Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0164
A. O. Calley vs Who will debate for the Primitive Baptist?
March 10, 1910
The Primitive Baptists had been at war with themselves. Some churches would not use certain preachers for debate and vice versa. The hardy surrender started a chain reaction. A. O. Calley wrote the article (at top of this page). C. H. Cayce answered in his paper The Primitive Baptist. The selection of debate topics was grounds for quarrel. In strong language, Cayce wrote: "such trickery and sham and make like," "bluffs might make blushes rise on the face of some of the ministers of darkness but we presume not so with such Campbellites as Mr. Calley."
Bro. Calley had met Cayce twice in debate. He was willing to meet him on the old propositions. He did not like the wording Cayce put on a new proposition. It did not accurately represent the teaching of the Church of Christ. "I would not ask Mr. Cayce to debate that which he thinks unfair or that which he does not believe. If he is ready to debate for the Primitive Baptist let him come up on the propositions that fairly express the difference. I will affirm that "the scriptures teach that the sinner (alien) must believe, repent, and be baptized as conditions of the promise of eternal life." On this I am to open and close the debate. He may have his choice of the above propositions or use the ones we have debated twice before. If he will not accept either of these, he must have been born at the wrong time of the moon for a debater."
The Primitive Baptists had lost members in their debates.
NOTE: March 17, 1910 - I. B. Bradley of Dickson says the debate between him and C. H. Cayce at Bon Aqua, Tennessee for March 29, will not begin due to a misunderstanding between Elder Cayce and his brethren.
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