(1734-1808)
Author of a number of books. The following excerpts are from his
famous REIGN OF GRACE (pages 55-83).
The doctrine of election, or, which is the same thing, the
doctrine of distinguishing grace, is now very much exploded. It is generally
deemed unworthy of serious notice, by the learned and philosophic gentlemen of
the present age. Though it cannot be denied to have made a considerable figure
in those systems of divinity that were adopted by men of eminence for piety and
learning in former ages; and particularly by our first reformers from Popery;
yet now it is ranked by many, among the rash opinions of a credulous antiquity.
It is cashiered, as a doctrine abhorrent from reason, and as at eternal war
with the moral perfections of God. It is consigned over to oblivion, as worthy
of no more regard than the bold inquiries and wild conclusions, the laborious
trifling and learned lumber, of the ancient, doting, Popish schoolmen. It is
also traduced as a declared enemy to practical piety, and as highly injurious
to the comfort and hope of mankind. This being the case, we need not wonder
that it is now become quite unfashionable.
But what is the reason of this tragical outcry against it? If I be
not greatly deceived, it is as follows. This doctrine lays the axe at the
root of all our boasted moral excellence. This doctrine, in its native
consequences, demolishes every subterfuge of human pride; as it leaves not the
shadow of a difference between one man and another, why the Deity should regard
and save this person rather than that; but teaches all who know and all who
embrace it, to rest in that memorable maxim; Even so. Father, FOR SO IT
SEEMED GOOD IN THY SIGHT; resolving the whole into divine grace and divine
sovereignty. Without paying the least compliment to the learning, sagacity or
character of any who dare to arraign the divine conduct it repels their
insolence in the following blunt manner; Nay but 0 Man! who art thou that replies!
against God?
It further teaches that as unmerited kindness and sovereign favour
began the work of salvation, so the same grace must carry it on and complete
the vast design: while the Most High, ever jealous of his honour, is determined
to have all the glory. Other reasons might be mentioned; but these may suffice
to show, that the spirit of independence which is natural to man, and reigns in
the unregenerate, must be fired with resentment by such an attack upon it.
Hence the few notaries of this unpopular doctrine must expect reproach and
ridicule, if not something more severe, to attend the profession of a tenet so
unpolite.
Faith in Christ and holy obedience are represented by the unerring
Spirit as the fruits and effects of election: they cannot, therefore, be
considered as the cause without absurdity in reason, and a contradiction to
divine revelation. For it is written; As many as were ordained to eternal
life, believed — He hath chosen us — that we might be holy. They believed
because they were ordained to eternal life; not ordained to eternal life,
because it was foreseen they would believe. They were chosen, not because they
were or ever would be holy; but that they might be so.
Those and those only, partake of faith, who are called by divine
grace: but such only are called to faith and holiness, who were predestinated
to be conformed to the image of Christ. For whom he did predestinate, them he
also called.
Again: The chosen of God are the sheep of Christ. None but those
who are so denominated believe on Him, according to his own declaration: Ye
believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. By which we are taught, that
believing in Him does not make us sheep, or give us a right to the character;
but is an evidence that we were so considered in the sight of God, and given
into the hands of the great Shepherd to be saved by him.
Once more: God hath called us with an holy calling, not according
to, not in consideration of our works, whether part or future; but according to
His own purpose and grace, which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world
began. If, then, we are not called according to our works or worthiness but
according to the everlasting purpose, and free distinguishing grace of Him who
worketh all things after the counsel of his own will; much less is it to be
supposed, that we were chosen according to them, or in any foresight of them.
To illustrate the truth and confirm the argument, it may be
further observed, that faith and holiness, in the method of grace, occupy a
middle station. They are neither the foundation, nor the topstone, in the
spiritual building. Though inseparably connected with election, they are
neither its cause nor its consummation. That is- sovereign grace; this infinite
glory. Faith and holiness are, as one observes, what stalks and branches are to
a root; by which the vegetable juices ascend, to produce and ripen the
principal fruit. By grace ye are saved THROUGH faith- chosen to salvation
THROUGH sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.
Consequently, they are no more the cause of election, than the means necessary to attain any valuable end are the cause of appointing that end; than which nothing can be supposed more absurd. Besides, if men were foreseen as possessed of faith and holiness, prior to their election, and independent of it, it is hard to conceive what occasion there was for their being elected. There could be no necessity for it to secure their final happiness. For the Judge of all the earth must do it: and eternal misery was never designed to be the portion of any who believe and are holy; for peace and salvation are inseparably joined to such a state, and to such characters. To have ordained those to happiness and glory that were foreseen to be thus qualified, would, therefore, have been altogether unnecessary.
By H. BOYCE TAYLOR SR.
(1870-1932)
Edited NEWS AMD TRUTHS; Author of WHY BE A BAPTIST?; NOTES ON
ROMANS; NOTES ON GENESIS; HURTFUL HERESIES, and other writings. Pastor, First
Baptist Church, Murray, Kentucky.
1. Election is God's Act.
John 15:16 — "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen
you."
Mark 13:20 — "For the elect's sake, whom He hath
chosen."
James 2:5 — "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich
in faith."
Luke 18:17 — "Shall not God avenge His own elect."
I Thess. 1:4 — "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of
God."
2. Election is God's Sovereign Act.
Romans 9:15-20 — "Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will
have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth. . . Nay but, 0 man, who art thou
that repliest against God?"
3. Election is an Act of Sovereign Grace.
Romans 11:5-7 — "What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded ... a remnant according to the election of grace."
4. Election was before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:4 — "According as He hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world.
5. Election was from the beginning.
II Thess. 2:13 — "God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
Get these facts: The beginning was before anything was created. Gen.
1:1 and John 1:1. That was when the election took place. God elected men
before He created them. The election was unto salvation. Salvation takes place
through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. The truth
believed by which men are saved is revealed in the gospel. II Thess. 2:14
shows that no man was ever saved, who did not hear and believe the gospel.
6. Election was before birth.
Romans 9:11-12 — "For the children being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth; it was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger."
7. Election, is personal.
Rom. 9:13 — "As it is written Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated."
Acts 9:15 — "He (Saul) is a chosen vessel unto Me."
John 13:18 — "I know whom I have chosen."
John 15:16 — "Ye have not chosen Me but I have chosen
you."
Romans 8:33 — "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's
elect?"
Ephesians 1:11 — "Having been foreordained according to the
purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."
(R.V.)
(As quoted in A
SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF BIBLE DOCTRINE by T. P. Simmons.)
J. W. Porter,
eminent preacher, editor, author, and scholar:
"1. Election took place in eternity. 2. It was an individual
election. 3. It was based wholly on the good pleasure of God, and not on the
foreseen merit of the elect" (From a letter to the author).
John Clark,
founder of the first Baptist church in America:
"Election is the decree of God, of His free love, grace, and
mercy, choosing some men to faith, holiness, and eternal life, for the praise
of His glorious mercy."
R. A. Venable
(1849-19(33), president, Mississippi College, Clarke College:
"I cannot agree with them (Methodists) as to the doctrine of
election and predestination. They hold that God's election unto salvation was
based upon His foreknowledge; that God foreknew that some would believe and as
many as He knew would believe He elected to salvation. The sovereign will of
God had nothing to do in deciding His electing grace. This I believe to be
contrary both to reason and revelation." (Why Baptist and Not Methodist,
in Baptist Why and Why Not, p. 123, published by Baptist Sunday School Board,
Nashville, Tenn.).
Robert Watts,
Belfast, Ire., in articles written at the request of T. T. Eaton and published
in the Western Recorder during Baton's editorship, and later published in book
form by the Baptist Book Concern:
"On behalf of Calvinism it can be claimed that it is the
doctrinal system deduced from the Scriptures."
And further, in speaking of the Arminian notion that election is
based on foreseen faith:
"Is it not manifest that it takes the government of His moral
agent out of the hands of God? and does it not represent Him as occupying the
position of a mere spectator, whose line of action is determined by the
creatures of His hand" (Sovereignty of God, pp. 63, 128).
J. B. Moody,
author of more than forty books, when ninety-five years old, said:
"Election to salvation is sovereign, eternal, unconditional, with predestinated means and agencies to secure the betrothal of a bride to become the Lamb's wife, vicariously redeemed" (The Plan and Way of Salvation, p: 5).
D. F. Estes,
in "New Testament Theology," p. 180:
"Upon what this divine choice depends we have no basis for
assertion, but we note that the divine choice is never made to depend on a
previous choice of God by men, but is made to anticipate their action."
D. B. Ford,
in comment on Rom. 8:29:
"That . . . election . . . does not depend on God's
foreknowledge of our faith or goodness is also evident from the declaration of
the apostle, that we are chosen in Christ 'before the foundation of the world
that we should be holy.' See Eph. 1:4." (An American [Baptist] Commentary
on the New Testament).
Alvah Hovey,
general editor of the above commentary,
as quoted by Strong:
"The Scriptures forbid us to find the reasons for election in
the moral action of man before the new birth, and refer us merely to the
sovereign will and mercy of God, that is, they teach the doctrine of personal
election" (Systematic Theology, p. 427).
E. C. Dargan
in "The Doctrines of Our Faith," page 128:
"Are there conditions to God's choice? Does He choose because
he foresees that men will repent, or on the condition of faith? No; in choosing
men to save God is sovereign, free, untrammeled, gracious; acting on His own
initiative."
A. H. Strong,
in "Systematic Theology," page 427:
"Election is that eternal act of God, by which in His sovereign pleasure, and on account of no foreseen merit in them, He chooses certain of the number of sinful men to be recipients of the special grace of His Spirit, and so to be made voluntary partakers of Christ's salvation."
THE WALDENS1AN
CONFESSION (1120 A. D.)
"God saves from corruption and damnation those whom He has
chosen from the foundation of the world, not from any disposition, faith, or
holiness that He foresaw in them, but His mere mercy in Christ Jesus His Son,
passing by all the rest according to the irreprehensible reason of His own
free-will and justice."
THE LONDON CONFESSION (1689 A.
D.) AND THE PHILADELPHIA CONFESSION (1742 A. D.)
"Although God knoweth whatsoever may, or can come to pass
upon all supposed conditions; yet hath He not decreed anything because He
foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass on certain
conditions. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men
and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to Eternal Life through Jesus
Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace; others being left to act in their
sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice."
(Chapter II).
PARTICULAR BAPTISTS OF ENGLAND
(1697 A. D.)
Article III:
"We believe that, before the world began, God did elect a
certain number of men unto everlasting salvation, whom He did predestinate to
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ, of His own free grace, and according
to the good pleasure of His will: and that, in pursuance of this gracious
design, on the behalf of those persons, wherein a Saviour was appointed, and
all spiritual blessings provided for them; and also that their persons, with
all their grace and glory, were put into the hands of Christ, and made His care
and charge."
Article VI:
"We believe that that eternal redemption which Christ has
obtained, by the shedding of His blood, is special and particular, that is to say,
that it was only intentionally designed for the elect of God, and sheep of
Christ, who only share the special and peculiar blessings of it."
Article VIII:
"We believe that the work of regeneration, conversion,
sanctification, and faith, is not an act of man's free will and power, but of
the mighty, efficacious, and irresistible grace of God."
Article IX:
"We believe that all those who are chosen by the Father,
redeemed by the Son, and sanctified by the Spirit, shall certainly and finally
persevere, so that not one of them shall ever perish, but shall have
everlasting life."
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CONFESSION
(1833 A. D.)
Article IX:
"We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God
according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners;
that being perfectly consistent with the freeagency of man, it comprehends all
the means in connection with the end; that it is a most glorious display of
God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable;
that it utterly excludes boasting and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise,
trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the
use of means in the highest degree; that it may be ascertained by its effects
in all who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian
assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands the utmost
diligence."