Saved Before Faith - Hardshell Fundamental Premise

The following is from "Cayce's Editorials" under the heading "SALVATION BEFORE FAITH" and published October 30, 1906 (emphasis mine):

"ELDER C. H. Cayce: Dear Brother - Which is first-salvation or faith? I ask this so you can answer through THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST, as I want to show it to those who say “faith precedes salvation.” I write like I know you see it as I do - that a child must be born first, which is life, and life is salvation, and it is to the living that God gives gifts, and faith, I think, is a gift. If I am wrong and you see differently, I hope you can make it plain to me.

We most assuredly think you are correct in saying salvation precedes faith. If faith is used in the sense of belief, then it is a mental act, an act of the mind. The unregenerate man is in possession of a carnal mind, and the carnal mind is enmity against God. He is not in possession of a spiritual mind, or the mind of Christ. For one to be in possession of a natural mind, or carnal mind, be must necessarily be in possession of the natural life."

Where in all the bible does the bible say that salvation precedes faith? Why did Cayce not give those texts that say that? Instead, he uses arguments based upon reasoning, and such reasoning that first accepts an unscriptural premise and then builds upon it. The reasoning used by Cayce supposes that by "carnal mind" is meant some physical, rather than moral, condition. Further, to him, a man has a spiritual mind first and then he believes, which argumentation assumes that a mind can be spiritual when it lacks faith in God and in his Son the Lord Jesus! I wrote on this in my book on the Hardshell cult, talking about how spiritual mindedness cannot be divorced from faith, and also how carnal mindedness cannot be divorced from unbelief. (see here for that posting)

Not only do the Hardshells teach that sinners are "saved before faith" but also "without faith."

In Zion’s Advocate for August, 1898, page 225, Elder (Dr.) Charles Waters stated:

"Every saved child of Adam is saved eternally, faith or no faith; infants and idiots must be so saved for they cannot believe, though they must be regenerated, faith (belief) therefore is not necessary to eternal salvation.”

How anyone can come up with such a proposition from reading the scriptures is bewildering.