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Confessions of English Baptist in Holland
Throughout history Baptist have generally believed that the return of Jesus Christ will be followed immediately by a resurrection of all the dead, both the ‘redeemed’ and the ‘lost’, and a general judgment. This conclusion is based on information presented in Baptist Confessions of Faith by William L. Lumpkin. [Only one Confession, that of the Baptist Bible Union of 1923, presents a view other than a general resurrection and judgment.] Not all of the confessions in the book included statements about the Second Coming. Those that do are identified and the pertinent statements are presented in the following paragraphs.
Confessions of English Baptist in Holland
A number of English Baptists fled to Holland to escape persecution in England. The following Confessions [3 - 6] are from some of these groups.
A True Confession by the English Baptists in Amsterdam, Holland [1596]
Article 16 [page 87].
“That this Kingdom shall be then fully perfected when He shall the second time come in glory with His mighty Angels unto judgment, to abolish all rule, authority and power, to put all His enemies under His feet, to separate and free His chosen from them forever, to punish the wicked with everlasting perdition from His presence, to gather, join, and carry the godly with Himself into endless glory, and then to deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, so that the glory of the Father may be full and perfect in the Son, the glory of the Son in all His members, and God be all in all.”
Short Confession of Faith in XX Articles by John Smyth, 1609
Article 19 [page 101].
“That the dead [the living being instantly changed] will rise again with the same bodies; not the substance but the qualities being changed.”
Article 20 [page 101].
“That after the resurrection, all will be born to the tribunal of Christ, the judge, to be judged according to their works; the pious, after sentence of absolution, will enjoy eternal life with Christ in heaven; the wicked, condemned, will be punished with eternal torments in hell with the devil and his angels.”
A Short Confession of Faith by the English Baptists, of the Helwys party, in Holland [1610]
Article 38 [page 112].
“Lastly we believe and teach the resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust, as Paul [1 Corinthians 15] soundly teacheth and withesseth: The soul shall be united to the body, every one shall be presented before the judgment seat of Christ Jesus, to receive in his own body wages according to his own works. And the righteous, whosoever hath lived holily, and through faith hath brought forth the works of love and mercy, shall enter into everlasting life with Christ Jesus, the Bridegroom of the Christian host. But the unsanctified, which have not known God, and have not obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall go into everlasting fire. The almighty, gracious, merciful God, preserve us from the punishment of the ungodly, and grant us grace and gifts helpful to a holy life, saving death, and joyful resurrection with all the righteous. Amen.”
A Declaration of Faith by the English People, Amsterdam, Holland [1611]
Article 26 [page 123].
“That that the dead shall rise again, and the living being changed in a moment, -having the same bodies in substance though different in qualities.”
Article 27 [page 123].
“That after the resurrection all men shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to their works, that the godly shall enjoy life Eternal, the wicked being condemned shall be tormented everlastingly in hell.”
7. Propositions and Conclusions concerning True Christian Religion, containing a Confession of Faith of certain English people, living at Amsterdam [1612]
Propositions 91-95, pages 141,142
“91. That all the bodies of all men that are dead, shall by the power of Christ, be raised up, out of his own proper seed, as corn out of seed rotting in the earth.
92. That these which live in the last day shall not die, but shall be changed in a moment; in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trump shall blow, and the dead shall be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed, not in substance but in qualities; for the bodies shall rise in honour, in power, in incorruption, and spiritual; being sown in dishonour, in weakness, in corruption, and natural.
93. But the bodies, being raised up, shall be joined to the souls, whereto formerly they were united; which at that time were preserved in the hands of the Lord.
94. That it is appointed to all men that they shall once die, and then cometh the judgment, and that the change of them that live on the earth at the last day, shall be as it were a death unto them.
95. That there shall be a general, and universal day of judgment, when every one shall receive according to the things that are done in the flesh, whether they be good or evil.”
Throughout history Baptist have generally believed that the return of Jesus Christ will be followed immediately by a resurrection of all the dead, both the ‘redeemed’ and the ‘lost’, and a general judgment. This conclusion is based on information presented in Baptist Confessions of Faith by William L. Lumpkin. [Only one Confession, that of the Baptist Bible Union of 1923, presents a view other than a general resurrection and judgment.] Not all of the confessions in the book included statements about the Second Coming. Those that do are identified and the pertinent statements are presented in the following paragraphs.
Confessions of English Baptist in Holland
A number of English Baptists fled to Holland to escape persecution in England. The following Confessions [3 - 6] are from some of these groups.
A True Confession by the English Baptists in Amsterdam, Holland [1596]
Article 16 [page 87].
“That this Kingdom shall be then fully perfected when He shall the second time come in glory with His mighty Angels unto judgment, to abolish all rule, authority and power, to put all His enemies under His feet, to separate and free His chosen from them forever, to punish the wicked with everlasting perdition from His presence, to gather, join, and carry the godly with Himself into endless glory, and then to deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, so that the glory of the Father may be full and perfect in the Son, the glory of the Son in all His members, and God be all in all.”
Short Confession of Faith in XX Articles by John Smyth, 1609
Article 19 [page 101].
“That the dead [the living being instantly changed] will rise again with the same bodies; not the substance but the qualities being changed.”
Article 20 [page 101].
“That after the resurrection, all will be born to the tribunal of Christ, the judge, to be judged according to their works; the pious, after sentence of absolution, will enjoy eternal life with Christ in heaven; the wicked, condemned, will be punished with eternal torments in hell with the devil and his angels.”
A Short Confession of Faith by the English Baptists, of the Helwys party, in Holland [1610]
Article 38 [page 112].
“Lastly we believe and teach the resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust, as Paul [1 Corinthians 15] soundly teacheth and withesseth: The soul shall be united to the body, every one shall be presented before the judgment seat of Christ Jesus, to receive in his own body wages according to his own works. And the righteous, whosoever hath lived holily, and through faith hath brought forth the works of love and mercy, shall enter into everlasting life with Christ Jesus, the Bridegroom of the Christian host. But the unsanctified, which have not known God, and have not obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shall go into everlasting fire. The almighty, gracious, merciful God, preserve us from the punishment of the ungodly, and grant us grace and gifts helpful to a holy life, saving death, and joyful resurrection with all the righteous. Amen.”
A Declaration of Faith by the English People, Amsterdam, Holland [1611]
Article 26 [page 123].
“That that the dead shall rise again, and the living being changed in a moment, -having the same bodies in substance though different in qualities.”
Article 27 [page 123].
“That after the resurrection all men shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged according to their works, that the godly shall enjoy life Eternal, the wicked being condemned shall be tormented everlastingly in hell.”
7. Propositions and Conclusions concerning True Christian Religion, containing a Confession of Faith of certain English people, living at Amsterdam [1612]
Propositions 91-95, pages 141,142
“91. That all the bodies of all men that are dead, shall by the power of Christ, be raised up, out of his own proper seed, as corn out of seed rotting in the earth.
92. That these which live in the last day shall not die, but shall be changed in a moment; in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trump shall blow, and the dead shall be raised up incorruptible, and we shall be changed, not in substance but in qualities; for the bodies shall rise in honour, in power, in incorruption, and spiritual; being sown in dishonour, in weakness, in corruption, and natural.
93. But the bodies, being raised up, shall be joined to the souls, whereto formerly they were united; which at that time were preserved in the hands of the Lord.
94. That it is appointed to all men that they shall once die, and then cometh the judgment, and that the change of them that live on the earth at the last day, shall be as it were a death unto them.
95. That there shall be a general, and universal day of judgment, when every one shall receive according to the things that are done in the flesh, whether they be good or evil.”