Calvinist Flyswatter

Another Baptist Forefather Against The "Founders"

In his article, Brother Bob Ross discusses another Baptist forefather who stands as a witness against the "born again before faith" heresy promoted by The Founders and their friends. When will Tom Ascol just come out and admit that his organization has little connection with Baptist history and heritage?

Charles
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NEW BOOK ON DAVID JONES (1736-1820).

JONES' VIEW ON NEW BIRTH CONTRASTS TO THE "BORN AGAIN BEFORE FAITH" HERESY

Bob to Charles:

This past week, Charles, I received my order for copies of The Life, Journal and Works of David Jones (1736-1820).

This volume is published by friends of mine at Particular Baptist Press, Springfield, Missouri, who have published some very significant Baptist works over the past several years.

I was especially grateful for the printing of this work, since it upholds the same view on the New Birth (Regeneration) for which I have campaigned by means of the Flyswatter, thanks to your cooperation.

This volume reproduces David Jones' Circular Letter to the Philadelphia Association of Churches for the year 1788. It is on the theme of "SAVING FAITH," and it reads as follows on page 289:

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I. It has been the custom of divines, in ages past, to use the word saving, when treating of this grace; hence it is probable, some have been led to suppose that this grace had something in it so meritorious as to justify the subject before God, at least in a conditional sense; but who ever reads our Confession of faith, will find that we exclude any such meaning, and only use the word to distinguish true faith from that kind, which is found in unregenerate men and devils.

Saving faith may be thus defined, "That grace whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, which is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word."

By this grace the person is enabled to believe all divine truths revealed in the holy scriptures; and in particular to apprehend the Lord Jesus Christ, and to rely alone on his atoning blood for acceptance in the sight of God. The apostle, speaking of salvation, said, "By grace ye are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. The same apostle informs us that the Ephesians were dead in trespasses and sins, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others; but when the gospel of Christ was preached, the Holy Ghost working with the word, opened their hearts to receive it, and by his powerful operations implanted this grace, by which they were enabled to believe the record that God has given of his Son. The precious grace of faith is a free and sovereign gift of God, conveyed through the power of the Holy Ghost, and the instrumentality of the word; and is co-existent with regeneration, if not an essential part of it; and as it is not of ourselves, we see that all boasting is excluded, so that we may all say, "by the grace of God, we are what we are."

When the apostle was enumerating the fruits of the Spirit, he mentions faith as one, Gal. v. 22. This is a truth which everyone, who is born of God, knows, and in substance will acknowledge.
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Notice, Charles, that the "powerful operations" of the Spirit implants enabling grace in the heart by means of the Word.

According to David Jones, faith (believing) and regeneration are co-existent -- he says faith is conveyed "through the power of the Holy Ghost, and the instrumentality of the word;" and so faith is said to be "co-existent with regeneration, if not an essential part of it."

David Jones therefore affirms the creedal or confessional view on the New Birth, and it reveals the unscriptural character of the Hybrid Calvinists who allege that one must be born again before faith, a heresy primarily propagated by the pedobaptist baby baptizers but imbibed by some Baptists who call themselves "Reformed."

Here is another old Baptist, from the original Baptist Association on this continent, who is a witness against the Flounders and others who falsely attempt to align themselves with our Baptist forefathers.

posted by Charles @ 10:08 AM