Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources

0827

John C. Taylor vs Jesse Neal (Missionary Baptist)
April, 6, 1922
Martin, Tennessee
(By Ernest C. Lane)

The discussion was on March 20-26 near Martin, Tenn.

This debate grew out of the John C. Taylor & A. A. Jones debate. Some of the Baptists were not satisfied with Jones' defense of their doctrine and called Neal. They are no better satisfied after Neal. As usual, I suppose the Baptists will claim a great victory, but I did not see a single non-Baptist but who said the church of Christ won. The Methodist and Primitive Baptist expressed themselves freely that bro. Taylor was more than a match for Mr. Neal.

Mr. Neal has the reputation of being ugly and abusive. He began that way the first day. Bro. F. L. Paisley, bro. Taylor's moderator, called him down. Mr. Neal insulted bro. Paisley and absolutely refused to be corrected. Bro. Paisley sat down till the session closed and then we had it out. I only "butted in" for enough to tell the Baptists that they had no right to insult our moderator and order him to sit down. It looked bad for as little while; but when the debate began the next morning, it was right to raise a point of order without being insulted. After that I never saw a debate pass off any smoother. Mr. Neal is a fairly good debater, but bro. Taylor and the Bible were too much for him.

On apostasy, Neal quoted I John 3:9: "He that is born of God doth not commit sin." He affirmed that the verse proved that no was imputed to the child of God. But he admitted that he and all the rest of the Baptists sinned and prayed for forgiveness every day. He made no effort to harmonize his own statements. What would a Baptist church do if one of their prominent preachers was caught in adultery? If they withdrew from him, it would be an admission that a child of God could fall from grace, or that the preacher and the whole Baptist church had been fooled as to who was "a child of grace." With their present doctrine, they could not do a thing but keep him. But if they did, it would be an admission that an adulterer is as sure of heaven as any of the rest of the Baptists. This case should be treated as fact, for it could easily happen.

I spent one night with bro. John Kennedy, a former Baptist, who was converted to the church of Christ by the Hardeman-Penick debate.

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