Monday, July 26, 2010

John T. Christian on the "Hardshells"

Stephen Garrett Continues in the
Historical Search on the "Hardshells"

Baptist Historian John T. Christian on the Hardshells

John T. Christian (emphasis mine - SG) wrote:

"Contemporaneous with the formation of the Triennial Convention there began among some Baptists an aggressive campaign against missions, education, Sunday schools, and indeed almost everything that organization fostered. The history of the Baptists of that period would be incomplete which did not give an account of the anti-effort secession variously called anti-missions and hardshellism. One can hardly, in this day, understand the rancor of speech which prevailed for years in many of the churches, and most of the early associations."

For the rest Stephen Garrett's article which features quotations from John T. Christian, go to:
BaptistGadlfy

Thursday, July 22, 2010

"Primitive Baptist" Book Reviewed

Stephen Garrett on Dr. Watson's
"The Old Baptist Test" Book of 1867

In 1867 Elder John M. Watson of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, submitted for publication his book called "The Old Baptist Test or Bible Signs of the Lord's People."

Elder Watson, however, died before its publication and it was left to Elder R. W. Fain, a fellow medical doctor with Elder Watson, to edit and publish his book. Its republication, in our times, is due to Elder Harvey Fulmer, a "Primitive" or "Hardshell" Baptist minister, with whom I am personally acquainted.

This is a valuable book for any student of the history of the "anti mission movement" of the early 19th century, a movement that spawned the "Primitive Baptist" denomination.

Elder Watson was a leader in this movement and was a spokesman for the movement in middle Tennessee, although his influence extended far beyond his adopted home state (he was born in North Carolina). He was a close associate of many of the leaders in this movement, such as Gilbert Beebe, Wilson and Grigg Thompson, John Clark, and James Osborne. He wrote articles for the movement's leading periodicals from the 1830s to time of his death, such papers as "The Signs of the Times," "The Old Baptist Banner," "The Primitive Baptist," "The Christian Doctrinal Advocate and Spiritual Monitor," "The Herald of Truth," and many other smaller temporary periodicals, no doubt. When the leaders of the movement visited middle Tennessee, Elder Watson was there to greet them and recommend them to his Hardshell brethren.

FOR THE REST OF BROTHER GARRETT'S ARTICLE, GO TO:
BaptistGadfly

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Pilgrim Publications' Web Site

Pilgrim Publications' Web Site
Is Being Recontructed


Due to some technical difficulties and Mike Ross' health problems for the past several months, our former web site has been stationery or inactive. However, thanks to the assistance of a local brother (Max Spiller) who is efficient in creating web sites, we have gradually been reconstructing our presence on the Internet. [http://www.pilgrimpublications.com/]

Both before and after Mike's health problems and surgeries of 2009, Max and Mike had been getting together occasionally to erect a new website while the old one was still online with nearly all of the essential information needed by anyone who was interested in our publications.

Mike's time is more limited these days, with his having kidney dialysis for several hours on Tue-Thur-Sat and physical therapy for some hours on Mon-Wed-Fri. Max also lives several miles from us and can only come to assist Mike with certain things as he has the opportunity.

As time goes on, we expect the web site will continue to develope material which will be of interest to people who are interested in C. H. Spurgeon and his works. I continue to keep my "personal" and "opinionated" writings in my emails and on the two blogs, the Calvinist Flyswatter and the Reformed Flyswatter. The URLs to those blogs are as follows:

http://calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com/
http://reformedflyswatter.blogspot.com/

On these blogs, I try to call the attention of the professed Calvinist brethren to some of the "ditches" into which many have fallen over the past years dating back to the 1950s.

I hope you will take a look at the new yet under-construction web site and consult it for any information about C. H. Spurgeon and the publications we have of his sermons and works.

May God Bless You!
Bob L. Ross, Numbers 6:24-26

Comments: The combox of the Calvinist Flyswatter is not accessible to me, but you may address comments to my email at pilgrimpub@aol.com, or post them in the combox at the Reformed Flyswatter which is accessible to me.