Primitive Baptist

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Primitive Baptists (also known as Old-School Baptists) are a group of Baptists that have a historical connection to the missionary / anti-missionary controversy that divided Baptists of America in the early part of the 19th century. Those currently denominated Primitive Baptists consist of descendants of churches and ministers that opposed the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions (organized in 1814), as well as other man-made additions to the church such as seminaries, Sunday schools, and temperance societies. Early leaders include Joshua Lawrence, John Leland, Daniel Parker, and John Taylor. Other names by which Primitive Baptists are known are Predestinarian Baptists, Old School Baptists, Regular Baptists, Particular Baptists and Hardshells. The word "Primitive" is sometimes taken by outsiders to mean "backward," but in context of this division among Baptists, it means "original." These churches attempt to retain and/or restore primitive (or original) patterns of the church, such as family worship, a cappella singing, closed communion, and feet washing.

The division of "Primitive Baptists" and "Missionary Baptists" cannot be recognized as occurring at one particular time. The Baptists of the early 19th century were separated by distance and lack of communication. In addition to this, each congregation was independent and autonomous. Though some confusion still existed as late as the 1840s, the declaration now known as the Black Rock Address clearly defined the issues and marked the separation of the two different philosophies. Representatives convened at Black Rock, Maryland on September 28, 1832 and set forth the "Primitive" positions against tract societies, Sunday schools, Bible societies, mission boards, theological schools, and protracted meetings (revivals).

Primitive Baptists are not to be confused with "Calvinistic" or Reformed Baptists. They argue that their lineage and beliefs can be traced back to biblical times and pre-date the Reformation Movement. "Old School" Baptists also have disagreements with the Refomed Baptists on several key issues including soteriology.

[edit] Sub-groups of Primitive Baptists

The Primitive Baptists can be sub-divided into four main groups: (1) "main stream"; (2) Absolute Predestinarian; (3) Progressive; and (4) Universalists.

The main stream (or "Old Line") Primitive Baptists are the largest group and make up the vast majority of Old School Baptists. Since the churches are autonomous, it is difficult to determine the number of churches or members, but a rough estimate would be around 65,000 members in about 2000 churches. While opposing the aforementioned "mission boards", some churches among this group are still very evangelistic, with ongoing works such as church planting in the Philippines, India, Africa, Russia, and Mexico. They reject, however, the idea of spreading the gospel as a means of the saving of souls. They hold tenaciously to the doctrines of grace, as contended for in such historic Baptist documents as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith, the 1st and 2nd London Confessions of Faith, and the Fulton Confession of Faith. The main stream belief maintains that God has a predestinated group of the elect, who were chosen to be recipients of grace before the world began. Some of the elect are blessed with the hearing and believing of the gospel, while others are not. Those who hear and obey the gospel are blessed with a gospel salvation here in time that is in addition to their eternal salvation. They deny, however, the predestination of all events that take place in time.

The Absolute Predestinarians hold to the absolute predestination of all things. They reject the teaching that gospel (or "time")salvation is conditioned on obedience. They are often charged with believing that God is the author of sin, but only a minority actually adhere to that idea. They number about 350 churches.

The Progressive Primitive Baptists separated from the main body around the turn of the 20th century, and have adopted such practices as Sunday School, instrumental music, homes for the aged, and various auxiliaries to the church. In doctrinal matters they tend to agree with the main stream group. They have about 8000 members in over 100 churches.

Primitive Baptist Universalists form the smallest group and consist of 5 or 6 small associations in Appalachia and 2 or 3 in Louisiana that adapted the theory of universal atonement to the doctrines of Primitive Baptists.

In addition to these four predominantly white Primitive Baptist groups, there are at least two types of Black Primitive Baptists - Old School & National Primitive Baptist Convention of the U.S.A.. The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit Predestinarian Baptists and Old Regular Baptists departed from the Primitive Baptists in the latter part of the 19th century. The Two-Seed-in-the-Spirit because their doctrine was not accepted by orthodox Primitive Baptist and the Old Regular Baptist because of their rejection of the doctrine of Absolute Predestination of all things to make God the direct author of evil and the doctrine of Eternal Actual Vital Union.