Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0902
Joe S. Warlick vs R. H. Pique (Methodist)
March 12, 1908
Hazel, Kentucky
(By J. D. Thomas)
This debate took place at Hazel, Ky.
Being the 3rd discussion bro. Warlick has had with Pique. I was glad to be present and to moderate for bro. Warlick, as I had met Pique twice and was anxious to hear him with another man. There seemed to be more interest in this discussion than in any I ever attended, as people would begin gathering at 7 a.m. and patiently wait for 3 hours till the debate would begin, and then remain quiet 4 hours longer during the entire session. At times the debate was too tough to come under the head of religious investigation; but a man can no more meet Pique successfully and occupy a high plane than one could kill a polecat with a yardstick and not smell bad.
Joe S. Warlick is a strong man, I think, and the best adept I ever heard to meet a man on all points of the ground and turn every argument against him. Bro. Warlick may meet Pique in other debates, but I think he will never debate in the Hazel community again by the desire of Methodist who heard that debate.
To the average Methodist who knows nothing of the division of the Bible or of the gospel plan of salvation, Pique is a strong debater. He goes to the O.T. and hunts the words "sprinkle," "pour, "altar," "children," "David's harp," "mourning" and other items and then shows that the Methodist have them all; therefore they are in harmony with the Bible.
There were 20 Christian preachers present and about 3 Methodist preachers part of the time. Of this Pique made much capital, showing that when we debate with the Methodist we must send 1000 miles to get a man able to meet him, and have 20 preachers to help our man out; yet, he, a little circuit rider, could whip the whole outfit and send other Methodist preachers on to their world of preaching the gospel. It is true that such men as brethren Booz, Colley, Freed, Srygley, Williams, Haskins, Hardeman, Bradley, Holland, McPherson, and I, and many others who, like Paul, are set for the defense of the gospel, can meet Pique and show up his sophistry and contradictions; yet we have honored him above measure in matching him with Warlick as our ablest debater. Now, Pique has built up this breastwork in front of him, and at Maury City and other points where he was challenged to defend his doctrine, he would not debate unless brethren would claim that certain preachers were not representative men. This they could not do, and Pique would refuse to meet our men ans then claim the church backed out.
However, Pique is a representative of Methodism east of the Mississippi, and, with all his misrepresentations and sophistries, he is as good as the system of religion he advocates, land men who, like bro. Jackson, seek for honest, honorable, and truthful men to defend false systems of religion will never do as Jesus did who debated with the devil, or Paul, who met all false teachers in his day. I am sure bro. Warlick's exposure of Pique in the Hazel debate will do good.
Bro. Warlick has had few equals as a debater in the church of Christ. We are all proud of him and satisfied with the work he did at Hazel; and while Pique claimed that bro. Warlick's days at Hazel were over, yet one of the leading members stated before the speech was over that the church of Christ had $100 to pay bro. Warlick for another meeting at Hazel, which shows Pique is a prophet, but not the Lord's kind.
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