A Professor Of Eternal Security Confounded

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Category: Eternal Security

Published on Thursday, 30 April 2009 02:41

Written by Abel Stevens

A PROFESSOR OF ETERNAL SECURITY CONFOUNDED

From: "History of the Methodist Episcopal Church,"
Volume 4, Book 5, Chapter 18, by Abel Stevens

Peter Vannest said: "As I was on my way from Norwich to Bozrah, a man came up to me in great haste and concern, and asked me if I was a Methodist preacher. I said, 'Yes, a poor one.' He said, 'I have been wishing and looking to see one this several years, and I am glad that I have found one at last.' I asked him what he 'wanted with him.' He said, 'To make him ashamed of his erroneous principles.' 'What are they?' I asked. 'You hold to falling from grace, don't you?' I said, 'Not so; we hold to getting grace and keeping it.' 'But you allow that people can fall from grace?' 'That is another thing: angels fell; Adam fell; and St. Paul said, I keep under my body, etc., lest when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway; if you do not believe the Scriptures you are an infidel.' He said he believed in degrees of falling; that we may fall partly, but not finally. 'Now, sir, if you please, I will ask you a few plain questions. 'Have you ever had grace?' He answered, 'Yes.' 'Have you any grace now?' 'To be sure I have, as I cannot lose it.' 'Now be honest: Don't you get angry?' 'Yes, I do.' 'Do you not swear?' 'Yes, I do.' 'Do you not get drunk?' 'Yes, I do.' 'What you do these things? why, you have no more religion than the devil. Sir, I allow two degrees in falling: the first is to fall from grace as you have, if you ever had any; and if you do not repent and do your first works, the next fall will be into hell, to be miserable forever.' He put whip to his horse and went off in a hurry, and I thought that he would not be in haste to find another Methodist preacher."

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