|
Temporal Salvation Through The Centuries |
|
Complied by Elder Ben Winslett |
|
Temporal Salvation Through The Centuries |
|
Complied by Elder Ben Winslett |
A brief compilation of quotes from various English speaking Baptists on the subject of Temporal Salvation over the last three centuries.
--------- 2.
The words are to be understood of providential goodness
and temporal salvation; which all men have a share in,
more or less, God the Father and not Christ, is here
called the living God, who is the Saviour of all men,
that is, the preserver of all men; who supports them in
their being, and supplies them with all the necessaries
of life, and especially them that believe who are the
particular care of his providence; for though he is
good, and does good to all men, yet more especially to
the household of faith; which was the foundation of the
apostles' trust in him, under all their labours and
reproaches, which attended the preaching of the Gospel.
Which sense of the words is perfectly agreeable both to
the analogy of faith, and to the context, and is owned
by some {1} who are on the other side of the question. --------- 2dly, He proposes the following Scriptures which declare
God’s willingness that all should be saved, to be
reconciled to the doctrine of reprobation, Mt 21:9; Mr
16:15; Joh 5:34; Ac 17:24; Ro 5:18; 10:12; 1Ti 2:3-4;
Jas 1:5; 2Pe 3:9; 1Jo 4:14 (Predestination Calmly
Considered, pp. 16, 17). Some of which do not respect
eternal salvation at all, but the temporal salvation
of the Jews; and others have nothing to do with
salvation in either sense; some speak only of God’s
will to save his elect, to whom he is long-suffering;
and others of his will, that Gentiles as well as Jews,
should be saved; and that it is his pleasure that some
of all sorts should he saved by Christ; neither of which
militate against the doctrine of reprobation. ---------- All salvation is of the Lord. Salvation, (says the
Psalmist) belongs unto the Lord: {Ps 3:8} temporal
as well as spiritual and eternal salvation, belongs to
him: he is the author thereof, and to him the glory
should be given; and particularly, the salvation of his
people: the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord;
and he is their strength in the time of trouble. {Ps
37:39} Even temporal salvation is of the Lord, as
their covenant God and Father too; for he is their King
and their God, working salvation in the midst of the
earth: and every temporal deliverance is wrought for
them by their covenant God, and in virtue of this
covenant made with them. Covenant ones are saved in this
covenant, in a temporal way, in order to be called.
Saved they are from many evils in a providential way,
while in an unconverted state, in order to be
effectually called by the grace of God: and, indeed, all
their temporal mercies are covenant mercies, as they
come from a covenant God, and in a covenant way; when
the mercies of the wicked, though the same for substance
as theirs, are not covenant mercies. They are sometimes
curses unto them; for the Lord curses their very
blessings. {Mal 2:2} Hence it is, that the people of God
have what they have, in a temporal way, with the favour
of the Lord: hence it is, that a little that a righteous
man hath, it is better than. the treasures of many
wicked: they are blessed, and they are loaded day by
day, comparatively speaking, with benefits; for God is
the God of salvation, in a temporal sense, and to God
the Lord belong the issues from death. {Ps 68:20} ---------- One other view of this subject should not be omitted;
and that is the marked difference between the two
classes, relative to works performed. One were so full
of the Effort System, that they boast of the many
"wonderful works" that they had done in the name of the
Lord. But the other, having never viewed what they had
done as in any wise meritorious in their eternal
salvation, but only as a discharge of duty in
connection with their temporal salvation and welfare in
time, they had never treasured it up in their minds—for
they had been so rooted and grounded and fixed in the
doctrine of free grace alone, that they had lost sight
of the genuine good works which they had performed. ---------- There is a time salvation to be enjoyed in obedience
only. * * * As before hinted, our own salvation here
mentioned is a time salvation,
and we must work it out or go without it.'' ---------- “The other party in the association held the same views
as the second on the subject of missions and kindred
societies instituted by men, but differed from both the
other parties on the use and effect of the preached
gospel. They denied that the preaching of the gospel had
any power to convert the dead sinner, or to give him
life, and declared that man in nature was dead in
trespasses and sins, and that as no means could be used
to give life to one literally dead, even so no means
could be used to give eternal life to those who are dead
in sins, that God effects that work of Himself, by His
holy Spirit, without means or instruments, and that the
gospel is a proclamation of good tidings, of great joy
to the soul that is prepared with a hearing ear and an
understanding heart to receive it. To those who thus
believe it is the power of God unto salvation, and it
saves them from the false doctrines of men, and feeds
and makes them strong in the truth.” ---------- Paul says,"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works."-2Ti 3:16-17. This is plain, positive
testimony. Then if all Scripture is for the purpose of
thoroughly furnishing the man of God unto all good
works, where is any of it given for any other purpose?
Nowhere. Then why should one search the Bible to find a
Scripture to overthrow Paul's testimony? He would not
have written this to Timothy had it not been the truth.
Paul, in writing to the Romans, says: "For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to everyone that believeth."-Ro 1:16.
Some contend that this Scripture is applicable to the
unbeliever. One or two things is true of this. Either
the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every
one that believeth, or else it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that does not believe it. Well,
which is it? Paul says, "to every one that believeth."
Jesus says, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life."-Joh 6:47. Again Jesus says, "He that heareth my
word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life."-Joh 5:24. Hence
"every one that believeth" is passed from death unto
life, and, as a matter of course, is a "man of God,''
and the Scripture is for the purpose of thoroughly
furnishing him unto all good works. Here, then, is a
perfect harmony seen between the two quotations from
Paul. But how can the gospel be the power of God unto
salvation to one who is saved already? Timothy was one
of the "saved already" when Paul was writing to him, yet
he says, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them; for in doing this thou shalt both save
thyself and them that hear thee."-1Ti 4:16. This cannot
have reference to eternal salvation from two
considerations; first, Timothy was at that time a young
preacher of the gospel; second, if he was to save
himself and them that heard him, there would have been
no necessity for Jesus Christ, since Timothy, in this
case would not only be his own saviour, but the saviour
of them that heard him, be they many or few. Paul tells
how Timothy and himself were saved; that is how their
eternal salvation was accomplished: "Who hath saved us,
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began."-2Ti 1:9. From the above quotation we see his
eternal salvation did not depend upon, nor was it
"according to our works." But the salvation that Paul
was writing to Timothy concerning did depend upon "in
doing this." Paul, in giving his charge to the elders at
Ephesus, says: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and
to all the flock," etc.; "for I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not
sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men
arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples
after them."-Ac 20:28-30. And again, "That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men
and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to
deceive."-Eph 4:14. "But there were false prophets also
among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privily shall bring in damnable
heresies," etc., "and many shall follow their pernicious
ways."-2Pe 2:1-2. By Timothy taking "heed" to himself
and to the doctrine he saved himself and them that heard
him (the flock) from "grevious wolves;" saved from being
drawn away by men speaking "perverse things;" saved from
being "carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie
in wait to deceive;" saved from those "damnable
heresies" privily brought in by false teachers; saved
from following "their pernicious ways;" in short,
they were saved from every false way. ---------- He
says I spoke of two salvations-a spiritual and a
temporal salvation. I did not call them by that name. He
has given them the names himself. I do speak of two.
I want you to think of them. In the first place, Brother
Yates' Confession of Faith teaches it, and so do I Hence
we agree that if a man is truly born of God, if he is a
saint, if he is truly regenerated, that he will be
preserved, and that heaven will finally be his home-that
he is saved. Then there comes a salvation after that.
What is it? To whom it is said, ``Work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.'' It is to those who
have obeyed. ``Beloved, as ye have obeyed not as in my
presence only, but much more in my absence, work out
your own salvation with fear and trembling.'' Now, if we
have once been saved, and yet have to work out our own
salvation, is not that two? Do they have to work out the
same salvation again after being once saved? Brother
Yates admits that when they are regenerated they have
been saved, and the apostle tells them to work out their
own salvation with fear and trembling. I refer you to
the text in 1Co 1:23-24 beginning at the 23d verse:
``But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God.'' Unto those
who are called, those who are saved, the gospel is the
power of God, according to this text. I refer you to his
own text where the apostle says: ``It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after
wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews' a
stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God.'' I showed you
that this call here spoken of was a prerequisite to the
gospel, being the power of God and the wisdom of God in
that case, for the gospel was preached to all of them
alike, and was not the power of God to all. What was the
difference? Some were called, others were not. To those
that were called it was Christ the power of God, and the
wisdom of God, and foolishness to the others. What does
that ``called'' mean? it means saved, because the
apostle uses that word, as unto us that are saved it is
the power of God. That is the salvation; he can call it
spiritual or temporal just as he pleases. But here are
two salvations-one before the gospel is the power of
God, and the other afterward. That is two. Let him
notice that. They are his own texts. He brings them up
himself and then says I do not answer his arguments, and
not notice his texts. Then, he has been complaining
because we have not stuck to the proposition. He left it
first. I am not here to prove any thing. It is not my
place to prove. Every person that is acquainted with
debating knows it is the duty of the affirmative to
prove his proposition; and it is the duty of the
negative to follow him and see whether he does or not,
to examine his arguments and proof-texts. Brother Yates
has led from the proposition in his arguments. The
people have seen that. He asked me questions concerning
the heathen, and would have mc write them down, when my
moderator and myself claimed that it was irrelevant to
the subject, but his moderator, Brother Collins, thought
that the questions I put to him were also irrelevant to
the question. Brother Darby, since he heard it, admitted
that it must be answered, as an admission that it was
not irrelevant, while he also admits that those
questions that were put to me were irrelevant. ---------- As
stated above, the meeting was a very pleasant one
indeed; the brethren both preached with good liberty and
greatly to the comfort, seemingly, of all our brethren
and sisters. Not only did we enjoy their preaching, but
the writer felt greatly encouraged because of the fact
that they both endorsed our views, or believe just as we
do, on the question of Christian obedience, time or
"common" salvation. Brother Sammons stated that he had
never heard me advance a single idea or express any
sentiment whatever that he did not fully endorse. This
was very encouraging indeed. So much so, that I could
but let our brethren know (after he was done preaching)
that he had heard me at his own (the Mississippi River)
association, in October upon the very points, and in
expression of the same ideas for which I have recently
been denounced as an Arminian. I know that when I
first became identified with the Baptists in this
country (in 1866) they ALL believed that our eternal
salvation is wholly unconditional, altogether the work
of God, but that the time salvation, or Christian
enjoyment, of the children of God (those already born of
God) in this life depends greatly upon their obedience,
and that it (their timely salvation) is in that sense
conditional. And I know that this is what I believed
and tried to preach when I first began to speak in
public. Hence it is very encouraging to have such
brethren as Elders Myatt and Sammons visit us and preach
to our brethren at home just what we try to preach
wherever we go. ----------
We believe the Scriptures teach that there is a time
salvation received by the heirs of God distinct from
eternal salvation, which does depend upon their
obedience. The people
of God receive their rewards for obedience in this life
only. We believe that the ability of the Christian is
the unconditional gift of God. Besides the efficacious
grace of God in the heart in regeneration, we need the
company of God's Holy Spirit to comfort, lead, and bless
us, which He has promised to give.to every one that will
ask Him. {Lu 11:13} The act of God necessary to our
regeneration must in some sense be distinguished from
His act necessary to our obedience. We are never
commanded to be born again, but in hundreds of places we
are called on to obey. We are passive in regeneration,
but in obedience we are active. Regeneration is neither
a vice nor a virtue; obedience is a virtue and
disobedience is a vice. Regeneration is wholly
independent of the will. There could be no such a thing
as obedience or disobedience independent of the will.
Men do not neglect to be born again, but they do neglect
their duty. ---------- Another equally unnecessary and unprofitable verbal
contention among a few Primitive Baptists is one similar
to, if not connected with, the controversy on
predestination. It is the question concerning what is
called "the conditionality of time salvation," and,
connected with this, the question as to the ability of
the child of God to obey the commandments of his
heavenly Father. All Primitive Baptists are agreed upon
the unconditionality of our eternal salvation, and the
inability of those who are dead in sin to render
spiritual obedience to the law of God. Instead of
repentance and faith being conditions prerequisite to
salvation, we understand that they are the work of the
Holy Spirit in the renewed heart, and are thus essential
parts of salvation; and, until this spiritual renewal,
the fallen child of Adam will love sin and hate holiness
and continue in rebellion against God. But there is an
apparent disagreement in two or three of our
associations, among worthy and lovely brethren, who
would be heartily fellowshipped and gladly welcomed by
other Primitive Baptists everywhere, as to whether
our time salvation, that is, our deliverance from
spiritual darkness, coldness, distress, and chastisement
during the present life is conditioned or dependent upon
our obedience to God, and as to whether the child of God
is able to obey God or not. Now, even the authors of
dictionaries have no right to manufacture or change the
meanings of words; their business is simply to ascertain
and state the meanings which words actually and already
have in the language of which they treat. It would be
deceptive to use words in a different sense from that
which they generally have, unless we explain the sense
which we mean. The most of controversies are strifes of
words; and when words are properly defined, and their
correct meaning is accepted by both parties, the
controversy ends. A "condition" is defined by the best
of English dictionaries to be "an event, object, fact,
or being that is necessary to the occurrence or
existence of some other, though not its cause; a
prerequisite; that which must exist as the occasion or
concomitance of something else; that which is requisite
in order that something else should take effect; an
essential qualification." And these dictionaries say
that the word "if" is "the typical conditional particle,
and is nearly always used to introduce the subordinate
clause of a conditional sentence," and means "on the
supposition that; provided, or on condition that; in
case that, granting, allowing, or supposing that.''
There are 1,422 "ifs" in the Bible-830 in the Old
Testament, and 592 in the New Testament; and these
conditional sentences make up about one-fiftieth part of
the Bible. Thus forty-nine fiftieths of the Scriptures
are unconditional, and one fiftieth is conditional. All
reverent minds must admit that this conditional part of
the Scriptures, though comparatively small, has a real
and true meaning. It cannot be denied by any informed
and honest man that such Scriptures as the following are
conditional: "If His children forsake my law, I will
visit their transgression with the rod, nevertheless my
lovingkindness will I not utterly take from Him." {Ps
89:30-33} "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat
the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye
shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it." {Isa 1:19-20} "If ye know these
things, happy are ye if ye do them." {Joh 13:17} "If ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through
the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live." {Ro 8:13} "How shall we escape if we neglect so
great salvation?" {Heb 2:3} "If we walk in the light, as
He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us
from all sin." {1Jo 1:7} See, also such Scriptures as Le
26:1-46; De 4:29-31; 7:12-26; 11:13-32; 28:1-68; Eze
18:1-32; 33:1-33. Not only is it certain that these
Scriptures are conditional, but it is eqally certain
that the condition, introduced by "if," necessarily
precedes the conclusion, which would not take place
unless the condition took place first. If the conclusion
in these sentences means eternal punishment, then
Arminianism is true; but either the text itself, or the
context and other Scriptures, prove that the punishment
or chastisement threatened in case of disobedience, is
temporal and corrective, and not eternal and
destructive, for God gives His children eternal life,
and they shall never perish, and though their voluntary
sins separate them from His face, nothing present or
future can ever separate them from His love. {Joh
10:28-30; Heb 12:1-29; Isa 59:2; Ro 8:28-39} The
conditionality of time salvation is just as certain as
the truth of the eternal word of God. Baptists have
always heretofore understood it so; nearly all Baptists
understand it so now; and this truth is in perfect
accordance with Christian experience. ---------- Q. Do such Scriptures as 1Co 1:21; 9:22; Php 2:12; 1Ti 4:16; Jas 5:19-20, refer to a temporal or eternal salvation? A. A temporal salvation, a salvation here in time, which
God works in us by His Holy Spirit, {Isa 26:12; Eze
36:26-27; 1Co 15:10; Eph 2:8-10,18-22; Php 2:13; 4:13}
and which we are to manifest in our outward lives, and
we will be more comforted in obedience than in
disobedience, and we will gladly and justly give all the
glory of both our temporal and eternal salvation to God
alone. If the texts mentioned in the first sentence of
this question mean our eternal salvation, then
Arminianism is true, and the Bible doctrine of salvation
by grace is fundamentally wrong. The concept of Temporal Salvation (that many times the word "save" in scripture has reference to salvation from a present, temporal danger) is crucial to a proper Biblical understanding.
|
