The Believers Hymnbook

The Believers Hymnbook has often puzzled me - and not just because of the missing apostrophe in its title. For this hymnbook, now in use by the the 5th generation of our family, illustrates the norms of "open brethren" theology in the 1880s, and illustrates how far many modern brethren have departed from it.

I may expand on this in future posts, but for now I will note the following:

Principles of reception: 4, 148

Divine soveriegnty: 440

Election to faith: 2, 55, 69, 181, 204, 232, 249, 287, 320, 356, 376

Particular redemption: 51, 223?, 303?, 318, 368, 408

Justification by the passive and active righteousness of Christ: 7, 15, 32, 40, [320], 437

Worship and prayer directed to the Son of God (and even, at one point, the Spirit): 17, 38, etc, 52, 61, 74, 95, 113, 359, 457

Some among brethren no longer believe in individual election to salvation (2), or particular redemption, or in prayer addressed to the Son of God. These would often also resist the principles of reception encompassing "every one that loves Thy name" (4). But the hymnbook they continue to use makes other kinds of claims.

C.H. Mackintosh on the particularity of the atonement

"Christ is never said to have borne the sins of the world. It is utterly false doctrine; it is universalism. He bore the sins of His people, and He has done a work in virtue of which every trace of sin shall yet be abolished throughout the wide universe of God."

 CH Mackintosh, "Atonement," at http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/mackintosh/Shrt/SHORTP10.html

Donald Ross, Brother or "Calvinist"?

Actually, he was both. See James Harvey's extensive coverage of the impact of the 1859 revival here.

On maintaining biblical balance

Some would say, Do not preach the gospel to all, only to the elect. Paul preached it to all alike, and declared that all who believe are justified. Others would alter the latter, and say, As many as believe are then ordained to eternal life. But it is not so; "As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." Surely we have no right to alter God's word to suit human opinions. And yet there is nothing to hinder a truly anxious soul, for forgiveness is preached to all, and all who believe are justified; and further, they have clearly been ordained to eternal life, for none else will believe - none else will come to Him that they might have life.

 Charles Stanley, "Election," available at: http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/stanley/election.html

Corporate election?

Whatever may be found in hymns, or sermons, or theology, scripture knows no such thing as an elect church ... The very point of Christianity is this, that as to election it is personal - strictly individual. This is precisely what those who contend against the truth of election always feel most: they will allow a sort of body in a general way to be elect, and then that the individuals who compose that body must be brought in, as it were, conditionally, according to their good conduct. No such idea is traceable in the word of God. God has chosen individuals. As it is said in Ephesians: He has chosen us, not the church, but ourselves individually. "The church," as such, does not come in till the end of the first chapter. We have first individuals chosen of God before the foundation of the world.

From William Kelly's introduction to 1 Peter (1870): http://www.stempublishing.com/authors/kelly/3nt_int/Cath_int.html