Review Article Calvinism: An Introduction and Comparison with the Main Historic Christian Alternatives With the Principal Relevant Historical Councils and Creeds Stephen Paynter April 2020 I have been recently sent an online copy of Stephen Paynter’s new book, or rather a new version of a work done in 2014, by Academia.edu free of charge. This academic consortium has kindly provided me for several years with many gems both small and large from writers on theology, missiology and church history. It is rarely, however, that I receive works from them dealing solely with evangelical, Reformed issues. This is also the more surprising because Dr Paynter is a software engineer and neither a theologian nor a… Full Article
Posts Tagged Hyper-Calvinism
Part One: David Gay’s ‘Principles’ as displayed in his book Eternal Justification (I cannot comment line for line on this scandalous work as I would then have to write double the amount that Gay writes and quote much unedifying waffle. I thus comment in brief on Gay’s ‘Principles’ and shall follow up with further essays.) Eternal justification netted Yesterday, I came across a freebie in the Internet entitled Eternal Justification. As I have long wondered what that phrase could mean and have never been convinced by various expositions of what it signifies, I downloaded the essay and discovered it was by David Gay and dated 2010. Now Brother Gay is to be commended for putting his books and essays online free of… Full Article
Those ‘Theological Swearwords’ ‘Antinomianism and Hyper-Calvinism’ Again Some years ago in the Evangelical Times, one of their directors, John Legg, referred to the terms ‘Antinomianism and Hyper-Calvinism’ as ‘theological swearwords’ and used them indiscriminately with his co-director Errol Hulse to describe my practice of preaching the whole of the gospel to the whole man wherever I was placed by God to do so. This irresistible calling led to my marching 35 kilometers a day through swampy marshland and glacier-covered territory with a map and compass to help me find the way and a fishing rod, snares and a small casting-net in order so I could feed myself so I could take the gospel to nomad Lapps and to my work… Full Article
An actual reply to a Christian who has challenged me in several of his published writings and personal letters to me for teaching that John Gill only preached to those who were already believers and had already been made ‘sensible’ to the gospel. Dear Brother, As I have now finished my preparation for XX, I can deal with your query at a little length. Of course, the idea that Gill did not exhort sinners to repentance and faith cannot be defended. Indeed, he was far more industrious in doing this than most of his contemporary and modern critics. Where do you find the BOT, Reformation Today and Founder’s Journal Preparationists exhorting sinners to flee from the wrath to come into Jesus’ arms like Gill? Their sermons are like… Full Article
Dear Friends, The two letters copied below were written in response to charges of Antinomianism, Hyper-Calvinism and false analyses of Fullerism coming from the Founders Journal and their supporters. These accusations were never justified and made by people who did not know me from Adam and had not read my books. One particular person, now long departed from the Reformed faith he professed then to hold, was giving an after-dinner jocular speech in which I was mentioned disdainfully when he was asked by an unamused table-guest why he condemned me so violently and joked about me so unbrotherly yet did not appear to know what I taught. He received the answer that the speaker did not have to read me to denounce me. The brother who… Full Article
The so-called Banner of Truth’s witch-hunt against alleged Hyper-Calvinists continues with Maurice Roberts quite deceptive apology for their new, radical theology hidden behind the mask of ‘The Free Offer of the Gospel’ (Issue 503-4). Pastor Roberts has picked out all the raisins and nuts he could find in the new BOT cake, seeking to lure traditional BOT readers away from the old paths by these tempting morsels. He has, however, offered us nothing of the seasoning of gall and bitter herbs which makes his cake the most stomach-turning culinary event since the counter-reformation opened their evil-smelling kitchen as purveyors of false food. A little of this comes through in Roberts’ accusing all those who disagree with him… Full Article
On a web-site run by a Brother Galyon, my name has been repeatedly dropped in association with alleged Hyper-Calvinists. However, Brother Galyon has now produced a list of what he considers Hyper-Calvinism and I find I disagree with every point. This should be sufficient proof for my brethren to stop calling me a Hyper-Calvinist and an Antinomian but when I protest against such slander, my protests are ignored. I thus sent the following explanation of my views to Brother Galyon’s blog-site a number of weeks ago but it has still not been passed by the moderator. Before dealing with Galyon’s points I must stress that I certainly do not strive to exceed Calvinism, indeed, I have argued for over forty years that Calvin was never… Full Article
The Puritanboard Most of my readers will be familiar with the on-line web-site The Puritanboard. The site often carries good, general articles of instruction and edification. At times, however, the contributors seem to be very strict and particular in their ecclesiastical views and their narrow understanding of church and denominational history. I have striven from time to time to visit their site, to offer praise and encouragement for certain positions they represent and to suggest solutions to some of their ingrained problems caused mostly through lack of background knowledge. However, I found entrance into their discussions technically extremely difficult, so I gave up trying. A couple of years ago, I had another go and… Full Article
Banner on Hypers
Nov 13
Letter to the Banner of Truth (not printed) Dear Christian Friends, I was surprised to find myself labeled a Hyper-Calvinist in your February issue with your corollary that I am not amongst those who “confront their hearers with the immediate responsibility of trusting Christ, directly encouraging them to trust him, and appealing to them to do so now!” Naturally, when one starts with a false premise one draws a faulty conclusion. Actually, I abhor Hyper-Calvinism and have aired my views against it in many publications and lectures. I am particularly suspicious of the Supralapsarian kind as found in Calvin’s Institutes, Book III, Chap. XXIII:7 and his Articles Concerning Predestination. I reject Calvin’s studies… Full Article
Come and Welcome Letter
Nov 11
The Banner of Truth Trust perverts Bunyan’s gospel A letter to the English Churchman Sir: Bunyan’s Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ based on John 6:37 is beset with the finest jewels of Christian preaching, infusing hope and joy into the hearts of sorrowing sinners. The BOT’s 1991 reprint of Bunyan’s original version was a most welcome evangelistic venture as Bunyan’s elegant, pithy language speaks as clearly today as it did in the 17th century. So why has the BOT now published a new, badly edited and altered version with an introduction and blurb containing irrelevant and misleading New Divinity propaganda? Paul Austen (Nr. 7652) rightly challenges the suitability of a publisher’s preface which presents… Full Article
