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THE PHILADELPHIA CONFESSION, 1742
The earliest known reference by an
association to a confession occurred in 1724, when the Philadelphia Association, in reply
to a query concerning the Sabbath, referred to "the Confession of Faith, set forth by
the elders and brethren met in London, 1689, and owned by us." Whether the
Confession had been formally adopted is not indicated, but that it was the accepted
standard of doctrine is evident. Formal adoption certainly is shown by Septenber 25,
1742, for on that date the Association in session at Philadelphia ordered a printing of a
new edition. The churches paid for the printing job, which was done by Benjamin
Franklin in 1743.
THE
SANDY CREEK CONFESSION, 1758
Though the Sandy Creek
Association was constituted in 1758, it was fifty-eight years before these
brethren got around to formally adopting their principles of faith. But form
was never their strong point, as compared to substance. Their earliest
associations were conducted without formal officers or even a business
meeting, though they did keep records of the meetings. They considered the
worship service too important to be imposed upon by a formal business session.
In like manner, they asserted that Holy Scripture provided a substantial
statement of their beliefs; consequently, they didn't place much value on
Confessions of Faith as a form of expression of beliefs.
Their first attempt at a
written confession reveals the validity of their assertion as to the
sufficiency of scripture. The document is well organized and to the point. In
ten short statements the Sandy Creek brethren express their belief in the
essential points of the doctrines of grace. It is easily understood. One can
well imagine the members and friends of the association using the document as
a study guide.
The Sandy Creek Principles of
Faith, as a document, is a reasonable statement of the doctrines of grace. Its
brevity does not allow detailed explanations. Neither does it confuse the
reader. It is truly an outline. While refusing to be bound to written articles
of faith nevertheless its authors understood they would be identified by this
document. They were careful to pen a confession which identified their
doctrine but left the reader some degree of liberty to define it. They
recognized their need for a document indicating commonly held beliefs but were
wise to realize that a comprehensive statement could cause confusion or even
schism.
They did not fall into the
trap of those who wrote confessions which are so comprehensive and detailed as
to give the impression they are exhaustive in scope, making them binding
creeds. Such detailed, uninspired works, when formally adopted, take on the
appearance of divine inspiration, making them canonical creeds in the minds of
their subscribers. The Sandy Creek brethren were aware of such snares and had
no desire for interpretations and applications of men to supplant the
authority of scripture. Evidently, they wrote a minimal declaration of their
faith to avoid the temptation of elevating their statement of belief to the
level of scriptural authority. Their Principles of Faith Confession was
intended to identify, not to define, their beliefs. As such, it is well
written and functional.
Elder Michael N. Ivey, "A Welsh Succession of Primitive
Baptist Faith and Practice"
THE GOATYARD DECLARATION OF FAITH, 1792
A Declaration of the Faith and Practice
of the Church of Christ at Horsely-down, under the Pastoral Care of Mr. John Gill, &c.
MISSISSIPPI BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1806
Non-Calvinistic Primitive
Baptists.
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1833
This Confession was drawn up by the Rev.
John Newton Brown, D. D., of New Hampshire (b. 1803, d. 1868), about 1833, and has been
adopted by the New Hampshire Convention, and widely accepted by Baptists, especially in
the Northern and Western States, as a clear and concise statement of their faith, in
harmony with the doctrines of older confessions, but expressed in milder form. The text is
taken from the Baptist Church Manual, published by the American Baptist Publication
Society, Philadelphia.
ESPAÑOL TRADUCCION
TREATISE ON THE FAITH AND PRACTICE OF THE FREE WILL BAPTISTS,
1834 AND 1948
Originally founded by Benjamin Randall in
about 1779, after removing himself from the Calvinistic Baptists in New Hampshire who
became very critical of his theological views. Benjamin Randall joined an Arminian
Baptist church at Strafford, NH and was ordained in April, 1779 by two Arminian churches.
His founding of a Free Will church at Durham, NH in June, 1779 was but the
beginning of a highly successful ministry of gathering churches and of binding them
together in Quarterly and Yearly Meetings.
For a time the new denomination had no confession of faith and was opposed to the use of
confessions, but in the third decade of the nineteenth century this attitude began to
change. The General Conference, organized in 1827, made up of delegates from Yearly
Meetings, agree in 1832 that a treatise on Free Will Baptist doctrine and practice was
needed. Two years were spent in preparing the treatise and was adopted in April,
1834. It was revised and enlarged in 1848.
In light of the gradual changes in doctrine and practice, the General Conferences of 1865
and 1868 raised the question of a revision of both the "Confession" and the
"Usages". Early in the 20th Century it was evident that Calvinistic
theology of many Baptists, especially in the North, had been considerably modified.
Free Will Baptists realized that the larger body of Baptists in the North had come to
approximate their theological position, and in 1911 they merged with the Northern
Convention.
In the South, the group known as the The Original Free Will Baptists maintained a separate
existence, and in the first half of the 20th century exhibited considerable vitality.
THE ABSTRACT OF
PRINCIPLES, 1858
When the original charter of the Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary was adopted in 1858 it contained the following statement
which constitutes as a part of the "fundamental laws." "Every professor of
the institution shall be a member of a regular Baptist Church; and all persons accepting
professorships in this Seminary shall be considered, by such acceptance, as engaging to
teach in accordance with, and not contrary to, the Abstract of Principles hereinafter laid
down, a departure from which principles on his part shall be grounds for his resignation
or removal by the Trustees."
ENGLISH
SPANISH
FRENCH
GERMAN
ITALIAN
COMPEND OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES HELD BY BAPTISTS, 1866
Produced by W.W. Everts in 1866 while
serving as pastor of First Baptist Church in Chicago, IL, this Compend of Christian
Doctrines Held by Baptists is a well-balanced catechism overall but with several
unusual features distinguishing it from others.
It does not entirely escape the
influence of its historical proximity to the Civil War.
The series of questions on the family
and beatitudes appear to be without precedent in Baptist catechisms.
Church successionism finds expression
in the catechetical format (III. 30) when the question is asked, "What is the age of
the Baptist?"
According to the answer, Baptists do not
claim any human founder but trace their origin directly to the age and teaching of the
Apostles; thus, Baptists are "older than Protestantism or Papacy".
The philosophical methodology involded in establishing the truth of the catechetical
responses provides another interesting feature of this catechism. Everts combines
human intuition, universal rationality, pagan religion and, at all times, science to
establish a basis for an answer that is finally proven by Scripture.
The theology of Everts' catechism is Calvinistic. Total depravity foundations the
soteriological section; men are made sinners by "inheriting a sinful nature,..."
ARTICLES OF FAITH PUT FORTH BY THE BAPTIST BIBLE UNION OF
AMERICA, 1923
The Baptist Bible Union, which had its
beginning in a "Call and Manifesto", 1921, by one hundred and thirty
conservatives to reject Baptist agencies disloyal to traditional beliefs, was designed to
support only doctrinally sound schools and missionaries, and to circulate safe literature.
After the waning of the Fundamentalist
controversy after 1928 and unwise leadership policies of the Union, a rapid decline
resulted in the sudden death of the body.1
The outstanding leader of the Union was
T. T. Shields, head of the board of Des Moines University, and it appears he was chiefly
responsible for the Confession of Faith of the group. The Confession, remarkably
concise and definite, was printed with Scripture passages quoted in full with each article
and with a church covenant.
"Baptist Confessions of Faith",
Lumpkin
[The Reformed Reader's version is
from the pamphlet form and does not contain the original scripture passages or church
covenant.]
1Furniss,
op. cit., 106-109
BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE, 1925
The 1925 Statement recommended "the
New Hampshire Confession of Faith, revised at certain points, and with some additional
articles growing out of certain needs . . . ." Your present committee has adopted
the same pattern. It has sought to build upon the structure of the 1925 Statement, keeping
in mind the "certain needs" of our generation. At times it has reproduced
sections of the Statement without change. In other instances it has substituted words for
clarity or added sentences for emphasis. At certain points it has combined articles, with
minor changes in wording, to endeavor to relate certain doctrines to each other. In still
others-e.g., "God" and "Salvation"-it has sought to bring together
certain truths contained throughout the 1925 Statement in order to relate them more
clearly and concisely. In no case has it sought to delete from or to add to the basic
contents of the 1925 Statement.
ESPAÑOL TRADUCCION
BAPTIST FAITH AND
MESSAGE, 1963
On May 9, 1963, the Southern Baptist
Convention adopted a revised summary of the Southern Baptist faith. The committee's report
says in part:
Baptists emphasize the soul's competency before God, freedom in religion, and the
priesthood of the believer. However, this emphasis should not be interpreted to mean that
there is an absence of certain definite doctrines that Baptists believe, cherish, and with
which they have been and are now closely identified. It is the purpose of this statement
of faith and message to set forth certain teachings which we
believe.
On June 9, 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention added an eighteenth section, "The
Family," to the seventeen sections adopted in 1963. The complete text of the
committees' reports and the entire Baptist Faith and Message can be found below.
ESPAÑOL TRADUCCION
CAMBRIDGE DECLARATION, 1998
Evangelical churches today are
increasingly dominated by the spirit of this age rather than by the Spirit of Christ. As
evangelicals, we call ourselves to repent of this sin and to recover the historic
Christian faith.
In the course of history words change.
In our day this has happened to the word "evangelical." In the past it served as
a bond of unity between Christians from a wide diversity of church traditions. Historic
evangelicalism was confessional. It embraced the essential truths of Christianity as those
were defined by the great ecumenical councils of the church. In addition, evangelicals
also shared a common heritage in the "solas" of the sixteenth century Protestant
Reformation.
Today the light of the Reformation has
been significantly dimmed. The consequence is that the word "evangelical" has
become so inclusive as to have lost its meaning. We face the peril of losing the unity it
has taken centuries to achieve. Because of this crisis and because of our love of Christ,
his gospel and his church, we endeavor to assert anew our commitment to the central truths
of the Reformation and of historic evangelicalism. These truths we affirm not because of
their role in our traditions, but because we believe that they are central to the Bible.
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