member that this is the love of God that you keep his commandments? If you will, the veracity of his word is pledged that you shall be saved. On the other hand, if you feel a spirit of irreconciliation to God, and join in vicious language relative to the very words of Scripture, such as "infernal doctrine of tormenting and burning," as you have heard on the present occasion, you may expect to be subdued by the "fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries.""Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge his people." Yes, and he will punish the rebellious with that "sorer punishment than death without mercy," which Mr. Manford has failed to point out in this life, and which no man can find short of destroy. ing the soul and body in gehenna, after death.

If I have in any thing trespassed in referring to any point which I ought not in my closing speech, 1 am perfectly willing that Mr. Manford shall bring it up on to-morrow.

[Time expired.]

PROPOSITION III.

DO THE SCRIPTURES TEACH THAT THOSE WHO DIE IN DISO

BEDIENCE TO THE GOSPEL, WILL SUFFER ENDLESS
MENT?

PUNISH

MR. FRANKLIN'S FIRST SPEECH.

RESPECTED AUDIENCE:

The subject we are to discuss to-day is one of fearful magnitude, and I hope, as has been the case with the proposi tions already discussed, we shall have your most profound attention. My opponent will certainly admit, if I am right in the position I am now about to defend, that all men should know it. You are simply requested, then, to lay aside all prepossessions toouching the matter in debate, and let us hear honestly what the Lord our God has said, touching this great question. We are not here to teach the bible, or rather the Author of the bible, what he ought to teach, or what is befitting his character; but we are here to hear what he does teach, and bow submissively to his authority. Without detaining you, I will proceed at once to read our proposition. It reads as follows:

Do the Scriptures teach that those who die in disobedience to the gospel, will suffer endless punishment? I affirm, my friend denies.

Although we have a new proposition, placing me in the affirmative, we have no new subject. Our object in having different propositions is simply to elicit argument on all the different points of dispute between us. It is the object of my friend to prove that all the wicked will be saved, and it is my object to disprove it. The object of giving me the affir

mative, if I understand it, is that I may lead in the argument and introduce all the arguments, I shall be able to introduce, in the short time allotted to us. In order to do this, I shall argue three propositions, each of which bears directly upon the point before us. 1. I shall labor to show that those who die in disobedience to the gospel will not be saved. 2. I shall endeavor to show that they will be punished after death. 3. I shall strive to show that this punishment will be endless.

Although I expect to establish each of these positions be yond a reasonable doubt, I will observe, that should I simply establish any one of them, it ruins the doctrine of my friend, and no argument from any other quarter can save it. Without further ceremony, I shall proceed to the subject in hand. 1. The first passage to which your attention is invited is Matt. 7: 13, 14. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." In connection with this I will read its parallel, Luke 13: 23-29. "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the straight gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. the master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

unto you,

When once

It appears from these passages that some, like our Univer salian friends, enquired, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" To this the Savior responded affirmatively, and solemnly charged them to "strive to enter in at the strait gate.' In the

place of impressing this upon your minds, my opponent contends that all will enter in, whether they strive or not. But why are they charged to strive to enter in? The Lord answers: "When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are."But, as if this were not sufficient to forever blast all hope of entering, he commands them to strive to enter in at the strait gate, "for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able."

The gentleman cannot find the kingdom on this earth where the master has risen up and shut to the door, and persons stand without seeking to enter in and are not able. The door has never been shut since the Lord had a kingdom on the earth, and the master has never rejected any who seek to enter in, or commanded any such to depart as workers of iniquity. But his language now is, "he that seeketh, findeth, and he that knocketh it shall be opened unto him." But, when once the master of the house has risen up and shut to the door, and those who did not strive to enter in at the strait gate, while he said, "whosoever will, let him come," will stand without the door and knock, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us, and will not be able to enter in. Not only so, but they shall be thrust out, with the terrible sentence from the lips of Jesus, Depart, ye workers of iniquity." He also adds, "and you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out." Will he point us to the time and the place when and where all this has taken place, or is to take place, this side of the resurrection of the dead? I think not. If he does not, his cause is gone. No argument from any other part of the word of God can save it.

66

2. My second argument is drawn from several scriptures, which I shall now proceed to introduce, Matt 6: 19, the Lord says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal." Heaven.and earth are here contrasted. Earth's treasures may be moth

eaten, corrupted, and stolen; but the treasures of heaven are not liable to these evils. The treasure which cannot be moth-eaten, corrupted, or stolen, is the treasure we are com manded to lay up in heaven. But my friend is here to-day to prove that all will have treasure in heaven, whether they lay it up or not. This I deny; and contend that, in order to secure lasting treasures in heaven we are to lay them up

there.

The same doctrine is taught in the following: "Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giv eth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life." 1 Tim. 6: 17-19.

urges

This passage is very definite. The apostle specifies some of the things to be done, and points out the object to be gained by it. That the good works of which he speaks, were to be done in this life, is as clear as language can make it; and in the place of teaching that the good man's reward is received as he goes along, as my friend teaches, he the necessity of doing these good works, to secure a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. The eternal life, of which he here speaks, cannot be any thing enjoyed in this world, for the persons concerning whom, the directions were given, were christians, and as such were already in the enjoyment, of all the life and blessings of this world, that could be secured by being in Christ; and as such are commanded to do good works, thus laying up in store for themselves a good foundation, against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. How strange it is, in view of this plain passage, that my friend should contend, that all men will have a good foundation against the time to come, and eternal life, whether they do what is here enjoined or not.

Another passage of scripture bearing on this same point, reads as follows: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."-Col. 3: 1. Now, the apostle is here speaking to his brethren in Christ, and consequently in