The following are excerpts from two circular letters of the Philadelphia Baptist Association with some short comments from me. These citations show that the first Baptists were not Hardshells, were not deniers of means in the saving of sinners. The Philadelphia Association is the mother association and all the oldest Hardshell associations were in fellowship with her until they forsook her and the historic old Baptist faith. All emphasis/highlighting is mine.
CIRCULAR LETTER
Philadelphia Baptist Association
The Gospel
By Rev. Samuel Jones, D. D.
1795 (see here)
"The subject of our last address, was the Law — the next in order, in our most excellent Confession of faith, is the Gospel."
"In the Gospel we find free grace, free mercy, free pardon ; faith and repentance are freely given, and, with them, a new heart, a new nature, new life, — all is new, all is free."
What is "freely given" "in the gospel"? "New life" and a "new heart"! This is denied by Hardshells and yet they claim to be "primitive" Baptists!
"The applications of the Gospel under the influence of the divine Spirit, in the work of conviction and conversion, is absolutely necessary, in order to our receiving saving benefit from it. In this precious work of grace in our hearts, the Law and Gospel, considered as means, go hand in hand, and are often found in the same verse. By the one is the knowledge of sin, by the other the discovery of deliverance. The one worketh despair, the other faith and hope."
"Thus, beloved brethren, you see, that the glorious Gospel, in every point of view, is the work of the rich and sovereign grace of God. It was of the sovereign grace and mercy of God, that the glorious plan of redemption was concerted, was published, and was afterwards, as it still is, applied to the elect, with all its saving benefits. O the glorious and blessed Gospel! O the sovereign grace and mercy of God in and through a gracious Redeemer!"
"From what we have said, various useful observations, by way of inference, might be made; but we shall only mention two: First, that according to the Gospel, the atonement of Christ did not extend to every individual of the human race; and, secondly, that the Gospel contains no conditional offers of salvation."
These old Baptists did not believe in a universal atonement. They believed in an efficacious atonement, one that actually atoned and is what the great evangelist, Charles Spurgeon, also believed. When these old Baptists averred that "the Gospel contains no conditional offers of salvation," they do not mean that faith is no condition of salvation, as their other writings show, but they mean that faith is not the product of the sinner, but is given of God, and is therefore no "condition" in the Arminian or Pelagian sense. For a longer discussion of this point, see my recent series on "Salvation - Conditional or Unconditional?"
"But if we speak of supernatural and evangelical faith, the Scripture is express. By way of distinction from the other, it is called, the faith of the operation of God, the faith of God's elect, like precious faith with us, that faith which purifies the heart, and worketh by love. And in regard to them, who received him, it is said, to them gave he power. Yea, verily, all the power, influence, and every thing in the business of our salvation is entirely of God alone, and not of us, who are but perfect weakness."
"...the way of recovery is through the atoning blood of Christ, who glorified the divine perfections in making honorable the law, and bringing in an everlasting righteousness in behalf of and for those that were given him, who in God's own time and way are renewed and sanctified, made holy here and happy hereafter. To this end means are appointed, chiefly the word and the ministration thereof; wherein the state of the sinner by nature, and the way of recovery through rich grace is unfolded; and it pleases God to enlighten the mind; move on the affections, and subdue the will. The sinner is awakened and convicted; he sees his danger; is filled with concern of mind; enquires what he must do to be saved; has repentance unto life given him; is led to see the fulness, freeness, suitableness, and glory of the way of life through a Redeemer; is enabled to lay hold by faith of this hope; is transformed by the renewing of his mind; has the constraining love of God shed abroad in his heart; is humbled and abased in himself, yet triumphs in the mercy and power of God; and thus being filled with holy zeal, he goes on his way rejoicing. He is sensible the Lord of his mere sovereign unconditional grace and mercy began the good work, is now carrying it on, and will complete it in glory, to whom, therefore, without reserve, he ascribes all the praise, and will to all eternity."
Philadelphia Baptist Association
Circular Letter
"Saving Faith"
By Rev. David Jones, Pastor
Southampton Baptist Church
1788 (see here)
"Saving faith may be thus defined, "That grace whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, which is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word." By this grace the person is enabled to believe all divine truths revealed in the holy scriptures; and in particular to apprehend the Lord Jesus Christ and to rely alone on his atoning blood for acceptance in the sight of God. The apostle, speaking of salvation said, "By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. The same apostle informs us that the Ephesians were dead in trespasses and sins, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others; but when the gospel of Christ was preached, the Holy Ghost working with the word, opened their hearts to receive it, and by his powerful operations implanted this grace, by which they were enabled to believe the record that God has given of his Son. The precious grace of faith is a free and sovereign gift of God, conveyed through the power of the Holy Ghost, and the instrumentality of the word; and is co-existent with regeneration, if not an essential part of it; and as it is not of ourselves, we see that all boasting is excluded, so that we may all say, "by the grace of God, we are what we are." When the apostle was enumerating the fruits of the Spirit, he mentions faith as one, Gal. v. 22."
Notice how the Old Baptists of the 18th century, in keeping with the oldest Particular Baptist confessions of faith, taught that sinners are saved by faith, a salvation and faith that is produced by the Spirit's use of the gospel word. They also said that such evangelical faith "is co-existent with regeneration" or "an essential part of it." This is my view, the view of this blog. We therefore claim to be the genuine old or primitive Baptists, and not like those today who call themselves such but are to be judged as "forgers of lies."
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