The ground of the sufficiency of His work - Styles

Christ’s sufferings proportioned to His people’s guilt, the ground of the sufficiency of His work.

We believe that as the death of the Lord Jesus was penal (that is to say inflicted on Him in punishment for the sins of His people), His vicarious agonies were proportioned to their guilt, and that He suffered at the hands of impartial Justice what they in their own persons must otherwise have endured in the place of endless woe, and that thus the measure of His sufferings rendered His oblation gloriously sufficient for the great ends contemplated in the covenant of grace (Isa. 53:5, 8; Rom. 8:32; 2 COr. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18).

“My Lord, my love was crucified, He all my pains did bear, But in the sweetness of His rest, He makes His servants share.

“His blood was shed instead of ours, His soul our hell did bear, He took our sin, gave us Himself: What an exchange is here!”

Creation and Providence - William Styles

Creation and Providence


The Creation. We believe that the Three-one God in the person of Christ, and for His sake, made and upholds all things (Isa. 54:5; Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:2,3 and 11:3).

“I sing th’Almgihty power of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad
And built the lofty skies.
“I sing the wisdom that ordained
The sun to rule the day,
The moon shines forth at His command,
And all the stars obey.
“I sing the goodness of the Lord,
That filled the earth with food;
He formed the creatures by His Word,
And then pronounced them good.”

The end of all things. We believe that the world, as at present constituted, exists for the sake of Christ and His Church (Rom. 11:36; 2 Cor. 4:15); and that when the covenant purposes of God are accomplished Time will be no more (Rev. 10:6): that the heavens will then pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat: and that the earth and the works that are therein will be burned up (1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:10-12).

“Great God, what do I see and hear!
The end of things created.
The Judge of mankind doth appear
On clouds of glory seated.
The trumpet sounds, the graves restore
The dead which they contained before:
Prepare, my soul to meet Him.”

Providence, general and particular. We hold that all creatures are under the government and control of the glorified Redeemer (Matt. 28:18; John 17:2; 1 Pet. 3:22; Rev. 1:5, and 3:7), who, while He preserves man and beast (Psalm 36:6; 1 Tim. 4:10), and restrains evil within the bounds that His pleasure appoints (Psalm 76:10); causes all things to work together for good to them that love God, and are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

“Up to the Lord that reigns on high,
And views the nations from afar,
Let everlasting praises fly,
And tell how large his bounties are.
“God that must stoop to view the skies,
And bow to see what angels do,
Down to our earth He casts His eyes,
And bends His footwsepts downward too.
“He over-rules all mortal things,
And manages our mean affairs;
On humble souls the King of kings,
Bestows His counsels and His cares.
“Oh could our thankful hearts devise
A tribute equal to Thy grace,
To the third heaven our songs should rise,
And teach the golden harps Thy praise.”

Spiritual life discovered by the Gospel - William Styles

Spiritual life discovered by the Gospel. We believe that the principle of spiritual life received by the elect at their Regeneration is acted on by the gospel; by which its presence is disclosed, its powers developed, and its actings directed (Rom. 1:16 and 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:18, and 4:20; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21); and we hold that the mysterious and secret operations of the Holy Spirit are thus manifested by the evident entrance of regeneration persons into the kingdom of the Redeemer (John 3:5; 1 Thess. 1:5, 6).

“But souls enlightened from above, With joy receive the Word; They see what wisdom, power and love Shine in their dying Lord.

“The vital savour of His name, Restores their fainting breath; His power upholds their mortal frame, And saves their souls in death.”

Note.—Distinguish between Regeneration and the New Birth. Regeneration is the impartation of spiritual life, and is a sovereign and direct act of the Spirit within the soul. The New Birth is the entrance of the new-born soul into actual and experimental spiritual existence. Regeneration is effected by the Spirit without instrumentality, whereas in the New Birth, the Word of God is employed and brought into spiritual connection and union with the mind and heart. Thus “of His own will He brought us forth, by the Word of truth,” James 1:18 (Revised Translation). “Being born again by the Word of God,” 1 Pet. 1:23. “Except a man be born of water (used metaphorically for the word, as in Eph. 5:26), and of the Spirit” by the agency of the Spirit, and the instrumentality of the word, “he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” John 3:5).

All passages which speak of the gospel as a power in the effectual calling of sinners presuppose the existence of spiritual life in their souls. It is the power of God “to every one that believe,” Rom. 1:16, and faith is the act of a living soul. To us “that are saved it is the power of God.” It saves “those that believe,” 1 Cor. 1:18-21.

Its influence on the mind is well illustrated by passages in which it is likened to falling rain (e.g., Psa. 72:6; Isa. 55:10), which exerts its fertilizing power only where vegetable life pre-exists. Dead sticks and stones remain unaffected. So the gospel has no innate and inherent power of itself to regenerate men. The Spirit is the Lord and giver of life, and having imparted life, He acts on the life which He has imparted by the word which He inspired. The efficient power of the word lies in the agent who employs it, not in the instrument employed.

They are “conformed to this world.” - William Styles

"Many saved sinners know that the second verse of the twelfth of Romans is not exemplified in their lives. They are “conformed to this world.” They are not “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” They do not discern and approve what is “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” They are not in cordial sympathy with much of the Bible. They are not at ease with their religion, nor satisfied from themselves (Prov. 14:14). They know that there is something awfully wrong about their experience, and ever and anon they make half- despondent attempts to attain a better state of things, which generally end in failure and collapse. Where lies their mistake? They have attempted to realize Romans 12:2, before considering verse 1, and complying with God’s demand, and presenting their bodies as living sacrifices to Himself." -William Styles

A strange silence on the error of Duty-faith - William Styles

"Among the strict and Particular Baptists there is at present a strange silence on the error of Duty-faith, which strongly contrasts with the opposition it received from our predecessors. John Steven's Help for the true Disciples of Emmanuel was designed to refute it. John Foreman's Duty-Faith fully shows it's unscriptural character. james Wells rarely preached without denouncing it, and his Letters to Theophilus cogently disprove it. William Palmer was writing a series of Tracts which expose its evils, when his death brought them to a sudden termination in 1873... Several living ministers who once denied Duty-faith, now hold and preach it, and thus, "build again that which they destroyed," (Gal 2:18)... It is sometimes urged that-even granting that Duty-faith has no direct support in the Word of God-it is practically harmless, and often appears to be attended with good results in the more rapid conversion of sinners. But, good men, with holy David, should "hate and abhor lying," (Psa 119:163)-and the substitution of falsehoods for the Gospel is surely the worst form of untruthfulness... The late John Andrews Jones, in the Earthen Vessel for September 1863, conclusively shows that the Fullerian system of Duty-Faith "tends to overthrow the distinguishing and glorious doctrines of the Gospel." History substantiates this. The churches which adopted it at the close of the nineteenth centuries never contemplated abandoning the truths of the sovereignty of God in the election, redemption, and effectual calling of saving sinners. In how many of these churches, however, are these truths held to-day? The Down-grade is the natural and inevitable result of the departure from the truth which Andrew Fuller inaugurated." - William Styles (1902)

The passive and active exercises of faith - William Styles

"The exercises of Faith are two-fold—passive and active. Its passive exercises are reception and reliance (Col. 2:6; 1 Thess. 1:6; Heb. 11:33, “obtained promises”—Isa. 30:7; 2 Tim. 1:12); its active exercises are all the gracious duties enjoined in the gospel, for Faith is the motive power of every act which is spiritually pleasing to God through Christ (Heb. 11:6; Rom. 5:2; 2 Cor. 1:2, 4 and 5:7; Gal. 2:20; Heb. 11 whole chapter). The passive and active exercises of Faith are brought together in Heb. 11:13. “They saw the promises afar off, were persuaded of them, and embraced them”—then, in the power of this persuasion, they voluntarily acted as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” So also in Col. 2:6, “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord”—passive reception, “so walk in Him”—gracious activity." -William Styles

The cross the only ground of Justification in all dispensations - William Styles

"The cross the only ground of Justification in all dispensations. We hold that the saints who lived before the death of Jesus were justified on the ground of the work which He had undertaken to perform; while those that have lived since are justified on the ground of His actually accomplished work, and that thus the cross of Jesus lays the one, all-sufficient and most glorious foundation for the salvation of the whole election of grace (Luke 10:24; John 8:56; Heb. 9:4 and 13; Rev. 13:8; Rom. 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth” in the covenant before time, and now, declaratively in the proclamation of the gospel, “to be a propitiation through faith in His blood; to declare His righteousness,” in two most momentous particulars. First “For the remission of sins that are past,” that is to say, in respect to His pardoning sins that had taken place before Jesus died; and, Secondly, “to declare at this time His righteousness” in justifying sinners who have lived since; “that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” The Cross is the eternal vindication of God’s righteousness in His displays of grace. He has poured out His righteous wrath upon sin, in order that He might pour the everlasting beams of His favour on chosen sinners. Psa. 32:1, 71:16; Rom. 4:2; Isa. 38:17).


“Thus Abraham, the friend of God,
Thus all the armies bought with blood,
Saviour of sinners, Thee proclaim,
Sinners—of whom the chief I am.”


-William Styles

In the secret views of God, justified from everlasting - William Styles

"Effect of Atonement and Redemption. Eternal Justification. We believe that on the ground of the righteousness which the Lord Jesus engaged to work out; the whole election of grace were, in the secret views of God, justified from everlasting, and were thus accepted, approved, and acquitted in His sight as they stood in association with their glorious Surety from before the foundation of the world. (Num. 23:21; Jer. 1:20; Eph. 1:6. Note.—The restricted view of this text popularly given, falls sadly short of its real meaning. It stands in connection with God’s secret acts of eternal and sovereign grace, and teaches that by the unchanging settlements of the covenant, we were chosen, adopted, and accepted in Christ before the foundation of the world. Compare the rendering in the Revised Version.


“The chosen people” were of old,
Pure in Jehovah’s sight,
And never did He them behold,
But with a vast delight.
“O, with what pleasure He surveyed,
The highly favoured train,
Saw Jesus and His honoured bride,
In perfect splendour shine.
“In the pure arms of Sovereign grace,
He clasped the chosen see,
Determined evermore to bless,
The members in their Head.”


-William Styles

Aware of their interest in His justifying righteousness - William Styles

"Christ’s blood, when sprinkled on the conscience, imparts peace. We believe that the blood which Jesus carried into heaven, and sprinkled upon Jehovah’s throne (Heb. 9:12), is in due time sprinkled by the Holy Spirit on the conscience of His people (Heb. 9:14, 1 Pet. 1:2), by which most gracious act they become aware of their interest in His justifying righteousness, and realize the fact that their heavenly Father hath, for Christ’s sake, forgiven them all trespasses (1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5)." -William Styles

Justification terminates in the consciences of redeemed sinners - William Styles

"Justification terminates in the consciences of redeemed sinners. We thus hold that the act of Justification by the power of the Holy Spirit, terminates in the consciences of believers, who through faith are brought to know and rejoice that the satisfaction of Jesus has availed for them, and that they stand for ever accepted and acquitted in the person and through the righteousness of the dear Redeemer (Heb. 9:14 and 10:2, 15-18)." -William Styles

Justified declaratively by works in the sight of the church and the world

"Justification by works. We believe that all who were justified decretively before the foundation of the world; virtually when Christ rose from the dead (Rom. 4:25); and experimentally when His blood is brought into vital contact with their consciences (Rom. 5:9, 10; Heb. 10:19-22), are justified declaratively by works in the sight of the church and the world by the performance of those holy actions which openly demonstrate their reception of the saving grace of God (James 2:17, 18)." -William Styles