"My father became a member of the Regular Baptist church during the war of the Revolution; and pretty soon embarked in the gospel ministry. In the spring of 1786 he removed with his family (having then seven children) to Kentucky, where he continued his ministerial labors until the 27th of January 1825, when he was removed from the church militant, to join, as we humbly trust, the “general assembly of the church of the first born in heaven.” He left a family of fourteen children, eleven sons and three daughters, all of whom are married. My mother, who had also been an Old School Baptist for many years, bade adieu to earth on the 6th day of November 1824, being 71 years old. My father followed her in his 73rd year, just two months and twenty days afterwards. They lived to see eight of their children members of the Particular Baptist church at Bryans, two miles north of where I now reside. Three more of their children and a number of their grandchildren have become members of the Particular Baptist church since their death."
"According to my father’s register, I was born on the 31st day of May 1792, a little over one mile from where I now reside."
"The presbytery who ordained my father some fifty years before, in Virginia, were present, and assisted at my ordination."
"The minister proceeded, and after singing and prayer, read for his text Isa. xxviii, 16; “Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth on him shall not make haste.” On hearing the text read I was led, as I trust, to a view of the Lord Jesus Christ, as that tried and precious corner stone, and that it was alone through his merits that God could be just and save poor sinners. My heart seemed softened indeed, and tears of joy flowed copiously for a time. I raised my head, when the congregation seemed to be changed; they seemed the most lovely assemblage I ever witnessed."
"I retained no special recollection of the sermon; the text, with its import, as it opened up to my mind, was enough for me."
"At the conclusion of the discourse, (delivered by brother Trott) my father arose and made a few remarks, when he said, “Sinner, suppose you were called to the judgment bar of God to-morrow, how would you feel?” I found myself just about to speak out and say, I am perfectly willing, if he sinks me to hell; I feel that I deserve it; and if he saves me, free and sovereign grace alone shall have the praise. To this day, although it has been well nigh thirty-one years, I have never found another resting place."
(Signs of the Times--October 1851)
There are a number of observations to be made here (which will lay the groundwork for chapters to follow on a more extensive look at the history of the Hardshells or "Primitive Baptist" denomination) relative to the writing above.
1) Elder Thomas Dudley was the son of Elder Ambrose Dudley and the history of these two men, in the state of Kentucky, and the history of the Baptists therein, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is important in the debate over "Who are the Primitive Baptists?"
2) Thomas Dudley became identified with the "anti-mission" or "Hardshell" movement among Baptists in Kentucky. He was continually associated with Beebe, Wilson Thompson, Sameul Trott, and the first leading Hardshell forefathers. He certainly was connected too with Elder John Taylor, of whom I will have more to say later.
3) Thomas Dudley and his father both pastored Bryan Station's Baptist Church for many years during the above time periods.
4) Both father and son endorsed, as well as the Bryan Station Church and the Association with which they were connected, the old Philadelphia Confession of Faith and the son and the church used it to fight against the heresy of the "Two-Seeders."
5) The preachers who preached in his father's day extended "invitations" like the one Thomas Dudley reported - "Sinner, suppose you were called to the judgment bar of God tomorrow, how would you feel?”
6) Regeneration was not divorced from conversion.
7) Ambrose Dudley has connection with Elder Lewis Craig and the Baptists of the east and did not believe differently than they.
8) Thomas Dudley's own experience of coming to salvation, of being regenerated, was explained as occuring in connection with the word preached!
Thus there is more evidence, even from the Hardshell forefathers, that they did not generally disapprove of the idea of calling upon sinners to come to Christ for salvation, or object to preaching so as to convict the consciences about death and judgment to come, a type of preaching that has totally left the Hardshell church.
If one checks the period from 1800-1860, he will see that most of the Hardshell founding fathers preached evangelistically. I have cited the Thompsons to prove that, Elder Watson and Elder Clark, and now from the Dudleys. In fact I have not found any history where any leading Hardshell, in this period, failed to preach to sinners nor anyone who did not address them as unregenerate, calling upon them to flee to Christ.
What Hardshell today does as did the first Baptists in Kentucky and ask sinners such a question as did the old preacher, Elder Ambrose Dudley? How could the son later go with a group which was going down a road where it viewed all kinds of such questions posed to lost sinners and all such evangelistic preaching as "Arminianism" (like the Strict Baptists)?
One wonders the same about Elders Watson and Clark. They tried to stem the tide of extreme Hyper Calvinism, the view of Gadsby and Brine being accepted by many of those in the "anti-mission movement," but it could not be stopped! Since that period of time, fewer and fewer Hardshells preached as did their forefathers. Now there are none!
Elder John Clark wrote:
"Under the quickening power and influence of the Holy Ghost, the Word preached comes to God's people in power, by which they live, hear, and believe with the heart unto righteousness. Now, when the Gospel is preached they know it. It is the voice of their Shepherd, the great Shepherd...For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." [Rom. x., 6, 8, 10]"
("Does the Gospel Ever Produce Division Among the Saints of God" - Written by John Clark - ZION'S ADVOCATE - January, 1880)
Again it is amazing to me that today's Hardshells do not see that they have greatly left the truly Old Baptist position as stated by Elders Clark, Watson, and Thompson.
Elder William Fristoe wrote:
"THO' a Sovereign God, may work above, beyond, and without means, according to His own good pleasure, yet as He hath been pleased to ordain means, and accompanied them by the displays of His power for the conversion and salvation of multitudes of poor sinners, it has been thought, by our ministers, a duty to obey the commands of, and copy after the precedents left on divine record..."
Fristoe was talking about preaching to, commanding, inviting, and exhorting lost sinners as the means God has ordained for conversions and for salvation. He also mentions how the divine record shows that the unregenerated are to be preached to and pleaded with.
He says further:
"But not all the device or artifice exercised by men can disappoint the divine purpose, or destroy the child of promise, nor prevent his conversion a moment longer than divine power thinks proper to delay his interference, when the day of power is come, and divine illumination, from God, shines into the benighted mind he becomes sensible of his poverty of soul, and that sin has reduced him to such a state, that he lacks both will and power to do anything in the great matter of salvation that he cannot make himself spiritually alive; that he cannot remove the burthen of guilt from his conscience, nor cleanse his heart from pollution; that he is utterly unable to keep the law, or act forth in the Lord Jesus. When he has this view of himself, them old ifs, conditions, do and live, he knows are out of the question, and that hay stubble will not answer in the spiritual temple built of God, in which are none but lively stones."
"When taking up this scriptural idea of their state and condition, it has been seldom, if ever, that one of them have gone back for counsel to their old teachers, being impressed in mind that nothing but omnipotence can deliver them –none but Christ can answer their purpose. To such laboring and heavy laden sinners, the news of a free and full salvation is glad tidings indeed. In the gospel declaration such have been addressed, and it has appeared the duty of preachers to describe the beauty, fulness and excellence of Christ..."
"...such hungry and thirsty souls have been invited to take wine and milk without money or price, to come and enjoy the feast of fat things - for it is the poor, the lame, the halt and the blind that are welcome to the supper; the person that knows his disease and feels the force of it, is to be intreated and encouraged to look to Jesus from whom all saving virtue flows -to view Him on the cross as the great atonement for sin - view Him rising triumphant over death, and ascending to heaven, to give repentance and remission of sin. The preachers have exhorted, intreated and invited them to believe in, and embrace the Lord Jesus; informing them that Christ came into the world to save sinners; although their debt is great, He is a complete ransom; although corruption be interwoven in all their powers, original and actual sin lie heavy on them, the blood of Christ cleanseth from sin; this balm in Gilead is calculated to effect a cure in the most desperate cases. While a Saviour has been held up on the pole of the gospel, many have been melted down beholding Him who was pierced for them; they have wept bitterly, and felt their souls drawn after Him, enraptured with the way of salvation so well suited to their needy condition; in this view the soul is led to cast its confidence, and repose his trust in Christ alone."
(William Fristoe in History of the Ketochton Association - chpt. 4)
Bob Ross wrote this about Fristoe and his belief in means and in evangelistic preaching.
"Hassell devotes a few pages to WILLIAM FRISTOE (1742-1828) who pastored churches in the Ketocton Association, the first Baptist association formed in Virginia (1766). Fristoe established several new churches in Virginia, many preachers regarded him as their "spiritual father" in the faith, and he promoted domestic and foreign missions (See Cathcart's Baptist Encyclopedia). He wrote a little book, The History of the Ketocton Baptist Association (1808), and Hassell excerpts several statements from the book and refers to the Ketocton Association as a "Primitive Baptist Association." The truth is, during Fristoe's lifetime there was not a single "Primitive Baptist Association" on the face of the earth. You could have as easily found a Campbellite "Church of Christ" as you could have found a "Primitive Baptist Association." Conveniently enough, Hassell fails to make any quotations from Fristoe's little book which emphasize "means" in the new birth, such as can be often found (example: pages 39, 53, 67, 108). Pages 106-109 of Fristoe's book are "On the doctrine of Regeneration" and the article covers (1) the necessity thereof, (2) what it is, or where it doth consist, and (3) the causes or means that effect the same. The following material is a quotation from pages 108, 109 of this old book, a copy of which was graciously furnished to me in 1973 by William Revis, a Baptist pastor of Fairfax Station, Virginia:
"Now, lastly, the cause or means that effect this divine change. God is the only efficient cause -- his love the moving cause -- his Spirit and his Word the ministering cause. Thus we are said to be begotten by the word of his truth through the gospel, born again to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away; reserved in Heaven for you; who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. "Oh, brethren! What a rich display of infinite wisdom, sovereign power and unmerited love, in devising and accomplishing such a glorious system of redemption and deliverance for the wretched self-ruined race, that they may partake of this divine blessing here in time, and receive precious faith, and precious promises, all flowing from the more precious Christ! O, beloved brethren! What infinite obligations are we under unto the adorable Jehovah, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, from the dead. O let us prize that blessed gospel, that reveals such a glorious hope -- that accomplishes such divine purposes -- and turns from darkness to light, from the power of sin and Satan, to serve the living God. Let us manifest in our lives, that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, and that by the power of the Holy Ghost."
(www.calvinistflyswatter.blogspot.com)
Wrote Hardshell apologist Elder J. H. Oliphant:
"We should distinguish between that salvation in which we are quickened, and that which "we work out." God’s word does not call on us to be quickened, or to be born again; but it does, hundreds and thousands of times, show us it is OUR duty to obey. Now, if obedience is of grace in the same sense that being born again is of grace, how is it that we are called on to do the one and not called on to do the other? We can scarcely read a page of God’s word but we see a command, exhortation, or encouragement to obey the Lord and do right. And we may read every line in the Old and New Testaments and not once find it our duty to be born again. Now, if both are of grace in the same sense, why are we, times without limit, exhorted to do the one, and scores of motives laid before us to induce us thereto, and not once exhorted to do the other? The fact is, we should make a distinction here."
"We should either exhort everybody to be born again, or nobody to obedience, or we should make a plain, clear distinction between time salvation and eternal salvation. And as the apostles of old, we should exhort one another to love and do good works. We should use their arguments to induce the people of God to serve the Lord and do right. The motives found in the Bible are numerous."
"We are liable to extremes on both sides. If we urge that the work and presence of the Spirit is necessary to obedience, JUST AS IT IS NECESSARY to regeneration, we deny obedience being VOLUNTARY; for in regeneration we are not voluntary, and so regeneration is not a virtue on our part. And if the Spirit’s power and presence is exerted in our obedience, JUST AS IT IS IN OUR regeneration, then there is no duty in obedience, as we perform no duty in regeneration." (Justification and Kindred Subjects: Chapter 2)
(www.primitivebaptist.info)
But this is wrong! I have shown it to be wrong in previous chapters. Nicodemus, said Jesus, and as Elder Grigg Thompson affirmed, "you must be born again"! Did I not also look at Ephesians 5: 14 - "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." The command to "come to Christ" was "that you might have life," or a new birth! (John 5:40) I also believe that when the Lord says "hear you who are deaf," and "look you who are blind" (Isaiah 42: 18), it is certainly a call to a new creation! "Repent ye and be converted THAT your sins may be blotted out" is certainly a command and exhortation to be born again through Christ and the Holy Spirit. (Acts 3: 19)
I have also shown in previous chapters how the experience of repentance and conversion are the essense of regeneration. To command one to change their heart and mind is the same as commanding them to be regenerated. Besides, the commands to be "saved" are often said of regeneration or the new birth by way of just equivocation. I also have previously cited Ezekiel 18: 31 where God commands sinners in this manner: "make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" And James 4: 8 - "Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Is that not regeneration? I also referred to those verses where God commands sinners, all men, to "hear his voice."
Said Spurgeon:
"Certainly, our Lord Jesus Christ did not speak to one particular class alone, when he uttered the words of our text. To all who labour and are heavy laden,--whether they be advanced Christians, or unconverted people,-- he says, "come unto me, and I will give you rest."
"Did you ever notice the picture that our Lord has drawn in these words? "All ye that labour." That is the picture of a beast that has the yoke upon its shoulder. Men think to find pleasure in the service of Satan, and they permit him to lay his yoke upon their neck. Then they have to toil, and moil, and labour, and sweat, in what they call pleasure; but they find no rest and no contentment in it; and the more they do in the service of Satan, the more they may do, for he uses the goad and the whip, and ever urges them on to fresh exertions. Now, Christ says to these people who are like beasts of burden, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest.""
"But they are in a worse plight even that I have described, for they not only labour, like the ox at the plough, but they are also heavily laden. Now, it seldom happens that men make a horse or an ox to be both a beast of draught and the carrier of a load at the same time, but that is how the devil treats the man who becomes his servant. He puts him in the shafts of his chariot, and makes him drag it along, and then leaps upon his back, and rides as a postillion. So the man labours and is heavy laden, for he has both to draw the vehicle and to carry the driver. Such a man labours after what he calls pleasure; and, as he does so, sin leaps on his back, and then another sin follows, and yet another, till sins upon sins crush him to the ground, and yet he has to be pulling and tugging with all his might at the same time. This double toil is enough to kill him; but Jesus looks in pity upon him, labouring under a sense of sin, and yet toiling to get pleasure in sin, and he says to him, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest."
"Does Christ want the devil's hacks, then, when they are used up in Satan's service? Does he want to persuade them to leave their old master, and come to him? What! -- these sinners that are only tired of sin because they cannot find strength enough to go on sinning,-- or who are getting uneasy because they do not enjoy the pleasure they once did in wickedness, --does Christ them to come to him? Yes; and it shows the largeness of his heart that he should be willing to give rest to such labouring and heavily burdened ones.""
"There are never too many coming to please him; he seems to say, "The more, the merrier." Christ's heart will rejoice over all the multitudes that will come unto him, for he has made a great feast, and he has bidden many, and he still sends forth his servants to say, --"Yet there is room; therefore, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden."
"...it says to the whole race of ruined men, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will"--to an absolute certainty,--"give you rest." (Sermon on Lord's day evening, December 5th, 1880)
Bunyan said:
"He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming, in that he is eased of his burden; for he that is but coming is not eased of his burden (Matt 11:28). He that is come has cast his burden upon the Lord. By faith he hath seen himself released thereof; but he that is but coming hath it yet, as to sense and feeling, upon his own shoulders. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden," implies, that their burden, though they are coming, is yet upon them, and so will be till indeed they are come to him."
"He that is come to Christ has the advantage of him that is but coming in this also, namely, he hath drank of the sweet and soul refreshing water of life; but he that is but coming hath not. "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" (John 7:37)."
"Mark, He must come to him before he drinks: according to that of the prophet, "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." He drinketh not as he cometh, but when he is come to the waters (Isa 55:1). He that is come to Christ hath the advantage of him that as yet is but coming in this also, to wit, he is not so terrified with the noise, and, as I may call it, hue and cry, which the avenger of blood makes at the heels of him that yet is but coming to him. When the slayer was on his flight to the city of his refuge, he had the noise or fear of the avenger of blood at his heels; but when he was come to the city, and was entered thereinto, that noise ceased. Even so it is with him that is but coming to Jesus Christ, he heareth many a dreadful sound in is ear; sounds of death and damnation, which he that is come is at present freed from. Therefore he saith, "Come, and I will give you rest." And so he saith again, "We that have believed, do enter into rest," as he said, &c. (Heb 4)."
"He, therefore, that is come to Christ, is not so subject to those dejections, and castings down, by reason of the rage and assaults of the evil one, as is the man that is but coming to Jesus Christ, though he has temptations too."
"In a word, he that is come to Christ, his groans and tears, his doubts and fears, are turned into songs and praises; for that he hath now received the atonement, and the earnest of his inheritance; but he that is but yet a-coming, hath not those praises nor songs of deliverance with him; nor has he as yet received the atonement and earnest of his inheritance, which is, the sealing testimony of the Holy Ghost, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon his conscience, for he is not come (Rom 5:11; Eph 1:13; Heb 12:22- 24)."
(Come and Welcome T O J E S U S C H R I S T; O R, A Plain and ProfitableDiscourse on John 6:37. Showing the cause, truth,and manner of the coming of a sinner to Jesus Christ; with his happy reception and blessed entertainment. L O N D O N, 1681)
And again:
"The gospel must be preached to sinners, as they are sinners, without distinction of elect and reprobate...but the Gospel is to be tendered to men as they are sinners and personally under the curse of God for sin; wherefore to proffer grace to the elect because they are elect, it is the proffer grace and mercy to them not considering them as sinners…Thus you see the gospel is to be tendered to all in general, as well to the reprobate as to the elect, to sinners as sinners: and so are they to receive it and close with the tenders thereof." (Reprobation Asserted - Chapter 9 - Treasury of Bunyan, p. 709-710 Baker House)
Who is Thus Described in Matt. 11: 28-30?
Spurgeon and Bunyan believed the description was clearly of those who were lost and not regenerated. This is contrary to the view expressed by Beebe, Durand, and probably all of today's Hardshells.
I will attempt to address this additionally in the next two chapters.
The view of Beebe and company, on Matt. 11:28-30, was a "reactionary view," an "extreme," the result of imbibing the "Hyper Calvinism" of the Strict Baptist confession.
Where are the regenerated addressed by these adjectives? Is to be hungry, thirsty and parched, heavily burdened, under the yoke of sin, etc., a picture and description of regenerated and born again souls?
Where are the unregenerated addressed by these adjectives? I will address further these questions in the next chapters and also look at the preaching of the prophets, John the Baptist, Christ, and the apostles, for our example in how to preach to the unregenerate.
Hardshell "logic" is forced onto this passage "ad hoc" and represents bad hermeneutics.
How do Hardshells preach this verse evangelistically?
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