John UK wrote:
And so you have baptism succeeding circumcision, and always "effective", therefore all children of believers are saved, therefore your "church" will grow .... just like in Catholicism.

-RTS Orlando President

This theory that paedocommunion somehow generates a growing population is not materializing.

Mike wrote:
Remember he limits God's sovereignty by determining what God will do with it. Thus the either-or scenario. To our friend, if God is sovereign, man must be an ox.

* God is sovereign over the entire universe: Ps 103:19; Rom 8:28; Eph 1:11

* God is sovereign over all of nature: Ps 135:6-7; Mt 5:45; 6:25-30

* God is sovereign over angels & Satan: Ps 103:20-21; Job 1:12

* God is sovereign over nations: Ps 47:7-9; Dan 2:20-21; 4:34-35

* God is sovereign over human beings: 1 Sam 2:6-7; Gal 1:15-16

* God is sovereign over animals: Ps 104:21-30; 1 Ki 17:4-6

* God is sovereign over "accidents": Pr 16:33; Jon 1:7; Mt 10:29

* God is sovereign over free acts of men: Ex 3:21; 12:25-36; Ez 7:27

Hidemi Williges wrote:
You mean these are calvinist doctrine.

Mike wrote:
Atonement is effectual for those who believe

Biblicist wrote:
Is his hatred and rejection of God not a decision? Or are you saying there is nothing spiritual about this? How do you define "spiritual"

There you are you see. As plain as the nose on your face - Arminian type defence as experienced at Dordt.

Told you there is NO third way.

Only Two ways.
God is either ALL Sovereign
OR
Man is given some kind of access by some "doctrinal" means or other.
__________________

John UK wrote:
#1 Man in his natural state prefers his sin, and does not desire to be holy. This is why he shall be damned.

ps I did it that way for the reaction.

The basis behind founding a denomination upon "baptism" and seeking to identify with and in, this, is to provide a greater human participation, than paedobaptism allows or is perceived to secure.

This is why profession and immersion emerged in recent centuries, in *OPPOSITION* to covenantal infant baptism.

Hidemi Williges wrote:
Name calling again. I rebuke Arminianism, just as I would calvinism. Why not believe the Holy Bible (the very words of God) first, Quoting Scripture instead of spouting the fallible words of fallen men.

Eventually we observe sufficient proof in there posts to categorise them.

1] Total Depravity - Man in his natural estate and cannot make any spiritual decision towards God.
2] Unconditional Election - God perceives nothing in all mortals worthy of saving.
3] Limited Atonement - Jesus died only for the elect of God chosen before the world began.
4] Irresistible Grace - God alone draws people to Christ. There is nothing in the mortal to prevent this and mans decision about it, either way, is irrelevant.
5] Perseverence - God brings the elect sinner to heaven from start to finish.

These are Bible doctrines. All five are indicative of how God saves His elect in Christ. A change to any of the above brings an Arminian (free will) solution.

Hidemi Williges wrote:
It seems to me that as each subject comes up that the presbyterians are looking more catholic by the minute.
Biblicist, John UK...good posts.

Was C.H.Spurgeon the last True Particular Baptist???

John UK wrote:
Absolutely correct!

Biblicist wrote:
You notice that PF (facts indeed. cough!) does not cite his source

Biblicist wrote:
"In defining what a sacrament is...."

Mike wrote:
Looks a bit sideways to me. I was under the impression that first one becomes a believer indwelt by the Holy spirit, thus is ALREADY in communion with Christ, THEN comes baptism and the Lord's supper. Never heard of it the other way around before.

John UK wrote:
Wow!!!!
So Biblicist was right on the button, eh?

Biblicist wrote:
"sacrament" conveys the notion that grace is mechanically transmitted to the person taking the sacrament

In point of fact it is more YOUR type of Arminian influence to believe in a "mechanical" transmission of grace.

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Biblicist wrote:
Luther "Baptism is

Witsius: ".. the native signification of the words baptein and baptizein is to plunge, to dip."

As for Witsius

"In discussing Christian baptism we begin with the mode of baptism. Some immerse and some sprinkle. Arguments for immersion are that Christ and the Apostles used this mode as seen by the example of the ancient church. "Baptize" often refers to immersion linguistically and there seems to be a more full likeness between the sign and the thing signified in immersion. In terms of those who sprinkle, the example of the three thousand (Acts 2:41) in one day and of Cornelius, Lydia, and the jailer exclude the possibility of immersion. "Baptize" can refer to sprinkling or pouring linguistically. And the thing signified by baptism is explained in the Old Testament and New Testament in terms of sprinkling and pouring (Isa. 52:15; Ez. 36:25; Heb. 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:2; Heb. 9:13-14). Immersing or sprinkling once or three times is indifferent though. It is to be done in the name of the Triune God."
(H.Witsius Economy of the Covenants)

Question wrote:
Does your church have a website?

Question wrote:
I heard that some pastors were made to leave the Free Presbyterian Church because they were paedobaptists. Is this fact or rumour? what happened?

I believe the current situation is....

FPC North America - have both paedo and credo.

FPC Ulster -Ditto-
But it is said...
"On account of their additional adherence to the Articles of Faith, and because of their baptismal views, some regard the church as only nominally Presbyterian, and actually nearer to the Baptist Church"
#(NB Ian Paisley's denominational background was Baptist)

Biblicist wrote:
a] You can pride yourselves in keeping to your Roman Catholic beliefs and practices in relation to infants!!

b] And if you want to quibble, when did Preby. church government come about? Now let me think? Oh yes, it was an innovation at the time of the Reformation!! Just enough of Romanism was left in the system to suit Presby taste buds.

b] Roman church is epicopalian not presbyterian. Romanism developed over centuries until *GOD* brought His Church out from under and they protested about the non-Biblical practices setting up the Protestant Church in the process, by the grace of God. Since then we have observed that sinful man still continues to err!
Denominationalism is just as much a sin as anything else around here.
But GOD is still in charge of HIS Church!

As for Baptism? It does not contribute to salvation and the essential doctrines of Scripture, by grace and the Holy Spirit, are in a sense not up for debate.

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

John UK wrote:
FR, I know I've raised this point before, but it bears repeating. The Eunuch had a very long journey back, across desert wastes, with an entourage of folks and animals. It makes complete sense that, being wealthy, he would have had a huge amount of water on board for the trip.
So if the baptism that Philip preached to him was by pouring or sprinkling, why on earth did he wait until he spotted a muddy water-hole full of 'creatures' before mentioning baptism? Why not just get out one of his bottles? And why did Philip accede to his request, when he knew the eunuch had plenty of clean water on board more suited to baptismal sprinkling? A few drops would have been sufficient and hardly would have dented his supply.

Mike wrote:
a] "A man cannot be said to have even that with which he believes in God, without having received it...not so as to take away from the free will

b] "The conclusion is that we are by no means under compulsion to abandon free choice in favor of divine knowledge,

c] "Because whoever has done anything evil by means of one unconscious or unable to resist, the latter can by no means be justly condemned"

b] Ditto

c] Ro 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

Pre-Regeneration in the natural estate man has free will CONTROLLED by sin.
(Total Depravity)

Post-Regeneration the believer is no longer under the power of sin.
Because.....
Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

1Cor 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
--------

Jim Lincoln
Re "Cult of personality" -
The ELECT are NOT influenced by this.
The NON-elect don't count.

Calvin's genius lives on in the Church thanks be to the grace of God.
Praise the Lord!

I pray that those who have not yet perceived the Biblical Doctrines of Grace and the Truth taught therein, may be brought to know them by grace, through faith.

As Spurgeon stated in his sermon

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon

[URL=http://www.spurgeon.org/calvinis.htm]]]C.H.Spurgeon's Sermon on Calvinism IS the Gospel.[/URL]

Biblicist wrote:
The church of Donald McCleod?!

Hidemi Williges wrote:
1. though, it does not absolutely state the depth of the water, it can be inferred by the wording of the text that (being the Jordan river) there was an abundant amount of water available. The words "coming up" seems to indicate that Jesus was dunked. Otherwise the the phrase would have said "stepped out of" which it doesn't.
2,3. I see many good things but having listened to Alister Begg and Ian Paisley, and am in disagreement to the following; calvinism, political activism and fellowship with catholics. I do agree with their stand on the KJV. I can say that that not every Baptist Church follows Scripture, but that each Church is independent, has the liberty to follow as led by the Holy Spirit. I, myself belong to an Independent, Fundamentalist, Separatist, Baptist Church.
4. I agree with you here.