Watson On Eternal Vital Union or Two Seedism

Elder (Dr.) John McClaren Watson

1798-1866

"In expressing our tenet of the eternal union between God and the Church, we proved that this expression should only be used in a qualified sense, as we then pointed out; but our opponents (Two Seeders - SG) use it in its most unqualified signification, and affirm that the souls of the elect existed eternally with God, and were infused into Adam at the time of his formation, and have always under all circumstances, whether "dead in trespasses and sins" or not, whether defiled with sin or not, before or after the new birth, have been in actual union with God! Moreover: we showed that all the human family, elect and non-elect, were by the fall involved in one common actual union with Satan, and that union only began actually at the fall, and exists on the part of all until "born again," as we fully explained; but they say that there is a different union between Satan and the non-elect; that they did not fall in Adam; that they, contrary to the elect, have a Satanic seed inborn, with which Satan has been eternally and actually united, just as God has been with the souls of the elect." ("Old Baptist Test" page 232 - here)

Recall that pb historian Sylvester Hassell said that Two Seed ideas had been a problem among the "Primitive Baptists" for the entire 19th century (See here). We have also shown how the no means view of regeneration or eternal salvation was promoted by the Two Seeders (for instance see here and here).