Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
Excerpts from: Historic Beliefs of the Baptists.
"The only thing we, as Historically Baptist Believers, can profess is what we have obtained under The Lordship of Christ.
"There are thousands of congregations that call themselves Baptists. Each one considers itself one of the Lord's churches,
though many of them have very few beliefs of the apostolic churches.
"They are all independent of one another, which is a Baptist trait, but their doctrines differ widely.
"It is not my purpose to trace Baptists and their beliefs back to the time of Christ, though we have plenty of historical evidence (mostly from our enemies)
that there is a chain of churches back to the time of Christ and His apostles that believed and practiced the same things.
"It is sufficient for us to note that Christ gave a promise to His first church, in its infancy, that they, as an institution, would continue to exist throughout the Church Age.
"The world has a right to ask, "By what authority do you array yourselves against all Christendom in maintaining your doctrines?"
"We do not maintain them because of the sectarian bigotry of which we are often accused.
"True New Testament churches are under a greater temptation to sectarianism than other Christians. We stand alone in maintaining Biblical principles.
"This, in itself, necessarily antagonizes all other sects that differ with us. William Tyndale would not have brought upon himself the ire of the Church of England
when translating the Bible into the English language had he not insisted it was to be followed rather than the apostate churches' traditions.
"No religious denomination has a moral right to a separate existence unless it differs essentially from others."
"Some distinctive doctrines of Baptists through the centuries:
"Some principles of the Novatians in Europe - 4th Century:
have served as a model to our Reformation and has justified their understanding, seeing they have always preserved amongst them
the sacred truths of the Christian religion committed to them, as they had received them from the disciples of the apostles,
and rejected the corruptions thereof according as by degrees they broke faith with the west.
"This hath been the only thing that hath made them the object of the hatred of the Church of Rome and hath drawn upon them, for so many ages,
such prodigious persecutions of the king. They were the remains of those so pure and so ancient churches.
"I undertake . . . to set down the true antiquity of both of these churches who were so famous in the 13th century
because of the opposition to the corruptions of the Roman Church . . . from the time of the apostles to the 13th century."
Hiscox Baptist Directory", page 118:
Baptists have had and still have their differences.
"Some of our differences have been temperamental, others have been fundamental. These differences often bring unpleasantries; sometimes estrangements.
Some of these differences have been a real threat to "the faith that was once delivered to the saints."
"My purpose is to call your attention to three distinctive Baptist fundamentals:
"Baptists hold many doctrines in common with other denominations/sects.
"We are glad that others believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures; that they are the infallible Word of God.
"The doctrine of the Trinity is held by many who are not Baptist. We worship One God,
Who is manifested to us in Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
"We do not FULLY understand it, OF COURSE, but we believe such to be the teaching of the Bible.
Baptists do have Three Distinctive Doctrines.
I. The New Testament Is The Sole And Sufficient Rule Of Faith And Practice.
A. All Scriptures are inspired; therefore, the Old Testament is equally the Word of God.
B. The New Testament makes the above plain:
"The Old Testament saints were saved by grace through faith by looking forward to the appointed Savior, Jesus Christ;
whereas, today, we look back to what Jesus Christ, our Savior, has already done on our behalf.
D. "All the New Testament is the law of Christianity; the New Testament is all the law of Christianity.
"Creeds and decrees that come from men are not binding on God's people.
"Believers/saints have as their absolute guide the New Testament illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
See next:
II. "Individual Responsibility To God For The Performance Of Duty".
&
III. "The Lord's Kind Of Church Is A Body Of Scripturally Baptized Believers Equal In Rank And Privileges,
Administering Christ's Affairs Under The Leadership Of The Holy Spirit".
"The only thing we, as Historically Baptist Believers, can profess is what we have obtained under The Lordship of Christ.
"There are thousands of congregations that call themselves Baptists. Each one considers itself one of the Lord's churches,
though many of them have very few beliefs of the apostolic churches.
"They are all independent of one another, which is a Baptist trait, but their doctrines differ widely.
"It is not my purpose to trace Baptists and their beliefs back to the time of Christ, though we have plenty of historical evidence (mostly from our enemies)
that there is a chain of churches back to the time of Christ and His apostles that believed and practiced the same things.
"It is sufficient for us to note that Christ gave a promise to His first church, in its infancy, that they, as an institution, would continue to exist throughout the Church Age.
"The world has a right to ask, "By what authority do you array yourselves against all Christendom in maintaining your doctrines?"
"We do not maintain them because of the sectarian bigotry of which we are often accused.
"True New Testament churches are under a greater temptation to sectarianism than other Christians. We stand alone in maintaining Biblical principles.
"This, in itself, necessarily antagonizes all other sects that differ with us. William Tyndale would not have brought upon himself the ire of the Church of England
when translating the Bible into the English language had he not insisted it was to be followed rather than the apostate churches' traditions.
"No religious denomination has a moral right to a separate existence unless it differs essentially from others."
"Some distinctive doctrines of Baptists through the centuries:
"Some principles of the Novatians in Europe - 4th Century:
"Principles of the Donatists in Northern Africa - 4th Century:
"The Waldenses who were numbered by the thousands in North Italy, Austria, Hungry, Poland, Bohemia, Saxony, Germany, Netherlands, and all over Europe believed:
"Peter Allix (1641-1717) said in "Ancient Churches of Piedmont," pages a2, iv. 14: "The conduct of the churches of the valleys of Piedmont
have served as a model to our Reformation and has justified their understanding, seeing they have always preserved amongst them
the sacred truths of the Christian religion committed to them, as they had received them from the disciples of the apostles,
and rejected the corruptions thereof according as by degrees they broke faith with the west.
"This hath been the only thing that hath made them the object of the hatred of the Church of Rome and hath drawn upon them, for so many ages,
such prodigious persecutions of the king. They were the remains of those so pure and so ancient churches.
"I undertake . . . to set down the true antiquity of both of these churches who were so famous in the 13th century
because of the opposition to the corruptions of the Roman Church . . . from the time of the apostles to the 13th century."
Hiscox Baptist Directory", page 118:
Baptists have had and still have their differences.
"Some of our differences have been temperamental, others have been fundamental. These differences often bring unpleasantries; sometimes estrangements.
Some of these differences have been a real threat to "the faith that was once delivered to the saints."
"My purpose is to call your attention to three distinctive Baptist fundamentals:
"Baptists hold many doctrines in common with other denominations/sects.
"We are glad that others believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures; that they are the infallible Word of God.
"The doctrine of the Trinity is held by many who are not Baptist. We worship One God,
Who is manifested to us in Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
"We do not FULLY understand it, OF COURSE, but we believe such to be the teaching of the Bible.
Baptists do have Three Distinctive Doctrines.
I. The New Testament Is The Sole And Sufficient Rule Of Faith And Practice.
A. All Scriptures are inspired; therefore, the Old Testament is equally the Word of God.
B. The New Testament makes the above plain:
C. "The Old Testament teaches the same kind of salvation that is taught in the New Testament by grace through faith.
"The Old Testament saints were saved by grace through faith by looking forward to the appointed Savior, Jesus Christ;
whereas, today, we look back to what Jesus Christ, our Savior, has already done on our behalf.
D. "All the New Testament is the law of Christianity; the New Testament is all the law of Christianity.
"Creeds and decrees that come from men are not binding on God's people.
"Believers/saints have as their absolute guide the New Testament illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
See next:
II. "Individual Responsibility To God For The Performance Of Duty".
&
III. "The Lord's Kind Of Church Is A Body Of Scripturally Baptized Believers Equal In Rank And Privileges,
Administering Christ's Affairs Under The Leadership Of The Holy Spirit".