First Hardshells Believed in Means

In the "Christian Doctrinal Advocate and Spiritual Monitor," a writer wrote (see here): (emphasis mine)

Extracts From Circular Letters. The Elders and Messengers, composing the Lexington Particular Baptist Association—to the several independent Churches, of which it is composed, send greeting (1841).

"It therefore plainly follows, that every person must undergo a radical change and become 'a new creature,' before he can properly & truly be styled a child of God. And this change cannot be effected by any creature, whether in heaven, Earth, or hell; but must be accomplished by Him alone, whose prerogative it is to create. God alone, and only God, can give 'a clean heart.' He alone, and only He can make a man, who is dead in trespasses & sins, to become a living member of Christ's mystical body, which is the Church. It is the resurrection power of Christ, that awakens the sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, to a sense of divine things; and puts him in the possession and enjoyment of everlasting life.

Whatever may be the instrumentality, which may be employed, the Holy Ghost alone begins and completes the work of awakening the dead sinner, and giving him, and supporting in him, eternal life. It is the Holy Ghost alone, that causes the sound of the Gospel, "the voice of the Son of God" to reverberate through the cold and dreary regions, of the sinners heart, and that brings him to the sense of hearing. It is the Spirit alone that accompanies the sense of hearing, in the sinner, with the sense of seeing; and removes all impediments to his having a view of the rays of light, which beam forth from the Sun of Righteousness; from whence he now hears a Voice that speaks, as never man spake: by which illumination he is brought to discern, that the great things—the incomparable accents of the said voice, are irrefragible truth. By this light the Spirit leads the awakened sinner, to a knowledge of the only true God." (pgs. 38. 39)

"But notwithstanding this, he desires happiness as much as ever; but he does not desire it at the expense of God's glory. He now is prepared to be brought to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Spirit leads his mind to trace these rays of light to their source; and to his unspeakable astonishment, he discovers that the source of this incomparable light, is the Lamb of God..— The Sin Atoning Lamb!!—that all these emotions within him, have originated from the Spirit of Christ!—generated &. nourished by the fructifying rays, that emanate from this Sun of suns,— the Sun Of Righteousness! His soul is absorbed with wonder mid amazement! Here he beholds the Way, the only way to God,—here he beholds the Truth, the truth of God,—and here he discovers and realizes the Life, the life of God. These views [brought home in the Spirit's power,] transform his soul into the likeness of Christ—He now has the Spirit of Christ."

"These divine realities take possession of every Christian heart; and when the sinner is thus taught, he may then be said to know the Lord Jesus Christ. And this knowledge is eternal life. "And this is eternal life, that they may know the only true God, & Jesus Christ whom he hath sent." This knowledge has a transforming influence upon his soul, and he aspires to a greater knowledge of this kind—to "grow in grace and increase in the knowledge of Christ Jesus." All this knowledge &, change, is free sovereign grace." (pgs. 38, 39)

Today's Hardshell are much newer in their views on means than they imagine.  Not only did the Old Baptists of the pre-nineteenth centuries not believe in the Hardshell "anti-means" view, but not even the leading founding fathers of the Hardshell demonination denied the use of means.  From the above abstracts it is clear that they believed that evangelical knowledge and faith were essentials of the regeneration experience.  Neo-Hardshells would not agree with their founders, however.