Will Bradley Respond?

Just a few weeks ago a 300 year celebration was put together at the Charleston First Baptist Church (S.C.). Various Baptists, from the different sects within the general Baptist family, spoke on the history of the Baptists since the formation of the Philadelphia Baptist Association. One of the speakers was Elder Lasserre Bradley Jr. of the Cincinnati Primitive Baptist Church, who spoke on the history of the Primitive Baptist Church. He appears also to have been part of the planning of this conference and "celebration" during the past five years. I am currently waiting to get transcripts of his presentation and to see what he had to say about their history.

He did write an account of the event and posted it on his blog (http://cincinnatipbc.blogspot.com/) I left him a comment but it has not been allowed as yet by him. I really don't expect him to answer, however. The question posed is one I think he and the Hardshells will want to avoid answering. So, here are a couple excerpts from his blog and my comment that I left him. You may see the agenda and list of speakers by visiting this web site: http://www.baptisthistorycelebration.org/

Elder Bradley wrote:

"The Baptist History Celebration was held at the First Baptist Church, Charleston, South Carolina, August 1-3. The meeting was planned to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Philadelphia Association, the oldest Baptist Association in America. I had the privilege of serving on the Steering Committee which planned this meeting. We met annually for the past five years and it really was a great experience to see people from various groups of Baptists working together on this project. The places we visited, the speakers we heard and the fellowship enjoyed were a blessing. I want to express special appreciation for Gary Long for his untiring efforts to make the meeting a success."

One wonders - if the fellowship was so wonderful and beneficial, why have the Hardshells, historically, done everything they could to avoid fellowship with other Baptists? Now, Elder Bradley already is not recognized by a large segment of today's Hardshells due to his support of Hardshell missions, preacher education, and other such "New School Baptist" practices, and I am sure his participation here will not increase his standing with the "conservative" brethren (who label Bradley a "liberal"). Primitive Baptist history is anything but "cooperation" with other Baptists! They cooperate with no one! The whole mission movement, and the movement to improve ministerial education, was all due to "cooperation"! Yet, history shows, that the Hardshells did not "lift a finger" (over the past two hundred years) in cooperation to help take bibles to those who did not have them, or preach to sinners who had never heard the gospel, etc. All they have done, since their genesis in the early 1800's, is to oppose all cooperation with other Baptists! Perhaps Bradley and the Hardshells ought to celebrate the fact that there is still a few of them around! He says it was a "great experience" to be in such a meeting! Well, the Hardshells have missed out on many "great experiences" by their history of non-cooperation and "do-nothingism"!

Bradley writes further:

"Speakers included Bill Brackney, Edwin Gaustad, and Tom Nettles. There were Breakout sessions covering such subjects as: Baptists and The Civil Rights Movement, Baptist Theological Controversies, Spurgeon and American Baptist Spirituality, History of The Primitive Baptists, and Baptist Preachers and Their Sermons. A wide variety of views were presented which made it an interesting look at Baptist history and provided some insight as to where they are today.As the 300th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Association is recognized, it should not be forgotten that this Association adopted the London Confession which then became known as the Philadelphia Confession. Over the past 300 years many Baptists have moved far away from the doctrines contained in the Old Confession but it is encouraging to know there are those today who still respect it and love the truth of the sovereignty of God expressed in it and are continuing to preach the message of His sovereign grace." (http://cincinnatipbc.blogspot.com/)

Here is my comment I left on his blog. If it shows up, I will be surprised.

Dear Elder Bradley:

Do the "Primitive Baptists" of today still believe the Old London Confession on means in regeneration? Why do most PB's today reject the Confession? Were the Fulton Convention brethren right in their "interpretation" or did they twist and distort it?

Your views on this would be very interesting to know.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Stephen M. Garrett