Why are they called "Old School Baptists" or "Primitive Baptists"? Because they were around in the first century in a place called "Olchon", a valley near today's Craswall, Herfordshire, Great Britain. They were not Calvinists, having been around 1464 years before John Calvin's break with Roman Catholicism in 1530 A.D. Neither can they be considered "Protestants" of the 15th century reformation era. Many Baptists did identify with the Calvinist, Presbyterian and English Catholics [Anglicans] in order to avoid persecutions, even unto death.... but the reclusive Baptists of the Olchon Valley refused this collusion.... hence true "Old School Baptists" [Primitive] of today can, in spite of spurious arguments to the contrary, verify their historical separation from Calvinism as certain heresy!
View from the head of the valley, where Baptist "type" Christian maintained isolation and security from the persecutions of the dominant Roman Catholic Church, because of their no-conformity in defense of Pauline doctrinal beliefs. These doctrines were received from the Apostle Paul, who taught them through a British couple, Claudia and Pudens, who visited Paul in his personal residence in Rome in 63-66 A.D. Ref: http://www.pb.org/pbdocs/chhist5.html - Chapter IV "Ancient Baptist Succession in Wales" Paragraph Ten [Ibid. "History of the Welch Baptists" - Jonathan Davis A.D. 1835]
2Ti 4:21 "Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren." [kjv]
There are 189 mountains in this piedmont complex over 2,000 ft high. Paris Mountain in Greenville County, SC is 1,000 ft high - Caesars Head Mountain and Table Rock Mountain near by are 2,000 feet above Greenville Airport [1,000 MSL]... plenty of places to hide from the Popes' agents of death, over a 1,200 year period
In recent years, Calvinists have resorted to using the unbiblical institution of Seminaries to spread Calvinistic doctrine. It is reported that 30% of Southern Baptist Seminary graduates are Calvinists today! Southern Baptists have been predominantly Arminian fundamentalists, so the dependence on human works in eternal salvation will continue to permeate these churches as they change over to Calvinistic theology. Modern Calvinism teaches a sovereign Grace salvation through predestination by God - but negates it's own basis by claiming that professing believers who fall away will not make it to heaven - forgetting completely the life of King Solomon.
The true hope of the Gospel [Good News] is that God not only chooses His elect but saves them totally independent of man's fallen [corrupted] will.... and that they are secure because He does it all. Living the Christian life is a temporal deliverance from many moral and social ills, which also purges the natural conscience to give peace and comfort to the saints. A grossly disobedient child does not cease to be a child, but looses the favor which affords him peace through a clean conscience. A Christian may so abuse his conscience, so that he looses the peace that would afford him confidence in a life in the hereafter, but from the Father's perspective, His son will loose none of those for whom He died! This proper view of the Old School Baptists is biblical and opposes the false doctrine of the Calvinists which declare dogmatically that the gross backslider gives proof that he was not chosen by God in the first place. This Calvinist caveat is what allows them to try to bind and enslave believers so they can extract tithes and offering more easily to keep their large commercial evangelical efforts afloat - similar to their theological mother, Augustinian sacramental Catholicism. No money flowing, no denominational success.
In the 1960's the Southern Baptists formulated that the missionary cost of winning a soul then was $6.38 each. This money driven evangelical philosophy is the foundation that keeps the 'works theology' alive and it's adherents paying their fair share of church taxes [donations]. Slick 5th Avenue promotion, with huge physical plants and full orchestral services, makes merchandizing their brand of Christianity very lucrative for those who need to feel religiously satisfied. Their true hope of the Gospel [good news] is not based upon what God has done, [Psa 51:1-4] but what men have done through will and effort! Modern Evangelical Christians should be as leery of Calvinism and Arminian fundamentalism as they have traditionally been of Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses and Roman Catholicism.
Reliable Video Sermons you can trust to be doctrinally correct [X]