William Huntington on Means

William Huntington (1745– 1813)

Huntington wrote the following in

"Every Divine Law in the Heart of Christ and His Spiritual Seed - BUT THE UNBELIEVING DISOBEDIENT TO THE FAITH AND WITHOUT LAW." (see here - emphasis mine):

"The gospel is the power of God displayed in saving mankind. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek," Rom. i. 16. This power removes the guilt and filth of sin; it subdues the reigning and destroying power of sin; it makes us free from the drudgery and slavery of it, and saves us from the bondage and curse of a broken law, and from the destructive tyranny of Satan."

That was what Old Baptist believed in the time of Huntington and it is not akin to Hardshellism.

He also wrote (see here):

"There can be no true holiness, either in heart or life, till the soul-reviving doctrines of the gospel are applied to the heart by the Holy Ghost; nor can the superstructure go up on our most holy faith till faith mix with the word, and love unite the living stone to the glorious foundation."

Don't Hardshells today teach that "life" exists in hearts that have not received the gospel?

Huntington continued:

"But these are not the means which God hath appointed to obtain the glorious end: grace begins the work at first, and makes them meet to be partakers of the inheritance at last. I send thee, Paul, says the Saviour, "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified, by faith that is in me." Here we have deliverance from blindness of mind, and from the devil himself; forgiveness of all our sins, the glorious inheritance, and sanctification, or a meetness for it, also; and all this by faith that is in Christ."

"All this by faith"! What is "by faith" according to Huntington? Does it not include the things mentioned in Acts 26: 18, the passage Huntington alludes to? And, was not Paul the means used by God to bring "all this" to the elect?

He wrote:

"Thus, my dear brother, comes the arm of the Lord working faith. Salvation from sin, and justification from all things, attend believing. Such souls have taken their trial; their judgment is over; their cause is decided, and the decision is in their favour; they are pronounced just; and, of course, are passed from death to life, and shall not come into condemnation, John v. 24." ("The Works of the Reverend William Huntington," pg. 311 - see here)

"Attend believing"! That is my view. I am "Old Baptist." More importantly, I am in line with Scripture.

Again he writes:

"Upon believing we are to to be sealed; “Seal the law among my disciples.” This law is the law of faith; the seal of God never attends the preaching of any other law, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Again, “He therefore that ministereth the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Gal. iii. 2, 5. Not by the law, for that worketh wrath, and all ministers of the law are dead men; we are not ministers of the letter, but of the Spirit; “For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.”"

This "sealing" Huntington sees as essential to that experience of being regenerated, born again, or converted, and he sees it correctly as being that which follows or attends belief of the gospel.

Huntington continued:

"But, at the first resurrection, they must be all collected together; all whose names are written in heaven, the whole church of the firstborn. And this will be the grand convocation, or the general assembly, Heb. xii. 23. Now the apostle tells us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto this day of redemption; which shews that none but sealed persons will rise in the resurrection of the just. None but those that are of faith, and who, upon thus believing, are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, can rise in the first resurrection; for they, and only they, are blessed and holy persons. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power,” Rev. xx. 6. Being of faith, they are blessed with faithful Abraham; and being sealed with the Holy Spirit, they are holy. Hence this sealing us to the day of redemption is to assure us of a part and lot in this first resurrection; it is a pledge and an earnest of it. It is the Holy Spirit sanctifying and sealing of us that makes us meet to partake of it. And this is a truth, that the Holy Ghost never will quicken and change any one mortal body, and fashion it like unto the glorious body of Christ, unless he dwell in it, and make it his temple in this life." (pg. 331)

Only sealed persons will rise in the resurrection of the just! Can't be "sealed" without faith in Christ and the gospel. That is Old Baptist belief! Where were the Hardshells in Huntington's time that took issue with him on these things?