SBC Tomorrow

Former Swedish Lutheran Divine turned American Baptist- 'all infants dying in infancy covered by the blood'

Swedish Baptists can be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century in America. According to Baptist historian C. Douglas Weaver, the first Swedish Baptist church started in the United States was in 1852 at Rock Island, Illinois organized by a Swedish immigrant named Gustaf Palmquist.1 Palmquist came to America presumably a... Read more →

Popular 19th Century Baptist scholar George Clark on infant salvation

According to William Cathcart, George Whitefield Clark was born at South Orange, N.J., in 1831. He was converted and baptized at twelve years of age, joining the Northfield Baptist church. Graduating from Amherst College in 1853, Clark completed his theological course at Rochester in 1855 and was ordained pastor of... Read more →

English Baptist Charles Spurgeon on Wine at the Lord's Table--'We use unfermented wine at the Tabernacle'

I was looking for something else and stumbled across the little gem below I first posted in 2008. At that time, a lot of guys were ridiculing my moral reluctance toward imbibing intoxicating beverages for either recreation or worship, a reluctance based on moral principles derived from my understanding of... Read more →

19th century Baptist scholars Albert Arnold and David Ford on infants dying in infancy--'grace in Christ secures salvation of all with no personal sins to answer for'

In their commentary on Romans 5:18, 19th century Baptist New Testament scholars Albert Arnold and D.B. Ford write: “A few words in regard to the future condition of those dying in infancy. We scarcely need an apostle to tell us that a condemnation and death has been visited upon them... Read more →

Southern Baptist theologian E. C. Dargan on John 3:16 as 'simple illustration of man's free choice'

“For God's love is as great as his ways are wonderful. With that same authoritative tone unchanged, and even a higher claim asserted, with that mysterious doctrine of a new birth unrepealed, and presenting a simple illustration of man's free choice, the Heavenly Teacher comes to the grand culmination. He... Read more →

Baptist theologian Alvah Hovey -- 'all infants dying in infancy regenerated'

“At this point it may be proper to notice the relation of the propitiatory death of Christ to children who die in infancy. So far as now appears, such children are put in no practical relation to the atonement, unless it be by the secret and renewing work of the... Read more →

Former SBC president Jerry Vines -- WHOSOEVER: Revealing the Riches of John 3:16

Dr. Jerry Vines is arguably one of the most capable biblical expositors in the Southern Baptist Convention. Recently, Free Church Press released his latest book on the most famous verse in all Scripture--John 3:16. Entitled WHOSOEVER: Revealing the Riches of John 3:16, Dr. Vines digs deeply into the Greek text... Read more →

Baptist theologian E. H. Johnson--'Scripture does not state dying infants are saved but justifies such an inference'

E. H. Johnson was a well-known Baptist pastor and theologian in the latter quarter of the 19th century. According to one archived newspaper report, Johnson pastored churches in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. He also served successfully as interim pastor, once following his friend and colleague, James M. Pendleton at... Read more →

Influential 19th Century Baptist Andrew Broaddus--'infants saved by virtue of the death of Christ'

According to Baptist Calvinist, J.B. Jeter, Andrew Broaddus (1770-1848) remained a Baptist legend in 19th century Virginia. Broaddus’ rhetorical skills and keen intellect apparently made him a theological "genius" of sorts (p.45). Jeter's description of Broaddus surely places him in the position of being one of the most influential Baptists... Read more →

Conversation on Calvinism by two Southern Baptist theologians: Matthew McKellar and Malcolm Yarnell

Dr. Matthew McKellar serves as Associate Professor of Preaching and Chair of the Preaching Department at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. McKellar joined the faculty at Southwestern in 2009 after having served as a senior pastor for 28 years. His current research interests include preaching Old Testament narrative texts and the... Read more →

Baptist scholar Alexander Carson--'by the Gospel no infant can be saved'

Certainly; if there were no way of saving children but by the Gospel, this conclusion [i.e. that infant salvation would be impossible] would be inevitable. The Gospel saves none but by faith. But the Gospel has nothing to do with infants, nor have Gospel ordinances any respect to them. The... Read more →

19th Century Southern Baptist theologian James Petigru Boyce--'infants dying in infancy are regenerate'

“It follows from the facts in these last two statements, that a corrupt nature makes a condition as truly sinful, and guilty, and liable to punishment, as actual transgressions. Consequently, at the very moment of birth, the presence and possession of such a nature shows that even the infant sons... Read more →

19th Century Southern Baptist scholar P. H. Mell--'infants are saved but not by the Gospel'

Patrick Hues Mell (1814-1888) is said to have "held more official positions in Baptist life at every level than any other Southern Baptist in history," holding the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention a staggering 26 terms. Mell is considered a strict Calvinist on virtually anybody's terms and by some... Read more →

Southern Baptist Publication Society--‘The human being that dies in infancy will be saved but not through faith’

“Through Abraham the blessing descends upon all who have Abraham's faith, and upon no others. All who die in infancy, we have reason to believe, are saved; but as infants have no faith, they are not entitled to membership in visible churches” (italics original here and below p.22) “If one... Read more →

Southern Baptist historian George W. Purefoy--'that infants are incapable must be obvious to every unprejudiced and reflecting mind'

Reflecting upon the Great Commission from our Lord in Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:19-20, Baptist pastor and historian George W. Purefoy wrote: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” &c. Here the baptism of none... Read more →

Georgia Baptist Association--'not principally held and preached among us that God damns infants'

At the request of the Georgia Baptist Association, one of the leading Baptists in the south, Jesse Mercer, compiled a History of the Georgia Baptist Association first published in 1838. In Part 2 entitled "Queries Propounded and Answered" Mercer qualifies the sources for the section from which the question below... Read more →

19th Century Baptist theologian J.M. Pendleton on infant salvation--'unaccountable infants saved without faith not by faith'

"It will be said by those who oppose the views of Baptists—for it has been said a thousand times—that if infants are not to be baptized because they cannot believe, they will not be saved because they cannot believe. If the salvation of infants depends on their faith, they cannot... Read more →

Baptist theologian Millard Erickson on infants dying in infancy--'difficult to maintain them as sinful, condemned, and lost'

"While the status of infants and those who never reach moral competence is a difficult question, it appears that our Lord did not regard them as under condemnation. Indeed, he held them up as an example of the type of person who will inherit the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:3;... Read more →

Southern Baptist scholar John Broadus on infants dying in infancy--'No question those dying in infancy are saved'

John Broadus (1827–1895), second president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, unequivocally asserted his view of all infants dying in infancy in his classic commentary on Matthew's gospel amidst his exposition of 19:14--"But Jesus said, 'Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for... Read more →

Puritan Calvinist Issac Watts on the state of dying infants--'annihilation on one hand and resurrection on the other'

pic source Puritan minister Isaac Watts (1674 – 1748) was pastor of a large Congregational church in London and perhaps best known as the "Father of English Hymnody" Watts wrote over 750 hymns, including "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," "I Sing the... Read more →

Baptist Confession of 1679--'all little children dying in infancy saved by the grace of God'

The following statements are taken from An Orthodox Creed, a confession of faith composed by British Baptists in 1679. The confession can be read in its entirety on the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary website (//link). “Neither do we believe, that Infants dying in Infancy without Baptism, go to Purgatory or... Read more →

Are you a Calvinist? Rethinking Theological Labels - Dr. Jason Allen

It's going to continue getting more and more difficult for churches to identify the theological sympathies of potential pastors and other staff members as positions like Dr. Allen's take hold. "Are You a Calvinist? Rethinking Theological Labels" by Jason Allen Read more →

English Baptist C.H. Spurgeon--'[it's] a wicked calumny that we hold the damnation of little infants'

"Among the gross falsehoods which have been uttered against the Calvinists proper, is the wicked calumny that we hold the damnation of little infants. A baser lie was never uttered. There may have existed somewhere, in some corner of the earth, a miscreant who would dare to say that there... Read more →

London Quarterly Review, Sir Charles Lyell's second visit to America, and the demise of old school Calvinism

In 1849, The London Quarterly Review published a synopsis of Sir Charles Lyell's two volume set entitled A Second Visit to the United States, in the Years 1845-6. In it Lyell noted churches "of every religious denomination: Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, Free-Will Baptists, Universalists, Unitarians, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and Quakers, all... Read more →

Texas Southern Baptist Joseph W.D. Creath--'Baptist position since days of Christ is all infants dying in infancy are saved'

Few Southern Baptists have ever heard of J. W.D. Creath much less know him as a Baptist hero. Undoubtedly, eternity will reveal many of this unsung Baptist's efficacious labors for the Kingdom of Christ. Cathcart's Baptist encyclopedia describes Creath as "the most apostolic man in Texas."1 Born in Virginia in... Read more →

Calvinists and Pelagius agreed on the status of infants dying in infancy?

It appears some modern day Calvinists express a similar agnosticism toward infants dying in infancy as did Pelagius. When pushed by Augustine, Pelagius said, “Where they are not, I know; where they are, I know not” (//link). While Augustine's nemesis was certain infants were not in hell, he offered no... Read more →

'Our Guilty Silence'-- John R.W. Stott

I was introduced to the late John R.W. Stott in a little book on evangelism he first published in 1967 (published by Eerdmans stateside in 1969). Entitled Our Guilty Silence, Stott sketches out four reasons why Christians don't witness to non-Christians: 1). No compelling incentive to speak. Christians lack motivation.... Read more →

High Calvinist Augustus Toplady--'I am convinced that the souls of all departed infants whatever are with God in glory'

'Toplady, one of the highest Calvinists of the Church of England, remarks as follows respecting the salvation of all infants dying in infancy: '“The rubric of the Church of England declares that ‘it is certain by God’s word that children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin, are... Read more →

Saint Augustine--'first to teach infant damnation'

pic source "It was Augustine who first taught the damnation of infants (see Baptism, II.,1, § 3); but their sufferings, though eternal, are of the mildest character (De peccatorum meritis, i. 16); indeed, it seemed to him doubtful whether they were punished at all. The Roman Church, accepting Augustine's conceptions... Read more →