ALACHUA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION (FL) NOT CALVINIST

 The Alachua Baptist Association was the fourth association in Florida and was formed in 1847.  I won't be concentrating too much on Florida, because it was very late in having many Baptists, Methodists or Presbyterians, since it was controlled by Spain until 1819. Being anything other than Roman Catholic was against the law. So I will only report on the first four associations which were Suwannee, Florida, West Florida and Alachua. I will have articles on all but Suwannee, as no records still exist that I know of. There original Articles of Faith of the Alachua Association are as follows; 

 
CONSTITUTION AND DECORUM
OF THE
ALACHUA ASSOCIATION, FLA. 1847
1. We believe in one only true and living God, and that there is a trinity of persons
in the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and yet there are not three
Gods, but one God.
2.We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of
God, and the only rule of faith and practice.
3. We believe in the fall of Adam, and the imputation of his sin to his posterity; in
the corruption of human nature, and the impotency of man to recover himself by his own
free-will ability.
4. We believe in the doctrine of Election.
5. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God, only by the righteousness
of Christ imputed to them.
6. We believe that all those who “were chosen in Christ will be effectually called, re
generated, converted, sanctified, and supported by the Spirit and power of God, so that
they shall persevere in grace, and not one of them be finally lost. 
7. We believe that good works are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification,
and that they only justify us in the sight of men and angels, and are evidences of our
gracious state.
8. We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a general judgment,
and the happiness of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be eternal

There are certainly some Calvinist sounding wording here to the modern ear. First there is affirmation of imputed guilt.This is not unique to Calvinists, as most Arminiains affirm it as well, and it is dealt with and overcome by Prevenient Grace. Second, they affirm "election" but never define it. All Baptists certainly affirm "election". No mention of election being unconditional. No mention of grace being irresistible. No mention of limited atonement. There is no "definite number" or "particular" clause. These bedrock Calvinist doctrines are not even alluded to. So at best we can only affirm that this association were "two pointers". Surely at least one of these doctrines would be included in the articles of faith if this association was highly Calvinistic. Lets skip ahead just a few years and see if anything changed.

By 1856, no articles of faith appear in the minutes, only the following short statement included in the constitution of the association, article II. "It shall be composed of such churches that hold the doctrine of Human Depravity; the atonement of Christ; Election to eternal life; Regeneration and Perseverance of the saints; Baptism by immersion of a person in water, administered to none but professed believers and the Lord's Supper intended for those only who have been regularly admitted into the Visible Church."

Notice "Human Depravity" not "Total Depravity". It appears that article 3 in their articles of faith was softened. Perhaps the Alachua Association only clarified what they meant by article 3. Any Non Calvinist/Provisionist would affirm that humanity is "depraved". This does not require a belief in imputed guilt or inability to respond. Again, no mention of unconditional election, irresistible grace.  What did they mean by "atonement of Christ"? They certainly could have mentioned that it was limited, yet they chose not to. There are simply too many "holes" in either form of their stated beliefs to have been a highly calvinistic association. Perhaps they embraced the later statement as a super condensed form of the New Hampshire Confession. Perhaps not. In any case, there's nothing in the later statement that a Non Calvinist would have issue with, and in the first articles of faith nothing most would have issue with. Given the theological leanings of those associations around them, I believe we can safely conclude that they were not Calvinists, or were of the very mildest of low Calvinist, which by today's definition, would not be Calvinist at all.



 


 

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