Let us attend to the doctrine inculcated by this preacher, “Ye shall not surely die.” Bold assertion, without a single argument to support it! The death contained in the threatening was doubtless eternal death, as nothing but this would express God’s feelings toward sin or render an infinite atonement necessary. To suppose it to be spiritual death is to blend crime and punishment together.

Preface from Lemuel Haynes

There is no greater folly than for men to express anger and resentment because their religious sentiments are attacked. If their characters are impeached by their own creed, they only are to blame.

All that the antagonists can say cannot make falsehood truth, nor truth, falsehood. The following discourse was delivered at Rutland, Vermont in June of 1805, immediately after hearing Mr. Ballou, a universal preacher, zealously exhibit his sentiments. The author had been repeatedly solicited to hear and dispute with the above preacher and had been charged with dishonesty and cowardice for refusing. He felt that some kind of testimony, in opposition to what he calls error, ought to be made, and has been urged to let the same appear in print. But whether, on the whole, it is for the interest of truth, is left to the judgment of the candid.

The Sermon

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4)

The holy Scriptures are a peculiar fund of instruction. They inform us of the origin of creation, of the primitive state of man, and of his fall, or apostasy, from God. It appears that he was placed in the garden of Eden with full liberty to regale himself with all the delicious fruits that were to be found, except what grew on one tree—if he eat of that, that he should surely die, was the declaration of the Most High.

Happy were the human pair amidst this delightful paradise until a certain preacher, in his journey, came that way and disturbed their peace and tranquility by endeavoring to reverse the prohibition of the Almighty—as in our text, “Ye shall not surely die.”

She pluck’d, she ate.

Earth felt the wound; nature from her seat.
Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe.
That all was lost.

Milton1

We may attend to the character of the preacher, the doctrines inculcated, the hearer addressed, and the medium or instrument of the preaching.

Six Qualities of the Devil

As to the preacher, I shall observe, he has many names given him in the sacred writings; the most common is the devil. That it was he who disturbed the felicity of our first parents is evident from 2 Corinthians 11:3 and many other passages of Scripture. He was once an angel of light and knew better than to preach such doctrine; he did violence to his own reason. But to be a little more particular, let it be observed:

1) He is an old preacher. He lived above 1,700 years before Abraham, 2,430 years before Moses, and 4,004 years before Christ. It is now 5,809 years since he commenced preaching. By this time he must have acquired great skill in the art.

2) He is a very cunning, artful preacher. When Elymas the sorcerer came to turn away people from the faith, he was said to be full of all subtlety and a child of the devil, not only because he was an enemy to all righteousness, but on account of his carnal cunning and craftiness.

3) He is a very laborious, unwearied preacher. He has been in the ministry almost six thousand years and yet his zeal has not in the least abated. The apostle Peter compares him to “a roaring lion, walk[ing] about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). When God inquired of this persevering preacher, “From whence comest thou?” he “answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 2:2). He is far from being circumscribed within the narrow limits of parish, state, or continental lines; his haunt and travel are very large and extensive.

4) He is a heterogeneous preacher, if I may so express myself. He makes use of a Bible when he holds forth, as in his sermon to our Savior in Matthew 4:6. He mixes truth with error in order to make it go well or to carry his point.

5) He is a very presumptuous preacher. Notwithstanding God had declared, in the most plain and positive terms, “Thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17), or “In dying, thou shalt die,” yet this audacious wretch had the impudence to confront omnipotence and says “ye shall not surely die”!

6) He is a very successful preacher. He draws a great number after him. No preacher can command hearers like him. He was successful with our first parents, with the old world.

Read More