Spurgeon on Hyper Calvinist Soil Testers

1834 - 1892 

"It is God's work to direct the saving Word into the chosen hearts which He has prepared to receive it. But as for us, we are to preach the Gospel to every creature—and going out into the streets and lanes of the city—as many as we find we are to bid to the supper. Many are called but few are chosen! It was never intended that the external call should be as narrow as the election, yet there are some ministers whose preaching consists far more of an analysis of soils than of a sowing of seed." 

This is true in regard to the Hyper Calvinists and Hardshell Baptists. Their preaching "consists far more of an analysis of soils than of sowing of seed." 

Spurgeon also said:

"Leaving the analyzing of the soil to God, I take my commission from His hands and desire to fulfill it. Stony-ground Hearer, there is a handful of seed for you. You who are hard like the trodden road, there is a handful for you. And even among the thorns, which are plentiful enough in this age, shall the good seed fall like a heavenly shower. And if God shall graciously direct it to His own chosen, and they, like the good ground, shall receive it, it will be His doing! It will never be effected by any skill of mine. It is mine to sow beside all waters and His to give the increase. The best shot that was ever made with bow and arrow was taken at a venture as Ahab the king was pierced between the joints of his harness. So also, while drawing my bow to preach the Gospel to every creature, my faith feels confident that the Lord will direct the arrow and effect His purposes of Divine Grace."

(The Seed Upon Stony Ground - here)

Spirit Reveals "Things To Come"

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16: 13 kjv)

 All scripture is given by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. (II Tim. 3: 16) No one can receive the things of the Spirit of God apart from the Spirit's work. (II Cor. 2: 10-12) No man can know religious or spiritual truth apart from the revelation of the Spirit. He reveals things that are past and present, giving a proper interpretation for the reason of things. But, he also reveals "things to come," via prophets and their prophecies, things about future events and destinies. 

Jesus did guide the disciples into truth and showed them "things to come." But, after his ascension, this work would continue by Christ's vicar, the Holy Spirit. He gave further details concerning "things to come" to the writers of the new testament. The new testament contains much teaching about "things to come," about "eschatology," about end time events, about the ages to come.

How thankful I am for this revelation of things to come! We are not, as Christians, in the dark about the future! It is the Lord who knows the end from the beginning. (Isa. 46: 10) And, praise God, he "reveals his secrets to his servants the prophets." (Amos 3: 7)

Which Hardshell Historian Can Disprove It?

 "My friends, there never was a separate and distinct people such as the Hardshells of this country are until 1832. Never! They then took a new stand. They then took a new name. They then took a new position. They then adopted new tests of fellowship. They are the innovators; not we. Our people are Apostolic." (Potter-Throgmorton Debate - 1887 - see here)

These are powerful and truthful words by Elder Throgmorton! He proved such to be true in his debate with Potter. Any Hardshell want to come and prove otherwise? Want to answer the argumentation and proofs offered by Throgmorton? By me? By many others?

In another posting I wrote this:

From my years of research into the history of the "Primitive Baptist" denomination, I have discovered that Elder E H. Burnam, a "Primitive Baptist" preacher in the latter half of the 19th century, and who was an associate editor with Elder John Clark on the Hardshell paper "Zion's Advocate," was correct when he stated the following in the "Mt. Carmel Church Trial."

"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." (here)

Any Hardshell want to come and prove Elder Burnam's statement to be false?

Hardshells and their History

 As I have stated before, I do not know another man living who has studied the history of the "Primitive" or "Old School" Baptists more than I have. This blog and my other writings on the Hardshells demonstrate this fact. With this fact in mind, let me take this opportunity to make some observations about today's Hardshells relative to their lack of knowledge about their history and about the history of the Baptists in general. 

1. Very few, if any, of today's "Primitive Baptists," know much about their history.

2. Most preachers today who teach others about their history give false information about their history, a "wish history" as one informed historian called it, and this is because they themselves are ignorant of their real history or else know it and willingly falsify it, what we also style a "revisionist history."

3. Having read all their leading histories, published by their most well informed historians, I can say that most of them have not been honest historians (a fact well substantiated in my writings). Many of them also were not so learned in Baptist history as they thought themselves to be (this fact has been proven many times by better historians debating with them and overthrowing their historical misrepresentations).

These observations make it necessary for me (and others before I) to openly rebuke the leaders of the Hardshell church who teach falsely about their history. They should know their history! Especially in view of the fantastic claims they make about themselves and their history! They need to come clean and be honest with themselves and with those they teach in regard to their history.

Thoughts On Acts 17: 18

"Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached to them Jesus, and the resurrection." (Acts 17: 18)

Babbler 

(σπερμολόγος) Lit., seed-picker: a bird which picks up seeds in the streets and markets; hence one who picks up and retails scraps of news. (Vincent)

"the word came to be used for an idle good for nothing fellow, and for one that picked up tales and fables, and carried them about for a livelihood. So Demosthenes, in a way of reproach, called Aeschincs by this name; and such an one was the apostle reckoned: or the metaphor is taken from little birds, as the sparrow, &c. that pick up seeds, and live upon them, and are of no value and use. Harpocratian says (d), there is a certain little bird, of the jay or jackdaw kind, which is called "Spermologos" (the word here used), from its picking up of seeds, of which Aristophanes makes mention; and that from this a base and contemptible man, and one that lives by others, is called by this name: from whence we may learn in what a contemptuous manner the apostle was used in this polite city, by these men of learning." (Gill)

Paul was no babbler. This was a false accusation. The Sophists, they were generally the babblers, and were hired for their skill in babbling! I have run into preachers in the church who seemed to be mere babblers.

Setter Forth

"He seemeth to be a setter forth." "Setter forth" is from the Greek word καταγγελεὺς (katangeleus) (1 Occurrence) and means a "proclaimer." 

That is what good teachers of the bible should be! Setter forths! Proclaimers and explainers. Exegetes.

Strange Gods

"A setter forth of strange gods"

On this statement Adam Clark wrote:

"Strange gods - Ξενων δαιμονιων, Of strange or foreign demons. That this was strictly forbidden, both at Rome and Athens, see on Acts 16:21; (note). There was a difference, in the heathen theology, between θεος, god, and δαιμων, demon: the θεοι, were such as were gods by nature: the δαιμονια, were men who were deified. This distinction seems to be in the mind of these philosophers when they said that the apostles seemed to be setters forth of strange demons, because they preached unto them Jesus, whom they showed to be a man, suffering and dying, but afterwards raised to the throne of God. This would appear to them tantamount with the deification of heroes, etc., who had been thus honored for their especial services to mankind." (Commentary)

"Strange demons" is a more correct translation than "strange gods." Who were the demons? They were, as I have shown in other postings (See Who Are The Demons?, and here), summarily described by Campbell when he said: 

"...the term demon, from simply indicating a knowing one, became the title of a human spirit when divested of the appendages of its clay tenement, because of its supposed initiation into the secrets of another world. Thus a separated spirit became a genius, a demigod, a mediator, a divinity of the ancient superstition according to its acquirements in this state of probation." (Campbell, in the second posting above)

In ancient Greek thinking there were beings called "hemitheoi" beings who were "half-gods" or demigods.

Jesus was human and was God and to the pagan Greek mind this would make Jesus a "demon god," a being who was once only human but became immortal and godlike. 

Fate Of The Fruitless

"every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matt. 3: 10 NIV)

How is it possible for many of our Hardshell brothers to say that good fruit bearing is not necessary for being saved from eternal judgment when this verse clearly affirms otherwise? 

Our real primitive Baptist forefathers taught that all who did not have faith and repentance, and good fruit and good works, were lost. 

Peter Told Jesus To Leave Him Alone?

"And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5: 5-8)

I recall preaching on this passage many years ago when I pastored Haws Run Primitive Baptist church here in North Carolina, probably around 1980. I focused on the words highlighted above. 

It is a thing worth thinking deeply about. Why in the world would Peter say to Christ, especially after such a display of power and miracle, "depart from me"? 

Surely Peter was not thinking rightly when he uttered these words. (Peter often spoke before he thought, being one of his faults) Peter obviously thought that it would be better for him if Jesus were no longer there with him. But, Christ’s leaving the boat would not have helped Peter. Luke adds this commentary on the words of Peter, words which truly cry out for explanation: "For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken." In other words, Peter's astonishment led him to speak hastily and to utter what was not right. Peter on another occasion spoke in such a manner. 

On the mount of transfiguration he saw the glory of Christ and the appearing of Moses and Elias and spoke foolishly and his utterance also called for an apology, which was given in these words: "For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid." (Mark 9: 6)

Do we ever, in any way, find the presence of Christ and truth unbearable so that we pray for its departure or seek its riddance? Think upon this deeply and God bless you in doing so.

Health Update

I appreciate the prayers for my announced ailment. 

Since I last wrote I have had to go to the emergency room (over three weeks ago) for chest pains. The doctors ruled out cardiac as the cause. Saw my family doctor yesterday. Still having pains in chest (over three weeks now) and we think it is from GERD, rheumatoid arthritis, or some other cause. Am on several medications, including pain med. 

I plan to get back into my writings soon.