Lemuel Potter may have been a man of little physical stature, yet he stood tall among Hardshell debaters and apologists of the second half of the 19th century. In my mind he is to be credited with leading the Hardshells further into error, being one of the founding fathers of the neo Hardshells who Elder Watson called "ultraists" and "modern innovators." In debate Potter said (emphasis mine):
"I do not worship a God that tries to do things and cannot. I do not worship a God that does not know what he is about. I do not serve a God that has any purposes or plans the results of which he does not know. I do not serve a God that, when he does know the results of his plans for which he made them will never be brought about, will trust in them. I do not serve a God who will invent a plan for the salvation of his people that he knows will fail and never save them." (Discussion on Foreign Missions, page 538)
Now notice this from him:
"I will make a statement of our religious principles. That is this, our faith is, that if the church and minister will teach exclusively what the Bible teaches, and practice just precisely what it requires, that all the good results that God intended to accomplish by that means will be brought about." (see here)
Notice how Potter here makes an "if...then" argument relative to one of the purposes of God. If the "minister will teach," then "all the good results that God intended to accomplish by that means will be brought about."
Questions
What if the minister does not teach?
Is it God's purpose to teach and convert to faith in Christ all the elect?
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