Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources

0297

J. Petty Ezell (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) vs Bro. Stults (Florida) (Christian Church)
October 5, 1933
Crossville, Tennessee
(By O. H. Tallman, Cookeville, Tennessee)

September 10. One day debate at Crossville, Tennessee.

Stults made bitter attack on Church of Christ and said our brethren too cowardly to debate called Bro. Ezell. Stults made Ezell affirm: that mechanical music in church worship is sinful. Brethren felt good might result from illogical position. Bro. Ezell sustained the proposition with triple syllogistic arguments, which were climaxed with the proof that mechanical music is not of faith, that there is no authority for it in the word of God, and that it is, therefore, sinful. Stults made only one argument and that was Ephesians 5:19-20. He followed a well-directed line of reasoning, but never could find it. "He reminded me of a boy fishing in a fishless pond. He understood how to fish, he had a good pole, a good hook and line, and plenty of bait, but could not get a fish, because there was not a fish in the pond."

"PSALLO": Stults quoted ten lexicographers but none gave the New Testament meaning. Thayer gave New Testament meaning as "to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praise of God in song". He gave only Thayer's classical definition of the word and closed with "and so forth." Bro. Ezell told the audience he would read Stults "and so forth" and then gave Thayer's definition and cited the passage Ephesians 5:15 on which Stults relied. This crushed him.

When Stults asserted that Bro. Ezell must find a positive 'Thou shalt not use instrumental music in the worship' as 'Thou shalt not kill' otherwise it is right. Bro. Ezell showed by this process of reasoning Noah could have built a steamboat instead of an ark, the Jews could have offered a pig instead of a lamb, and asked if there was a Methodist preacher in the house. There was, and Bro. Ezell turned Stults over to him, and showed the audience that he could not handle the Methodist preacher on his sprinkling and infant baptism on this basis, and pleaded with Stults to stand with him on the rock.

Both speakers conducted themselves in a dignified manner. Truth was exalted and error confounded. Mr. Wilson, a Christian Church preacher, served as chairman.

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