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The Origin And Teachings Of Conditional Primitive Baptists
The origin of the English Particular Baptists and the American Particular Baptists may be traced to the first half of the seventeenth century. Generally speaking, both groups came to embrace eighteenth century Hyper-Calvinism, but by the turn of the nineteenth century, were thrown into conflict by the newfangled teachings of Andrew Fuller. The English Particular Baptists separated into the Gillite (Hyper-Calvinist) and Fullerite (Moderate-Calvinist) camps (during the 1780’s), whereas the American Particular Baptists separated into the Primitive (Gillite) and Missionary (Fullerite) camps (during the 1830’s).
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What Is A Reformed Baptist?
According to the Founders Ministries, Tom Hicks serves as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Clinton, LA. He also serves on the board of directors for Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary and is an adjunct professor of historical theology for the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies. I was recently asked to give a response to his article entitled “What is a Reformed Baptist”. I submit the following, believing it may be of help to others who are examining the differences between the Reformed and Particular Baptists. Tom Hicks writes:
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The Life And Legacy Of John Bunyan McCure
McCure omits any autobiographical information prior to the age of thirteen. At this age he relates how his mother suffered from 'rheumatic gout' for a period of twelve years necessitating his leaving home and seeking employment. Very early in his religious experience he became preoccupied with the Calvinistic doctrine of election: 'My trouble was now, whether I was one of the Lord's chosen'. McCure was converted under Richard Luckin, a paedobaptist, at Woodbridge Chapel, Clerkenwell. Shortly after his conversion he became convinced of believer's baptism, and was immersed by the Rev John Luscombe at Bethel Chapel, City Road, London. McCure preached his first sermon on Sunday 1 Mar 1840 and was married the same year at the Islington Church. He became a full-time preacher among…
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My Response To Josh Buice’s Assault On Hyper-Calvinists
Josh Buice, pastor of Pray’s Mill Baptist Church (Atlanta, Georgia), serves as Assistant Professor of Preaching at Grace Bible Theological Seminary and is the founder and president of G3 (Gospel—Grace—Glory) Ministries. On November 22, 2016, he published a column entitled “Calvinism Is Not Hyper-Calvinism” to “Delivered By Grace”. It is to this article I wish to respond. He begins, “Last week, I was interviewed by Chris Arnzen on his radio show, Iron Sharpens Iron, on the subject of hyper-Calvinism. It caused me to think about this subject and the importance of using vocabulary properly. As the father of a type 1 diabetic, I spend much of my time explaining to people in random conversations that type 1 diabetes (T1D) is not the same thing as…
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Covenant Theology And The Particular Baptists
The Reformed Baptist denomination, a section of which has amped up its claims to be the modern day representatives of the English Particular Baptists (PB's), subscribe to a seventeenth century covenantal framework reflective of the Westminster Confession and that of Presbyterianism. In their view, (1) the covenant of redemption is relegated to the backdrop of an ‘eternity past’ with (2) a conditional covenant of works God made with Adam before the Fall (requiring of him perfect obedience to the heart-law) and (3) a conditional covenant of grace God made (or promised to make) with sinners after the Fall (requiring of them saving faith in Christ). Because they have adopted the 1689 Baptist Confession as their denominational statement of faith, they believe this entitles them to…
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My Prototype Of The Sovereign Grace Framework
I use for the backdrop of my teaching ministry something called the Framework of Sovereign Grace. It is a diagram designed to illustrate the masterplan of God for the ages. This diagram emerged around ten years ago while expounding the ninth chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. Initially, it served as an aid to my own understanding of sovereign grace and the biblical covenants. However, it wasn't long before I incorporated it into my teaching ministry. Visual aids have always been an essential tool for my learning, and while not everyone may be a fan, I am encouraged by men such as William Perkins and John Bunyan, both of whom illustrated their framework of teachings with a diagram. My framework differs from theirs, but…
