WHAT THE OLD-TIME BAPTISTS BELIEVED ABOUT SALVATION

First of all, we present an extract from The New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith which was published in A.D. 1833. It became a very popular confession especially in the Southwest, sent forth to demonstrate to the American people just what mainline Baptists believed. The text is taken from The Baptist Church Manual, published by the American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia. 7. Of Grace in Regeneration We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again;37 that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind;38 that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection with divine truth,39 so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel;40 and that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life.41 8. Of Repentance and Faith We believe that Repentance and Faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God;42 whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ,43 we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy;44 at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour.45 Proof texts: 37. John 3:3, 6-7; 1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:7-9; 21:27 - 38. 2 Cor. 5:17; Ezek. 36:26; Deut. 30:6; Rom. 2:28-29; 5:5; 1 John 4:7 - 39. John 3:8; 1:13; James 1:16-18; 1 Cor. 1:30; Phil. 2:13 - 40. 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 1 John 5:1; Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:9-11 - 41. Eph. 5:9; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 5:16-23; Eph. 3:14-21; Matt. 3:8-10; 7:20; 1 John 5:4, 18 - 42. Mark 1:15; Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8; 1 John 5:1 - 43. John 16:8; Acts 2:37-38; 16:30-31 - 44. Luke 18:13; 15:18-21; James 4:7-10; 2 Cor. 7:11; Rom. 10:12-13; Psa. 51 - 45. Rom. 10:9-11; Acts 3:22-23: Heb. 4:14; Psa. 2:6; Heb. 1:8; 8:25; 2 Tim. 1:12 Next we present an extract from The Philadelphia Baptist Confession, the oldest American Baptist Confession, first printed for the Baptists in A.D. 1743 by Benjamin Franklin. Chapter 10 - Of Effectual Calling 1. Those whom God hath predestinated unto life, he is pleased in his appointed, and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God; taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and by his almighty power determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by his grace. (Rom. 8:30, 11:7; Eph. 1:10, 11; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Eph. 2:1-6; Acts 26:18; Eph. 1:17, 18; Ezek. 36:26; Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:27; Eph. 1:19; Ps. 110:3; Song of S. 1:4) 2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until being quickened and

renewed by the Holy Spirit; he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead. (2 Tim. 1:9; Eph. 2:8; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:5; John 5:25; Eph. 1:19, 20) 3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. (John 3:3, 5, 6; John 3:8) 4. Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess. (Matt. 22:14, 13:20, 21; Heb 6:4, 5; John 6:44, 45, 65; 1 John 2:24, 25; Acts 4:12; John 4:22, 17:3) These quotations demonstrate that old-time Baptists believed that God is sovereign, i.e., He is in complete control of all things. They believed that He was able to save whom He wanted to save when He wanted to save them. They believed God chose whom He would save before the world was created. Most modern Baptists have left the old faith of their forefathers and do not even know it. They are just about like every other religious group around them. Today most Baptists think they have been born again (regenerated) because of something they did. (They accepted the Lord as Savior, or invited Jesus into their heart, or prayed the sinner's prayer, or went forward, or made a decision for Christ, or some other such thing equally foreign to Bible teaching and apostolic practice.) They have made salvation to be a matter of spiritually dead, lost people taking the initiative. They say a person is saved because of something that he or she did. The Bible, in the clearest and strongest of terms, teaches that salvation is wholly of grace apart from anything man does. Indeed it teaches that man, in his natural lost condition is not able to do anything to please God in any way. God says, So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8). For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10). So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (Romans 9:16). Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). ...Ye must be born again (John 3:7).