I though it might be helpful to point out that in order for someone to use the term "Hyper-Calvinism" in the manner it has been used historically, and in which it finds its accepted definition, the following should be considered:
1. A Hyper-Calvinists is not simply a "really serious calvinist", or even a "high-calvinist", or a Supralapsarian (one who beleives in double-predestination), or even one who believes that God is the Ultimate reason for all things that happen, even evil.
2. Hyper-Calvinism is marked primarily by the position that does not believe in the indiscriminate offer of the gospel to the elect and non-elect. This is expressed in the following articles from the confession of the Gospel Standard (Baptist) Churches of England:
3. Historically, The men who argued most fervently AGAINST hyper-calvinism have been calvinists. Baptists like Andrew Fuller, Adonirum Judson, & William Carey fervently opposed the hyper-calvinists in their day and were instrumental in early Baptist Missionary work. Later, Charles Spurgeon would debate and battle hyper-calvinism in his circles, with great spiritual fruit as a result of his indiscriminate Gospel invitation to all.
4. If you want to call someone a Hyper-calvinist with integrity, you must demonstrate that they Do not believe that we should preach the Gospel to all men and urge them to turn to Christ.
5. Tom Nettles has this to say about the issue:
6. I will add that historically, Many Calvinists would classify Primitive Baptists as Hyper-Calvinists. They would likely deny this label, and possibly with good reason, as they do not necessarily oppose evangelism, but simply believe that such evangelism and preaching of the Gospel is unrelated to eternal salvation, but rather simply announces the Gospel to those who are already elect and would end up in heaven whether they ever heard the gospel or not.
1. A Hyper-Calvinists is not simply a "really serious calvinist", or even a "high-calvinist", or a Supralapsarian (one who beleives in double-predestination), or even one who believes that God is the Ultimate reason for all things that happen, even evil.
2. Hyper-Calvinism is marked primarily by the position that does not believe in the indiscriminate offer of the gospel to the elect and non-elect. This is expressed in the following articles from the confession of the Gospel Standard (Baptist) Churches of England:
Article 26—We reject the doctrine that man in a state of nature should be exhorted to believe in, or turn to God.
Article 33—Therefore, that for ministers in the present day to address unconverted persons, or indiscriminately all in a mixed congregation, calling upon them to savingly repent, believe and receive Christ, or perform any other acts dependent upon the new creative power of the Holy Ghost, is, on the one hand, to imply creature power and on the other hand, to deny the doctrine of special redemption.
3. Historically, The men who argued most fervently AGAINST hyper-calvinism have been calvinists. Baptists like Andrew Fuller, Adonirum Judson, & William Carey fervently opposed the hyper-calvinists in their day and were instrumental in early Baptist Missionary work. Later, Charles Spurgeon would debate and battle hyper-calvinism in his circles, with great spiritual fruit as a result of his indiscriminate Gospel invitation to all.
4. If you want to call someone a Hyper-calvinist with integrity, you must demonstrate that they Do not believe that we should preach the Gospel to all men and urge them to turn to Christ.
5. Tom Nettles has this to say about the issue:
“Many continue to fail, even in the most appropriate historical context, to give a clear picture of the aggressive evangelical Calvinism that characterized the leaders of the mission movement among English Baptists, American Baptists, and Southern Baptists. Their missionary involvement becomes abstracted from a theological framework and seems to be purely the outcome of guts and zeal or of love for Christ unconnected to any clear views of doctrinal truth. That hyper-Calvinism really is a different theological system from Calvinism is rarely discussed. Hyper-Calvinism is seen as very serious Calvinism or ‘Five-point Calvinism’ or the defense of ‘limited atonement’ or ‘supralapsarianism.’”
6. I will add that historically, Many Calvinists would classify Primitive Baptists as Hyper-Calvinists. They would likely deny this label, and possibly with good reason, as they do not necessarily oppose evangelism, but simply believe that such evangelism and preaching of the Gospel is unrelated to eternal salvation, but rather simply announces the Gospel to those who are already elect and would end up in heaven whether they ever heard the gospel or not.