Antinomian Hyper-Calvinism versus the Law and the Gospel:
A New Focus Interview with George M. Ella
Q. The 18th century controversy regarding Hyper-Calvinism and Antinomianism seems to have emerged again in recent years and, although your book William Huntington: Pastor of Providence has been welcomed by many, a few voices maintain that you have opened old wounds and should have let sleeping dogs lie. …
Posts Tagged Hyper-Calvinism
… Engelsma demonstrates that this opposition is not so much directed at hypothetical Hyper-Calvinism but is aimed against Calvinism itself. Engelsma also shows that a non-use of the term ‘offer’ does not make or break a gospel preacher who is called to present his message to saint and sinner alike.
One weakness of the book is that Engelsma has not researched the works of his supposed opponents well, and thus, at times, unwittingly misrepresents them, confusing …
… of the Particular-cum-Strict Baptist churches entitled Picking Up a Pin For the Lord, equates Hyper-Calvinism with High-Calvinism which he defines, following Andrew Fuller, as being “more Calvinistic than Calvin himself”. Of this teaching he says:
‘High Calvinism’ was a theological system which would appear to have co-ordinated two denials. First, there was the denial that God calls all who hear about Christ to believe in him; no man is obliged as a matter of duty to trust in …
… that until the late eighties in Britain and on the Continent of Europe, the issue of Calvinism v. Hyper-Calvinism was not a major factor in evangelical debate. There is much evidence to suggest that it was not even a minor factor. After 1988, however, certain orthodox Calvinistic leaders had a frightening vision of Hyper-Calvinism flooding evangelicalism. They took this as a sign from God, authorising them to make the combating of Hyper-Calvinism a major issue in their programme of …
E. T. Clifford on Doddridge
Aug 22
Sir:
In his recent ET article defending saintly Doddridge against adverse criticism, Dr. Clifford ended by stating,
“Even more at odds with the facts, Dr George Ella asserts that Doddridge’s Calvinism was ‘higher’ than Dr John Gill’s!”
This is incorrect. My original ET article (Feb. 1995), including Doddridge’s balanced analysis of Calvinism, which I share, was …
Banner on Hypers
Nov 13
… 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 regarding predestination and election which leave out the covenant of grace and salvation in Christ as in Calvin’s works …
Harmon on Fuller
Nov 7
I have forgotten for which publication I wrote this letter.
Sir: Prof. Harmon’s recent critique of my Law and Gospel in the Theology of Andrew Fuller (Fall, 2001.) is inaccurate, lacking the objectivity of a scholar.
I do not argue that Fuller sought to modify extreme Calvinism but point out that Fuller was often more High Calvinist than a number of his …
… Gill of “collapsing salvation history back into eternity”. He pronounces Gill guilty of Hyper-Calvinism by association, claiming that Congregationalist Joseph Hussey, an alleged Hyper-Calvinist, knew John Skepp who knew John Gill so Hussey must have turned Gill into a Hyper-Calvinist. Most unlikely! Hussey (1659-1726) was an Arminian who adopted a more Calvinistic stand late in life. However, Skepp quarrelled with Hussey and his church shortly after Hussey’s change in theology and …
… names Tom Nettles, saying how he “feels compelled to disagree with his assessment of Gill’s Hyper-Calvinism”. Nettles, however, is clearly more abreast of modern research and Oliver has merely forwarded an old essay, already published twice and reviewed in this magazine, which does not take into consideration the more intensive studies of the team led by Michael Haykin who have made enormous progress in these fields. Oliver is the only author to directly link Gill with …
… novel writer but ought to be limited to that guild. Although Iain says there is no sign of Hyper-Calvinism reviving, he yet does his very best to awaken the sleeping dog. It cannot be thought an exaggeration to say that he is provoking Hyper-Calvinism, whatever it is, and wherever it is, to show its ugly face. Iain throws terms into the arena without defining them and pastes labels on people without either saying what the title entails or why the person ought to have it. He suggests …
