Foward To The Baptist Confession Of Faith

[Rippon]

Most of the Calvinistically-inclined Baptists use the 1689 Confession otherwise known as the London Confession. Of course there was the earlier 1644 Calvinistic Baptist Confession which came before the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1658 Savoy Declaration of Faith.

Anyway,(from my green 41 page copy)here is what the Preface to the 1677 said in part:

"It is now many years since diverse of us...did conceive ourselves under a necessity of publishing a Confession of our Faith,for the information and satisfaction of those that did not throughly understand what our principles were,or had entertained prejudices against our profession...This was put forth about the year 1643,in the name of seven congregations then gathered in London..."

"Forasmuch as this confession is not now commonly to be had;and also that many others have since embraced the same truth which is owned therin;it was judged necessary by us to join together in giving a testimony to the world of our firm adhering to those wholesome principles..."

"We did conclude it necessary to confess ourselves the more fully and distinctly,...and finding no defect in this regard in that fixed on by the Assembly,and after them by those of the Congregational way,we did conclude it best to retain the same order in our present confession...for the most part without any variation of the terms...making use of the very same words with them both...This we did to...convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words,but to readily acquiece in that form of sound words which hath been used by others before us...In those things wherein we differ from others,we have expressed ourselves with all candor and plainness...Contention is most remote from our design in all that we have done in this manner..."

 

[Herald]

Okay. Are you asking a question?

 

[Rippon]

Okay. Are you asking a question?

Sorry,it's been a while. I was just saying that way back then the Calvinistic Baptists were affirming that they held the great body of biblical truths in common with paedobaptistic believers --just as we do today.

 

[Iconoclast]

Sorry,it's been a while. I was just saying that way back then the Calvinistic Baptists were affirming that they held the great body of biblical truths in common with paedobaptistic believers --just as we do today.

Yes indeed. I like this statement here;

we did conclude it best to retain the same order in our present confession...for the most part without any variation of the terms...making use of the very same words with them both...This we did to...convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words,but to readily acquiece in that form of sound words which hath been used by others before us...


In those things wherein we differ from others,we have expressed ourselves with all candor and plainness...Contention is most remote from our design in all that we have done in this manner..."

They spoke clearly and directly to the issues and agreed where they could.They did not feel compelled to re-invent the wheel. These baptists new their bibles and could understand and make necessary distinctions about the Covenant of Redemption, Covenant of Grace,and ecclesiology.:wavey::thumbs:

 

[Herald]

Keep in mind there are a lot of Calvinistic Baptists who are not confessional.

 

[Dr. Bob]

These were the first English "confessions" as Baptist was very new in history. I use the 1644 extensively in our church to teach the original doctrinal confession/statement of faith. When I was a college prof, we used a revised New Hampshire Confession and all signed agreement to it annually.

The 1644 is not as "sabbatarian" as the later 2nd London Baptist Confession.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bc1644.htm

 

[DrJamesAch]

Most of the Calvinistically-inclined Baptists use the 1689 Confession otherwise known as the London Confession. Of course there was the earlier 1644 Calvinistic Baptist Confession which came before the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1658 Savoy Declaration of Faith.

Anyway,(from my green 41 page copy)here is what the Preface to the 1677 said in part:

"It is now many years since diverse of us...did conceive ourselves under a necessity of publishing a Confession of our Faith,for the information and satisfaction of those that did not throughly understand what our principles were,or had entertained prejudices against our profession...This was put forth about the year 1643,in the name of seven congregations then gathered in London..."

"Forasmuch as this confession is not now commonly to be had;and also that many others have since embraced the same truth which is owned therin;it was judged necessary by us to join together in giving a testimony to the world of our firm adhering to those wholesome principles..."

"We did conclude it necessary to confess ourselves the more fully and distinctly,...and finding no defect in this regard in that fixed on by the Assembly,and after them by those of the Congregational way,we did conclude it best to retain the same order in our present confession...for the most part without any variation of the terms...making use of the very same words with them both...This we did to...convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words,but to readily acquiece in that form of sound words which hath been used by others before us...In those things wherein we differ from others,we have expressed ourselves with all candor and plainness...Contention is most remote from our design in all that we have done in this manner..."

These were the first English "confessions" as Baptist was very new in history. I use the 1644 extensively in our church to teach the original doctrinal confession/statement of faith. When I was a college prof, we used a revised New Hampshire Confession and all signed agreement to it annually.

The 1644 is not as "sabbatarian" as the later 2nd London Baptist Confession.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bc1644.htm

So does Rippon get the same warning I got about posting in the Calvinist/Arminian thread? And is this not a thread that should have been moved when you moved my thread on Ezekiel 3 to that forum??

I would really like an answer to my thread in the Calvinist/Arminian forum as to what constitutes a thread that is about that subject from what that is actually appropriate for the general Biblical Theology discussions because there is a glaring inconsistency in the application of this rule.

 

[Herald]

These were the first English "confessions" as Baptist was very new in history. I use the 1644 extensively in our church to teach the original doctrinal confession/statement of faith. When I was a college prof, we used a revised New Hampshire Confession and all signed agreement to it annually.

The 1644 is not as "sabbatarian" as the later 2nd London Baptist Confession.

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/creeds/bc1644.htm

That's precisely why I subscribe to the 1689 LBC - because of its view on the Lord's Day.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Threads on the First and Second London Baptist Confessions fit in fine on the Baptist theology thread, since they involve all aspects of theology. Biblical soteriology is just a small part of the total content of those confessions.

Join in with the New Hampshire, Philadelphia, Spurgeon's, Gill's or others. They are all excellent confessions that any church could use as a doctrinal statement of faith.

And if someone sidetracks this to a Calvinism debate, the post will be snipped. Easy as pie.

 

[clark thompson]

The only confession tht matters in my life is the one I made when I accept Jesus as Lord. I still confess Him today.

 

[Salty]

The only confession tht matters in my life is the one I made when I accept Jesus as Lord. I still confess Him today.

raying: :jesus: :thumbs:

 

[Dr. Bob]

All a "confession of faith" is = doctrinal statement to that all working together are on the same page. It is different from a creed, as a confession will cover all doctrine (creeds are limited), full of scriptural support, and not designed to be memorized or chanted.

Assume every church and every Christian organization adopts some sort of confession. Whether the earliest 1600 English Baptist confession or just a 20-item list, you have to "identify" yourself.

 

[SolaSaint]

All a "confession of faith" is = doctrinal statement to that all working together are on the same page. It is different from a creed, as a confession will cover all doctrine (creeds are limited), full of scriptural support, and not designed to be memorized or chanted.

Assume every church and every Christian organization adopts some sort of confession. Whether the earliest 1600 English Baptist confession or just a 20-item list, you have to "identify" yourself.

Thanks or that clarification for I was about to ask.

 

[agedman]

All a "confession of faith" is = doctrinal statement to that all working together are on the same page. It is different from a creed, as a confession will cover all doctrine (creeds are limited), full of scriptural support, and not designed to be memorized or chanted.

Assume every church and every Christian organization adopts some sort of confession. Whether the earliest 1600 English Baptist confession or just a 20-item list, you have to "identify" yourself.

What has amazed me is that very few pew sitters have EVER seen what the founding assembly agreed would be the statements of faith in which members would be both accepted and disciplined.

When they are shown and the documents are discussed, in more than one occasion, there were great upheavals, committees of revision formed and in one situation an actual church split.

Personally, I think before any member is accepted, that prospective member needs to affirm the view of the church and if that cannot be done - that person needs to move on, even if it is a prospective pastor that tickles the ears and would be easily a majority vote.