BIG SPRING BAPTIST CHURCH, ELKHORN ASSN. NOT CALVINIST

 Big Spring Baptist Church of Christ, organized in 1812, member of the Elkhorn Baptist Assn, which history records as being a Calvinist association. Big Spring, however, was not Calvinist. Either history has interpreted the doctrine of the Elkhorn Assn. wrongly, or the association or Big Spring was an outlier, as in the case of Alexander Campbell's churches being allowed to join Regular Baptist associations.

Here is what we know about Big Spring. First, their articles of faith do not specify particular atonement, irresistible grace or unconditional election. They reject the notion that regeneration precedes faith, and are clear that justification is "received and applied by faith". This seems to be a stressing of faith, so it would seem they are distancing themselves from Calvinism. I see no objections to these articles, as "election" here seems to be in agreement with the current Baptist Faith & Message of the SBC. "Electing grace" is synonymous to "the gracious purpose of God"  and "effectual agency of the Holy Spirit in...regeneration" are synonymous with "wrought by the Holy Spirit". Were these articles specific to Big Spring, or were they the articles of faith of the entire association? Hopefully I will find an answer at some point. Here are Big Spring's Articles of Faith;

1. We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the word of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

      2. We believe that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that these three are one.

      3. We believe in the fall and apostacy of man, as expressed in the Scriptures, and that man, by reason of sin, is wholly incapable of restoring himself to the Divine favor.

      4. We believe in the doctrine of atonement by the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ alone.

      5. We believe in the doctrine of electing grace in Christ Jesus, and in the effectual agency of the Holy Spirit in the work of regeneration.

      6. We believe in the doctrine of justification by the imputed righteousness of Christ as received and applied by faith.

      7. We believe in the final perseverance of the saints, through grace, to glory, in the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment, and that the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous are eternal.

      8. We believe Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, and that believers are the subjects of these ordinances, and that the true mode of baptism is by immersion. 

Around 1815, John Taylor, a Calvinist, became pastor of Big Spring. Just before he became pastor, a member of the church, known only as "Judge D" published a pamphlet in "vigorous defence of Arminianism". Taylor had a great respect for the Judge, but spoke against the article written by him, but found himself embarrassed, as the church "resisted" the view Taylor espoused. Since Taylor found no sympathy in the church for his calvinistic views, he left and took charge of Black Run Church. I speculate that the "Arminianism" spoken of here could not have been classical Arminiainism without going against Big Spring's articles of faith. How I wish I could find a copy of of the pamphlet. I suspect that the term "vigorous" and "Arminiainism" as a poke at some Calvinists who labeled anyone believing in general atonement, or giving "invitations" as "Arminian"was used as a way taking the sting out of the name calling, by actually using it. All this is recorded in William Buell Sprague’s Annals of the American Baptist Pulpit, page 157. You can read about it here . You can read more history and see the articles of faith of Big Spring Baptist in History of Big Spring Baptist Church Woodford County, KY (Now Spring Station) By Elder C. Lewis, 1877 on page 38 or read here . 

If the Elkhorn Association turns out to be Calvinist, this can only mean that the autonomy of Baptist churches many times would over ride an association's sentiments. However, as I have already shown in other articles, there were many Regular Baptist associations, who wore the label "Calvinist" but were of the lowest stripe, deleting the portions of the Philadelphia Confession with which they disagreed, and would not be called Calvinist by the modern usage of the term. We must also remember that Alexander Campbell's churches were taken into Regular Baptist associations, in full knowledge that he was a total Arminian. It wasn't until he started advocating baptismal regeneration that he was kicked out.

    

. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE USHER - A BAPTIST HERO

 In 1934, in Charlotte North Carolina, A baptist evangelist was holding a tent revival. Every night the tent was filled to overflowing. One night, two young teen aged boys came by, heard the preaching and decided to check it out. As the neared the tent, they realized every seat was taken. They turned and walked away. One man, whose name we will never know, was an usher at the revival, having volunteered from a local Baptist church, helping people to their seats. How did this man end up being an usher in a tent revival? Let's go back to April 1855. A man named Edward Kimball taught a boys Sunday School class at the Congregational church in Boston. The class was full of anxious teen aged boys, unruly at times, but Edward Kimball made a commitment that he would seek out every single boy and present the gospel in a way that related that Christ had come for each one. One of the boys worked in his uncle's shoe store, and Kimball decided to pay him a visit at work. Later, Kimball reca...
Read more

Comparing Calvinist and Non Calvinist Articles of Faith

Image
When discerning whether old Baptist articles of faith are Calvinist or Non Calvinist, it is important to know the nuances of how they are written. Below are the articles of faith of the Concord Association in Georgia and the Coosa Association right next door to them. You may notice a few spelling "errors" but I have posted these exactly as originally written. The similarities between the two are striking, especially considering they hold two different doctrines. The Coosa Association is the OLDEST of the two, being founded in 1835, from churches in in an even older association founded in 1796, in a rare example of being called simply "the Association of the Baptist Churches of Christ" carrying with them the same articles of faith. Concord Association Articles of Faith  1. We believe in the only true and living God: and that there is a trinity of persons within the God-head, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 2. We believe that the Scr...
Read more

ELDER BENONI STINSON AND THE GENERAL BAPTISTS

 Though my research is largely about showing that Non Calvinist or Provisionist Baptists were indeed far from being a small minority among Baptists, to even a majority, of Baptists who were once called Separate and Regular Baptists, it is worth noting that many General Baptists were also part of the equation. There were General Baptists very early on in American history, especially in New England. Later, the Free Will Baptists begun by Elder Paul Palmer in the mid 1700's entered the scene. In the 1820's Elder Benoni Stinson formed the Liberty Baptist Association in Indiana. This was the beginning of the modern General Baptist denomination, which is separate both in history and theology, from the Free Will Baptists. The General Baptists were composed mostly of Separate Baptists, excepting those in New England. They were not shy about showing their Separate Baptist roots through the way they worshiped, with shouting, evangelical preaching and lively singing. In 1824 Elder Stinson...
Read more