The Religious Forms and Beliefs of Specific Entities - Book Report/Review Example

?Table of Contents Introduction 2 Similarities 3 Overlapping Declaration 4 Contrasting Beliefs 5 Conclusion 6 Bibliography 7 Introduction Confessionswere a way of stating the religious forms and beliefs of Specific entities. As the Christianity grows there exists a cultural overlap where the ways vary differently as the topographical location is concerned. Some creeds argue and within each other based on the polity and ordinance. We will be looking at confessions which are coming from a same trace of religious branch, the Baptist. As the History is very much concerned, the subsequent confessions are made: New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833) with the Treatise on Faith and Practice of the Free Will Baptists (1834). These particular confessions are very much related to each other because of their root. The New Hampshire Baptist confessions of faith generally have begun in 1833 drawn by Rev. John Newton Brown, D. Din the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith was adhered to by what are known as General Baptists [1]. Treatise on Faith and practice of the Free Will Baptist can be shortly termed as ‘Free will Baptist’ and was originally founded and written by Benjamin Randall in about 1779, after removing himself from the Calvinistic Baptists in New Hampshire who became very critical of his theological views[2]. Now as we gather these two confessions of the Baptist beliefs we can now trace the history behind this timeline of the Religious reforms in the United States and as well how it affected the Neighboring countries. We will also look at the paralleling declarations followed by complementary that would affect the polity, ordinances in the Baptist Churches in the world. 1. The New HampshireBaptist Confession, 1833 by Phillip R. Johnson 2. Randall- The Reformed Reader Similarities We will start the similarities by the organization of the entire confessions. Both of the confessions have the same attribution that certain men had written the bible. There is also an evident side that both have been emphasizing the freeness of Salvation for everyone. And that the Salvation was purely personal. They also both have termed Regeneration as ‘Born Again’. And the two confessions have an intense stress on Trinity or the three personas: the God the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They also have certain level of similarity on the church basics like Sabbath, Salvation, Faith and the end of days. They both have acknowledged the death of Christ and how and why he suffered, the consequences of our sins and the retribution and sanctification. Overlapping Declaration In this part of the paper we talk about the commonality of the two confessions and how the two expresses the bible. We will highlight some of the paralleled matters found in the texts. Here are some of the Overlapping Declarations. Faith and Repentance are both mentioned in the two confessions. There is a slight emphasis that the New Hampshire that these are sacred duties whereas on Treatise show that these are more of a guilt to be confessed [3]. For Treatise, Faith is something like a requirement that you should have to continue. For the New Hampshire, Faith is the acknowledging that our God is our Lord and personal savior. 3. Chapter VII, The new Hampshire Confession of Faith 1833; Chapter IX, Treatise on Faith and Practice of the Free Will Baptists They have the same view regarding on Church that it is organized by baptized believers and the Sabbatical rules that apply in the bible. They have clearly emphasized the method of Baptism which is different form other religion about the immersion of the believers in water Judgment and Retribution was the same for the both confession that the evil will suffer and the righteous will have an eternal life. And this is all personal. The Second Coming of Christ was mentioned in both Confessions. The Free-will Baptists follow their doctrines to its logical conclusion, if believing is an “act of the creature” originating from within their “power of free choice,” then the preservation of such souls in a salvific state is dependent upon man’s free choice to remain in a believing state before God.  They put in plainly thus, “future obedience and final salvation are neither determined nor certain, since through infirmity and manifold temptations they are in danger of falling.” The New Hampshire Baptists also follow their doctrines to its logical conclusion, if believing is “wrought in our souls” by the regenerating work of the Spirit and God’s work in his elect is “wholly of grace” based solely on His own glory, then preservation of such souls in a salvific state is dependent wholly upon the will and power of God.  All who God determines to save will indeed be saved. As the Lord said, “all that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” The Free-will Baptist’s belief concerning the Lord’s Supper is that “no man has a right to forbid these tokens to the least of His disciples.” [4]. The reformed practice allows elders of the church to excommunicate communicants from the Lord’s Table if there is valid reason to doubt there standing with God, but the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith is unclear concerning this matter of polity.  However, the New Hampshire Baptist Confession is clear that they only believe in two church ordinances: the Baptism and Lord’s Supper. In contrast, the Free-will Baptist believes in three: Baptism, Lord’s Supper, and Washing the Saints’ Feet [5]. Contrasting Beliefs In comparing the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith with the Free-Will Baptist Treatise on Faith and Practice the most striking and obvious difference is that the New Hampshire Baptists are Calvinists, while the Free-will Baptist are totally Arminian. Arminianism was started by Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609). He was born before John Calvin died and was actually taught by Calvin's son-in-law [6]. He had been a Calvinist for a long time until he has questioned some of the principle governing the Calvinistic approach in the churches. This has aroused for him to be against Calvinism. This caused Arminius to reject his Calvinistic background and “sought to modify Calvinism so that ‘God might not be considered the author of sin, nor man an automation in the hands of God.’” According to Arminianism, salvation is accomplished through the combined efforts of God (who takes the initiative) and man (who must respond) - man's response being the determining factor. God has provided salvation for everyone, but His provision becomes effective only for those 4. Chapter XIV, New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833) 5. Chapter XII, Treatise on Faith and Practice of the Free Will Baptists 6. Arminian Basics, Pastor Mike Stine who, of their own free will, "choose" to cooperate with Him and accept His offer of grace. At the crucial point, man's will plays a decisive role; thus man, not God, determines who will be recipients of the gift of salvation. But Calvinism insisted that Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the God. The God the Father elects a person, the Son died for them; the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death successful by conveying the people to repent with full faith, thereby causing them to willingly obey the gospel. The entire process is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation. [7] Conclusion As we conclude this, we can say that the roots of the two confessions were brought about by the two major school of theology: Arminianism and Calvinism. Both of this theological are one of the fundamentals of church foundations today. There are still on going debates that are arising due to the beliefs that has been established centuries ago, presumably giving a long unending religion fights. Free will Baptists are the focused on the power of man and what he can do to please God. Therefore man should work hard for it to gain it. Some say t hat it is man-centered, but in full respect we can say that it man should prove himself worth y to God. New Hampshire, derived from Calvinism, utterly promotes that Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God only, that the over-all process of election, redemption and being ‘born again’ is the product of grace alone. Taking time to consider all of this, I came to read a verse saying: “Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace “(Eph 4:3, NLT). If we are reading the same scriptures, understanding the same passage, would the Lord wanted us to fight each other over the matter of legalism? Would He want us to focus on which confessions were biblically acceptable? And Lastly, I can say that legality is not the real key here but Obedience and Faith brought by Love whether you are Calvinism or Arminianism. Bibliography W. L. Lumpkin, ed., Baptist Confessions of Faith; R. G. Torbet, A History of the Baptists. New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith (1833), full text in Grudem, Wayne. “Appendix 1:          Historic Confessions of Faith.”  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.           Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. http://www.reformedreader.org/ccc/tfwb.htm. Chuck Smith,. Calvinism, Arminianism & The Word of God:A Calvary Chapel Perspective Stine, Mike Rev. Pastor., Arminian Basics Brown., J. Newton., The New Hampshire Confession of Faith Louviere , Chuck., TREATISE of the Faith & Practices of Free Will Baptists: This Special Electronic Media Edition Read More