Mr. Hume's Third Speech, on the Last Proposition.
GENTLEMEN MODERATORS: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ----
We are now approaching the close of our discussion; and, as we very much desire your instruction and edification, we hope that you will endeavor to bear in mind all the arguments on both sides, as well as all the Scripture proofs introduced by the contending parties; and, after a careful examination, you will no doubt decide according to the best understanding you have. You should, however, remember that, where there is positive testimony and inferential testimony both introduced, the preference should always be given to the point sustained by positive proof; for surely it is much safer to rely upon positive evidence than upon inferential, in any matter, and especially upon the important subject of the Christian religion. Much of the testimony introduced by us has been of the positive character, and particularly such as has been introduced during the discussion of the present proposition, while my friend Mr. Franklin has had to rely entirely upon inference for proof, so far as he has attempted to introduce any. Whether we have been able to satisfy your minds with regard to the true meaning of the passages which he has introduced, is not for me to determine. But Mr. Franklin has surely failed to satisfy you that the passages introduced by us did not mean what we have said they did; for he has not noticed them at all; and, if you watched him closely as we did during his last speech, you discovered that he did not introduce one new text. This really looks like the gentleman was out of ammunition, sure enough. Well, we have plenty on hand yet, and to the point, which you shall hear before we sit down. The whole of Mr. Franklin's last speech was a repetition of what he had said on the second day, and we are not disposed to follow him there. We will, however, attend to the few things said by the gentleman, aimed as arguments in his last speech, not one of which has anything to do with the proposition. He was pleased to tell us that if we failed to do our whole duty, even to the end, we would finally be lost. If this be true, we are sure there will be none saved, for that man does not live who does precisely right in all things. But we know the doctrine taught by the gentleman upon this subject is not true, for there is no earthly parent who will punish his children severely for the first offence; neither is there any parent who would punish his children eternally for any offence whatever, and, more especially, if he had the power to influence his children to pursue a better course; while it must be confessed that our Heavenly Father feel a much stronger attachment to, and affection for, his dear children, than earthly parents do. And not only so, but He has the power to influence them to a better course, and cause them to love, honor, and adore Him, and, as such, He will not punish them further than will be for their good; and ultimately, in the end of all their sufferings, He will bring them to the enjoyment of that rest that remains for the people of God. Moreover, we have proven that the saints of God are the partakers of the divine nature; that there is no divine nature but God above, and divine nature cannot suffer; and as such, those who are possessed of it cannot possibly be finally lost, unless it can be proven that divine nature goes to hell, which we are sure will never be done. The audience will doubtless remember that we requested the gentleman, very politely, to give us his views upon the passage in Jeremiah, which says, "I will forgive their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." We desired him to tell us if saints would be finally lost, whose sins God himself says he will remember no more. But my friend did not think proper, in his wisdom, to comply with our request, but passed over it as though he thought there was death in it; and, sure enough, there is death in it to the doctrine of falling from grace. He knew better than to touch this text, for it is too plain to be misunderstood, and that with all his ingenuity in mystifying and garbling up the truth, he could not conceal the plain simple truth taught in this text; hence, his entire silence upon the subject. There are two things the audience should remember; first, that Elder Franklin has not introduced one text this day that says anything about apostasy, or the saints of God being finally lost; secondly, he has not attempted to reply to one of the many pointed Scripture proofs which we have introduced. Now, if these things fail to convince the people that he is wrong, we know not what would convince them.
But as the gentleman is out of argument and Scripture proof both, he has ventured another shameful burlesque upon us and our doctrine, by saying that we teach our children immorality, and encourage them in their wickedness, by keeping them away from Sabbath schools, and thereby refusing to teach them religion. Now, we think if the gentleman was as well acquainted with what has transpired in this town, both among teachers of Sabbath schools and the scholars taught by them, as we are, it might possibly change his opinion somewhat; but true delicacy forbids our descending into particulars. The facts are all known here. We speak as to wise men; judge ye what we say. This much, however, we will say: that the morals of the children of Regular Baptists in this country, will compare very favorably with the moral conduct of those who teach as well as those who are taught in Sabbath schools; and as such, the gentleman has nothing to boast of (if he only knew it) over the Regular Baptists. Here we endeavor to instruct our children in the great principles of morality, honesty, and truth. We also teach them to read the holy Bible; to go to meeting, and behave themselves while there, and pay attention to all they hear. But all this is not religion. Neither do we attempt to teach them religion, for we are too well acquainted with our weakness to engage in such an important work; for we maintain that nothing short of the power of Almighty God can teach any man a true knowledge of the Christian religion, and as such, we take our children to the Lord, and humbly implore his divine mercy upon them. Here we are willing to leave them, knowing that our God is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. But , if we were ever disposed to make an effort to have them taught the great principles of the Christian religion, the Sabbath school is the last place to which we should send them, for they are generally under the influence and control of strong religious partizans, fiery zealots, and hot-headed bigots, whose zeal is not according to knowledge, and, as such, are unfit to instruct the youthful mind properly upon any subject. We now say (and we challenge contradiction from any man), that the children of Regular Baptists, upon the whole, are as moral, as honest, as truthful, and as well behaved, as the children of those who are engaged in the whole modern machinery, falsely called benevolent, while the gentleman himself, in all that he has said about the conduct of the Regular Baptists, has only manifested his entire ignorance of their true character.
But we now ask, what has all this to do with the doctrine of falling from grace? Every one here must see that the gentleman is determined to evade the real point at issue; that he is unwilling to meet the issue fairly, and hence his continual playing off upon some other subject -- anything that he thinks will divert the attention of the audience from the subject of the debate today. But we have endeavored to keep the proposition before the people, and we hope they will not forget it. We have shown, by a number of plain pointed Scripture proofs, that the proposition is false in itself, and although the gentleman did not in his last speech introduce one new text, neither will he, we have several more, which we intend to introduce; and, if my friend will not reply to them, the audience will perhaps recollect them; and thereby be convinced, as we are, that Mr. Franklin never can prove the doctrine of falling from grace by the Scriptures of eternal truth, but that this God-dishonoring doctrine has originated in the distracted brain of some religious fanatic in ages gone by, and like that of infant sprinkling, has found its advocates in every age, from its introduction down to the present time.
But, as further proof that this doctrine is false, we invite your attention to Hebrews 8, 10th, 11th, and 12th verses, which read as follows: "For this is the covenant that I will make the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Here the Apostle has brought several things to view that are worthy of our consideration. He tells us, in plain terms, what Jehovah himself will do for his people. He will, in the first place, put his laws in their minds and write them in their hearts; he will be their God and they shall be his people. This is what he will do. Well, he tells us what his people shall not do; and, in pointing this out, we fear our friend and all that are identified with him, will be left entirely out of this covenant, for, says the Apostle, "They shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord."
We now ask our friend, What are you doing with your Sabbath schools, tract societies, &c.? Are you not engaged in trying to teach a knowledge of God and religion? This you dare not deny. Hence, by your own conduct, you prove conclusively that you are not the people who are embraced in this new covenant, for they shall not teach, while you are engaged in trying to teach.
But once more: Jehovah says, "I will be merciful to their unrighteousness." These are not the brethren of Elder Franklin, for he has told us, time and again, that we must work, and must work righteousness, too, and continue working to the end, or we should be finally lost. Hence, in this case, Jehovah would have to be merciful to their righteousness; but, in this new covenant, he is merciful to their unrighteousness. Hence you see, my audience, that Elder Franklin has no interest here, but must look for salvation to a different covenant entirely.
But this is not all. Hear the Apostle further. He says: "and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." Here is a death-blow to the gentleman's whole theory: for if God himself will not remember their sins any more, sure it is that He will not punish them eternally. Nay, verily; for, if sins are not remembered, most assuredly they are pardoned, buried, forgotten, and, as such, all the members of this covenant will be brought to the paradise of God, while those of the covenant of works, or the children of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman." But, before Mr. Franklin can eternally punish any of the children of the free woman, he will have to dethrone God their Father, and conquer Jesus their elder brother, destroy the efficacy of his blood, tread it under foot, and prove the Bible to be a lie -- none of which will he ever be able to do.
But once more, Hebrews 12: 5, 6: "For He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Yes, dear friends, here is the consolation: the Lord has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee"; therefore we can boldly, or with confidence, say, "The Lord is my helper, and if he be for me who can be against me? I will not fear all the combined powers of the enemy, for I have the promise of my dear and Heavenly Father, that He will never. A blessed word! consoling declaration, never forsake thee! Well, how long is never? Why, it is without end -- eternal or everlasting duration. "Well," says the child of God, "that is long enough. I shall need his aid no longer than eternity shall last, and I have the promise to that end, and I am satisfied. Yes, I can boldly face the world, the flesh, and Satan, which are all the enemies I have, and tell them I do not fear them all, for the Lord is my helper, and he has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," and I believe his word. O, what sweet peace, joy, and comfort this blessed promise afford to our Father's family in this world of affliction, disappointment, and sorrow. Yes, they can with confidence and assurance, run to the name of the Lord, as a strong tower, and there feel their safety. And, as further evidence of the eternal safety and security of the saints of the Most High God, read, if you please, in the gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 19: "Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me, Because I live, ye shall live also." Here is further evidence of the positions assumed in our last speech, founded upon the language of the Apostle, recorded in the third of Colossians, "When Christ who is our life, shall appear," &c. Now, it is evident, from the language of the Savior here, that the eternal safety of all the saints of God is suspended upon the single fact that Jesus is their life. Such is the nature of the union existing between Christ and his people, s we told you in our last speech, that, if they die, he dies; if they suffer, he suffers; if he lives, they live also; and, if he dies, and reigns eternally in glory, they will eternally reign with him. Now, remember that Jesus does not talk like Mr. Franklin upon this subject, and tell his disciples what the gentleman has often told us, That because you have been very diligent in maintaining good works, and have been faithful even to the end, you shall live. No. But he says in plain terms, not to be misunderstood, that the reason why they live is because he lives; hence, it is evident that the gentleman's whole theory upon the subject of falling from grace, is unfounded in the Bible, and you see, moreover, that he has not introduced one text that says a word about the saints of God being finally lost. We have no doubt but he has done his best, and yet, after all, like every other man who undertakes to prove a false theory from the Bible, he has most signally failed. We hope this may teach him better than to ever undertake to prove the doctrine of falling from grace, again. We tell you, dear friends, what is true; and that is, there are many who fall from works for the want of grace, but we hope our friend will not be found among that number.
But we are not quite done yet. One more discharge from our artillery we think will be quite sufficient to silence every one here who yet believes that the saints of God may be finally lost. We tell you now, my audience, that if there yet remains a particle of the mud-walled cottage in which my friend has been trying to conceal himself, that is not blow away, the discharge that is now about to be let loose upon it will sweep it to the very earth, so that a single vestige of it will not be seen, and we think the gentleman will be ashamed to acknowledge that he ever dwelt there. No; remember that Mr. Franklin says, that any saint in the church of God may apostatize and be finally lost. Now, we intend to prove, by one of the ancient servants of God, that this doctrine is basely false, or otherwise Mr. Franklin will prove that what the servant of God has said is basely false.
We will now give you the name and language of the servant, and then you can believe which you please. Turn, then, to the seventeenth chapter of Job, and read the ninth verse, where Job declares, "The righteous shall hold on their way." Come, friend Franklin, what have you to say now? Are you willing to give this servant of God the lie? This you must do, or give up your doctrine of falling from grace. We hope you will prefer the latter, as the former would present you in a very unfavorable light before the people here.
Now, friends, do not forget the language of Job, "The righteous shall hold on their way." Mr. Franklin says they may not hold on their way, but may be finally lost. You now have the testimony of both Job and Mr. Franklin -- believe which you please. We now appeal to every unprejudiced mind here, if we have not fully sustained the negative of the present proposition, and proven, beyond a doubt, that the whole family of God will finally be brought off, more than conquerors, through him that loved them and gave himself for them? Not, however, because of anything inherently holy in them. No, verily; but because that Jesus Christ is their life, and, as such, while he lives they will live also. He is their righteousness, also, and, being found clothed in his righteousness, they will be justified in the sight of God their Father. He is also their wisdom; hence, he directs all their ways in truth, and by him they are instructed in all things necessary for them to know. He is their sanctification, too; hence, their holiness is derived from him; and, adored be his holy name, he is their redemption from the claim of the law and from all iniquity; and, having redeemed them from all iniquity, they shall never come into condemnation, for they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Yes, they are born of incorruptible seed; consequently, they cannot become corrupted. And, being kept by the power of God, Job might well say, The righteous shall keep on their way. Yes, dearly beloved brethren and friends, we tell you, that hell may roar and vent her spite, but Christ will save his heart's delight; and when the earth is deluged in fiery wrath; when the elements melt with fervent heat; when the last loud trump shall re-echo through the vaulted dead; and when the nations shall be summoned to the bar of God; -- then shall the redeemed family (every one of them) hear the welcome news proclaimed by him who is their life, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you. Yes, for you (and none others) from the foundation of the world. There, dear friends, the wicked will cease to trouble, and the weary will be forever at rest. May you and I be among that happy number.
Time expired.
