Elder J. H. Purifoy On Being Born Again

In a previous citation regarding Purifoy's original view espousing gospel means, we cited these words regarding Purifoy and his views on the new birth:

Dr. Purifoy published in Zion’s Advocate in 1879 and here are his exact words taken from it. I can produce the original. Here are his exact words:

“I firmly believe that it is the duty of every gospel minister to preach repentance and remission of sins, in the name of Jesus, to all the unregenerate with whom he comes in contact in his pulpit ministrations. As he does this in the name of Jesus, realizing the utter inability of the sinner to repent until the grace of repentance is given him from on high, he has an assurance from the scriptures, that God’s word will not return unto Him void, but will accomplish that whereunto he sends it, and prosper in the thing he pleases. Thus the gospel ministry is instrumental in God’s hands, through Jesus, in raising dead sinners to newness of life---spiritual life---just as the apostles were instruments in His hands in casting out devils, healing the sick, and raising the dead.” (See here)

There are some other articles that I have posted on Purifoy and you can find them in the search engine for this blog by typing in "Purifoy."

In another writing, a couple years after the above writing (1879), we have these words from Purifoy in "The Gospel Messenger" (emphasis mine):

"When we have fully realized our sinfulness, felt that we are forever cut off from the presence of God, then joy springs up in our soul, and we are made to praise our Maker. Whence comes this joy? It comes from a knowledge of Jesus; and when we know him in a spiritual sense, we know that he died for sinners, and we have faith in the power of God to believe that his death will be effectual in the salvation of those for whom he died. To some this evidence comes with great assurance and power,— to others it comes so gently that they can't tell when or how they came to trust in him. But how came we in possession of this knowledge of Jesus? It came by birth. The individual is born of the Spirit; hence he has a knowledge of spiritual things. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." — Rom. 8; 15. Again, "We have not received the spirit which is of the world, but the spirit which is of God ; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God." — 1 Cor. 2; 12. Jesus is revealed to us as our Saviour. He is made unto us "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." — 1 Cor. 1; 30. No matter how bright a view of Jesus others have had — they have learned no more than you. They have realized that salvation is of the Lord, and not of man — which you have also learned. They have been enabled to come to Jesus — which no man can do except the Father draw him (John 6; 44) — this you, also, have been enabled to do."  (1882 - page 149) (here)

Notice that Purifoy affirms that in the new birth a person comes to know, love, and believe in Jesus.

Purifoy continued:

"This is the only plan on which God ever has, or ever will save any sinner. He calls them to a knowledge of their justly condemned and needy condition, and makes them feel that their righteousness is as filthy rags. They know they need a Saviour, but he must be manifested and revealed to them before they can claim a personal interest in him.

Again, the expression "born of water" signifies a begetting, or a work that necessarily precedes the work of the Spirit. This is not the case in baptism. Nothing is born before it is begotten, or has a previous existence. Baptism puts nothing in existence. The washing of the sinner in the blood of Jesus, so to speak, is that which necessarily precedes the work of the Spirit in the new birth. The atonement and resurrection of Christ bring the heirs of salvation, before they are experimentally and actually born of the Spirit, into that state or condition in the mind, and purpose, and love of God that may, in a figurative sense, be compared to a begetting, as declared by the apostle Peter (1 Pet. 1; 3, 4, 5.) The word "born" comes or is translated from the Greek word gennao, and means to beget. By the blood of Christ, therefore, we are begotten from a state of death and sin into a state of life: but the sinner is not experimentally aware of this till he is quickened by the Spirit and born of the Spirit, — in which work of the Spirit he is made to realize the eternal life state into which he was brought by the death and resurrection of Christ, and especially by the blood of Christ." (Snow Hill, Ala., Feb. 22, 1882)

Notice how Purifoy here makes a distinction between the "begetting" (regeneration) and the birth. He also takes the view that the soul is not "quickened" until it is born again. Some Hardshells who took this three stage model of the new birth put the quickening at the time of the begetting, while others like Purifoy put the quickening later, at the time of the birth, or the time of gospel conversion.