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COLUMBUS BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (OH) NOT CALVINIST

 

The Columbus Baptist Association formed in 1818 in Ohio. It's articles of faith are included in the constitution, article one, seen below. 

 "ART. 1. - This advisory council shall be known by the name of the Columbus Baptist Association; predicated on the following BIBLE doctrines, to wit: That there is but one living and true God, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and that these three are one -- that the Scriptures of the old and new Testaments are the Word of God, and the only rule of our faith and practice -- that we are fallen, depraved creatures, and as such, our salvation depends wholly on the sovereign will and mercy of God, "According as he hath chosen us (his people) in Christ before the foundation of the world; that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" -- that sinners receive pardon and justification, only through the blood and righteousness of Christ -- that all true believers will persevere in grace and glory -- that IMMERSION, only, is Gospel Baptism, and professed believers the only proper subjects -- that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust -- that, at the general judgment, the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal"

 This is another example, of an association's articles of faith sounding very calvinistic to us today, however, they were not Calvinists by today's usage of the term. The most obvious thing that stands out as calvinistic, is  the phrase "our salvation depends wholly on the sovereign will and mercy of God". The question to ask, is what did they believe God's "sovereign will" was? The next thing to consider is the phrase "According as he hath chosen us (his people) in Christ before the foundation of the world; that we should be holy and without blame before him in love". To read about another Non Calvinist association with the same phrase in their articles of faith see here .

In the first phrase, I have concluded that they believed any person's salvation depended on God's will, which is "that all come to repentance" and his mercy, which is procured by faith. In 1839 the association excluded an elder "for the preaching that Christ did not represent as many in the atonement, as Adam did represent in the fall." (Minutes of the Columbus Baptist Association, 1839, pg 4) This makes it clear that they held to general atonement. They have also toned down the concept of depravity, not saying it is "total" but that we are "fallen".

 In the second phrase, it says nothing with which the Non Calvinist/Provisionist would disagree. The phrase "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" comes from the Bible, specifically Ephesians 1:4, and describes God's purpose for those who believe, and that believers are predestined to be set apart for him (holy) and free from fault (without blame) through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, enabling them to have a righteous relationship with God. It is also noteable that no mention is made of particular election, or a definite number of persons chosen for election. 

The next clue we have is taken from "A History of Columbus Baptist Association (OH) From its Organization to 1837, With a Brief Sketch of Ministers and Churches" By Rev. Jacob Drake, 1859, pages 39-40. Consider the following statement made by the Columbus Association, about Calvinists complaining that those "theological students" or those who went to seminary, were all "Arminian" and lost their "piety". This is remarkable, for it was usually the Calvinist who claimed to champion education, and thought low of the Separate Baptists for ordaining those who only felt "the call". The remarks made by the association is as follows;

 "Do you ask why these unfavorable impressions against learning? Theological studies were unknown in our denomination till very recently. We had known that other denominations educated their ministers, and the inference now was that Baptists were falling into the same error;that learning made the preachers to the exclusion of piety. It was found altogether impracticable to reason against these prejudices -- time and grace will effectually eradicate them. There was still another cause that operated to strengthen these prejudices. This was, that these "Theological Students" were, in the estimation of our strong Calvinistic brethren, all Armenians [Arminians]. Everything, therefore, said by them was seen and heard through this medium. That the most of uneducated preachers were, with few exceptions, orthodox in regard to the primary doctrines of the Gospel, must be admitted. On the other hand, it is equally true, that in the hands of some of them, Bible Theology, like its Divine Author, was most wretchedly tortured and crucified. The light now shedding its benign and correcting influence, it is hoped, will soon place the denomination in a more commanding position, and give us that standing in society which the correctness of our theology and discipline justly demand. When we few of the leaders in the ranks of the opposition shall have been removed, the churches will very soon take up the line or march with the great body of the sacramental host of God's elect, now so successfully laboring to evangelize the world." 

 It is quite obvious that the Columbus Association, by saying "our Calvinistic brethren" and "them" they were making known the opinions of those not of their stripe theologically. Why else would they need to describe them as Calvinists, if the Columbus Association itself was Calvinist? This coupled  with the exclusion of the elder noted above, makes it clear that this association was not Calvinist.

 
 

 
 



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