COURSE OF LECTURES—VISIT TO THE ISLE OF MAN—REFLECTIONS—LECTURES IN DOUGLAS—OPPOSITION—CHALLENGE—DISCUSSIONS—SUCCESS.

Returning to Liverpool Elder Taylor delivered his course of lectures in the Music Hall, Bold Street. The course covered the principal events connected with the work of the Lord in these last days. The transgression of the laws of the gospel; the changing of its ordinances; the breaking of the covenant thereof after its introduction by the personal ministration of the Son of God; the restoration of the gospel through the ministration of angels; the restoration, and the powers and authority of the Holy Priesthood; the coming forth, character and value of the Book of Mormon; the gathering of Israel and final redemption of the earth, etc., etc. The lectures were numerously attended and created considerable interest in religious circles.

During his absence in Ireland and Scotland the local Elders in Liverpool had been very active, and a number had been added to the Church. He also found that Elders Curtis and Winchester had arrived from New York. Both these Elders were able ministers of the word. The latter had distinguished himself by his labors in Philadelphia, the former in New York, near which city was his home. Elder Curtis was sent to Ireland to continue the work commenced there.

Considerable opposition ran side by side with the labors of Elder Taylor in Liverpool. The ministers belonging to the churches founded by Mr. Matthews and his chief supporter, Mr. Aitkins, were the principals in this opposition. They had been very near the truth at one time—not far removed from the Kingdom of God; but having made up their minds to reject it, the light they once possessed departed from them. They were filled with bitterness, jealousy and hatred, and in their madness descended to methods of opposition unworthy of those who profess to be gentlemen, to say nothing of men who professed to be followers and ministers of the Son of God. They raised commotions in some of the meetings where Elder Taylor held forth that would have disgraced the meetings in the very heat of a political campaign. They denounced him whose doctrines they could not refute by the word of God or by reason, as a liar, a wolf in sheep's clothing, a hypocrite, a false prophet, and every other vile epithet that the malice of men or the ingenuity of Satan could invent. Truly having rejected the truth, they were given up to a hard heart and a reprobate mind.

Seeing that everything was moving along satisfactorily in Liverpool, Elder Taylor determined to make his long contemplated visit to the Isle of Man. He started on the 16th of September, 1840, having for companions Elder Hiram Clark and Brother William Mitchel, one of the first to receive his testimony in Liverpool. The party arrived in Douglas the next day.

It was but natural that his arrival in this island should awaken his remembrance of "Nora," as he affectionately called his wife, Leonora. Here she had spent her youthful days in the home of her father. Here, amid the green hills and flower-flecked vales, which everywhere abound in this delightful island, she had wandered in girlhood, buoyant with hope and joy; or with a pleasing fear had seen the storm-clouds gather about her island home, and saw old ocean's mighty waves lashed into fury, break into harmless spray on Mona's rugged shores. These thoughts suggested others. He dwelt in fond remembrance on the occasion of her becoming his wife, and called to mind her trust and love, and all the happy scenes and hours they had shared together.

Recollection once at work, stopped not at their joys, but brought up to his vision their sorrows, their afflictions and the persecutions they had passed through for the sake of the truth—for the cause of God; and in conclusion he exclaimed:

"Thou hast passed through trials, Nora, but thou shalt rejoice! Thou hast been driven from thy home for the truth's sake, but thou and thy children shall have a home in the Kingdom of God! Thou hast suffered the bereavement of thy husband—the tender association has been severed—that others may be made partakers of endless life; but thou and thy husband shall yet reign together in the celestial kingdom of God. A few more struggles and the battle will be fought, the victory will be ours, and with the redeemed out of every nation we will sing, 'Glory, and honor, and power, and might, and majesty, and dominion be ascribed to Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and forever?'"

A day or two after their arrival it was decided that Elders Clark and Brother Mitchel should go to Ramsey and Elder Taylor remain to labor in Douglas. He accompanied the two brethren a short distance on their journey, and before separating they repaired to a lovely spot in a field, some distance from the road, and there engaged in prayer. The burden of that prayer was that an effectual door might be opened to them in that island for the proclamation of the gospel; that gainsayers might be put to shame, and that the word might be confirmed by signs following the believers. After prayer they each sought a stone and placed it at the foot of a tree, on which Elder Taylor carved their names and the date of their being there. He also ordained Brother Mitchel a Deacon; and at the request of Elder Clark he also laid hands upon his head that he might have the gift of tongues and the interpretation thereof; and afterwards Elder Clark blessed Elder Taylor. For some time they spoke in tongues, sang, prophesied, and finally separated to their respective fields of labor, each to thrust in his sickle and reap.

Elder Taylor, on returning to Douglas, called on Mr. Cain, a book-binder and seller, and a Primitive Methodist preacher. Although he was a minister, he was sensible that his church fell far short of having a fullness of truth, and hence was ready to listen to one who claimed to have the fullness of the gospel.

He also called upon a number of his wife's girlhood friends, some of whom were pleased to see him. In this way he made a large circle of acquaintances, and taught them the gospel. Finally he engaged the Wellington Rooms, the largest hall in Douglas, capable of seating one thousand persons.

In this hall he delivered several lectures amid considerable opposition from sectarian priests. One of their number, Rev. Thomas Hamilton, was particularly offensive and made some disturbance, but the Elder found many who befriended him, and indeed, the people generally seemed indignant at the course pursued by his opponents. At length Mr. Hamilton sent a challenge to meet him in public discussion, the body of which was as follows:

"SIR:—Conceiving that the principles advocated by you in the lectures which you delivered in the Wellington Rooms have no support from the word of God, but are diametrically opposed to it, and as you misquoted that word, mutilated it, took from and added to it; I hereby invite you to a public discussion of the truth of what I conceive to be mere assertions, and design to prove you guilty of blasphemy against God and of decoying souls to perdition."

To this Elder Taylor made the following reply:

"I am not aware of having mutilated, misquoted, taken from or added to the word of God, or of speaking or teaching blasphemy, or trying to lead men to perdition, as I am charged with in your note; but have been conscientiously discharging a duty devolving upon me in unfolding the principles of eternal truth. But as I never shrink from the task of supporting those principles, in the strength of the Lord, I comply with your request on the following terms:

"First. That each of us choose a chairman for the preserving of order in the meeting.

"Second. That the lectures I have delivered in the Wellington Rooms be the subject of debate, and that you engage to prove that in those lectures I have advanced doctrines that are unscriptural.

"Third. That the word of God be the test.

"Fourth. That you have an hour to repudiate those supposed errors, and that I have the same time to reply; that you then have half an hour to speak and that I have half an hour to reply, and that the meeting then close for the evening.

"As you have not said anything in your note about the room being taken by you, I propose that we take it between us, and make a collection to pay the charge for its use.

"If these propositions, sir, should meet with your approbation, you may expect me there at the appointed time.

"As I am a stranger in the town I have not as yet made choice of a chairman, but as Mr. Cain, in the midst of the confusion the other evening, spoke a few words in my favor, perhaps I may choose him, if he will accept it."

The discussion came off in accordance with this arrangement, and Mr. Hamilton was vanquished. "No great honor, however," says Elder Taylor, in his account of this affair, "as he was a very ignorant man."

Another minister delivered a course of lectures against him, to which he replied in his own hall—the Wellington Rooms. Another—a Mr. J. Curran—published a series of newspaper articles against Mormonism, to which he replied. At the same time the Rev. Robert Heys, a Wesleyan Methodist, published three pamphlets in opposition to his doctrines, to each of which he published a reply. Unfortunately, only one of these pamphlets—the second—has been preserved; but from it we may learn something of Elder Taylor's power as a debater, the power by which he earned his title of "Champion of Truth." It is not my purpose to follow the discussion in all its details, or even give an outline of it, but simply introduce a single paragraph that is a specimen of Elder Taylor's cogent reasoning.

His reverend opponent stoutly objected to Mormonism because it was based on a new revelation, and in his view the day of revelation had passed—the volume thereof was complete; and he maintained that the Bible itself forbids any more revelation being added to it, and as Mormonism claimed to have come into existence through revelation, it violated the prohibitions of the Bible, and therefore Mormonism was an imposture.

In support of this argument, he quoted three passages of scripture: First from Deuteronomy, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you;" second from Proverbs, "Every word of the Lord is pure, * * * Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar;" lastly, from Revelation, "I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."

To this argument Elder Taylor replied:

"With astonishing confidence in the infallibility of his skill in biblical lore, Mr. Heys rapidly carries his readers along with him through the Old and New Testaments, and then, after showing them why they were written, he reveals the perfection of his knowledge by giving publicity to the following, which, for aught I know, he may consider a new discovery: 'Now of this complete and infallible rule (meaning the HOLY BIBLE) God has decreed and declared that nothing shall be either added to it or taken from it!' This certainly must be a new revelation, for such a decree or declaration is not to be found in the whole of the sacred writings! It is true, he quotes three passages—one from Deuteronomy, one from Proverbs, and another from Revelation; but not one of them contains the decree! That in Deuteronomy refers exclusively to the Book of the Law. If they declared the revelation of God to be complete, the other scriptures could never have been written. That in Proverbs refers to the portion of the sacred writings then in existence. If it is declared the Holy Scriptures were complete, there would not have been afterwards a continued written revelation. That in the Revelation refers to the Apocalypse alone, it being, when written, a separate book, unconnected with the other books of the New Testament which were not then collected; it could not, therefore, have reference to any other book or books of the Holy Scriptures. According to his own interpretation of the above scriptures, in quoting from Proverbs, he would reject the New Testament and all the prophets that prophesied after Solomon's day; and in his quotation from Deuteronomy, he would reject all the Bible but the five books of Moses. But let Mr. Hays take care that he himself is not incurring the curse by altering the meaning of the words of the very books to which the prohibition positively and particularly refers!"

Thus he followed his opponent in all his wanderings, as he promises to do in the beginning of the reply from which the above is taken—"lest he should 'pervert the truth' and 'darken counsel by words without knowledge.'" "And while pursuing him," he continues, "it will afford me no small degree of satisfaction and delight to observe the mists of error which he has spread around him, dissipated by the clear light of the gospel, and to behold the fair flowers of Paradise rising again unhurt in all their native beauty, from beneath the ruthless tread of his unhallowed feet."

Despite all the opposition that raged against him, Elder Taylor found a goodly number who were seeking for the truth, and sufficiently susceptible to the influence of God's Holy Spirit to receive his testimony and be baptized. These he organized into a branch of the Church, and, having placed the work in this island on a substantial footing, he returned to Liverpool.