Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
I
have been asked to provide web space for an open letter to David Cloud
over certain comments which the latter made on Calvinism. The author's email has been attached to the bottom of this open letter and therefore any comments which you have may be addressed direct to him.
An Open Letter to David Cloud’s Article:
“Calvinism on the March Among Evangelicals”
Dear David Cloud:
I believe you have a love and zeal for God. You seem zealous for the
purity of the church, its people, its worship, the Bible and its
truths. I attended for several years your home church and where your
“O Timothy” is printed, Bethel Baptist Church in London
Ontario, Canada. You are a missionary, a prolific writer, speaker, and
put out vast amounts of material, in various formats in a desire to
preserve and promote the truth of the Bible, as you believe it. But in
so doing you are often very harsh and critical with those who differ
with you on almost any detail of biblical, spiritual, or moral truth.
I have read your recent article, which continues
your previous views, articles, fears and disparaging remarks on
Calvinism. Why you go on and on against Calvinism I’m not sure.
Most often people that are antagonistic to Calvinism it is because they
little or wrongly understand it. But I think that is not or should not
be true of you. I am reminded of the following Bible passage in Acts
5:27-39, “And when they had brought them, they set them before
the council: and the high priest asked them, Saying, Did not we
straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and,
behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to
bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles
answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath
God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his
witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath
given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to the
heart, and took counsel to slay them. Then stood there up one in the
council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in
reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles
forth a little space; And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take
heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody;
to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was
slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to
nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of
the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and
all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto
you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or
this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye
cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against
God.”
As knowledgeable as you are Mr. Cloud I believe you
would be much wiser (Proverbs 9:9) if you would take Gamaliel’s
advice; “Refrain form these men and let them alone: for if this
counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of
God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found to fight against
God.”
David, I seek not to quarrel or argue with you in
your beliefs concerning Calvinism. I will not try to convince or
convert you to Calvinism. It would be easier for me to turn a stone
into flesh than to be able to get you to believe these doctrines or
system of theology. As the Scriptures say, no one can say Jesus is Lord
except by the Spirit, so none can truly believe in Calvinism but by the
Holy Spirit. George Whitefield said, "We are all born Arminians." It is
grace that turns us into Calvinists. I can only ask you to think on
these things. I seek not to contend but I rather feel sorry for you and
those likeminded, who seek to overthrow or disparage the faith and
character, not only of living, holy men and women that hold these
truths dear, like John Piper or John McArthur but to those who have
gone on to their eternal reward, such as John Bunyan, Matthew Henry,
George Whitfield, John Newton, Robert Murray McCheyne, C.H. Spurgeon,
Andrew Murray, Lloyd-Jones and many others. I feel sorry that you are
missing out on seeing God in such majestic light as Calvinism portrays
Him. Many of the things you will find written are gleaned from other
writers in my studies, and reading. Though I am not an ordained
minister, or trained in theological seminaries or Bible Colleges I am
responsible to God as any man to uphold His truth. I call you a brother
in Christ, as I believe you are a sincere Christian and have a love for
truth, though which I believe is in some respects a little misguided.
And besides, a belief in Calvinism is not essential to Christianity, as
neither is being a fundamental Baptist.
CALVINISM: There is scarcely another word that arouses such suspicion,
mistrust, and even animosity among professing Christians as the word
Calvinism. And yet much of the zeal that is levelled against this
system and those who hold and preach it is most certainly a zeal which
is not according to knowledge. David I believe your zeal is not
according to true knowledge or you would not be so antagonistic to a
system that so gives all the glory to God and, which was the backbone
of our fathers in the faith, even Baptists and the strength of the
church in a far more glorious era than our own. I pray God will stir
your heart for a truer knowledge of what has been called Calvinism.
That you may see the truth of what Charles Spurgeon meant when he
declared, "It is no novelty, then, that I am preaching; no new
doctrine. I love to proclaim those strong old doctrines that are
nicknamed Calvinism, but which are surely and verily the revealed truth
of God as it is in Christ Jesus." You seem to have a love and respect
for Spurgeon so I will often quote him and as he is a fellow Baptist
his words may be more acceptable to other fundamental Baptists who are
struggling with Calvinism.
Again, what is Calvinism? Theologian B. B. Warfield describes it as
'that sight of the majesty of God that pervades all of life and all of
experience'. I write a brief description of the biblical understanding
of Calvinism to help others that may be reading this. It may be
summarized as follows: All men are totally depraved because of sin.
Everyone is born into the world, therefore, without spiritual ability
to save themself and is deserving of God's wrath (Rom. 8:7-8; Eph.
2:1-3). Secondly, God is not willing to let the whole human race go to
hell and has, from before the foundation of the world, chosen
individual sinners to be saved. This choice is not based on any merit
or justification found in the individual but is sovereignly exercised
by God solely out of His grace and love (John 17:6; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess.
2:13). Thirdly, those who are elected by God were given to Jesus Christ
before the foundation of the world so that He should redeem them from
sin (Matt. 1:21; John 6:37-40; 10:11, 14, 15, cf. 26-28). This He did
in His earthly ministry by offering Himself as a substitute in His
people's place. His death on the cross actually accomplished their
redemption. Though His death has some benefit for everyone, it does not
actually redeem everyone. Fourthly, God effectively applies to all of
His elect that redemption which His Son secured on the cross. He does
this by drawing and effectually calling these by the gospel so that
they freely come to repent of sin and believe in Christ (Rom 8:30; 2
Tim 1:9). Fifthly, those who have been so chosen, redeemed and reborn
will persevere in the faith and thus are eternally secure (Philip. 1:6;
John 10:28-29). All this convicting, calling and keeping is done
through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God faithfully preached.
Calvinism is rooted and built on the doctrine of the divine sovereignty
of God over the whole universe. And secondly on the sinfulness,
depravity, and hopelessness of man to redeem himself in any way. How
full of common sense are the words of J. C. Ryle on this subject!
"There are very few errors and false doctrines, of which the
beginning may not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of
human nature. Wrong views of a disease will always bring with them
wrong views of a remedy. Wrong views of the corruption of human nature
will always carry with them wrong views of the grand antidote and cure
of that corruption." Calvinism is but saying, “Salvation is of
the Lord”
Calvinism! David, you pride yourself on being a Baptist. Calvinism and
Baptists are not enemies to each other. We can call it what we
will--Calvinism, reformed theology, or the doctrines of grace as they
are sometimes referred to, these truths are nothing less than historic
Baptist truth. Look at the long line of godly Calvinistic Baptist
Preachers and theologians; Bunyan, Benjamin Keach, John Gill,
Knolly’s, Christmas Evans, Spurgeon, B.H. Carroll, Boyce,
Braudus, Pink and we could also include Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he
believed in believer’s baptism. This is the theology that gave
rise to the formation and early development of the great missionary and
evangelistic enterprises. William Carey and Adoniram Judson, both
prominent Baptist Calvinistic missionaries, mightily used of God. This
is what most of our Baptist forefathers believed to be the true
teaching of Scripture. These are the doctrines on which they built
their churches Bible Colleges and which undergirded their ministries.
And if these doctrines were true then, they are still true today,
because the Bible has not changed, God has not changed, and truth does
not change. We would be wise to go back and seek the old paths, wherein
lies the good way. You mention in your recent article on Calvinism that
such evangelical seminaries as, Trinity Evangelical Divinity,
Gordon-Conwell Theological, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminaries
are leaning to Calvinism and one, Southern, even becoming a
‘Reformed hotbed.’ Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus saith
the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for
your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Well
brother, if one examined the history of these denominations and
beginnings of these Bible Seminaries, one would see that they were
Calvinistic to begin with and they are just returning as Jeremiah said,
‘to the old paths, where is the good way.’ Even Russell H.
Conwell, first President of Gordon-Conwell Seminary who was by some
called, the Spurgeon of America wrote a biography of C.H. Spurgeon. And
the Southern Baptist Convention began by Calvinists so they too are
only returning to their roots of a more spiritual era. Brother, I pray
you may not be one that Jeremiah includes in his last words in that
verse.
Brother, your article warns that Calvinism is, ‘potentially the
most explosive and divisive issue facing us in the near future.’
That may be so, but God’s truth and the gospel have always been
explosive and divisive, yet that is no reason to bury, deny or blacken
its truths. Your article warns that Calvinism can result in a lowered
commitment to evangelism. The accusation that is often raised against
Calvinism is; does such a belief hinder the work of the gospel? A
glance at history would reveal that where those truths that we call
Calvinism were held the gospel has flourished. Look at the zeal of
William Carey that drove him from his shoe-maker's shop to evangelize
for Christ in India. In your article you state that some
Calvinist’s put Carey down for his desire for evangelization. But
you only mentioned half the story. Carey was a solid Calvinist, as also
was Andrew Fuller, another great Baptist who helped form the Baptist
Missionary Society and it was Calvinists that went on the eagerly
support him in his work. Or consider the godly David Brainerd, the man
who believed that the Red Indians of America as well as the white men
had souls. He said, "I then had two desires, mine own sanctification,
and the ingathering of God's elect." And the Calvinistic George
Whitefield, never stopped preaching the gospel of Christ: "With what
divine pathos", it was said of him, "did he exhort the sinner to turn
to Christ." O, David, even John Calvin’s missionary zeal is
attested to by the fact that within 25 years – from the time John
Calvin began his ministry – there were about 2000 Calvinist
churches and about half a million Calvinists, in France alone! Calvin
sponsored missions throughout Europe and even as far afield as Brazil.
And how about, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Andrew Bonar, and William Burns,
that great leader of revival and missionary to China. And we go on;
Luther, Tyndale, John Knox, Samuel Rutherford, Bunyan, Thomas Watson,
Isaac Watts, Jonathan Edwards, Andrew Murray are but a few of God's
army of witnesses to the truth of sovereign grace or Calvinism as
we may call it. In the 19th century revitalized Protestantism,
fresh from revivals and refreshed with Calvinistic writings and
preaching, rose to the challenge of world evangelization with a zeal
and boldness never before seen in history. Many Christians had engaged
in evangelism and missions before, but as even the Baptist preacher and
renown historian Kenneth Latourette has written of those Calvinists,
"never before had the followers of any faith formulated comprehensive
plans covering the entire surface of the earth to make these purposes
effective." Brother I ask you, was the gospel hindered, was evangelism
stifled by such men of Calvinistic faith? You know it was not. You
write that Charles Spurgeon was an exception, that he was an
evangelistic Calvinist. You even point out that a great many Calvinists
of his day opposed him and his indiscriminate invitations for sinners
to repent. Yes that is true, and you go on and quote from that
excellent book by Iain Murray, “Spurgeon vs.
Hyper-Calvinism” which I would recommend to all. Brother you have
read that book and to be fair to the Calvinistic position, and should
have pointed out, that not all Calvinists are alike in all their
doctrinal positions. The whole of Iain Murray’s book is about the
struggle with Spurgeon and HYPER-CALVINIST’S, not Calvinists!
Hyper-Calvinists erred in limiting gospel invitations to the elect, but
they were the minority and not the majority of Calvinists. You should
know better than to paint all Calvinist with the same brush with those
who err in some points. It would likewise not be fair for me to lump
you in with all Baptists who may err, even Fundamental Baptists, whom
you do not agree with, and so I would not.
David, I agree that even much of Arminianism is Bible truth. It
proclaims the responsibility and accountability of man before a holy
God. That man needs to turn, repent, believe in the finished work of
Christ, live holy and persevere to the end. But Calvinists believe that
too. Even your friend Spurgeon could see those truths which the
Arminians believed. He said, "The Calvinist has said, and said right
bravely, that salvation is of grace alone; and the Arminian has said,
and said most truthfully, that damnation is of man’s will alone,
and as the result of man’s sin, and of that only. Then they have
fallen out with one another. The fact is, they had each one laid hold
of a truth, and if they could have put their heads together, and
accepted both truths, it might have been greatly for the advantage of
the Church of Christ. These two doctrines are like tram lines that you
can travel on with safety and comfort, these parallel lines-ruin, of
man; restoration, of God: sin, of man’s will; salvation, of
God’s will: reprobation, of man’s demerit; election, of
God’s free and sovereign grace: the sinner lost in hell through
himself alone, the saint lifted up to heaven wholly and alone by the
power and grace of God. Get those two truths thoroughly engraven upon
your heart, and you will then hold comprehensively the great truths of
Scripture. You will not need to crowd them into one narrow system of
theology, but you will have a sort of duplicate system." You see
brother, you hold to truths in the word of God and yet reject others
because you maybe cannot see how they fit and work together. It is not
for us to mould these truths together into one neat package. It is
enough that God teaches them, in His mind they agree perfectly and in
glory we may behold the unity of these dual truths of God’s
divine sovereignty and predestining all things and mans responsibility
and accountability.
Brother, you must speak honestly and fully when contending with others,
even fellow Christians with whom you may differ, on theology or
practice. Be fair and don’t lump all Calvinists together or half
quote them. Spurgeon when preaching a sermon on these truths gives us
all good advice: "And now, having made these remarks upon terms used,
we must observe that there is nothing upon which men need to be more
instructed than upon the question of what Calvinism really is. The most
infamous allegations have been brought against us, and sometime, I must
fear, by men who knew them to be utterly untrue; and, to this day,
there are many of our opponents, who, when they run short of matter,
invent and make for themselves a man of straw, call that John Calvin,
and then shoot all their arrows at it. We are not come here to defend
your man of straw—shoot at it or burn it as you will, and, if it
suit your convenience, still oppose doctrines which were never taught,
and rail at fictions which, save in your own brain, were never in
existence. We come here to state what our views really are, and we
trust that any who do not agree with us will do us the justice of not
misrepresenting us. If they can disprove our doctrines, let them state
them fairly and then overthrow them, but why should they first
caricature our opinions and then afterwards attempt to put them down."
There is nothing wrong with disagreeing and debating on such truths. In
fact debate is even profitable for the edification of the saints. But
to write and debate truthfully I think honors God and our Christian
profession. You say you have studied these issues for over 30 years and
are convinced that Calvinism is unscriptural. Yet many of the
commentaries which you recommend on your website are written by strong
Calvinists from a reformed theology veiwpoint. Actually I think there
are relatively few good and full commentaries by non-calvinists out
there except maybe more recent ones. And on your website, Daily
Articles for March you provide several good biographical sketches of
past godly and zealous missionaries like, David Brainerd: A Flame for
God; Henry Martyn: A Bundle of Fire; Robert Morrison: Herald of the
Matchless Music on the Shores of Cathay. Yet these are all men who were
of strong Calvinistic persuasion. You write in your article that you
admire, a great many things about past and present Calvinists, but
reject their reformed theology. Brother, I don’t quite understand
you than? What is it, you like or admire about Calvinists? Whatever you
admire in these men of Calvinistic persuasion; whether their zeal for
souls and evangelism; their love for God and truth; their holiness,
prayerfulness or whatever else it is mostly the outworking of their
faith; their reformed or Calvinistic theology. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was
probably one the greatest preacher of the 20th century. Though a strong
Calvinist, he seldom used the label himself and was not in favor of
seeing a revival of its use, nonetheless he said, the truths behind
Calvinism was a fundamental need because it starts with God and His
glory and not with man. And that wrong doctrine will ultimately produce
error in practice, because a man lives out what he believes. Calvinism,
to be true, is but reformed or biblical theology lived out through the
whole man or woman. And that, in dependence, and to the whole glory of
God. The historian Froude writes, “If Arminianism most commends
itself to our feelings, Calvinism is nearer to the facts, however harsh
and forbidding those facts may seem. Brother Cloud, in a sense you are
already two-thirds of the way to being a Calvinist. You admire the men
and results of much of Calvinism and you have studied and know its
doctrines. So all that’s left is for you to openly embrace these
truths, if God will so move your heart. I read a book by someone that
sought out to prove Calvinism and after proving it he said;
“However, what is true is one thing; but what men want to be true
is another. Such is the hatred of the natural mind to God (without one
realizing it) that many men who are intelligent, and thoroughly capable
of balancing the pro and cons of and ordinary question, will not admit
that such and such has been proved.”” David, you say you
have studied 33 years on these issues, don’t give up brother, God
left Moses in the desert for 40 years before calling him to his great
mission, and I don’t think God is done with you yet. You have
done many good things for God, though mixed in is some, not so good.
But God is merciful and I believe can and is willing to use you for
greater things for His glory.
Brother Cloud, I also grant that the doctrines of grace or Calvinism
are not without their difficulties, but the denial of them is attended
with a thousand times more and greater difficulties. It is not so much
do men of the 21century believe them, but does the word of God teach
them. And Calvinism is not whether one has read a book by Calvin or
other Calvinists and agree with them but has the Holy Spirit birthed
these truths in their hearts? A Calvinist is a man or woman who has
seen God, and having seen Him in His glory is filled on one hand with a
sense of their own sinfulness and unworthiness, and on the other hand,
with an adoring wonder that nevertheless this God, is a God who
receives sinners on account of the person and finished work of His Son,
Jesus Christ, alone. Probably as your article says, there are many
young men coming into the Calvinistic doctrines without a balanced
position, which causes problems for their churches. Brother, you have a
great zeal in the cause of sin and truth, but why contend with godly
and sincere Christians. Do you think we will all agree in
non-essentials here on earth? How does Christ receive us? Does he wait
till we are all of one mind on all points of doctrine or of one
denomination? Is He the God of the Fundamental Baptists or Calvinists,
or Arminians only? Are not the fruits of the true faith the same on
both sides of the fence? Why should your zeal come in and put up walls
of division and why throw stones at those that should be your friends.
The wise Mr. John Newton makes the following observation on the subject
of Calvinism: "I am an avowed Calvinist; the points which are usually
comprised in that term seem to me so consonant to Scripture, reason
(when enlightened) and experience, that I have not the shadow of a
doubt about them. But I cannot dispute; I dare not speculate. What is
by some called High Calvinism I dread. I feel much more union of spirit
with some Arminians than I could with some Calvinists; and if I thought
a person feared sin, loved the word of God, and was seeking after
Jesus, I would not walk the length of my study to proselyte him to the
Calvinist doctrines. Not because I think them mere opinions, or of
little importance to a believer --I think the contrary; but because I
believe these doctrines will do no one any good till he is taught them
of God. I believe a too hasty assent to Calvinistic principles, before
a person is duly acquainted with the plague of his own heart, is one
principal cause of that lightness of profession which so lamentably
abounds in this day." Brother do Calvinists contend with you? Did God
command us to contend with fellow and holy brothers and sisters in
Christ, who loved the Lord in sincerity? CH Spurgeon wisely said as a
Calvinist: ‘We believe in the 5 great points commonly known as
Calvinistic; but we do not regard these points as being barbed shafts
which we are to thrust between the ribs of our fellow Christians. We
look upon them as being 5 great lamps which help to irradiate the cross
and illustrating the great doctrine of Jesus crucified.”
David, in all this writing I sought not and could not turn you into a
Calvinist. Spurgeon wasn’t always a Calvinist, but was so led by
the Holy Spirit. He remarked, as Whitefield did; "Born, as all of us
are by nature, an Arminian, I still believed the old things I had heard
continually from the pulpit, and did not see the grace of God. When I
was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I
sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me...I
can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in
my own soul -- when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart
as with a hot iron...One week night, when I was sitting in the house of
God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not
believe it. The thought struck me, "How did you come to be a
Christian?" I sought the Lord. "But how did you come to seek the Lord?"
The truth flashed across my mind in a moment -- I should not have
sought Him unless there had come some previous influence in my mind to
make me seek Him. I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, How
came I to pray? I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. How
come I came to read the Scriptures? I did read them, but what led me to
do so? Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all,
and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of
grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to
this day; and I desire to make this my constant confession, 'I ascribe
my change wholly to God'." Be not surprised if God may yet turn your
heart to embrace these glorious doctrines. I know you may answer that
your being a Christian is all a work of God’s grace to. I’m
sure when you pray for others and their salvation, you too pray that
God would work in their hearts and lives. That the Holy Spirit may
convict them; that God would open up their understanding; that God may
grant them repentance and faith and give them a new heart to cleave to
Him. And that once saved you pray they may be kept by the power of God.
If so, than you pray as a Calvinist. Someone has said all men, while on
their knees in prayer are Calvinists, Its when they get up that the
problems start.
David, preaching is the highest and greatest and the
most glorious calling anyone can be called to. It is also one of the
most punishing. You have been called of God to preach His glorious
gospel which is a great honor. May you endeavor by the Holy Spirit to
go forward, to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, to exhort and
encourage fellow believers? Even those you may differ from in secondary
truths. Yes, there are times for disputing and debating, but there is a
time for edifying the body of Christ, to encourage and work with others
who though may not be in your particular denomination, or who may even
be Calvinists, but are alike, members of the body of Christ and with
whom we will spend eternity with. John Newton could say that all sorts
of Christians came to hear him, from the Church of England,
Congregationalists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers and even some
Catholics. His aim was to lead them all to a growing and more
experimental knowledge of the Son of God and a life of faith in Him. He
wasn’t always contending with others, but helping to build up the
greater body of Christ. I remember also a few years back when we first
began attending your church, Bethel Baptist, with Pastor Unger whom
also writes in your article. I remember inviting a good friend who also
was of Calvinistic persuasion. I said Pastor Unger preaches a lot of
Calvinistic theology, he just doesn’t realize it. He preaches
truly from the scriptures and thus brings in election and
predestination, the sinfulness of man and the necessity of the work of
the Holy Spirit, the power of God to keep us, along with mans
responsibility. My friend who had been preaching for over 30 years
agreed and we sat under Pastor Unger for several years, along with
several others who were of Calvinistic persuasion. He was in a
sense like John Bunyan, of whom it was said when he preached, you
couldn’t tell of which denomination he was of, as he preached
Bible. Bethel Baptist also prints and sells many books by Calvinists,
which is a blessing and good work. You see how Calvinism is just
part of Biblical theology and the work of the church? I pray for you
brother, and all those of like mind and action, that by the grace of
God the Holy Spirit will open your hearts and understanding to see and
love the truths that we call, the doctrines of grace or Calvinism. And
if not, that God would give you wisdom and restraint not to openly and
antagonistically fight against these truths, which the Holy Spirit has
taught holy men and women throughout church history, and which has been
the means to win countless souls to Christ. Lest as Acts 5 says,
“And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them
alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to
nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be
found even to fight against God.”
Brother Cloud, your endeavors to discredit
Calvinists and the biblical truths they hold dear is actually doing the
opposite of your plans and desire. Your articles not warning or
discouraging men and women away from Calvinism, but actually drawing
them to consider and embrace these truths. You admit that Calvinism is
growing even among fundamental Baptists and I believe in part that is
to your, credit. When you write disparagingly and oppose such truths
held by eminent and holy Christians it makes even fundamental Baptists
curious and thus causes them to research and inquire about Calvinism.
They than find, that you have only told them half the story and have
twisted many of the facts to suit your own viewpoint. Yes, brother, God
even uses your words, against Calvinism to teach others about
Calvinism. Like as the persecution of believers in Acts 8, which was
intended to hinder Christianity, actually spread it? Your title on your
article, “Calvinism on the March Among Evangelicals” and
the insights that show Calvinism is growing, give me and godly
Christians great hope, joy and praise to God. History proves that when
and where Calvinistic doctrine is genuine and has increased and taken
hold; there is great hope for revival. It has been the prelude to
revival in the past and will again in the future.
So brother Cloud, I have tried not to ridicule your beliefs or belittle
you. After reading your recent O Timothy article, I was amazed that one
so knowledgeable as you could write thus. You defamed the faith and
thus the name of many holy and useful men of God, whom Christ shed His
blood for and who have gone on to their eternal reward. Look at our
hymnbooks brother, you find and sing many God glorifying hymns written
by men or women of Calvinistic persuasion. God’s Providence has
put them side by side those written by Arminians, that we might
together sing the praises of God, instead of disputing all the time.
You may not have bothered to read this. I’m sure other Calvinist
preachers or theologians have tried to reason with you, and so far, to
no avail. Who am I, but a poor sinner saved by grace, sitting in a pew.
I’m sure I yet have many errors, much to learn and encompassed
with sin. But if you have gotten this far in reading my letter, than I
have hope that God will in some way turn your heart. I feel sorry for
you brother, in your struggle against Calvinism and pray God may not
lay it to your charge.
Perhaps a final word from that giant of the church,
which you so admire, to set before us these blessed truths of God's
word that you presently disparage. "The old truth that Calvin preached,
that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must
preach today, 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." CHS.
By His amazing grace:
John Van Eyk:
vaneyk@execulink.com