Elder Sylvester Hassell on Means (13)

We will now continue our examination of Hassell's polemic for his "anti-means" view of salvation as given in his January, 1898 editorial "NO HUMAN INSTRUMENTALITY IN REGENERATION," published in Hassell's paper "The Gospel Messenger" (You can read it on page 12 here). 

Hassell said further (emphasis mine):

"Christ said that the unbelieving Jews thought they had eternal life in the Scriptures, but that the Scriptures testified of Him, and that the Jews would not come to Him that they might have life (John v, 39, 40); and John says that eternal life is in the Son of God, and that, he that hath the Son hath life, and that he that hath not the Son hath not life (1 John v. 11, 12). 

Hassell refers to the words of Jesus to the Jews who rejected him, which are these:

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5: 39 kjv)

Hassell and his brethren believe that Christ is, by these words, condemning the idea that the scriptures are a means for obtaining eternal life. However, by this he shows how anxious he is to find some semblance of a text that upholds such a view. By such an interpretation he sets Christ against what is clearly stated in many passages of scripture. In II Timothy 3:15 Paul said: 

"And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." 

This was what the 1689 London Baptist Confession taught, which confession Hassell accepted as a standard of faith by the Old Baptists. In chapter one titled "Of the Holy Scriptures" they refute Hassell's view. 

"The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience, although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation."

"The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word."

"All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of ordinary means, may attain to a sufficient understanding of them."

In chapter six of this series I cited from the Kehukee Association's articles of faith. In article Two the confession says:

2. We believe that Almighty God has made known his mind and will to the children of men in his word; which word we believe to be of divine authority, and contains all things necessary to be known for the salvation of men and women. The same is comprehended or contained in the books of the Old and New Testament, as are commonly received.

So, when Sylvester denies that the scriptures are a means of imparting saving knowledge, he is denying his own association's original belief.

What Christ is condemning is the idea of many of the Jews wherein they supposed that by their having the scriptures, and by reading them and professing adherence to them, and by being the custodians of them, they would have eternal life. However, if a man reads the Bible he is not assured of eternal life by simply reading it. Satan himself knew the scriptures and cited them to Jesus in the temptation in the wilderness. Many critics of the Bible read the Bible but reject it. The scriptures are only a means of salvation when and if a person finds Christ therein and puts his faith in him. So we read where the apostle Paul "mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ." (Acts 18: 28 kjv) So John Gill says in his commentary on the John 5: 39:

 

"But the meaning here is, that they imagined, by having these writings in their hands, and by their reading them, and hearing them expounded every sabbath day, they should obtain and inherit everlasting life..."

Pulpit Commentary agrees, saying:

"Surely our Lord is here condemning the superstitious idea that, in the mere possession of the letter, they were possessors of the eternal life; that, apart from the indwelling Word, apart from the heart of the message itself, some magical advantage was springing...It is not the bare possession of the Scriptures, nor the prolonged examination of its mere letter, that is the condition of eternal life." 

If the mere possession of the scriptures assured one of eternal life, then every person who has a Bible in his house will be saved. But, the problem with the Jews that Jesus addressed is that they did not see him in the scriptures and therefore did not put their trust in him. So Paul said: "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart" (II Cor. 3: 15 kjv). 

Christ certainly does say that he may be found in the Scriptures, and this is what destroys the whole argument of Hassell and his Hardshell brethren. Christ affirms that the Scriptures ought to be searched in order to find Christ and that finding him is salvation. So, rather than denying that the scriptures are a means for obtaining eternal life, Jesus actually affirms that they are necessary. Hassell says that it is by the personal preaching of Christ to dead sinners that they receive spiritual and eternal life, as we have seen. Yet, we see where the apostle Paul was able, by the scriptures, to "convince" and "show" the Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah. So, both Paul and the Scriptures were means used by the Spirit to bring people to faith in Christ, and such faith is necessary for salvation.

Further, Jesus says to these Jews in the next verse -- "you will not come to me that you might have life." These words destroy Hardshell views. These words overthrow several Hardshell propositions. First, Jesus says this to people who have rejected him. They were the very ones who were "persecuting" Christ (vs. 16) and who "sought to kill him" (vs. 18), and who Christ said "had not the word of God abiding in them" (vs. 38) and who did not "believe" in him as the one sent by the Father (vs. 38), and who he said did "not have the love of God in them" (vs. 42), and who did not really believe what Moses wrote (vs. 46-47). So, why is Jesus saying these things to people who the Hardshells say cannot understand anything he is saying and who has no desire to see them come to believe in him? 

Second, they obviously have not come to Christ, for Christ said to them "you will not come to me." So, this too is additional evidence that these people were spiritually dead. So, why does Christ denounce them for not coming to him, for not believing in him? If they have no duty to come to him or to believe in him (which is what they and the Hyper Calvinists believe), then why denounce them for not believing? If they have no commandment to believe in Christ then they sin not by not believing in him. Hardshell Baptists do not believe it is God's will for them to preach the gospel to the unsaved. 

In Cayce's Editorials, we find the following under title "OUR WORK ENDORSED" for October 10, 1905, Cayce cites from the minutes of the Forked Deer Association of Tennessee (which I once visited when I visited Elder S. T. Tolley of that Association but has since dissolved) for September, 1905 and gives the following from their minutes:

"By motion and second, agreed that we adopt as the sense of this association the action of five of our churches as expressed in their letters, that we declare non-fellowship for the idea of a federal form of government, that the commission was given to the church and not to the apostles or ministry, that it is the duty of the ministry to admonish the alien sinner to repent and believe the gospel, and against affiliation in and with secret institutions."

Cayce endorses this declaration. This is Hardshellism in a nutshell (pun intended). They believe that it is a violation of scripture, thus a sin, to preach the gospel to an "alien sinner" and to admonish him "to repent and believe the gospel." But, this is exactly what Jesus did in the context of John chapter five! It is also what John the Baptist did. He preached to those he called a "brood of vipers" and warned them to flee from the wrath of God and to repent! So, the Hardshells condemn Christ and the Baptist for violating the will of God!

Third, Jesus plainly says that these dead sinners ought to come to him for life, which words show that he was speaking to those who had not come to him and who did not therefore have spiritual life. By those words we also see that Jesus taught that "life" is received by coming to him. But, the Hardshells teach that one must have life before he can come to Jesus. They would have Jesus to rather say -- "you will not have life that you might come unto me." Thus, their ordo salutis (order of salvation) is not the same as Christ's.

Hassell cites I John 5: 11-12 where John says that "whoever has the Son has life." (See my post here on that) This text refutes Hardshellism. How does one "have" or possess the Son? It is by "receiving" the Son. (John 1: 11-12) Paul wrote to the Colossians saying "as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord..." (2: 6) It is by faith that he is received.

Hassell said further:

"Christ says to the unbelieving Jews, "He that is of God (that is, born of God, as I have proved) heareth God's words; ye, therefore, hear them not, because ye are not of God" (John viii. 47); and John says, "He that is not of God heareth us not" (1 John iv. 6)—thus proving that Regeneration goes before and causes us to hear God's words, whether those words are spoken by God or man; that Regeneration precedes Effectual Calling. 

Why is Christ saying these things to "the unbelieving Jews"? Is it not wrong to preach the gospel to the spiritually dead? Further, if they are spiritually dead, they why teach them about what it means to be "of God" or about "regeneration" seeing they cannot understand what he is saying? If they cannot hear what he is saying, then why is he speaking to them? 

As to the argument that John 8: 47 affirms that one must be "of God" by regeneration before they can "hear God's words" I have already addressed that in this series. You can also read this post (here) where I analyze this argument. First of all Jesus taught that one must first hear God's word or the voice of Christ before they are raised out of spiritual death. In John 5: 25 Jesus says "the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and live." Hearing preceding the coming to life. Even in the case of Lazarus, the word was spoken and heard by Lazarus before he came forth from the dead. "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live" said the Lord of old (Isa. 55: 3 kjv). This was spoken to spiritually dead people, people who are not alive, for why would he tell people who are already alive what to do to become alive? They are told to hear the Lord and come to him in order to live. 

So, John 8: 47 cannot contradict this fact. What the text is saying is that anyone who is "of God" has in fact heard and believed the word of God. It can be said that they are not hearing because they are not of God and they are not of God because they are not hearing.

Hassell also says that "regeneration precedes effectual calling." What about those who are "the called according to his purpose"? (Rom. 8: 28) If that is not regeneration, but a conversion that follows it, then Hassell and the Hardshells are forced to say that God predestined that all the elect not only be regenerated but also to be converted. This is not what Hardshells began to believe towards the end of the 19th century. It is what their forefathers believed however. In their oldest articles of faith, many of their oldest churches said that they believed that all the elect would be "regenerated AND converted." 

In verse thirty Paul wrote: "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called." I do not know of a single "Primitive Baptist" who denies that this being "called" was regeneration or being born of God. Again, if it is not regeneration, but a calling denoting being evangelically converted to Christ, then Hassell is forced to admit that all the predestined will be called to faith in Christ or converted by the gospel. In chapter six of this series I also cited this article from the Kehukee Association's articles faith:

7. We believe that in God’s own appointed time and way, (by means which he has ordained) the elect shall be called, justified, pardoned and sanctified; and that it is impossible they can utterly refuse the call; but shall be made willing by divine grace to receive the offers of mercy.

I dare say that by being "called" they meant being regenerated, quickened, or born again, just as it did in the 1689 London Baptist Confession.

Hassell said further:

"John says that those who believe (now) in Christ were (previously) born of God (John i. 12 13); that "whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ has already been born of God" (the verb is here in the perfect tense), 1 John v. 1; and that "every one that doeth righteousness has been born of God" (the verb is again in the perfect tense), 1 John ii. 29 —thus proving that Regeneration goes before and causes faith and righteousness, just as Christ says that the tree must first be made good in order for the fruit to be good (Matt. xii. 33)"

I have already addressed this argument and shown that this is a wrong interpretation of the texts he cites. Neither John 1: 12-13 nor I John 5: 1 teach that people are born again before faith. Hassell says that "regeneration goes before and CAUSES faith." If that is so, then everyone who is regenerated will immediately come to faith in Christ or be converted, and this is what Hardshells reject. 

The tree is not good until it is made good by faith, for faith unites to Christ and until a man is united to Christ he is not good. "Without faith it is impossible to please God" says the word of God (Heb. 11: 6), so a person is "no good" or "good for nothing" till he has faith. Further, until a man has saving faith in Christ he is under God's wrath (John 3: 36) and it cannot be that he is "good" until he is no longer under wrath. Further, it is the heart that Jesus is specifically addressing. How is the heart made good? Further, if it is made completely good in initial regeneration, then why do Christians still bring forth evil fruit at times?  The fact is, the heart begins to be made good when a sinner is saved, and it continues to be made better and better in progressive sanctification. I have already called attention to Acts 15: 9 where Peter says the heart is purified by faith. 

Hassell said further:

"Christ says that He is the Resurrection and the Life; that He gives His people eternal life, and they hear His voice and follow Him; that He is the vine and they are the branches, and that they are in Him, and He is in them, and that His Spirit is in them (John xi. 25; x. 27— 30; xv. 1— 8; xiv. lY, 20). In this vital indwelling of Christ and His people, there is no need or possibility of any kind of instrumentality." 

Here Hassell alludes to the doctrine of "union with Christ." He indicates that union with Christ is what brings spiritual life to a dead sinner. So far so good. However, when he says that in "this vital indwelling of Christ" "there is no need or possibility of any kind of instrumentality" he is out of agreement with the scriptures and with his Baptist forefathers. In chapter twenty seven of the 1689 confession on "Of the Communion of Saints" we read that the saints "are united to Christ their head, by his Spirit, and faith." In Keach's Catechism, attached to the confession, we have this question and answer:

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)

This is also what we find in the Charleston Baptist Association's catechism of 1813. This Web Page (here) will give you the several posts I have written on union with Christ and they are filled with citations from Calvinists, including Baptists, who all taught (with the exception of Wilson Thompson) that union with Christ is by faith. This is what the Bible teaches. So Paul spoke of the fact “...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith...” (Eph. 3: 17) Further, Jesus said: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14: 23 nkjv) 

So, since Christ comes to dwell in those who first love and believe him, and since one cannot love nor believe in him apart from knowledge of him (Rom. 10: 13-17), and since the knowledge of him comes through the word of God, and since it is human messengers who bring the word to people, therefore Hassell's statement that no human instrumentality can possibly be involved is clearly a falsehood. 

Hassell said further:

"John says that the life of Jesus was the light of men (John i. 4); then only those men who have that life in them, whose understandings, hearts, and eyes the Lord has opened, see the light of Divine truth (Luke xxiv. 45; Acts xvi. 14; Psalm cxix. IS); no matter how bright the light; the eye of the dead cannot see it. Light has no power to give life or to open the eyes of the blind; but" it enables those who have life and sight to see."

The relationship between life and light I have already addressed. Hassell again asserts the idea that life must exist in a person before that person can see the light. He says this because he will not allow that light, or knowledge, or enlightenment, or illumination, are means for obtaining spiritual life. I have shown however that it is by means of seeing the light that life comes, as J.C. Philpot stated, who I cited on this point previously. We have already looked at a verse Hassell cited which spoke of regeneration in these words:

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 4: 6 kjv)

The genitive "light of the knowledge" I understand to be an appositive or explicative genitive and means that the knowledge is the light. So, spiritual life comes by the impartation of knowledge. So the Psalmist says "your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path" and "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psa. 119: 105, 130) and that includes "the light of life." Jesus said: "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." (John 12: 36) There is a famous Christian hymn titled "Alas and did my Savior Bleed" written by Isaac Watts in 1707 but a chorus was added in 1885 by Ralph E. Hudson which says:

"At the cross, at the cross Where I first saw the light, And the burden of my heart rolled away, It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!"

When I was a child my father started a church called "New Testament Baptist Church" in Hamilton, Ohio. This was several years before he became a Hardshell Baptist. I can remember us singing the above chorus. It is interesting that most "Primitive Baptist" churches omit the chorus. Why? Is it not because they reject that the light of the cross, or the light of the gospel, are means of salvation?

Further, as we saw from the citations from the 1689 London Baptist confession, "inward illumination by the Spirit of God" was a necessary prerequisite to being saved.

Hassell said further:

"Regeneration is declared in the Scriptures to be a Creation and a Resurrection (Eph. ii. 1—10; 2 Cor. v. 17, 18), in neither of which does God use means. After, but not before a person is created and raised from the dead, which God alone can do, may means be used to feed,- clothe, teach, guide, warn, exhort, and comfort him; and so, while the unregenerate may be morally benefited, only those persons whom God has regenerated can be spiritually edified by the written or preached word or by the 'ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper."

I have already addressed this unfounded assertion by Hassell and his brethren that in creation and resurrection God does not use means. I have shown this to be false. When he says that the word of God can only be a means to feed, etc., those already spiritually alive, he echoes one of the tenets of Two Seedism. In chapter eleven of this series I cited the words of Elder Hosea Preslar on this fact. He said Two Seed Primitive Baptists believe "That the gospel never was designed for anything else, but for the edification of the body of Christ, and that believers are the only subjects of gospel address." 

I don't see how a man as well versed in the scriptures as Hassell can say -- "only those persons whom God has regenerated can be spiritually edified by the written or preached word." We have already seen that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1: 16), and that people are "born again by the word of God" (I Peter 1: 23) or "begotten with the word of truth" (James 1: 18). James spoke of "receiving the engrafted or implanted word is able to save the soul." (James 1: 21)