CHAPTER XIII
Preparation on Hardshellism
In Debate With Lemuel Potter
PROPOSITIONS
Proposition 2. The eternal salvation of the sinner is secured to him without any conditions whatever on his part.
Lemuel Potter affirms; J. N. Hall denies.
Argument 1: My first argument is drawn from the fact that God is the Creator of all men, and that he will do all he can for the happiness, the well-being, and the salvation of everyone. limited only by the principles of eternal right and justice.
CREATION. Isaiah 45:12. "I have made the earth and created man upon it: I even my hands have stretched
MALACHI 2:10. "Have we all not one Father? Hath not one God created us?"
ACTS. 17:26. "And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth; and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if hapily they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain of your own poets have said. For we are also His offspring."
In the creation he did us good — so he will in re-creation.
Argument 2: My second argument is based on the fact that God loved all men, and by his love would be prompted to do all he consistently could for man's salvation.
LOVE. John 3:16. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
1 John 4:9. "In this, was manifested the love of Gocl toward us, because he sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him."
1. Love always prompts to goodness.
2. God's love will be supreme in this.
Argument 3: My third argument is based on the fact that all of Adam's posterity need salvation, because not one of them possesses any natural ability to obtain it without divine help.
ROMANS 3:9-10. "We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one." ROMANS 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Argument 4: I base my fourth argument upon the fact that God is no respecter of persons, until the character of the persons gives them a special standing in his grace. And, therefore, he will make equal arrangements for the salvation of all men.
NO RESPECTOR OF PERSONS. Acts. 10:34. I perceive, of a truth, that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him."
2 CHRONICLES 19:7. "There is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."
ROMANS 2:10. "Glory, honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek; for there is no respect of persons with God."
EPHESIANS 6:9. "Your Master also is in heaven, neither is their respect of persons with Him."
COLossians 3:25. "He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and there is no respect of persons."
If no respect is shown, then Christ will die for all of Adam's posterity.
Argument 5: My fifth argument is based on
HAS NOT DECREED DEATH. EZEKIEL 33:11. "As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, O house of Israel."
LAMENTATIONS 3:33. "He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men."
2 PETER 3:9. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Argument 6: I base my sixth argument on the fact that the covenants of God concerning Christ give promise of him as a blessing to all of Adam's posterity.
COVENANTS. Genesis 12:3. "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
Genesis 18:18. "All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Him."
ACTS. 3:25. "Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kingdoms of the earth be blessed."
GALATIANS 3:8. "And the Scripture, forseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." GALATIANS 5:16. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
What was this Abrahamic blessing?
Galatians 3:13: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ."
Argument 7: In my seventh argument I reason that Christ died for all of Adam's posterity, because in nature and providence God has provided for all Nature and Providence,
So Christ:
There is no force in these analogies except on the ground that Christ died for all of Adam's posterity.
Argument 8: I base my eighth argument on the fact that all of Adam's posterity are under the law, and and all condemned' by the law, and Jesus died on the cross for all who are under law.
Argument 9: I base my ninth argument on the fact that the gospel of salvation through Christ has been commanded to be preached to exery creature.
GOSPEL TO ALL. Mark 16:15. "Go ye into all the world, and preach, the gospel to every creature."
Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore and disciple all nations."
Luke 24:47, "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.
Acts 1:8, Christ said, "Ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem and in Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 13:47, "The Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the gentiles, that thou shouldst be lor salvation unto the ends of the earth."
Argument 10: My tenth argument claims that the universal proclamation of the gospel is
PROVISION FOR ALL. 2 Corinthians 5:14: "We thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead; and THAT HE DIED FOR ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
Or:
Argument 11: My eleventh argument is based upon the truth that Christ is a propitiation, or satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world.
PROPITIATION. 1 John 2:2, "And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but ALSO FOR THE WHOLE WORLD."
Logical Statement.
Or:
Argument 12: I base my twelfth argument on the fact that Christ tasted death for every man.
TASTED DEATH. Hebrews 2:9, "We see Jesus who was made a little lower than angels by the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should TASTE DEATH FOR EVERY MAN. For it became him for whom are all things, in bringing MANY SONS unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
Argument 13: My thirteenth argument is based upon the fact that Christ is the ransom for all.
RANSOM. 1 Timothy 2:3, "I exhort that prayer be made for all men, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; who will have ALL MEN TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom FOR ALL to be testified in due time."
Logical:
Or:
Argument 14. My fourteenth argument is based on the fact that Christ compares the breaking of his flesh to the giving of "bread" for the life of the world.
BREAD. John 6:51, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; If ANY MAN eat of this bread he shall live forever; and the bread I give is my flesh, which I will give for the LIFE OF THE WORLD."
Or:
Logical:
Or, substitute,
Argument 15. In my fifteenth argument I claim that Christ died to save the world.
DIED TO SAVE THE WORLD. John 3:17, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the WORLD through him might be saved."
Or:
The expression might be saved, indicates a possibility, not a certainty.
Logical:
Argument 16: My sixteenth argument is based on the fact that Christ came not to judge the world but to save it.
NOT A JUDGE BUT A SAVIOR. John 12:47, 48, "If ANY MAN hear not my words, and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but TO SAVE THE WORLD. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him."
Or:
Logical:
Argument 17: My seventeenth argument asserts that Christ came to seek and save the lost,
SAVE THE LOST. Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10, "The Son of Man came to SEEK and SAVE THAT WHICH WAS LOST."
If the elect only are lost,
But —
Argument 18: My eighteenth argument is based on the universal duty of repentance.
All should repent. Mark 6:12 — "And the twelve went out and preached that men should repent."
Luke 13:3, "Except ye repent ye shall ALL LIKEWISE PERISH."
Acts 17:30, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but, now commandeth ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT."
Luke 24:47 "Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name AMONG ALL NATIONS."
Or:
Argument 19: My nineteenth argument is based upon the universal duty of prayer.
PRAYER, Luke 18:1, "He spake a parable to this end, that MEN ought ALWAYS to pray, and not to faint."
1 Timothy 2:8, "I will therefore that MEN PRAY EVERYWHERE, lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting."
Or;
Argument 20: My twentieth argument is based on the fact that all men are called upon to seek God.
SEEK. Ezra. 8:22, "The hand of our God is upon ALL THEM FOR GOOD that SEEK HIM."
Proverbs 8:17, "I love them that love me, and THOSE who seek me early SHALL FIND ME."
Isaiah 55:6, "SEEK YE the Lord while he may t>» found, CALL YE upon him while he is near. LET THE WICKED forsake his way, and the UNRIGHTEOUS
Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it shall be given you; SEEK and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For EVERY ONE that asketh receiveth; and HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."
Or:
Argument 21: My twenty-first argument is based on the fact that the invitations of the gospel are given in good faith to all men, and yet if Christ did not die for all, such invitations would be a solemn mockery to those left out.
INVITATIONS. Isaiah 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH; for I am God, and there is none else!"
Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, and I will give you rest."
Revelation 22:17,"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and LET HIM that heareth say, Come. And LET HIM that is thirst come; and WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take the water of life freely."
Argument 22: My twenty-second argument is based upon the fact that the Holy Spirit is to reprove the world of sin, but this reproof would be useless if Christ did not die for the world.
SPIRIT'S REPROOF. John 16:7, "If I go away 1 will send the -Comforter, and when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of Judgment. Of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness because I go to my Father; of judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged."
Or
Argument 23: My twenty-third argument is based on the fact that if Christ did not die for all
UNPARDONABLE SIN. Mark 3:28, "All sin shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveaness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."
Or
Or:
Argument 24: My twenty-fourth argument asserts that it would not be just to damn a man for unbelief if Christ made no provision for him, because if he had been a believer the case would not have been different.
DAMNED FOR UNBELIEF. Mark 16:15, "He that believeth not shall be damned."
John 3:36, "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Argument 25: My twenty-fifth argument asserts that Christ arose from the dead for all of Adam's posterity, and that he could not legitimately rise for any for whom he had not died.
"ROSE FOR ALL." 1 Corinthians l5:20 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits OF THEM THAT SLEPT. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. For AS IN ADAM ALL DIE, even so in Christ SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE. But every one in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, and afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming."
Romans 4:25, "Christ was delivered for our sins, and was raised again for our justification."
Or:
Argument 26: My twenty-sixth argument is based on the statement of Romans 14:15.
"Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died."
Argument 27: My twenty-seventh argument is based on the statement of 1 Corinthians 8:11.
"And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED."
Argument 28: My twenty-eigth argument is — That if all men cannot be saved through the death of Christ on the cross, it is either because —
But Jesus says, "And ye WILL NOT come to me that ye MIGHT HAVE LIFE." John 5:40.
Because —
Argument 29: The non-elect do not reject Christ as a Savior; he was never offered to them, according to my opponent's doctrine.
BUT THEY DID REJECT HIM. Luke 17:25, "He must suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation."
Luke 9:22, "The Son ol Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the chief priests, and elders and scribes, and be slain, and be raised again the third day."
Again:
Argument 30: The protestations of God's interest in the race.
John 3:16, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
1 John 4:14, "We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the SON TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
Ezekiel 33:11, "AS I LIVE, SAITH GOD, I take NO PLEASURE in THE DEATH OF THE WICKED, but that the wicked TURN AND LIVE."
Luke 13:34, "How often I would have GATHERED THY CHILDREN TOGETHER as a hen her brood, and ye WOULD NOT."
2 Peter 3:9, "Not willing that ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE."
Argument 31: The expressions, "the world," the "whole world," "all," "all men," "every man," and such like, are phrases that denote in the strongest possible terms the idea of universality, all of Adam's posterity, and they are frequently found connected with the gift of Christ.
UNIVERSAL TERMS — instances where they occur: John 3:14-16; John 12:47, 48; John 6:51; I John 2:2; 1 John 4:14; Hebrews 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Isaiah 45:22; Matthew 11:28; Revelation 22:17; etc.
But there is not a passage in the Bible that calls the "elect only," the "world," the "whole world," "every man," or anything of that nature.
It must follow, therefore, that these phrases
[W. B. Barker, Memoirs of Elder J. N. Hall, 1907, pp. 247-282. This book was provided by Steve Lecrone, Burton, OH. — jrd]