Brethren Moderators, Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I am here before you again to continue my affirmative argument. As some of you possibly do not know, this is the last speech I will have to introduce new matter.

    MODERATOR CAYCE: No, you can introduce new matter in your last speech.

    ELDER RHODES: I want to refer now to Jude 4: "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." "Ordain" is one of the definitions to the word "predestination," and as I said to you concerning this little boy, my opponent persistently said, "Nothing but predestination; it just means predestination." But "who were before of old ordained to this ungodly condemnation." I say, beloved friends, that passage of Scripture, by itself; would prove the proposition. The word "ordained" is used as one of the definitions of "predestination." I wonder if he will say that God predestinated ungodly men to condemnation. I say, my friends, that it seems to me that you should be able, and I believe you are fully able, to comprehend his particular scheme to keep me from using any of the words except predestination itself. I say, brethren, if nothing happens tomorrow, you will be in a worse predicament than I have been in if your contentions are the truth. You know, he said what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, so, let us wait until tomorrow and see.

     I have another written question that I want to give Elder West: How do you get out of sin and into Christ if God, as you said, works only such all things as are in Christ? Were you in Christ except through purpose? Were you in Christ prior to your being regenerated and born of God? If you were not in Christ prior to regeneration, and if again, as you stated, God works only such things as are in Christ, please tell us what power or being brought you from out of Christ into Christ, indeed, if you are in Christ?

     I next want to present an argument from Isaiah xlv. 7: "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." In what sense does He do that? He said He does them. Now, it is up to you to explain to me in what sense, for fear I might say predestination, I will let you say in what sense He does all things. In what sense does He make peace and in what sense does He create evil? In what sense does He form the light and create darkness? For fear he might be left at the gate as to what to say, I want to say, beloved friends, that I believe it means exactly what it says. The Lord is a first cause of all causes. I have already quoted that to him. "He made all things for Himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil."

     Now, he asked me what the secondary cause of the salvation of God's people was. The death of Christ. The predestination of God embraced the salvation of His people, but if predestination saved them, why did Christ die? Why was regeneration necessary? Why was the saving grace of God necessary? Didn't that come second? He says that predestination is causative. If so, Jesus died in vain. I asked him this morning how did He predestinate them out of sin unless His predestination embraced them in sin? Could you take a pig out of the pen that wasn't in the pen? Now, I say, my beloved friends, that he knows that the predestination of God embraced a man in the pigpen, or in sin, when He predestinated to adopt him out of that pen into the heavenly family. That was just a smooth evasion. That is just an evasion of the truth. That is all there is to it.

     Now, he said he never hated anything as bad in his life as he hated this doctrine. I believe he told the truth. I believe he was telling the truth. Jesus said, "Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." I hope the Lord will make you love the doctrine of God our Saviour before you leave this stage of action. It should be an evidence to us that we have the doctrine of God our Saviour if it is hated. He said "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake." And I am not surprised at him hating it. A lot of people have hated it, and have been hating it all of these days, and will continue to hate it, unless the Lord sheds His love abroad in the hearts of these men and make them love it.

     He said things just happen; things just happen without a cause. Did you ever hear of anything happening without a cause? Did you ever see anything take place where there was not something behind it to cause it? Just happened! That is fatalism.

     He misquoted me in his last speech. I did not say that God works the wickedness. I said that God worked all things after the counsel of His own will, but the wickedness of men proceeds from their own depraved and deceived condition through the agency of the devil. And yet, here he has this picture with the ring clear around God, and the devil over here (indicating illustration on blackboard); it is a pretty good picture. He never told me he didn't belong to God, and the Bible says he does belong to Him. He said that if a man should come into your house and love your wife he just couldn't help it. Let one come into my house and try it and we will see whether I can help it or not. You know the argument I have already made on that subject.

     It says in Romans, the third chapter: "And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? Whose damnation is just." Your damnation is just, according to the Scriptures. He said that we say, "Let us do evil that good may come." Prove that your damnation is not just by the Scriptures.

     Could grace abound where there was no sin? He said that God never thought of a man as, a sinner until after he sinned, yet grace abounds. What is grace? It is an unmerited favor; nobody can have it but a sinner. He said it didn't please the Lord about what happened concerning David's wickedness. That sinfulness of David’s heart did not please the Lord, that is true, but the accomplishment in the end that works together for good, that all things work together for good; the purpose in the end pleased Him very much. David acknowledged that he had sinned. I don't say that David did not sin. He did sin. And yet, my friends, that very act of David's-you know who that woman was. She was one of the direct ancestors of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

     Now, this is Matthew ii. 14 to 23: "When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son." What sent him into Egypt? The wickedness of Herod, and yet God had said, a thousand years before, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son." I guess the Lord was surprised when He found His Son down in Egypt. This is the same chapter and the seventeenth verse: "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life." I say that every move that was made concerning the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ while here on earth after He was born is recorded in this book that it was done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: Here was murder. Murder of little babies; just as cold-blooded murder as was ever perpetrated by the hands of men. And yet, it was done that these Scriptures might be fulfilled, "Which also Jesus said they must."

     “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, He shall be called a Nazarene." It was written thousands of years before that He should be called a Nazarene. And the Lord, by His angel, told him to come into the land of Israel again, but he was a human being, and when he found out that the king's son reigned in his stead, he was afraid. Here is some more of the outcroppings of that predestination. Why didn't he go into the land of Israel like the Lord had said by the commandment through the angel? Why didn't he go on? Because he shall be called a Nazarene. That is why he didn't do it.

     Matthew iv. 12 to 16: "Now, when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nepthalim: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying." He came there, not because it was more convenient; not because He loved that part of the country, but because He was being persecuted as a secondary cause, and because behind that, the Scriptures might be fulfilled.

     Matthew viii. 16 and 17: "When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias, the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." And that was done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. I want to ask you the direct question right here, my brother: Do you believe the Scriptures had to be fulfilled? I will just let you knit on your own sock. Do you think that they can be broken?

     Matthew xii. 14 and 21: "Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him. But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew Himself from thence: and great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all; and charged them that they should not make Him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias, the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He shall shew judgment to the Gentiles." I say, right here, that this is an argument-does it not sound exactly like the others? He will accept this one. He will shake my hand on this one. I want to ask you if it doesn't read exactly like the others? That it was done that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. What does the word "that" mean? He is the scholar. I am not a scholar. What does that word mean? It tends to purpose, to fulfill the purpose that was under consideration. So, tell us if you will not accept this argument.

     Matthew xiii. 13 and 15. The reason I mention that-can't you see his prejudice? He has such a little god that he is afraid he would get him in a tight place. He is afraid he will get him somewhere that he cannot get him out. I say my brother, it may be possible that yours is so small that you have to be careful with him for fear he will get his feet wet, or something of that kind, but I say, it may possibly be that he is one of those strange gods mentioned over there in the thirty-second chapter of Deuteronomy, and there were no strange gods with Jacob. He is a strange god. He foreknows all things. He can purpose all things. No, pardon me, he will accept the word "purpose" but he doesn't want me to use "predestination." But he can foreknow all things, and he can determine all things and not be the cause of any of it, and yet, my friends, he is able to do what he pleases without a decree or determination or anything of that kind. There is not a woman in this house that is a good cook who can bake a biscuit fit to feed a worn out hound dog without using predestination all the way through. If you think you can, try it. Do you think that God can govern and control and complete a world without predestination? Matthew xiii. 13 and 15: "Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and ,hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them." He will not accept this one with me. He cannot accept this one with me. This was done that they might ,not see. If it was said that it was done that they might see, he would say, "Yes, that is predestination. I will accept that." I am presuming a little, but from what he has argued, I think that's right.

     Matthew xiii. 34 and 35: "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitudes in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." I have already read that.

     Matthew xvii. 22 and 23: "And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill, Him, and the third day He shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry." Oh, no, he says they didn't kill Him. He has already said that. They did not kill Him. But here is where He said, "And they shall kill Him," and I showed him the Scripture where they killed the Prince of life. He said the reason they didn't kill Him was because he was afraid of that terrible word "predestination." He is so afraid of it that he is scared of his shadow. Like a blind mule around a clay root, he is as shy as he can possibly be. A crawfish hole looks like it might be a shell crater; and I say, brethren, no wonder; his god is so small and so insignificant that if he were to get one foot in the hole, he would never get out.

     Matthew xxxiv. 35: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away." The word of the Lord shall not pass away until they are fulfilled and accomplished, let it be predestination or no predestination. I can leave the term off, and, frankly, if it is worth anything to your comfort, I will seldom ever use the word "predestination" in preaching. Why? Because there has been so much Cain raised about it by such people as my opponent, until I would rather, as Solomon said, seek acceptable words if possible. I do my dead level best, I go around my elbows to get to my thumb, to make it acceptable to them, just so I can stay within the truth and do it. But when I cannot stay within the truth and do it, you need not be uneasy.

     Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have something here that bears directly on this subject under discussion from begining to finish, and every verse of it is filled with questions.

     Matthew xxi. I to 5: "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." All that was done, and they cried Hosanna to the Lord, and spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way. All that was done that it might be fulfilled. You know, some of them tried to keep that from going on. They tried to stop them.

Time expired.