"It seems that I once again made the morning headlines (lol) on the disgruntled PB gossip blog, The Old Baptist Test. I generally ignore the complaints or accusations of Stephen Garrett and his contributors, because I believe what such men really want is attention. If you feed him, he'll keep coming back."
It seems that Ben has become hardened in his heart in falsely charging The Old Baptist Test blog with being a "gossip blog." Though Kevin and I have set him straight on this, and rebuked him for this by the word of God, yet he still persists in his malicious characterization. Remember that Solomon said:
"He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Prov. 29: 1)
Ben, I am going to be blunt in speaking more directly to you now. Your attempts at "ignoring" us and our apologetic writings against your cult's errors has Satan behind it. I firmly believe that the Lord has led you to read some of our writings. To resist the desire to read them may be your resisting the leading of the Spirit. Satan does not want you nor any other Hardshell reading what we write. He wants you all to ignore us and cast us off as unworthy of the least consideration. He is skillful at "snatching the seed" from the hearts and minds of people. (Matt. 13:19)
Ben, I implore you to "turn from the error of your ways" (James 5: 19-20) and thereby "save your soul from death" and receive forgiveness of sins. You cannot ignore and falsely accuse those who are trying their best to help you out of your error and expect to remain blameless before our Lord. You cannot twist the writings of good men, especially of the holy scriptures, and expect that you will get away with it. Those who pervert scripture do it "to their own destruction." (II Peter 3:16) Don't take these threats lightly. Handle the word of God with extreme care. Remember that we "must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ to give account of what we have done, while in the body, whether it be good or bad." (II Cor. 5:10)
In regard to the prejudices and accusations that you make against us here, we will like Paul say - "being defamed, we intreat." In your eyes, without any honest inquiry or investigation into our real character, or into what we write theologically, we are prejudged and esteemed as "the filth" and "the refuse (garbage)" of the world. (I Cor 4: 13) But, in spite of this, we continue to "intreat" you to "consider your ways" and what we say here. We plead with you. We admonish you. We rebuke you. We call you to dialogue in the name of Christ. Jesus said:
"Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake." (Luke 6: 22)
Of Kevin and me Ben said - "such men really want is attention." Again, many responses pop into my head as I read those words. Let me list them.
1) How does he know that?
2) What does he insinuate by characterizing us as "such men"?
3) Was that said with any "ill will"?
4) Was it not, by definition, an instance of "prejudice"?
5) Why would it be wrong in all cases to want attention?
6) Do not preachers and teachers, etc., want attention? (They don't want non attention!)
7) What is wrong with saying to people "pay attention"?
8) Have we not asked people to pay attention to the facts of scripture and history?
9) Where have we ever tried to draw attention to ourselves as men?
10) Who made Ben (other Hardshells also) spiritual psychologists of my soul?
11) Could not one argue that Ben wants attention by using his own criteria?
12) Did he post his writings and videos on the Internet because he wants attention?
Well, that is enough.
Next, Winslett said - "If you feed him, he'll keep coming back."
I think the Devil whispered that into you ear, not the Holy Spirit. I rather believe that the Spirit has often witnessed to Hardshells who have read our writings here in the blog, hearing the Spirit whisper to them "he is right." Brother Ben, what are you afraid of? If you "feed" us (whatever that means), are you afraid that we will become fat? Is your advice to other Hardshells this - "starve him to death"? Isn't there a better way to put us and our writings to death? One more in line with scripture? Would it not be better to try to convert us per James 5: 19-20? Do you not want Kevin and me to be saved from death and fail to receive pardon for our sins? We don't you. Can't you try to kill us and our writings by the sword of the Spirit, or the word of God? Killing us by ignoring us is not going to work.
"Keep coming back"? Don't you realize that God placed me, as a young convert and minister, among you all? That my years with you all as a pastor was for this very day in which I am pleading with you to "turn" from your vain reasonings and accept what is plainly taught in scripture? If God raised me up in his providence for this very reason, and you are rejecting the testimony that he has given to me to give to you, then what will you do when you have to answer to the Lord for your opposition to us? The same could be said of Kevin, Jeremy, Stephen Emmons, and others.
Wrote Winslett:
"Garrett, Fralick, and the like are entitled to their opinions and I am happy to let them be. I wish them no ill and harbor no animosity against them."
First, we do not deal in opinions here! George Washington was the first U.S. President. That is fact, not opinion. The records of Scripture are not opinion but facts. The records of history are likewise fact, not opinion. Further, when someone comes along and denies that Washington was the first President, we ought not to say - "he has a right to his opinion." Especially is this true when the person making the denial teaches others to deny the same fact! "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.”
As far as having "no ill" against us here, we will just let the language of Winslett speak for itself and the reader to judge for himself. One wonders why he even felt the need to offer that assessment and word of preface? But, let us proceed to the next item.
Wrote Winslett:
"That being said, in his rebuke of me today, Garrett made a few remarks that were false. He even reported that I said things which I did not say. [I'm honored he is so bothered by what I preach that he apparently watches my sermons to pick them apart.]"
As far as my misrepresenting Winslett, we will discuss that in our next posting when we discuss what Winslett said about being espoused and married to Christ. Let me first, however, respond to his statement that he is "honored" that I am, in his estimation and pre judgment, "bothered by what I preach." I will begin by citing these words of Solomon:
"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." (Prov. 18:17)
Wrote Gill in his commentary on the passage:
"He that is first in his own cause [seemeth] just As perhaps Tertullus did, before Paul made his defence; and as Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, before his master detected him: this often appears true in telling a tale, in private conversation, in lawsuits before a judge and a court of judicature, and in theological controversies; but his neighbour cometh, and searcheth him" and "shows the falsehood of his relation" and "sets the cause in quite another light" and "exposes the errors of a man engaged in a wrong cause, and refutes his arguments."
That is what we have been trying to do Ben! We are trying to expose your errors and refute your arguments, calling upon you, like the noble Bereans, to prove what you assert to be true.
Gill continued:
"...it is not proper to be hasty in forming a judgment till the other side is heard; for his antagonist comes and traverses the point, unravels the whole affair, shows the weakness of his cause, the vanity of his pretences, and makes void all his allegations...inquires more narrowly into the case, in order to find out truth, and pass a right judgment and sentence."
Again, Ben, we are doing what Dr. Gill said we should do, based upon what Solomon wrote. Are you and your Hardshell brothers, in ignoring and slandering us, not being "hasty in forming a judgment" by your failing to hear the "other side"? Why do you not want your members to hear all sides to an argument before they decide what is right?
No, Ben, I do not spend my time listening to your sermons to "pick them apart." I am just following Scripture, such as what Solomon and James taught, in "searching out" what you put forth as the truth of God and the facts of history. Again, thoughts enter my mind in response to this. Shall I list them? Why not?
1) Is that not what an honest investigator and seeker of truth does? How else are we to catch people in lies if we do not "pick them apart," or "search him out," etc.?
2) Is Ben beyond criticism in regard to his views?
3) Do Ben and his Hardshell brethren not "pick" us apart? And, mostly in personal matters?
4) Is there not ill will and animosity manifest in these accusations?
5) Is it not obvious to many that I have, like Paul, become Ben's enemy because I tell him the truth? (Gal. 4: 16)
Ben, I watched your video sermon because it popped up as a suggested video from youtube. Since we had been involved with you before on the issue of conversion, and the title of the sermon was "conversion," I thought I would listen. That is what prompted me to reply.
For your information, I listen to one or two sermons of PBs per year. I do more reading of their writings, however, especially from the 19th century. I have reviewed over the past decade several sermons by Hardshell elders. Let me name a few: Sonny Pyles, David Pyles, David Montgomery, Zach Guess, Michael Gowens, Ronnie Loudermilk, etc. Now we can add you to that list. Further, I listen to PB sermons that I never respond to, and some I actually agree with.
"So, in the spirit of correcting the record, I am replying here on my blog."
"Correcting the record"? Whew! Many things pop into my head in response to that statement, coming as it does from a member of a cult that has a history of distorting the records of history! Scripture too! Ironically, we are the ones who spend our time "correcting the record" here at The Old Baptist Test blog! On Dr. Gill's views we have had to correct the Hardshells many times. Did your forefathers in Fulton "correct the record" of the London Confession? Or, did they not butcher it?
Wrote Winslett:
"We all have pet peeves, and perhaps my greatest is when men say things about me which are untrue. Whether Mr Garrett misunderstood or is simply misrepresenting me because he cannot help himself, I have no way of knowing. Either way, I feel it worth issuing one reply. I have no intention of continuing a dialogue with him or his cohorts."
Those "pet peeves" of Winslett, do they stem from or provoke feelings of ill will? Further, as we will see, we did not say anything that could be called misrepresentation.
Of course, in regard to his words - "I have no intention of continuing a dialogue" - all I can say is we have heard all this before! Hit and run! Cowards! Where is your soldierly spirit? Why do you not come to the fight? Why are you "settled on your lees" in your errors? If you are not "Hardshell," i.e. stubborn and incalcitrant, why do you act like one? Why be hard headed and close your eyes and ears? What do you think Jesus and the Apostles would do? Would they not confront us?
Wrote Winslett:
"First, to set the back story, this weekend we had an extraordinary weekend at Flint River. On Saturday, we ordained two deacons. The house was packed. The singing was booming and worshipful. The prayers were somber but also genuine. The word was preached with power. God was certainly present and it was such an honor for us to all be witness."
Was the house packed by sinners coming for the first time to hear the gospel and be saved? Or, was the house packed because many PBs from the surrounding area came for this special meeting? How many do you have on a regular service at Flint River? How many sinners converted? If the word was preached with power, then there surely must have been many conversions, many born again, many backsliders reclaimed, etc. Many cults have such meetings as you describe. Such proves nothing about the truth claims of the cult.
Wrote Winslett:
"On his blog, Mr Garrett makes a few statements about me that need to be corrected. I will attempt to do so in brief. His words will be indented and italicized (in red - SG).
Months ago we had some communication with Winslet on this subject and we cannot but believe that some in Flint River Church are asking Winslet lots of questions about all this.
This one made me laugh. As if our flock sits around, reading Garrett's website. I'd be surprised if any of them knows he exists. In a word, inglorious. But to answer this: No Stephen. No one said anything about it. Don't flatter yourself."
Well, don't kid yourself either! More read our writings than you realize.
Why do you and other PBs keep telling me how I am such a nobody, such an unknown, as regards to the Hardshell brotherhood? Do you think that is uppermost in my mind? I was never one to engage in a popularity contest when I was a Hardshell. I quietly pastored my churches. Further, if I really wanted to get more attention from the Hardshells, I could do a lot more than I am doing, believe me. But, I write and I leave it to the Lord to direct enquirers to our web page.
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