PB Anti Means View is not Primitive

Throgmorton, W. P. (William Pinckney) 

1849-1929

In his debate with Elder John R. Daily, Elder W.P. Throgmorton said:

"In denying my proposition, I want to say further, that Brother Daily not only sets himself against the "Old Baptist Confession," but also against noted worthies whom he and his people honored as leaders." (Previously cited by me here)

Note the charge of Throgmorton - "against noted worthies whom he and his people honored as leaders."

This is the same charge Throgmorton made in his prior debate with Elder Lemuel Potter. Throgmorton said to Potter:

"Now I will quote from R. W. Fain, page 15 of the Old Baptist Test. This is in the preface to Dr. Watson's great book: "Upon this principle the Gospel is preached to all, repentance and an interest in a Saviour's blood is offered to all." What was that we heard about offering salvation yesterday? That is neither here nor there of course! Brother Fain continues: "The charitable invitation, whosoever will, goes out to all, inviting them to take the water of life freely."

Dr. John M. Watson: "To show that the will of God is in his word, 'of his own free will,' says James, "begat he us with the word of truth." "Old Baptist Test," page 421.

David Jones' Circular Letter in the Old Philadelphia Association minutes, 1788, endorsed by that association: "The precious gift of faith is a free and sovereign gift of God, conveyed through the power of the Holy Ghost, and the instrumentality of the Word." This is what I want you to hear: "And is co-existent with regeneration if not an essential part of it." Isn't that my proposition?"

"So, Brother Daily, in denying my proposition, is off the old Baptist track and you are going to follow him, are you? He is out of line with the Old Baptist Confession! and will you follow him? He is out of line with the American Baptist Fathers before the great division of 1832, and is at cross purposes with some of the best of the "Old School" Baptists since the division. For instance, Watson and Fain."

In another posting of mine (see here) I cited from PB founding father James Osbourn. I wrote:

Here is what Elder Osbourn wrote about the purpose of the gospel (emphasis mine SG).

"But if so be that the specific object which the Deity had in-view, and designed to accomplish by means of, or in a way compatible with the gospel which he ordained and promulgated, was the eternal salvation of the bride, the Lamb's wife, Rev. 21; 9; we then of course may safely conclude, that that specific object must and will be accomplished, just in that way and manner as infinite wisdom may have dictated. And lo, this is what we do believe and rejoice in; and in the gospel we also believe, every necessary arrangement and provision is made and permanently settled for the effecting the salvation of that church which was the object of God's everlasting love and delight, and which he gave to his Son before time began.

That God ordained the GOSPEL, and promulgated the same, with a settled purpose to save sinners thereby; and hence in this his gospel he says, "I will give them an heart to know me, that 1 am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God : for they shall return unto me with,their whole heart." And again says the Lord, 'Zaccheus make haste and come down, for to day I must abide at thy house.' And again it is said, 'As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.' And we are told that the Lord works in men to will and to do of his own good pleasure; and that Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost; Jer. 24, 7; Luke, 19, 5; Acts, 11, 48; Phil. 2, 13; Luke 19, 10. (14, 15)." (pg. 14)

Elder E.H. Burnam, a leading PB minister during the latter part of the 19th century, testified in the famous Mt. Carmel church trial that the no means view was an invention that became prominent in the last quarter of that century. He said (see here):

"It was left to the last quarter of the 19th century to give birth among the Old Order of Baptists to the notion of regeneration without faith, or that it is not necessary that one should exercise repentance, faith, or any spiritual gift, in order to be saved, a heresy than which none more pernicious was ever put forth by any professing to be followers of Christ."

Which PB wants to come forward and show us the historical evidence that Throgmorton and Burnam were wrong? And to give us the evidence that the first PBs (before the Civil War) all denied means and the necessity of faith in Christ for eternal salvation?