Aylette Raines (1798-1881) was sprinkled in the Episcopal church when he was four years old, but by the time he was a young adult, had become a Universalist. When he had the opportunity to hear Walter Scott, a preacher of the gospel, he went to hear him so that he might challenge Scott to a debate. In the excerpt below, Raines recalls his encounter with Scott and explains why a debate never happened.
“After a few weeks I concluded to hear Bro. Scott for myself. He was to speak at night at Bro. Robbins’, in the town of Windham, near where I was at that time sojourning. One object that I had in view was to bring Bro. Scott into a debate; for among other things that I had heard, I had been told that he was a very bold man, and at the close of his discourses he challenged objectors to make known their objections. Here, thought I, will be a good opportunity for me! and hence I let a number of my brethren know that I intended to oppose him. Well, we assembled, a compact congregation. Bro. Scott, after singing and prayer, read first Cor. first chapter. He preached it through, not forgetting to state and defend what he styled the six points of the gospel. I was greatly surprised. But when he called for objections I was confounded. I could see the heads of my brethren moving to the right and left, in the crowd, expecting to see me rise to my feet. But they didn’t see me rise! The reason was, I felt certain that if I opposed Bro. Scott I would expose myself. His discourse appeared to me, at every point, invulnerable. And so, when we were dismissed, and out in the yard, my old brethren gathered around me and asked, ‘Bro. Raines, what do you think of the discourse?’ And let me say here that I think my first answer will be my last: ‘I can do nothing against the gospel as preached by Bro. Scott; unless I should live to disgrace it; which may our gracious Lord forbid!’ Hence I have no sympathy with those who say they can not understand the preachers of the reformation. I understood the first I ever heard a great deal better than I desired” (Early History of the Disciples in the Western Reserve, p. 96-97).
There is a lot of confusion in the religious world, but this is not the fault of God. Paul said, “For God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33, KJV). The confusion in the religious world comes as the result of man ignoring, changing, or adding to the word of God. The solution to this confusion is to eliminate the human commands, traditions, and opinions that divide us, and simply follow the word of God.
The job of a preacher is simply to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2) as it has been revealed (1 Peter 4:11) without altering it (Galatians 1:8-9). We must use “great plainness of speech” (2 Corinthians 3:12, KJV) so that honest hearts may accept the irrefutable truth of God’s word, just as Raines did when he heard Scott preach.
After hearing Walter Scott’s sermon, Raines met with one of his close preaching associates, Ebenezer Williams, to study the things taught by Scott. After a few months, both were convinced of the truth and were immersed into Christ for the remission of sins. Raines then began preaching the simple gospel of Christ. Five weeks after his immersion, he baptized 50 more people into Christ. He continued preaching and defending the truth from that point on.
In explaining the parable of the sower, Jesus said: “But the seed in the good soil, these are the one who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). Aylette Raines is an example of one who had “an honest and good heart.” We need to have such a heart so that when we hear the truth, rather than feigning confusion and claiming that we do not understand the message, we accept it and follow it.
