PBs, Calvinists, and IHSR

Primitive Baptists believe in Immediate Holy Spirit Regeneration (IHSR) - the doctrine that God imparts eternal life immediately (i.e., directly, without human mediation) to all of his elect at some time between conception and death. This is often a point of contention between us and other so-called "sovereign grace" affirming denominations, broadly referred to as Calvinists, who usually believe that the gospel is an instrumental means used in and required for regeneration. This "gospel means" position is so universally accepted among modern Calvinists that most do not question it. However, a careful student will recognize that many highly-regarded Calvinist theologians (AW Pink, Thomas Ridgley, Martin Lloyd Jones, WT Shedd) reject "gospel means" and insist upon IHSR in a way that would make modern Calvinists blush, while PBs look on in agreement. Consider the following excerpt from 19th century Presbyterian theologian, W T Shedd.

To be clear, PBs believe in IHSR because we believe it is the teaching of scripture and an unavoidable corollary of total depravity. I submit this quote not as a proof of the PB position, but as a way to soften the disposition of those hardened in neo-Calvinistic traditions by proving that some of their most respected theologians believed that IHSR was the teaching of the word of God and not some novel, PB hobby-horse.

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- Elder Daniel Samons