On July 6, 2011, Garret's blog, "Old Baptist" (http://old-baptist-test.blogspot.com/), contained a post examining Elder James Osbourne's position on gospel instrumentality.
Garrett ends his post with a question, "Will today's "Primitives" accept Osbourn? Why have they not preserved his books?"
The quotations he cites of Osbourne do not clearly indicate that Osbourne believed that the gospel effects regeneration; rather, they indicate that the gospel converts the regenerate, bringing them to a knowledge of their eternal salvation in Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:10). On this basis, all Primitive Baptists would accept these quotations. Obviously from the quotations Osbourne believed that only the sinners ordained to eternal life would believe, so though the call of the preached word might fall on the ears of the damned, it would only be efficacious to those who knew they were sinners by the new birth.
Granted that the elect are among the non-elect, the gospel ought to be preached wherever the Spirit leads. Primitive Baptists who argue that the gospel is addressed to "believers" only mean by this that only those who have been born again can rejoice and appreciate the gospel. This is true enough, but this emphasis is often made out of context, as if a silent Arminian is always lurking outside the Church fortifications. The plain truth is, we do not know who the elect are; therefore, the gospel ought to be preached indiscriminately to all men that will hear it.
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