1689 Baptists on Ordo Salutis

Historically the "Primitive" or "Old School" (aka "Hardshells") have claimed to adhere to either the 1689 London Confession (Particular Baptists) or to the Philadelphia Confession (1742). These confessions are identical except for the chapter on "laying on of hands." 

In the year 1900 the leaders of the anti missionaries met in Fulton, Kentucky to reaffirm their adherence to the London Confession (though they attached footnotes to the confession which dramatically changed the meaning of the confession). Even today, many Hardshell churches claim allegiance to the 1689 confession, saying that it expresses their belief. I have thoroughly shown this to be a false claim. Their ideas of predestination and salvation are foreign to the confession and to the sentiments of those who signed their names to the confession. 

The truth is, the Hardshells who reject means, who deny conversion is necessary for eternal salvation (and is essentially the same as regeneration or rebirth), who deny that perseverance is necessary for final salvation, and such novelties and heterodox ideas, are not in league with the confession at all. 

The honest Hardshells will totally disavow the confession because they see the Fulton notes as distortions and see how the confession is against Hardshell soteriology. The dishonest ones will still claim allegiance to the confession though they reject much of what it says on salvation and predestination. Many of them use such a claim as a door of entry into foreign countries and get opportunities to teach those congregations who are seeing themselves in agreement with the 1689 confession. They allow the Hardshells to come and preach for them. Some of them, thankfully, come to see how they do not agree with the confession.

The following is from "Keach's Catechism" and is taken from my posting (here). 

The Catechism was accepted as stating the beliefs of the confession and was in fact attached to it. It was also reproduced by the Charleston Association early in its history. The catechism, like the confession, upholds the same ordo salutis that I uphold here and which I contend is the true historic "Old Baptist" position. 

Q. 33. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us, by His Holy Spirit.

(John 3:5,6; Titus 3:5,6)

Q. 34. How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

(Eph. 2:8; 3:17)

I don't know how language could be any clearer and unambiguous.  The Spirit applies the redemption of Christ "by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling."  This is exactly what the Confession itself affirms.  They did not teach that men were united to Christ unto faith, but "by faith." 

Faith precedes all the benefits of redemption, including justification, regeneration, and sanctification and glorification. All is by faith because "whatever is not of faith is a missing of the mark." (Rom. 14: 23)