Were the original Baptist missionaries Calvinist?

First of all, this is a fellowship forum, so we are not going to debate. This is strictly for information.

Dr. Bob just wrote that all the original Baptist missionaries were Calvinists. I didn't want to say anything on his wonderful thread about his planned missions trip, thus this thread. On another thread, someone else made the oft-asserted statement that William Carey was a Calvinist.

My question is, has anyone proven this? I know that Carey was ostensibly a Fullerite, but is there anything in his writings to prove he was a five point Calvinist?

I particularly wonder if Adoniram Judson was really a Calvinist. Judson was the first Baptist foreign missionary from America. He was originally Congregational, then became Baptist on board ship on the way to India through his own Bible study. I understand that mnany Congregationalists were not Calvinists. I have the thick biography by his son (sent to me some years ago by a BB friend :flower, and I don't remember anything from that about his being a Calvinist.

So please help me out here. Show me from the writings of Carey and Judson that they were Calvinists, that this is not simply an assumption. I promise not to argue.

 

Hmm. Never heard that said, or read it before. Taylor's only autobiographical writing was A Retrospect, which I have, and it is not Calvinistic. Note for example this quote about man's responsibility in winning souls:

 

Understand, Calvinist friends, I do know that there are and have been many Calvinist missionaries, some greatly used of God. Here on my own island, one of the greatest pioneer missionary couples was Presbyterian, but fervent soul winners. They planted churches around the island, and there is even a small museum about them in the city of Kitami, Hokkaido. Their names were George and Ida Pierson, and you can read about them here: http://www.npo-pierson.org/eng.pdf. In fact, they started a church in my own city of Asahikawa!

I'm just looking for primary sources--the writings of the men themselves--of the first Baptist missionaries. I'm not trying to debate this, just looking for original sources, if they exist.

 

Thanks. This is the kind of thing that is needed to prove that blanket statement that Carey was a Calvinist.

Do you have any quotes from Taylor? The quote I gave would appear to prove he was not a Calvinist.

 

Folks, I'm looking for original source quotes, not to argue Calvinism.

 

Thank you for this input. This is why, if you'll notice, I was very careful in my wording about the Taylor quote.

I'll have another Taylor quote in a few minutes.

 

Yes, I was aware of the Calvinistic Methodist movement.

The thing about Hudson Taylor was that he evolved quite a bit during his lifetime. It's quite possible, in fact I think very likely, that he waa a Calvinist when he was young, but changed. By the time he founded China Inland Mission, he was thoroughly non-denominational, one might even say ecumenical. This is why original source quotes are so important in Hudson Taylor's case.

 

My particular focus here is Adoniram Judson. Surely he must be called one of the original Baptist missionaries. Any evidence he was a Calvinist?

 

Thanks for the input, Jim. This is a very representative description of evangelicalism in the past.

 

Here is another interesting quote from Hudson Taylor, describing his message in China, which included telling people that Christ died for them.

Now someone may object, but it seems the consistent position of someone who believes in a limited atonement is to avoid directly telling people that Christ died for them, since one can't know who is of the elect.

One who specifically takes this position is noted counseling scholar Jay Adams, a Presbyterian: "As a reformed Christian, the writer believes that counselors must not tell any unsaved counselee that Christ died for him, for they cannot say that. No man knows except Christ himself who are his elect for whom he died" (Competent to Counsel, p. 70).

 

Thanks, Squire, good post from you as usual.

My understanding is that Congregational churches were a variety of types, some Calvinist and some not. So in order to prove that Judson was a Calvinist, wouldn't it be necessary to have a direct quote from him, or at least evidence of the kind of Congregational church he came from?