Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0025
W. T. Beasley vs J. B. Hardy (Primitive Baptist)
April 28, 1910
Craigfield, Tennessee
(By W. T. Boaz)
The Beasley - Hardy debate was held at Craigfield, Tennessee, March 1-4.
Elder Hardy affirmed for two days that the Holy Spirit operates on the sinner's heart independent of the written or preached word. The last two days Bro. Beasley affirmed that "baptism to the penitent believer is for, in order to, the remission of sins." This Hardy denied.
Elder Hardy made the usual arguments on the Spirit question. Bro. Beasley was ready for every argument. When the two days closed the people had heard the gospel in its purity on that question; they had also heard error exposed completely by Bro. Beasley. Hardy was pressed to tell the people one thing he knew to be true about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, conversion, regeneration, the Christian life, heaven, hell, or anything divine that could not be found in the Bible. He was pressed in every speech and the debate closed without his naming one thing. He could not, and he knew it; yet he claims that he has a revelation above the Bible statement of God's will. Bro. Beasley begged him to name one convert to Christianity in any country where the Bible had not gone, and to the close he was silent on this point. Bro. Beasley made a telling point in introducing every case of conversion in the New Testament and showing that the gospel was always preached, heard, believed and obeyed. This was pressed on Hardy with telling effect. On the last proposition Bro. Beasley had Hardy in such shape before he made a speech that he hardly knew what course to take. Many arguments were made by Bro. Beasley in support of the proposition, many scriptures quoted, and about twenty scholars introduced to prove the correctness of the position."
I (Boaz) will call attention: that Mr. Hardy met me in debate last November, 1909 on Barton's Creek in Dickson County, Tennessee on the baptism question, and signed a statement to the effect that "remission is received in baptism," and on this statement he and I closed the debate. Bro. Beasley had the signed statement on cloth before the people, which is as follows: "Christ died on the cross for the elect only and obtained remission of sins for them on the cross, and they receive it in baptism." On this statement that remission in baptism we close the debate. (W. T. Boaz, J. B. Hardy)" This is the statement made by Elder Hardy in debate with me on Barton's Creek last November; and when Bro. Beasley put this on the wall in large type, Elder .........
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