a stroke of the gavel and had the privilege, if the remarks pleased him, of extending the time limit. Mr. Murray was a constant attendant at the society and was shown unusual favor in the amount of latitude allowed him.
At the close of one of the meetings, Mr. Mason drew him aside and, after many flattering remarks, asked him to take home for criticism a paper he had written against Relly's "Union," the pamphlet which had roused London by its affirmation of Universal Redemption. He begged Mr. Murray to give an absolutely honest opinion. Much complimented by this proof of the president's favor, he began the reading with greatest delight, but soon discovered that Mr. Mason, instead of answering Relly's argument, simply treated it with ridicule. When this defect was pointed out to Mr. Mason, he received the criticism very coldly. He had neither expected nor desired anything but praise and never again showed any friendliness. Later, the pamphlet was published without change.
Mr. Murray was more troubled by Mr. Mason's failure to prove Relly in error than he cared to admit. He wanted Mason to be right and Relly wrong. Those unanswered arguments kept recurring to his mind in a disquieting way.
Some months after, when visiting Mrs. Murray's uncle, he found upon the bookshelves a copy of Relly's "Union" which he had never before seen and asked permission to take it home to read at his leisure. Even after putting it in his pocket, he was tempted to take it out again, "doubting if he were justified in touching so poisonous a thing." Curiosity conquered and he determined to see for himself "what horrors it contained."
Before opening the book Mrs. Murray and he knelt in prayer for Divine guidance. "If the volume contained truth, we entreated God to show it to us. If falsehood, we beseeched him to make it plain. No poor criminal ever prayed for life when under sentence of death with greater fervor than we asked for light to direct our steps."
With increasing conviction they read and re- read the book in connection with the Bible and were astonished and delighted with the beauty of the Scriptures as interpreted by Relly — yet on the brink of acknowledgment — they hesitated. It did not seem possible that God could have revealed truth to a man of such self-centered, evil, life as report affirmed Relly to be. Mrs. Murray reminded her husband that the truth of the damaging stories had never been proved, and that Christ had said to his disciples, "They shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely." For several weeks they continued to read and discuss, while their desire to hear Relly preach grew steadily.
A Sunday came when their own minister, Mr. Hitchings, whom they greatly admired, was out of town. Mr. Murray suggested that this was their opportunity to hear Relly and Mrs. Murray agreed.
They were much relieved when they reached the church without having met any one whom they knew, for to be seen entering Relly's was a disgrace. This first visit to the meeting house proved the falsity of some of the evil reports. There were no carriages blocking the street, no luxurious church. The plain building had previously belonged to the Quakers. The only seats were common benches and the pulpit was of rough boards. Mr. Relly's manner was a surprise to Mr. Murray, who had not expected "to find so much devotion in so bad a man."
He was not favorably impressed with the small congregation in the bare little room, "for," he tells us, "they did not appear to be religious; that is, they were not melancholy. I therefore suspected they had not much piety. Nevertheless," he adds, "Mrs. Murray and I walked home in perfect silence, so deeply had our reason been appealed to."
When, at their own door, Mrs. Murray asked her husband his opinion of the discourse, he replied, "I never heard truth, unadulterated truth, before. It is the first consistent sermon I have ever heard."
After this, as often as they thought it expedient to absent themselves from their own church, they went to hear the new doctrine, but always as secretly as possible, "not wishing to lose that fair reputation which they had delighted to maintain before their neighbors," till they were sure of their own minds.
Mr. Murray now complained that their minister, whom they had formerly found so satisfying, seemed to have greatly changed — that his sermons had become inconsistent. Mrs. Murray affirmed that the change was in themselves. She knew from her shorthand notes that Mr. Hitching's preaching was precisely the same.
They decided to retain their usual seats but to attend Relly's one-half of every Sunday. Church-going now, for the first time, ceased to be a stern duty and became a pleasure, a great enjoyment to be anticipated during the week.
Mr. Murray spent much time every day in the study of the Bible, which seemed a new book to him. He had a long talk with Mr. Hitchings, whose inability to satisfactorily disprove final Redemption went far to convince Mr. Murray of its truth, especially as the pastor had put forth all his skill, supposing his parishioner to be in search of arguments to use with others. As Mr. Murray became more sure, he regarded his friends with increasing affection and felt he could convince the whole world of "the truth as it is in Jesus."
Naturally his half day attendance at church was observed. Before long it was whispered that the Murrays were becoming regular attendants of Relly's. Their friends grew alarmed and one in particular had a private talk with Mr. Murray and, on being told the truth, begged him not to let his views be known if he would avoid excommunication. Mr. Murray assured him there was little danger as he had confided in no one else.
Very shortly came a summons to appear before the Tabernacle society. He found a gloomy company assembled. With bitter sighs they told him the information had reached them that be attended the preaching of "that monster, Relly." Was this so? He demanded to know who had informed against him. The elders were loth to say but finally named the very man who had warned him to be careful. Mr. Murray was the more amazed as he had called on this friend on his way to the meeting to tell him of the summons and his news had been received with expressions of sympathy. They had prayed together before parting.
When Mr. Murray acknowledged that he not only regularly attended Mr. Relly's, but believed he taught the truth, there was an outburst of indignation and his trial followed. Because of the high esteem in which he was held the society offered to let the matter drop if he would consent to keep his new opinions to himself. Naturally, he refused to be bound by any such promise. The motion that he be allowed to remain a member on his own terms was lost by three votes. At one in the morning he returned home nervously exhausted and in despair. Throwing himself into a chair, he burst into tears. Mrs. Murray met the situation with the same sweetness and courage with which she accepted all trials.
"Now," she said, "for the first time you know what it is to suffer for Christ's sake. Let us offer praise and thanksgiving it is no worse. They can murder our good name but let us not fear, our God will be with us."
In the midst of their distress came a rift in the clouds. Mrs. Murray's grandfather, who had never ceased to regret his hardness, sent for them to visit him in his country-seat near London. The old gentleman was completely won by Mr. Murray Is genial personality. The greater part of his property he had put it out of his power to dispose of by will, but he promised to make all possible restitution to his granddaughter Unfortunately, a housekeeper whom the Murrays had found for him proved a designing woman and, after winning the old gentleman to marry her, made it impossible for his family to visit him. It was a severe disappointment to the Murrays at a time when they sorely needed every friend.
With Mr. Murray's excommunication his former associates fell away from him as though he had the pestilence. He was not only let alone, which would have been bad enough, but was even persecuted. Presents which had been given him were demanded back as legal debts and he was arrested by bailiffs because no time was allowed for payment.
In spite of these difficulties, Mrs. Murray says they enjoyed a little heaven on earth because of their growing f aith in a loving Father. To her delight they had a temporary reconciliation with her younger brother, who seems to have been a most unstable person, absolutely lacking in fidelity; yet the Murrays never failed to receive him with forgiveness when it pleased him to be friendly.
After the adjustment of their financial difficulties they lived very comfortable in rural London. The birth of a son added much to their happiness, but the child lived only a year and Mrs. Murray 'never recovered the shock of his death. Her rapid decline alarmed Mr. Murray and they took lodgings farther out that she might have the benefit of country air. When the house was sold, they found a place four miles from the city, where for a short time Mrs. Murray's health apparently improved.
Mr. Murray was carrying a heavy burden. He had his town house and servant to maintain, also his country lodgings, physicians, nurses and medicines to pay for. It was not possible to neglect his business to stay with his wife, as he longed to do, and often when he left early in the morning, he feared to find her gone on his return. During his hours at home, Mrs. Murray made a brave struggle to appear bright and happy. Her faith that a wise God ordered all for the best never faltered. Mr. Murray was careful to keep from her all knowledge of the debts piling up against him. The situation was truly pathetic.
Since the desertion of their old friends they had purposely avoided making -new among the Rellyites. Experience had shattered their faith in the fidelity of religious associates. Mrs. Murray's younger brother was again unfriendly and they had seen nothing of William since Mr. Murray, with less than his usual tact, had pointed out some household mismanagement on the part of William's wife. The grandfather's doors were still barred. There was no one else to hold out a friendly hand. Matters grew so bad that assistance from some source was necessary if Mrs. Murray was to have common comforts. Mr. Murray humbled his pride and sent a note to William from a neighboring coffee house, begging him to come to him at once. William obeyed the summons and was much shocked to hear of his sister's illness but hoped Murray's affection had magnified the danger. He promised to call and came that same day but arrived too late. Mrs. Murray had breathed her last a few moments before.
Both brothers were now filled with remorse. They paid the expenses of the funeral and a few of the more pressing debts. Mr. Murray was taken to the home of the younger brother after the services. He had reached the extreme of wretchedness and cared not what became of him. His health declined and his eyesight failed so rapidly that he feared blindness. Often he roamed the outskirts of London, which at that time was haunted by footpads, in the hope that he might be attacked and killed by a highwayman. His one solace was from the wonderful dreams which nightly visited him. Always he was with his wife and in such beautiful scenes that he longed for slumber to come. His mother and two brothers, ignorant of his sad condition, came over from Ireland to live with him, but they were so bitterly opposed to his changed religious views that he found them little comfort.
With his mind fixed on spiritual things he often walked the streets of London in complete absorption till brought back to consciousness of his surroundings by the jostling of the crowds and the curious looks of passersby.
His entire disregard of ways and means soon brought a financial crisis. Creditors lost all patience and he was arrested and lodged in the house of a bailiff. These officers usually made a handsome profit out of an arrest while the friends of the prisoner were arranging his release. Those who paid well for comforts were civilly treated. Since Mr. Murray was not only penniless but entirely indifferent to his situation, he was shown scant courtesy. He refused all food and drank nothing but water. He would not even use a bed, which must be paid for, if at all, by the charity of relatives, and he slept on the floor of a room hung with cobwebs. The dirty, heavily barred windows admitted but little light. Enraged at his refusal to appeal to his friends, the bailiff threatened to send him to Newgate Prison if he continued stubborn. Once again self-destruction seemed the only way out of his difficulties till a dream in the night in which his wife appeared to him with loving words of cheer so raised his mind above earthly cares that he resolved to submit calmly to his fate, but under no circumstances to appeal to any one for aid. In the morning he awoke refreshed and when his surly keeper unbolted the door to inform him that in three hours he would be lodged in Newgate, he responded with composure, "I am ready, Sir."
In less than an hour William Neale arrived. He had heard of the arrest through Murray's half-distracted mother and had been vainly searching London for him ever since. With great emotion, he reproached Mr. Murray for not having at once sent f or him. He ordered a private room and a breakfast, which Murray refused to eat till William had promised to put out no more money for his release. After the meal William called the bailiff and showed him the receipt in full for all indebtedness. This had been in William's pocket when he gave his promise to Mr. Murray. The bailiff satisfied, they left the house at once to relieve the suspense of his anxious mother.
The two Neales now hired money to make Mr. Murray a partner in a mercantile house. As always, a business life was irksome to him, but justice and gratitude demanded that he make an effort to pay back the money advanced by his brothers-in-law. This venture was not a success. After several failures and repeated assistance from William, he at last hit on something which enabled him to pay his debts and also placed him in easy circumstances.