Elder Thomas Meredith & Hardshellism

The following citations from Elder Thomas Meredith of North Carolina are worth sharing. Meredith was a founder of the NC Baptist Convention and a leading opponent of both Campbellism and Hardshellism. He was instrumental in helping Elder Mark Bennett to see the truth and depart from the Hardshells, who at the time were fast developing into a cult.

Meredith spoke of the theological machinations of the "Old Schoolers" as involving being

"initiated into the mysteries of spiritualizalion." (Biblical Recorder, Saturday, July 13, 1839; Page: 3 - here)

(Note: see my posting Hardshell Mysticism & Esoteric Christianity)

On the "ordo salutis" or the relationship of evangelical faith and regeneration, Meredith wrote:

“As soon as the sinner is truly regenerated [or made alive ), and thereby becomes in fact a child of God, his sins are in fact forgiven, still the promise is not to regeneration but to faith.” “The idea is, not that the sinner is not forgiven till he believes, but as no one who does not believe can have adequate evidence of regeneration, none but believers can claim the promise.” After showing from Scripture that the regenerated will certainly believe, he says: “It is about as difficult to conceive of regeneration without faith as it is faith antecedent to regeneration.”  

(Ford's Christian Repository & Home Circle, Volume 50, Issue 4, page 256 - SEE HERE)

Well, amen to that!