The great English Particular Baptist leader, Robert Hall (1764-1831), in his famous book "Help to Zion's Travellers: Being an Attempt to Remove Various Stumbling Blocks Out of the Way, Relating to Doctrinal, Experimental, and Practical Religion" (see here), said some things that I feel would be good to quote here at The Old Baptist Test blog together with some comments.
Is prayer (or faith) a duty or obligation upon all men, even upon the unregenerate? We have written upon this subject many times and have shown that the neo Hardshell view, which denies duty faith and repentance, and duty prayer, for all men, including the unregenerate, is against scripture, reason, and the teachings of our Baptist forefathers. Those who deny that the unregenerate are duty bound to pray, seek God, love God, believe God, etc., cannot condemn them for not doing those things. Wrote Hall on this matter (emphasis mine):
"If he (the unregenerate - SG) ought not to pray, an aversion to pray is not a criminal, but a commendable disposition; for surely a person is much to be commended for being averse to what he ought not to do. If it be said, an unregenerate man ought not to pray, because while in such a state they are incapable of spiritual actions, such objectors ought to point out what duties the unconverted can perform acceptably, or allow that they are not bound to the performance of any; and if not under obligation to obedience, they are not chargeable with sin, and consequently are in a state of safety, not being exposed to punishment; for whoever are not culpable need not fear the Divine displeasure." (PART II. EXPERIMENTAL DIFFICULTIES, page 120)
Well, amen to that! It would be great if our modern Hardshell brothers could see their great error and repent of it. It is antinomianism. For further study on this topic see my series on "Hardshell Pelagianism" and "Hardshell Antinomianism."
Hall also said:
"if he (unregenerate) ought to believe he is pardoned before he repents, then he ought to believe a lie."
This is what we have stated many times before. If a soul is convicted by the Spirit's testifying to him that he is lost, when he is not really lost, then the Spirit bears false witness. This has been pointed out by others. Elder Throgmorton did this in his debate with Hardshell debate champion John Daily. For instance, see these postings:
What Do You Say?
Hardshells Make The Spirit A Liar
Wrote Hall:
"There is no preventive bar in the sinner's way to the Saviour, but what arises from a carnal heart; such as impenitency for sin, an attachment to self-righteousness, and an avowed aversion to the holy perfections of God and his sovereign methods of grace. But let it be observed, that a grant to come to Christ does not support a claim, or give a right to conclude they shall be saved by him. No, such a conclusion is only inferable from our having really believed in his name; a right to go to Christ is no proof we have done so.” What evidences a person's being a true believer is quite distinct from what warrants his applying to the Saviour: the latter arises from what God in his word says to him; the former appears from the change which is wrought in him. To put persons, therefore, upon examining themselves whether they have faith, before they believe, is extremely injudicious; and to encourage professors in the persuasion they are believers, without Scripture evidence of an internal change, is awfully dangerous."
Hardshells are guilty of the "extremely injudicious" and "awfully dangerous" belief and practice that Hall condemns as most surely contrary to the teachings of Scripture.
Continued Hall:
"It would be a great advantage to inquiring souls, and discouraged Christians, as well as presumptuous professors, to have right ideas of the nature of faith, or what it is to believe to the saving of the soul. Faith is a believing the Divine testimony. For he that believeth not maketh God a liar. Faith in Christ is a crediting what the Scriptures assert concerning him...true faith, with which salvation is connected, consists in believing likewise, what he is...He gives credit to the Divine testimony, not only in respect of its reality, but likewise its holy nature and spiritual tendency. The tidings concerning the person of Christ, and his infinite fulness of merit and grace, are declared to be good, as well as true; the renewed soul believes them to be so, even the only satisfying portion that an immortal mind can possess.
He receives them as every way suited to his present circumstances, as guilty and impure; being divinely adapted to render him holy and happy for ever. This is what the Scripture calls an embracing, when true faith is the subject under immediate consideration. See Heb. xi. 13. Saving faith is differently denominated in Scripture, but always exactly corresponding with the various representations of Christ in the gospel. Is he lifted up as an object to be beheld?
Believers “look to him” as the wounded Jews did to the brazen serpent lifted up in the wilderness for their relief. Is he a “gift”? Faith as such “receives” him. As he is called the “bread of life,” believing is termed an “eating or living upon” him.
Considering him as a support, faith is described as a leaning upon him.
He is called a faithful friend; and faith is then denominated a “confiding or trusting” in him.
He is set forth as a “refuge,” and faith is then termed a “running or flying” to him for safety.
He is represented as the husband of his people, and then their faith is called giving themselves to him.
Many more instances might be produced of the diversification of believing in Christ, according as its object is represented; for the purpose of setting forth the various infinite blessings in him, and benefits flowing from him, who is the real believers's all in all."
Yes, Hardshells do not give a scriptural definition of "faith." They create a whole new definition for it, just as they do other key words dealing with the doctrine of salvation.
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