r. Newby, and do you
not think that Christ did something for us that the law could not do?
'He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon
better promises,' says Paul, in Heb. 8:6. It was probably true that,
in Solomon's day, no one lived free from committing sin, but since
Christ came to redeem us from sin, we can be saved. Of course, anyone
can sin, and there is danger of sinning, but if we live close to
Jesus, He is able to keep us from falling, as Jude. 24, 25 says,"
replied Robert, as he sat down again.

Peter Newby closed the debate by saying: "Next week we shall study the
sixth chapter of Romans. The young man who spoke tonight seems to know
considerable about the Scripture, so we shall appoint him leader. I
will find that text he asked for. It is in my old Bible at home." And
the crowd dispersed.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE SCHOOLHOUSE DEBATES (continued)

Robert Davis did much studying between the two prayer meeting nights.
Peter Newby searched through his old Bible at home for "he that saith
he liveth and sinneth not is a liar," but he could not find it. The
nearest text he could find that was like it was 1 John 1:8, and he
knew that Robert Davis had already explained it. Peter studied hard,
however. He found several texts, such as Prov. 20:9; Matt. 19:16, 17;
Rom. 3:10; 1 Tim. 1:15; Rom. 7, and others, which he thought supported
his theory that no one could live free from sin. He reckoned without
taking his opponent into account, however, and came off worse
confounded in the second encounter than he did in the first. Romans 6
was rather hard on Peter's theory, and he decided it would not pay him
to say much about it.

The prayer meeting was well attended on that night. The air was full
of expectancy. Peter's long supremacy in debating caused several to
wish secretly for him to be beaten; others took his side, and did all
that they could to encourage him. A few were interested for truth's
sake. After the chapter was read, Peter Newby was first on his feet
and began his diatribe.

"Verse 4 means water baptism," he said, "and if a man is not baptized
he cannot be saved. We go down into the water a sinner, and come up
a Christian. Some of you people have never been baptized, and yet you
claim to be saved.

"Now, last prayer meeting night, I promised to find that old familiar
text, 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth
is not in him,' but I have not found it