|
|
|
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
Preface to the Second
London Baptist Confession
1677
To The Judicial and
Impartial Reader
Courteous Reader:
It is now many years since divers of us (with other sober Christians
then living, and walking in the way of the Lord, that we profess) did
conceive ourselves to be under a necessity of publishing a Confession,
of our Faith, for the information and satisfaction of those that did not
thoroughly understand what our principles were, or had entertained
prejudices against our profession, by reason of the strange
representation of them by some men of note who had taken very wrong
measures, and accordingly led others into misapprehension of us and
them. And this was first put forth about the year 1643, in the name of
seven congregations then gathered in London; since which time divers
impressions thereof have been dispersed abroad, and our end proposed in
good measure answered, inasmuch as many (and some of those men eminent
both for piety and learning) were thereby satisfied that we were no way
guilty of those heterodoxies and fundamental errors which had too
frequently been charged upon us without ground or occasion given on our
part.
And forasmuch as that Confession is not now
commonly to be had, and also that many others have since embraced the
same truth which is owned therein, it was judged necessary by us to join
together in giving a testimony to the world of our firm adhering to
those wholesome principles by the publication of this which is now in
your hand. And forasmuch as our method and manner of expressing our
sentiments in this doth vary from the former (although the substance of
this matter is the same), we shall freely impart to you the reason and
occasion thereof. One thing that greatly prevailed with us to undertake
this work was (not only to give a full account of ourselves to those
Christians that differ from us about the subject of baptism, but also)
the profit that might from thence arise unto those that have any account
of our labors in their instruction and establishment in the great truths
of the Gospel, in the clear understanding and steady belief of which our
comfortable walking with God, and fruitfulness before him in all our
ways, is most nearly concerned; and therefore we did conclude it
necessary to express ourselves the more fully and distinctly; and also
to fix on such a method as might be most comprehensive of those things
we designed to explain our sense and belief of; 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 readily conclude it best to retain the
same order in our present Confession; and also when we observed that
those last mentioned did in their Confessions (for reasons which seemed
of weight both to themselves and others) choose not only to express
their mind in words concurrent with the former in sense concerning all
those articles wherein they were agreed, but also for the most part
without any variation of the terms, we did in like manner conclude it
best to follow their example in making use of the very same words with
them both in these articles (which are very many) wherein our faith and
doctrine are the same with theirs; and this we did the more abundantly
to manifest our consent with both in all the fundamental articles of the
Christian religion, as also with many others whose orthodox Confessions
have been published to the world on the behalf of the Protestant in
diverse nations and cities. And also to convince all that we have no
itch to clog religion with new words, but do readily acquiesce in that
form of sound words which hath been, in consent with the Holy
Scriptures, used by others before us; hereby declaring, before God,
angels, and men, our hearty agreement with them in that wholesome
Protestant doctrine which, with so clear evidence of Scriptures, they
have asserted. Some things, indeed, are in some places added, some terms
omitted, and some few changed; but these alterations are of that nature
as that we need not doubt any charge or suspicion of unsoundness in the
faith from any of our brethren upon the account of them.
In those things wherein we differ from
others we have expressed ourselves with all candor and plainness, that
none might entertain jealousy of aught secretly lodged in our breasts
that we would not the world should be acquainted with; yet we hope we
have also observed those rules of modesty and humility as will render
our freedom in this respect inoffensive, even to those whose sentiments
are different from ours.
We have also taken care to affix texts of
Scripture at the bottom, for the confirmation of each article in our
Confession; in which work we have studiously endeavored to select such
as are most clear and pertinent for the proof of what is asserted by us;
and our earnest desire is that all into whose hands this may come would
follow that (never enough commended) example of the noble Bereans, who
searched the Scriptures daily that they might find out whether the
things preached to them were so or not.
There is one thing more which we sincerely
profess and earnestly desire credence in - viz., that contention is most
remote from our design in all that we have done in this matter; and we
hope that the liberty of an ingenuous unfolding our principles and
opening our hearts unto our brethren, with the Scripture grounds of our
faith and practice will by none of them be either denied to us, or taken
ill from us. Our whole design is accomplished if we may have attained
that justice as to be measured in our principles and practice, and the
judgment of both by others, according to what we have now published,
which the Lord (whose eyes are as a flame of fire) knoweth to be the
doctrine which with our hearts we most firmly believe and sincerely
endeavor to conform our lives to. And O that, other contentions being
laid asleep, the only care and contention of all upon whom the name of
our blessed Redeemer is called might for the future be to walk humbly
with their God in the exercise of all love and meekness toward each
other, to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord, each one endeavoring
to have his conversation such as becometh the gospel; and also, suitable
to his place and capacity, vigorously to promote in others the practice
of true religion and undefiled in the sight of God our Father! And that
in this backsliding day we might not spend our breath in fruitless
complaints of the evils of others, but may every one begin at home, to
reform in the first place our own hearts and ways, and then to quicken
all that we may have influence upon to the some work, that if the will
of God were so, none might deceive themselves by resting in and trusting
to a form of godliness without the power of it, and inward experience of
the efficacy of those truths that are professed by them.
And verily there is one spring and cause of
the decay of religion in our day which we cannot but touch upon and
earnestly urge a redress of, and that is the neglect of the worship of
God in families by those to whom the charge and conduct of them is
committed. May not the gross ignorance and instability of many, with the
profaneness of others, be justly charged upon their parents and masters,
who have not trained them up in the way wherein they ought to walk when
they were young, but have neglected those frequent and solemn commands
which the Lord hath laid upon them, so to catechise and instruct them
that their tender years might be seasoned with the knowledge of the
truth of God as revealed in the Scriptures; and also by their own
omission of prayer and other duties of religion of their families,
together with the ill example of their loose conversation, having,
inured them first to a neglect and the contempt of all piety and
religion? We know this will not excuse the blindness and wickedness of
any, but certainly it will fall heavy upon those that have been thus the
occasion thereof; they indeed die in their sins, but will not their
blood be required of those under whose care they were, who yet permitted
them to go on without warning - yea, led them into the paths of
destruction? And will not the diligence of Christians with respect to
the discharge of these duties in ages past rise up in judgment against
and condemn many of those who would be esteemed such now?
We shall conclude with our earnest prayer
that the God of all grace will pour out those measures of his Holy
Spirit upon us, that the profession of truth may be accompanied with the
sound belief and diligent practice of it by us, that his name may in all
things be glorified through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
CONFESSION
OF
FAITH
Put forth by the
ELDERS and BRETHREN
Of many
CONGREGATIONS
OF
Christians
(baptized upon Profession of their faith)
in London and the Country.
With the Heart mart believeth unto
righteousness, and with the
Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation, Rom. 10:10.
Search the Scriptures, John 5:39.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
CHAPTER 2
OF GOD AND THE HOLY TRINITY
CHAPTER 3
OF GOD'S DECREE
CHAPTER 4
OF CREATION
CHAPTER 5
OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE
CHAPTER 6
OF THE FALL OF MAN, OF SIN AND OF THE PUNISHMENT THEREOF
CHAPTER 7
OF GOD'S COVENANT
CHAPTER 8
OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR
CHAPTER 9
OF FREE WILL
CHAPTER 10
OF EFFECTUAL CALLING
CHAPTER 11
OF JUSTIFICATION
CHAPTER 12
OF ADOPTION
CHAPTER 13
OF SANCTIFICATION
CHAPTER 14
OF SAVING FAITH
CHAPTER 15
OF REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE AND SALVATION
CHAPTER 16
OF GOOD WORKS
CHAPTER 17
OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
CHAPTER 18
OF THE ASSURANCE OF GRACE AND SALVATION
CHAPTER 19
OF THE LAW OF GOD
CHAPTER 20
OF THE GOSPEL, AND OF THE EXTENT OF THE GRACE THEREOF
CHAPTER 21
OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
CHAPTER 22
OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND THE SABBATH DAY
CHAPTER 23
OF LAWFUL OATHS AND VOWS
CHAPTER 24
OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE
CHAPTER 25
OF MARRIAGE
CHAPTER 26
OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER 27
OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
CHAPTER 28
OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
CHAPTER 29
OF BAPTISM
CHAPTER 30
OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
CHAPTER 31
OF THE STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH, AND OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
CHAPTER 32
OF THE LAST JUDGEMENT
|
|
