# A Sample of Hardshell doctrine



## fralo4truth (Sep 8, 2011)

I wanted to post something that I think some of you might find interesting. I used to belong to the Primitive Baptist order until I came to see their many errors. Ever since my expulsion I have had little contact with them. In the past couple of months, however, I've been receiving a monthly PB periodical. One of their own has obviously purchased a subscription for me without my knowledge. My guess is they're trying to rescue me from my grave SIN of switching to COLD Calvinism, as they would call it.

Let me briefly explain their soteriology so you'll know the relevancy of the following article excerpt. Most of the PB churches have become deeply entrenched in Hyper-Calvinism and deny the gospel as the means of salvation. They believe the overwhelming majority of God's elect will die having never heard the gospel of Christ. The implications of this are tremendous as you can imagine. One of their assertions to uphold their system is by making a distinction between the _effectual call_ and the _gospel call_ where the latter doesn't even happen to take place! Instead of saying that the _effectual _call takes place when the _gospel _call is applied to the heart by God's Spirit, they divide the matter up and say they are two entirely separate things.

Anyway, here's a brief article containing deceptive one-liners which place a dangerous twist on the _ordo salutis_ idea of regeneration preceeding faith. It is similar to it with this one modification: regeneration takes place and faith may never follow, either _logically or chronologically_. 

Let me know what you think. I'm very familiar with their teachings as I was in it for some ten years or so. I would be glad to elaborate further on this matter if desired.

*The effectual call...the gospel call*

"The effectual call is a call to eternal salvation; the gospel call is a call to repentance."

"The effectal call is a call to sonship; the gospel call is a call to discipleship."

"God speaks directly in the effectual call; God speaks through men in the gospel call."

"The effectual call is always obeyed; the gospel call may be disobeyed but is met with chastisement."

"The effectual call is a creation; the gospel call is a communication."

"The effectual call is directed to the dead; the gospel call is directed to the living."

"The effectual call is an internal appeal; the gospel call is an external appeal."

"The effectual call produces life; the gospel call produces light."

"The sinner responds, like Lazarus, involuntarily in the effectual call; whereas the gospel calls for a voluntary, decisive response."


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## bookslover (Sep 18, 2011)

On a historical note, I believe Abraham Lincoln was raised among Hardshell Baptists of some type, and that the reason he never joined a church as an adult is because of his experiences watching the fights and church splits among those Baptists when he was a child and young man. The whole thing just soured him on Christianity in general (although the Civil War saw him using increasingly religious language in his writings) and denominations in particular.

I know this doesn't really respond to your post, but I thought you might find it interesting.


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## Pergamum (Sep 18, 2011)

Richard, I would love to get sources for those Lincoln assertions, fascinating!


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Sep 18, 2011)

This blog is pretty fascinating on the whole "hardshell" deal. There are lots in North MS where I grew up: Hardshell Baptist


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## LawrenceU (Sep 18, 2011)

That's pretty typical, but be sure and don't lump all Primitive Baptists into the Hardshell camp. There are still some that are balanced.


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## JM (Sep 18, 2011)

Jason Brown has recently started a blog to answer some of Garrett's material.

Primitive Baptist Apologist


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## fralo4truth (Sep 19, 2011)

LawrenceU said:


> That's pretty typical, but be sure and don't lump all Primitive Baptists into the Hardshell camp. There are still some that are balanced.



Yes, you're right Lawrence. There appears to be a movement among them to come back to a more sound position in regards to the gospel, for which I'm very thankful. However, they are in the minority, and are being ostracized from the general company.


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## yeutter (Sep 19, 2011)

Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church, and the Baptist Bible Hour broadcast seems to have a solid grasp of the relationship of the Gospel to the Effectual Call. Some of those associated with the Primitive Baptist Library in Carthage, IL seem to fall into the camp that Kevin is warning about. 
The Primitive Baptist Library has an interesting article on Abe Lincoln's relationship to the Primitive Baptists.


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## jennywigg (Sep 19, 2011)

One of my best friends is a PB, and since a lot of what they believe/practice seems odd to me, I just don't bring any of it up with her. Anyway, I just did a little search for her church and was led to this portion of the PB Doctrinal Abstract through a link:

_VI) Direct Operation of the Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit accomplishes the new birth by direct operation upon the heart, and therefore works independently of all agency of man, including the gospel as preached by man.

Since the gospel is a spiritual thing, and since natural man rejects things of the Spirit, the gospel can never serve towards elevating natural men to a state of spirituality. Belief of the gospel is not a cause of spiritual birth; rather, it is a manifestation of such birth (Jn 1:11-13, Jn 5:24, Jn 8:43-47, Jn 10:25-27, Acts 13:48, 1Cor 1:18, Gal 5:22-23, 1Thes 1:4-5).

The scriptures teach certain infants have experienced spiritual birth (Ps 8:2, Ps 22:9, Mt 11:25, Mt 21:16, Lk 1:15, Lk 1:41) even though infants are incapable of receiving the preached word. However, the scriptures offer no support to the theory that infants are spiritually quickened by means other than adults. Indeed, the opposite is suggested (Mk 10:15). Nor do the scriptures teach a different scheme of spiritual quickening for those in Old Testament times. There is but one method of spiritual quickening that can be common to all; namely, by direct operation of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus taught that those dead in trespasses and sins would be quickened by the power of his voice (Jn 5:25-29). In this same context it is taught this voice will also raise the bodily dead at the end of time. A man can give the words of Christ but not His voice, and as Christ will not use man to raise the bodily dead, neither does He use man to raise the spiritually dead.

If it were the purpose of the gospel to accomplish spiritual birth in natural men, then the gospel should be most urgently directed toward the nonspiritual. In fact, this is not its principal direction in the scriptures (2Thes 3:1-3, Rom 15:31, Acts 18:9-10).

Though certain of the elect may be deprived of the natural faculties or circumstances necessary to receive the preached word (2Sam 12:18-23, Mt 9:37-38, Rom 15:30-31, 2Thes 3:1), such considerations do not limit the power of God to directly reveal His Son in the hearts of all the elect (Mt 11:25, Mt 16:17, Mt 21:16, Lk 1:15, Lk 23:39-43, Jn 5:25, Jn 5:38, Jn 6:37, Jn 6:44-45, Gal 3:8, Heb 8:10-12).

VII) Revealing Gospel - The purpose of the gospel is to bring those quickened by the Spirit to the intelligible discovery of the Lord Jesus, and transform them to the example of His life, in both truth and works, that God may be glorified thereby.

Though the Spirit produces life without the means of the preached word, it is the gospel which brings this life and immortality to light (Rom 1:16-17, 2Tim 1:9-10).

The gospel establishes believers in truth, convicts them of their sins, and leads them to repentance (Ps 119:9-11, Acts 17:30-31, Col 1:3-6, 2Tim 3:16-17) that God may be glorified, both by their profession and works (Mt 5:16, Acts 13:48, Rom 15:8-9, 1Cor 6:20, Philip 2:9-11, 2Thes 1:12, 2Thes 3:1).

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Rom 1:16, 1Cor 1:18, 1Cor 1:23-24), in that it delivers those quickened by the Spirit from the darkness of Satan unto the light of Christ (Jn 8:12, Jn 12:46, Acts 13:47, 1Jn 1:5), and leads them to the intelligible discovery of their Savior (1Cor 14:24-25), and transforms them toward the example of His life (2Cor 3:18, Philip 2:5-11, 1Jn 2:6), all of which will be brought to perfection at His glorious appearing (1Cor 15:51-57, Philip 3:20-21, 1Jn 3:2).

All other forms of knowledge are inferior to the gospel (Philip 3:8-11), and without the gospel there can be no true worship (Jn 4:24, Jn 5:22-23).

The gospel is inherently evangelical. All who are blessed to have it are commanded to teach it to others also (Mt 5:14-16, Mt 10:27, 2Tim 4:1-6, 1Pet 3:15), and this should be the happy task of all who love God's truth and His children._


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## Pilgrim (Sep 19, 2011)

I haven't seen it here in so many words, but wouldn't the concept of Eternal Justification be espoused by many hardshells?


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## JM (Sep 19, 2011)

Pilgrim said:


> I haven't seen it here in so many words, but wouldn't the concept of Eternal Justification be espoused by many hardshells?



It is but not everyone who believes in justification _from_ eternity would be considered a hardshell.


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## Pilgrim (Sep 19, 2011)

JM said:


> Pilgrim said:
> 
> 
> > I haven't seen it here in so many words, but wouldn't the concept of Eternal Justification be espoused by many hardshells?
> ...



What would be the difference between the two concepts? I have a guess, but you're much more familiar with Hardshells, etc.


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## JM (Sep 19, 2011)

Those who believe in justification from eternity, myself included, believe in the open proclamation of the Gospel to all. Hardshells deny any "means," no preaching of the Gospel whatsoever. 

jm


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## bookslover (Sep 20, 2011)

Pergamum said:


> Richard, I would love to get sources for those Lincoln assertions, fascinating!



Pergy: I think I read most of that stuff in the Encyclopedia Britannica.


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