(By: John Miller)

Last week we considered some of the shaping influences upon Andrew Fuller and his thinking. This week we will consider how these influences worked themselves out in Fuller’s life, especially in his contribution to bring Particular Baptists back to an evangelical Calvinism.

In 1781, Andrew Fuller began to write down his own refutation of High Calvinism, which was a much fuller and more detailed exposition of the topic. Though Fuller wrote the work for his own benefit and had no intention of publishing it, due to the urging of his friends he did end up publishing the work as The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation in 1785. From the very beginning of this work, Fuller refutes the High Calvinist notion that it is improper to exhort unconverted men to spiritual duties, though one can exhort them to unspiritual duties. As Fuller states:

God requires the heart, the whole heart, and nothing but the heart; that all the precepts of the Bible are only the different modes in which we are required to express our love to him; that, instead of its being true that sinners are obliged to perform duties which have no spirituality in them, there are no such duties to be performed; and that, so far from their being exhorted to every thing excepting what is spiritually good, they are exhorted to nothing else. The Scriptures undoubtedly require them to read, to hear, to repent, and to pray, that their sins may be forgiven them. It is not, however, in the exercise of a carnal, but of a spiritual state of mind, that these duties are performed.[1]

It the first part of the work, Fuller shows the importance of the subject, and how one of the great errors of the High Calvinist position is that it makes the object of faith to be faith itself. In other words, it makes faith to “terminate principally on something within us; namely, the work of grace in our hearts,” rather than “terminating on something without us; namely, on Christ.”[2] In the second part of the work, Fuller presents particular arguments to prove it is the duty of all men who hear the gospel to believe in Christ. In this section Fuller expounds various pertinent passages of Scripture: Psalm 2:11-12; Isaiah 4:1-7; Jeremiah 6:16; John 5:23, 6:29, and 12:36. He also displays his reliance upon Jonathan Edwards, by employing the distinction between natural and moral inability from Edwards’ Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. In the third part of the work Fuller answers several objections. For example, some object to declaring faith in Christ to be the duty of sinners because they believe it is contrary to the Scriptural teaching of election. Fuller responds by showing that both concepts are taught in Scripture, and must be held together, even if we cannot fully understand how the two fit together. Fuller concludes by stating that it is certainly the duty of all men to repent and believe the gospel, and more pointedly that “it is the duty of ministers not only to exhort their carnal auditors to believe in Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls; but IT IS AT OUR PERIL TO EXHORT THEM TO ANYTHING SHORT OF IT, OR WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE OR IMPLY IT.”[3]

This contribution of Andrew Fuller was one of the key instruments God used to turn the Particular Baptists of England away from High Calvinism and back to the evangelical Calvinism they first held. The convictions expressed in this work “led directly to Fuller’s whole-hearted commitment to the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792 and his role as secretary of this society till his death in 1815.”[4] From this Missionary Society, men like William Carey and John Thomson were sent to foreign countries to proclaim the duty of sinners to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the recovery of evangelical Calvinism that gave Particular Baptists the theological foundation from which to impact the world around them. For this reason, men like Andrew Fuller should not be forgotten. As Thomas Chalmers stated:

Let it never be forgotten of the Particular Baptists of England, that they form the denomination of Fuller and Carey and Ryland and Hall and Foster; that they have organized among the greatest of all missionary enterprises; that they have enriched the Christian literature of our country with authorship of the most exalted piety, as well as of the first talent and the first eloquence;…that perhaps there is not a more intellectual community of ministers in our islands, or who have put forth for their number a greater amount of mental power and mental activity in the defense and illustration of our common faith; and – which is far better than all of the triumphs of genius or understanding – who, by their zeal and fidelity and pastoral labor among congregations they have reared, have done more to swell the list of genuine discipleship in the walks of private society – and thus to both uphold and extend the living Christianity of our nation.[5]

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[1] Andrew Fuller, The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller, ed. Joseph Belcher, vol. 2, Controversial Publications (1845, reprint, Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1988), 332.

[2] Ibid., 334.

[3] Ibid., 387.

[4] Michael A. G. Haykin, The Armies of the Lamb: The Spirituality of Andrew Fuller (Dundas, Ontario: Joshua Press, 2001), 35.

[5]Michael A. G. Haykin, One Heart and One Soul: John Sutcliff of Olney, His Friends and His Times (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1994), 7.

(By: John Miller)

Last week, we considered Fuller’s upbringing and conversion, especially how God brought Fuller to saving faith despite the High Calvinism in his own home church. This week we shall consider Fuller’s ministry and the influences that shaped his thinking in his struggle against High Calvinism.

After his conversion in November 1769, Fuller was baptized in the spring of 1770 and joined the church in Soham. John Eve left the church for another pastorate in 1771, and Fuller was called to be the pastor in 1775, where he remained until 1782 when he went to pastor the Particular Baptist church in Kettering. While in Soham, Fuller began to question the doctrines of High Calvinism, which he held at the time. These doubts came to his mind “chiefly from thinking on some passages of Scripture, particularly the latter part of the second Psalm, where kings, who ‘set themselves against the Lord, and against his Anointed,’ are positively commanded to ‘kiss the Son;’ also the preaching of John the Baptist, Christ, and his apostles, who, he found, did not hesitate to address unconverted sinners…”[1] Fuller was also secondarily influenced in his thinking through reading the books of John Owen and Jonathan Edwards, such as Edward’s Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. Another important influence upon Fuller’s thinking was the friendships he had with fellow Particular Baptist pastors who also questioned the tenets of High Calvinism. One such friend was Robert Hall, Sr., who had taken part in Andrew Fuller’s ordination. In a sermon published in 1781 Hall states, “If any should ask, ‘Have I a right to apply to Jesus the Savior, simply as a poor, undone perishing sinner, in whom there appears no good thing?’ I answer yes; the gospel proclamation is, ‘Whosoever will, let him come.’” [2]

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[1] Andrew Fuller, The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, in The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller, ed. Joseph Belcher, vol. 2, Controversial Publications (1845, reprint, Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1988), 328-329.

[2] Raymond Brown, The English Baptists of the Eighteenth Century, vol. 2 of A History of the English Baptists, ed. B. R. White (London, England: The Baptist Historical Society, 1986), 72.

(By: John Miller)

Last week we looked at the decline of Particular Baptists in 18th century England, and some of the causes. This week we will consider the entrance of Andrew Fuller into those difficult times, and how God in His mighty sovereign grace brought Fuller out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son, despite the prevailing Hyper-Calvinism of his day.

It was during the period of decline that Andrew Fuller was born in the village of Wicken on February 6, 1754. Fuller’s parents, Robert and Phillipa, were dairy farmers by trade, and Calvinistic Baptists by conviction. Thus, they took their family to the local Particular Baptist congregation for worship each Lord’s Day. The Fuller family moved to the village of Soham when Andrew was seven years old, where they sat under the ministry of John Eve, who was a Hyper-Calvinist. As Andrew Fuller stated, “[We] were in the habit of hearing Mr. Eve, a Baptist minister, who, being what is here termed High in his sentiments, or tinged with false Calvinism, had little or nothing to say to the unconverted. I, therefore, never considered myself as any way concerned in what I heard from the pulpit.”[1] When Fuller was fourteen, he began to be spiritually affected through reading such books as Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan, along with Gospel Sonnets by Ralph Erskine. While Fuller came under a conviction of his sin, it did not last, and he did not repent and believe in Christ at that time. A year and a half later Fuller was again confronted with conviction for his sins, but he struggled to trust in Christ to deliver him from his sins due to High Calvinist teaching. As Fuller stated, “I was not then aware that any poor sinner had a warrant to believe in Christ for the salvation of his soul; but supposed there must be some kind of qualification to entitle him to do it.”[2] Nevertheless, he came to say in the spirit of Esther, “I must – I will – yes – I will trust my soul, my sinful, lost soul in [Christ’s] hands. If I perish, I perish!”[3] Thus, God converted Fuller and he overcame the High Calvinist notions. As he stated, “This notion [of High Calvinism] was a bar that kept me back for a time; though, through divine drawings, I was enabled to overleap it.” [4]

Next week we will consider Fuller’s ministry and fight against Hyper-Calvinism.

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[1] Michael A. G. Haykin, The Armies of the Lamb: The Spirituality of Andrew Fuller (Dundas, Ontario: Joshua Press, 2001), 59.

[2] Ibid., 71.

[3] Ibid., 72.

[4] Ibid.

(By: John Miller)


Last month I posted a quote from Andrew Fuller (1754-1815), a Particular Baptist pastor in England that was greatly used of God. This week, and over the next few posts, I would like to return to considering the life of Andrew Fuller and the contribution that he made to the Church. We’ll begin this week by looking at the state of Particular Baptist churches in England into which Andrew Fuller was born. May God help us to learn the lessons of history and apply them to our own day.

The Decline of Particular Baptists in the 18th Century

While there was a measure of growth at the very beginning of the 18th century among Particular Baptists, there soon came a great decline among them. Around the year 1715, “there were roughly 220 Calvinistic Baptist congregations in England and Wales,” but by around mid-century “the number of Calvinistic Baptist congregations had dropped to around 150.”[1] The reason for this decline is not simple, but can be attributed to many causes. First, the 1689 Act of Toleration did not grant Non-conformists the same degree of freedom they had under Cromwell. While the Act of Toleration did free the Particular Baptists from persecution and allowed them to gather for worship, they were not allowed to preach anywhere outside of “those buildings registered as meeting-houses with the bishop of the diocese or the local Justice of the Peace.”[2] Thus, Particular Baptists could not preach in the open air, as George Whitfield was able to do because he was a part of the Church of England. Second, certain social restrictions enacted against the Non-conformists under Charles II had not been rescinded. Thus it was very difficult for a Non-conformist to study at Oxford or Cambridge, or to pursue any sort of career in the government. These restrictions limited the social circles of Particular Baptists, and thus their influence in the society. Third, sadly there was a decline due to the amount of time spent infighting among Particular Baptists over doctrinal controversies, such as the validity of hymn-singing. Fourth, there was decline due to the decrease in fellowship and cooperation among the various Particular Baptist churches. While the Particular Baptists met together for a national assembly in 1689, this annual meeting only continued for four years. Regional associations continued in various parts of England, but their activity also declined in the first half of the 18th century. One final cause of the decline among Particular Baptists was the shift in theology from an evangelical Calvinism to a High Calvinism, also known as Hyper-Calvinism.

The doctrine of High Calvinism taught that unconverted men who do not have the Holy Spirit cannot be exhorted to perform spiritual duties; particularly they cannot be exhorted to repent and believe in the gospel. Particular Baptist had been dealing with such questions since the 17th century. In 1675, one Calvinistic Baptist wrote that he knew “some ministers who were of the opinion that as none could pray acceptably without the influences of the Holy Spirit, and unconverted men being destitute of those influences, that therefore it was not their duty to pray, nor the duty of ministers to exhort them to seek for spiritual blessings.”[3] Several Particular Baptists in London responded with a letter clearly stating, “’Tis certain no man can, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, either repent or believe; yet it will not therefore follow, that impenitency and unbelief are no sins; if these be sins, then the contrary must be their duty.”[4] Indeed, these early Particular Baptists had no difficulty in calling unconverted men to spiritual duties. For example, Benjamin Keach “regularly and effectively pleaded with his congregation to put their trust in Christ.”[5] Nevertheless, High Calvinism re-entered Particular Baptist life through the influence of John Skepp. Skepp was a Particular Baptist pastor in London who had been converted under and influenced by the preaching of the Independent preacher Joseph Hussey, who was a High Calvinist. After Skepp’s death in 1721, a collection of his sermons supporting High Calvinism “appeared in London’s bookshops under the title Divine Energy.”[6] This work greatly influenced prominent Particular Baptists, such as John Gill and John Brine. Because of the prominence of these men and their prolific writing, many of the Particular Baptists were persuaded to hold the High Calvinist position, and they no longer exhorted their hearers to repent and believe in Christ.

It was during the period of decline among Particular Baptists in England that Andrew Fuller was born. More on Fuller’s contribution next week.

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[1]Michael A. G. Haykin, One Heart and One Soul: John Sutcliff of Olney, His Friends and His Times (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1994), 25.

[2] Ibid., 20.

[3]Michael Haykin, Kiffin, Knollys and Keach: Rediscovering Our English Baptist Heritage (Leeds, England: Reformation Today Trust, 1996), 64.

[4]Ibid., 64-65.

[5]Raymond Brown, The English Baptists of the Eighteenth Century, vol. 2 of A History of the English Baptists, ed. B. R. White (London, England: The Baptist Historical Society, 1986), 73.

[6] Ibid., 72.

(By: John Miller)

Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) was a man greatly used of God in the latter part of the 18th century to bring about spiritual renewal among Particular Baptists in England, who had fallen into a form of hyper-Calvinism. He had a deep love for Christ, a true pastoral heart for the church, and a burning desire to evangelize the lost. And he sought stir up such a heart in others as well, shaking them out of complacency to seek after the Lord. The following excerpt is from a circular letter written in 1785 entitled Causes of Declension in Religion, and Means of Revival:

It is to be feared the old puritanical way of devoting ourselves wholly to be the Lord’s, resigning up our bodies, souls, gifts, time, property, with all we have and are to serve him, and frequently renewing these covenants before him, is now awfully neglected. This was to make a business of religion, a life’s work, and not merely an accidental affair, occurring but now and then, and what must be attended to only when we can spare time from other engagements. Few seem to aim, pray, and strive after eminent love to God and one another. Many appear to be contented if they can but remember the time when they had such love in exercise, and then, tacking to it the notion of perseverance without the thing, they go on and on, satisfied, it seems, if they do but make shift just to get to heaven at last, without much caring how. If we were in a proper spirit, the question with us would not so much be, “What must I do for God?” as, “What can I do for God?” A servant that heartily loves his master counts it a privilege to be employed by him, yea, an honor to be entrusted with any of his concerns.

If it is inquired, “What then is to be done? Wherein in particular can we glorify God more than we have done?” We answer by asking, “Is there no room for amendment? Have we been sufficiently earnest and constant in private prayer? Are there none of us that have opportunities to set apart particular times to pray for the effusion of the Holy Spirit? Can we do no more than we have done in instructing our families? Are there none of our dependents, workmen, or neighbors that we might speak to, at least so far as to ask them to go and hear the gospel? Can we rectify nothing in our tempers and behavior in the world, so as better to recommend religion? Cannot we watch more? Cannot we save a little more of our substance to give to the poor? In a word, is there no room or possibility left for our being more meek, loving, and resembling the blessed Jesus than we have been? “

To glorify God, and recommend by our example the religion of the meek and lowly Jesus, are the chief ends for which it is worth while to live; but do we sufficiently pursue these ends?

What a privilege it is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ! May God grant us the grace to ask each day, “What can I do for God today?”

By David Giarrizzo

This past weekend our church family spent three days and two nights up near scenic Sedona, Arizona, for our annual family camp. The event provided an opportunity for many to escape the 116 degree heat of Phoenix and trade it for the more tolerable 101 degrees of Oak Creek Canyon. As nice as it always is to leave the fast-paced, big-city atmosphere for a few days and to relax and fellowship with God’s people surrounded by the beautiful mountains, trees, and streams of His creation, at this year’s conference we were especially blessed by the sound, biblical preaching of Pastor David Dykstra.

In four valuable messages Pastor Dykstra covered the four chapters of Ruth through clear, exegetical observations and practical, encouraging applications. The central theme of Ruth focuses on God’s providence and provision in a family’s life. Of course, though, while God is the central theme, there are many other thoughts and lessons that stem from the story like spokes on a wheel: wise and unwise decision making (Ruth 1); providing for God’s people (Ruth 2); the kinsman redeemer as a type of Christ (Ruth 3); and redemption from sin, adoption by grace (Ruth 4). Ultimately, as Pastor Dykstra pointed out for us, this story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz is but one historical snapshot that is a part of the metanarrative of scripture as we see later through the life of David and the birth of Jesus in the opening pages of Matthew’s gospel.

But it was the focus on God’s providence in the story of Ruth that refreshed me most this weekend. To define God’s providence, Dykstra quoted from the Heidelberg Catechism which states,

27. Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?
A. God’s providence is His almighty and ever present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come not by chance but by His fatherly hand.

In reformed circles, God’s providence, his sovereignty, his divine authority are spoken of often, especially as these attributes relate to election and salvation (and rightly so!). But as a Reformed Baptist, what I find most refreshing in this study is considering this doctrine while looking at a biblical example of God’s providence being acted out through the characters Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. It was God in his providence who guided Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, to Bethlehem where Ruth would meet Boaz. And it was God who provided them food and safety and a kinsman redeemer. From the smallest details of this story to the most prevalent, we are assured from scripture that all things are under the authority and will of God (Job 42:2; Proverbs 16:33; Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:17; Matthew 10:29; Romans 9:14-21).

As I listened to these lessons from Ruth about the providence of God in all things—“fruitful and barren years…health and sickness, riches and poverty”—I was struck by the very little, seemingly insignificant things in life that I let come and go without even taking much notice of how God’s fatherly hand is involved. Last week, for example, my wife Paige and I celebrated four years of marriage. As I think back to the days before I knew my wife, and then the months and years we spent getting to know one another, and then the last four years that we spent getting to know each other even more, that 20/20-hindsight kicks in, and I am able to recognize the providence of God in initially turning my affections towards Paige and in the conversations and quiet moments we shared and through our friends and family and in other countless events that, put together, have led us to where we are today. And none of this by chance, but by God’s loving guidance every step of the way (Proverbs 16:9). As encouraging as this thought is, I am likewise reminded that I need to continually be transformed by the renewing of my mind that I may be able to “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

I give glory to God for granting me with a wife who He knew would be a godly, faithful, perfectly suited helper and life-long companion to me. It was God’s providential hand that provided me with a wife. And whether it is the ancient relationship of Boaz and Ruth or the modern marriage of David and Paige Giarrizzo, the same God is the sovereign orchestrator of our lives and love. Praise God for His providence and provision!