Page 213 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ELECT

in Greenwood, Indiana, that was subsequently held in only 19th-century British Baptist historian who was not
April of 2001. The conference was opposed to a Calvinist. It is certain that the vast majority of Baptist
Calvinism; and I agreed to speak, because I have been in histories are written by Calvinists and they typically
sympathy with such a position ever since I first neglect and sometimes misreport the history and beliefs
examined the subject in Bible College. Before I put of the non-Calvinist Baptists. Be that as it may, the fact
together a message for the conference, though, I wanted remains that Baptists have always been divided on this
to re-examine Calvinism in a more thorough manner. I issue and it is not wise to draw back from dealing with
contacted Dr. Peter Masters in London, England, and it today, even though divisions are certainly the result.
discussed the subject of Calvinism with him. I told him 3. Few things have hindered biblical evangelism more
that I love and respect him in Christ and I also love and than Calvinism. It almost killed the evangelistic zeal of
respect his predecessor, Charles Spurgeon, though I do the Baptist churches of England in the 18th century and
not agree with either of them on Calvinism (or on some well into the 19th. Among Calvinists, evangelism is
issues, in fact). I told Dr. Masters that I wanted him to done IN SPITE OF Calvinism, not because of it. Baptist
tell me what books he would recommend so that I could historian Thomas Armitage wrote: “William Carey’s
properly understand what he believes on the subject ‘Inquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use means
(knowing that there are many varieties of Calvinism). I for the Conversion of the Heathen’ was published in
did not want to misrepresent anything. Among other 1792, but found few readers and produced little effect.
things, Dr. Masters recommended that I read Calvin’s To most of the Baptists his views were visionary and
Institutes of the Christian Religion and Iain Murray’s even wild, in open conflict with God’s sovereignty. At a
Spurgeon vs. the Hyper-Calvinists, which I did. meeting of ministers, where the senior Ryland presided,
In the last couple of years I have again re- Carey proposed that at the next meeting they discuss
investigated Calvinism from both sides. I read Dave the duty of attempting to spread the Gospel amongst the
Hunt’s “What Love Is This?” and “A Calvinist’s Honest heathen. … Ryland, shocked, sprang to his feet and
Doubts Resolved by Reason and God’s Amazing Grace.” I ordered Carey to sit down, saying: ‘When God pleases to
read “Debating Calvinism: Five Points, Two Views” by convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid or
Dave Hunt and James White. I carefully re-read Arthur mine!’”
Pink’s “The Sovereignty of God” as well as the Things were not much better when Spurgeon took
“Westminster Confession of Faith.” I have also studied his first pastorate in 1854. This situation is described in
about 100 pages of materials published in defense of Spurgeon vs. the Hyper Calvinists by Iain Murray. Many
Calvinism by the Far Eastern Bible College in Singapore. Calvinists opposed Spurgeon and denounced his broad,
This is a Bible Presbyterian school. indiscriminate invitations for sinners to come to Christ.
As best as I know how, I have studied these materials For example, one Calvinist publication warned in
with the sole desire to know the truth and with a Spurgeon’s day, “...to preach that it is man’s duty to
willingness to follow the truth wherever it leads. believe savingly in Christ is ABSURD” (Earthen Vessel,
Thus, while I have not read every book on this 1857).
subject that could be recommended by my readers, I 4. It is important to understand that Calvinism is an
have made a considerable effort to understand unsettled theology. Calvinists are seriously divided
Calvinism properly and not to misrepresent it (though I among themselves and always have been. There is
have learned that a non-Calvinist will ALWAYS be Supralapsarianism vs. Sublapsarianism vs.
charged with misrepresentation). Infralapsarianism. “The Supralapsarians hold that God
2. Baptists must face the issue of Calvinism. It is a decreed the fall of Adam; the Sublapsarians, that he
divisive subject, but it must be faced because it touches permitted it” (McClintock & Strong). The Calvinists at
some of the most important points of biblical truth and the Synod of Dort were divided on many issues,
affects how Christians perceive of the gospel and the including lapsarianism. The Swiss Calvinists who wrote
very person of God. It is interesting to observe that there the Helvetic Consensus Formula in 1675 were in conflict
have always been divisions among Baptists on the issue with the French Calvinists of the School of Saumur.
of Calvinism. The early Baptists in England were divided There are Strict Calvinists and Moderate Calvinists,
into the General Baptists and the Particular Baptists, Hyper and non-Hyper (differing especially on
referring to how they viewed Christ’s atonement, as to reprobation and the extent of the atonement and
whether it was for all men (general) or only for the elect whether God loves all men), 5 pointers, 4 pointers, 3
(particular). Adam Taylor’s History of the General pointers, 2 pointers. In America Calvinists were divided
Baptists of England (1818) deals with the history of the into Old School and the New School. As we have seen,
non-Calvinist Baptists in Great Britain, and there were a the Calvinists of England were divided in the 19th
large number of them. To my knowledge, Taylor is the century.

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