To many, history is just a collection of dates and actions from the past which are best left in the past where they belong. It is supposed that what was said and done more than a generation ago, much less a century or two ago, has nothing to do with our life, character, or actions today.
The old proverbs, “If you don’t know where you come from, you can’t know where you are going.” and “Those who do not learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them.” have been marginalized and forgotten by many in our generation. The fact is, that from the dawn of time, we have been deeply influenced and effected by the words and deeds of those who lived and died long before we were born.
God, in His Word, clearly emphasizes the importance of history, heritage, and legacy in both positive and negative ways. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.” – Ps 16:6; “For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.” – Ps 61:6; “I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: fro the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” – Is 58:14; “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.” – Ex 3:15.
As Christians, we claim the heritage of the Lord’s people as revealed in His Word and are established upon His promises. Our faith is built upon His revealed Word (the Bible), and our experience of His active work in our lives daily confirms and reinforces our belief. We also are blessed to look back upon the pages of history through the lens of our faith which informs us of God’s hand in the events of history including social, political, economic, and religious aspects. We stand upon the shoulders of believers who have lived and died in faith, and their words and work continue to speak to our experiences providing encouragement, perspective, and realization of the lasting significance of our own words and actions.
As is said of righteous Abel, “…he being dead yet speaketh.” – Heb 11:4
Having been blessed with the heritage of the Primitive Baptist church, and as an active member of Primitive Baptist congregations for more than 30 years, I have learned to appreciate and value the blessings of that heritage and the men and women whose writings, ministries, and actions helped to establish, define, and maintain our churches from the early days of this nation until the present. In years past, many have attempted to utilize the new mediums of the internet and social media to present these historical, theological, and cultural resources to varying degrees of success.
The past two decades have seen a renewed interest in history and a number of outstanding biographies have been written about important figures in American and World History. Technological advances have increase the availability and accessibility of materials to the interested researchers, and the results have been outstanding.
It is our hope that through the use of this website, we will be able to compile and provide access to a research library of resources in their original format for the use of students, pastors, writers, and any of a variety of individuals who will benefit from the materials collected here. We would be delighted to see quality biographies and histories written to document the lives and ministries of our brethren, and to present a well documented view of the heritage that God has given us within the Primitive Baptist churches.
If you have access to any writings or materials by Primitive Baptist authors from the past 250 years that you would be willing to see added to this effort, please contact us to arrange for the digitization and archiving of those resources.