H. Boyce Taylor (1870-1932) was an able Baptist minister. In a biography written by Roy O. Beaman, "The Life of H. Boyce Taylor, Sr.," see here, Beaman wrote: (emphasis mine)
"Born in Ohio County, Ky., September 29, 1870; died in the Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., May 31, 1932. Fourth in a line of Baptist preachers: Boyce Taylor, son; W. C. Taylor, Sr., his father, Alfred Taylor, his grandfather; Joseph Taylor, his great grandfather.
Converted at an early age at Auburn, Ky. Ordained to the ministry by the Baptist Church, Russelvillle. Ky. Scholastic attainments: A.B. and M.A. from Bethel College, Russelville, Ky.; Th Master from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville. Ky.; D.D. from Hall Moody Institute, Martin, Tenn. Pastor in Carroll and Trimble Counties, Ky., during seminary days in Louisville. Pastor Murray Baptist Church almost thirty-five years, January 1897-October 1931, during which pastorate Dr. J. F. Love and Dr. B. H. Carroll said respectively that it was the greatest missionary, church and the nearest to New Testament pattern they had ever seen. No set salary from third year in Murray; a constant preacher and writer on tithing and stewardship; used the "box plan" in his church. Held many revivals in many states; received many flattering calls to leave Murray. A contender against evolution, Arminianism, Masonry, and many heresies; held over fifty public discussions with representative men of numerous denominations. Jailed during World War I because he kept his church house open for worship, preferring to obey God rather than man."
"He authored "Why Be A Baptist", "Bible Briefs Against Hurtful Heresies," "Studies in Romans," "Acts of the Apostles," "Studies in the Parables," and many tracts on salvation, Christian living, and sound doctrine, which he printed and distributed by the multiplied thousands."
"A man of God; a man of faith and prayer; the sinner's friend; a devout lover of missions and a strong contender for "the faith once for all delivered to the saints:" student of Broadus, admirer of Graves and Pendleton, friend of Eaton and Carroll, coworker of J. N. Hall and other stalwarts of the faith."
Dr. Taylor was a staunch opponent of Hardshellism and held several debates with Hardshell leaders.
"Why Be A Baptist?" See here
Concerning Hardshellism, he wrote:
"The second heresy of Hardshellism is like the first, a half-truth. They teach the doctrine of personal, unconditional, eternal election. That is the truth, but not all the truth on that subject. "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" (II Peter 3:16). But they warp and wrest and twist that truth and make it teach a lie, namely, that if God elected a man unto salvation, he will be saved, whether he ever hears the gospel or not. The God, who elected the men unto salvation, also elected the means for their salvation. To preach the personal election of men, as Hardshells do, and leave out or deny the divinely chosen means, is not only not the truth, but is a wicked perversion of the truth. When Paul states the doctrine of election he states the whole truth. Rom. 8:28-30: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." He clearly teaches that all the elect will be glorified; but between their predestination and their glorification he puts in the two things the Hardshells leave out, namely, their calling and their justification. They are called, Paul said, by the gospel and they are justified by faith or believing the gospel. So that the whole truth as to election is that all the elect will be called by the gospel and be justified by believing the gospel and be glorified by reason of the hope obtained through the gospel. Or take this passage in II Thes. 2:13-14: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ", Paul again tells the whole truth about election: There is eternal election, from the beginning; personal election, "you"; unconditional election, "God chose." But that is only half the truth. God's election was "unto salvation." This salvation was not unconditional, but was "through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." This unconditional election was unto a conditional salvation to which the elect were called by the gospel. These unconditionally elected ones could only obtain the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ through a conditional salvation to which they were called by the gospel. Since Hardshellism preaches no gospel, no one has been called unto salvation through it. Since being called unto salvation by the gospel is necessary to obtaining salvation and Hardshellism has no gospel for the unsaved, no one was ever saved by Hardshellism. Since God's elect are all called unto salvation by the Gospel and the Hardshell elect are all saved without the gospel, Hardshell elect are not God's elect. Since all God's elect are saved "thru sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth" and Hardshells are saved without the belief of the truth. Hardshells are not saved or not God's elect and Hardshellism is not the truth. Since God's unconditional election is unto a conditional salvation and Hardshell unconditional election is unto an unconditional salvation; Hardshell election is not the truth but a perversion of the truth and is not unto a salvation at all but unto damnation. Remember that God's unconditional election is unto a conditional salvation and when Hardshellism teaches an unconditional salvation the election they preach is unto damnation instead of salvation. An election which does not include the preaching of the Gospel as a condition of salvation is not God's election at all; for "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (I Cor. 1:21). God's election included both the men and the means. But once more Paul said: "I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (II Tim. 2:10). The elect will obtain eternal glory; but how? By the missionaries enduring all things that they may preach the gospel by which the elect are called unto salvation. Since Hardshell election leaves out missions it is not God's kind, not Paul's kind and not the truth."
Powerful!
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