Signs of the Times (1833)

From the article "The Gospel Spiritually Discerned":

"In the work of regeneration, I consider the word of God to be the seed of eternal life; this is received in the heart by the quickening power of the Holy Ghost; and thereby Christ is formed in the heart, and a new creation actually takes place." (Feb. 6, 1833 - see here)

That is what the first "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptists believed at the start! If today's "Primitive Baptists" do not believe what their founding fathers believed, how then are they "primitive" or "original"?

"Final Perseverance of the Saints" (April 10, 1833 - see here)

"All that can be fairly drawn from the word if, is this: If you persevere, that will prove the reality of grace: If after making a profession, you should afterwards fall away, that will prove you never had the grace of God in truth, notwithstanding all the profession you have made: as St. John argues, "They went out from us because they were not of us; for had they been of us they must needs have continued with us."

"Primitive Baptists" who today do not agree with this statement on perseverance show that they all not "primitive" and therefore the very name of their denomination is a lie, or farce.

"If men have some natural awakenings and alarms of conscience, if they are outwardly reformed, and make a profession of religion, immediately, they are set down as believers, and should they afterwards fall from their profession it is vainly supposed by some that they are fallen from grace. Had could they fall from that which they never had? This appears to be one of the prevailing errors of the present day. Preaching up reformation as if it was regeneration. I must insist upon it, that there may be reformation where there is no regeneration, but there can be no regeneration without reformation."

Again, today's Hardshells will not accept what this paragraph says! Have I not said many times throughout the years that we here are the real old or original Baptists?

Beebe on "Total Depravity" (April 24, 1833 - see here)

"We have reason to believe the children of God differ in their opinions somewhat in regards to faith; some concluding it is the duty of all (who hear, or have an opportunity of hearing the gospel) to believe--while others contend that faith is a grace of the Spirit of God, and of course does not enter into the list of duties required of man. These matters of opinion should not cause brethren to fall out by the way, while all agree in the important point what is to be believed, namely this: that Jesus Christ is the only and all-sufficient Savior of sinners..."

Hardshells today, however, do consider an affirmation of duty faith to be a heresy!