Brethren,
The Scriptures testify of the fact that at least some infants are saved such as the son of David and Jeremiah 31:15-17. I ask, how? The Scriptures only teach one way of salvation, the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There is no other way, and instead of treating infants as an extraordinary case, the Scriptures treat them quite ordinarily. You, my brother, have two ways of salvation. If they are guaranteed heaven because they never had the chance to hear, then you must believe the same thing about the heathen. Therefore, they would be better off if no one ever preached to them. That way they would not have the chance to reject it and damn themselves.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. - Matt 23:13
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! -Matthew 23-37
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. - Luke 11:52
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. - 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16
I believe there are some of the elect who are being hindered in countries dominated by false religions from entering into the kingdom of heaven (the church). Primitive Baptists do believe that there is a salvation in the Gospel IF you keep in memory (hold fast) what was preached (1 Corinthians 15:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:16). How many times does Paul exhort the bethren to "hold fast?" Many times. I do not believe that a man with all the power in heaven and earth has he ability to keep another man out of heaven. However, you must concede that that is the case in the abve verses. All the elect will be called by God, but they all will not be called by the preaching of the Gospel. Are you willing to say that all the Native Americans who lived in this country for thousands of years were all damned??? Is God so weak? Is He bound to the letter and cannot save beyond evangelism? The God of the Bible asks the question, "Is my arm so short that I cannot save?" God suffered all nations to walk in their own ways, that is, without the law and its ordinances? Did they all go to hell? No, and I have biblical proof that they didn't.
"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
" (Romans 2:14-15)
Notice, the law is written on their hearts. This can never be said of a reprobate.
"Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
What unicircumcision would be Paul referring to in this passage than those a few verses before who have not the external means of the law? Look at Cornelius. He was described as a "devout man," one who "feared God," one who went up to Jerusalem to worship, and one whose prayers were heard of God. That certainly is not an unregenerate man. Romans 10:18 says here is "no fear of God before their eyes," but Cornelius feared God. He did not hear the Gospel till Peter went and preached to him. All those years that God only dealt with the Jews, it says, "Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." (Mark 9:36-38)
You see, there are sheep who have no shepherd. They are ignorant and they will be devoured by the wolves without a shepherd. That is why we are to pray. Primitive Baptists are not fatalists. People want to accuse Primitive Baptists of hindering the Gospel, but the only hinderance is fatalism that says they will all hear it regardless of what we do now. We have no resonsibility. Nothing will be any different than what it has been, is now, or will be. That is NOT what Primitive Baptists believe!!! We believe that if we are negligent to pray and preach, some of the sheep will go without a shepherd and will perish (not eternally). However, I believe there are many who have been born of God's Spirit among those destitute of the Gospel who walk in a Godly way because of the law written in their hearts. Just like the Jews, most of them would put us to shame because we have the external means of it, and they do not. If they were to hear the gospel, it surely would result in faith. However, look at all the perverted Gospels out there. Can you honestly say that all Romans Catholics are going to hell? That means billions will die and go to hell. However, all of God's children in a sense come to repentance as He is revealed to them, some only through the light of creation and providence. Others do because they are blessed to hear the gospel. Those in the Old Testament desired to hear the things we are hearing, but were not able. There are things revealed in the Gospel that were kept seret from the foundation of the world. Does that mean all the Old Testament saints died and went to hell? I hardly think so. My question, do you preach the same Gospel as Calvinists? Or Calvinists, do you preach the same Gospel as Arminians? Of course the answer is no. But, if all the elect will hear the Gospel, what about all those corrupted by Arminianism? And if they are preaching the Gospel, I ask, why do you not unionize wth them, then?
