Comparison of Baptist Confessions - Essay Example

Liberty Theological Seminary Confessions Paper A Paper Submitted to Dr. A J Smith In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the CHHI694 By Gary M Good April 2008 comparason of baptist confessions Introduction This paper examines two Baptist Confessions of Faith; The First London Confessions of Faith and Second London Confessions of Faith. The Confessions of Faith were the Baptist’s attempt at clarification of their faith and beliefs. During 17th Century England churches passed creeds that carried the same weight as laws. The Baptist separated from these English churches when they wrote the confessions that carried no penalties. “Creeds connote coercion while confessions suggest voluntarism” (Holcomb, p1). This paper examines the doctrinal differences between the First London Confessions and the Second London Confessions. The First London Confessions of Faith (1644) The First London Confessions of Faith were the early Baptists attempt at clarifying what the church believed and showed how they were very much in step with other puritan congregations. During this time in history the Baptists were being persecuted and blamed with publishing seditious pamphlets and having naked night meetings in homes (Holcomb, p1). This was far from the truth and required clarification by the church. This Confession of Faith was the result of a meeting of seven London Baptist churches that clarified their belief in original sin, particular election, limited atonement, and lack of free will (Holcomb, p1). This document contained a Calvinistic flavor but particulars that made it unique to the beliefs of the Baptists. The Second London Confessions of Faith (1689) This Confessions of Faith was modeled after the Westminster Assembly Confession of Presbyterians and Puritans. This Confession of Faith was published anonymously because of persecution threatened during that time in history: "This little volume, is not issued as an authoritative rule, or code of faith, whereby you are to be fettered, but as an assistance to you in controversy, a confirmation in faith, and a means of edification in righteousness. Here the younger members of our church will have a body of divinity in small compass, and by means of Scriptural proofs, will be ready to give an account for the hope that is in them. Be not ashamed of your faith; remember it is the ancient gospel of martyrs, confessors, reformers and saints. Above all, it is "the truth of God", against which the gates of Hell cannot prevail. Let your lives adorn your faith, let your example adorn your creed. Above all live in Christ Jesus, and walk in Him, giving credence to no teaching but that which is manifestly approved of Him, and owned by the Holy Spirit. Cleave fast to the Word of God which is here mapped out for you."                  Charles H. Spurgeon A Doctrinal Comparison The First London Confession is a Baptist original whereas the Second London Confession is a derivative of the Westminster Confessions. The First Confession is a result of beliefs, built and recorded in church books, from early Baptist England and contains original thought rather than a revised copy of another confession of faith from a different denomination. The issuers of this first official declaration of beliefs were well grounded in Anabaptist thought. There are many doctrinal differences between the two Confessions of Faith. The First London Confession eliminated the Catholic, Protestant, and Puritan definitions of the Trinity of God (Old Faith Baptist church, p9). That definition held that Jesus Christ was responsible to the Father for his Deity. It also held that “the Father is of none neither begotten nor proceeding” (The Second Confession of Faith, Ch 2 p3) which would mean that the Son is of none as is the Holy Spirit. The First Confessions of Faith hold to the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. The doctrine of the church as stated in the First London Confession is a more spiritual and Christ Centered than the Second London Confessions. The First London Confessions, in section 12, show a more loving approach to the extent of grace. The Second London Confession speaks of the “elect” and “Begetting in them faith and repentance” (Second London Confessions of Faith, p33 CH 20:1). The question here is “what about those who are not “elect”. Can they become Christians who can accept faith and repentance? Although the First London Confessions speak of the ‘elect’ it does not go as far as the Second Confessions especially when it speaks of “all believers” in section 29. The definition of all believers is found in sections 22-29. The assurance of Grace and Salvations is full of what will happen to those who do not believe (Second Confessions) while “all believers” are the focus of the First Confessions of Faith. The blood atonement of Christ is better explained in the First London Confessions. It is the contention of the drafters of the First London that the blood of Christ brought forth a complete redemption of man in the present world and in the world to come. The First London Confessions of Faith were written by men who were complete separatists (Old Faith Baptist Church, p13). The Second London Confessions were taken from the Westminster Confessions of Faith which are the beliefs of the Presbyterian Church and the Church of Scotland. They were also the catechism of the Church of England. It is surprising that the Baptists adopted the Second London Confessions as they were separatists from the Church of England. Again, the idea of ‘elect’ and ‘non-elect’ comes up as it pertains to infants. It is important to note that the old Baptists did not “believe in infant damnation” (Old Faithful Baptist Church, p14). The First London Confessions contain nothing about infant salvation or damnation. But, the Second London Confessions does: “Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who worketh when, and where, and how he pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.” This brings up the question again about those who are ‘non-elect’. In this case those that are non-elect are considered unsavable. In this case Chapter 10 of the Second London Confessions states that: “Others not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither will nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved; be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature and the law of that religion they do profess.” Although the scripture quoted does state that man must be born again it does not say that infants that are not elect should be damned (John 3:3,5-6, 8). It is the opinion of some Baptists that this is certainly a Catholic teaching and belief and not a Baptist belief. This Popish belief teaches that the natural offspring of the church are elect and are not damned whereas infants not born as natural offspring of the congregation of the church are damned of they die in infancy. It is important to note here that Presbyterians believe that infants should be Baptized (sprinkling) but that Baptists believe that infants should not be Baptized until they come of age and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is where some editing by the Second Baptist Confessions had to take place before they were accepted. Conclusion The First and Second London Confessions of Faith were drafted by men with strong convictions about what was right and wrong. They were separatists from the Church of England that believed that Baptism should be by complete immersion in water vs. sprinkling of water to symbolically wash away sins. These men completed a task that took great courage; they wrote Confessions of Faith that could have had them imprisoned or worse at that time. The First London Confessions of Faith are considered a milder form than the Second London Confessions of Faith. The First was drafted from original thought while the Second was copied (Westminster Confessions) and edited to fit with current thoughts and beliefs of Baptists at that time. Each Confession of Faith tackles tough religious problems of that time as well as lists the beliefs and practices of the Baptist faith of that time. The authors of the Second London Confessions tackled such issues as ‘elect’ vs. ‘non-elect’. It is also interesting to note that these separatist adopted the Westminster (edited) as their own. References: Baptist Church Manual, published by the American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia Holcomb, Carol Crawford. Baptist Confessions of Faith. Retrieved April 22, 2008 From http://www.baptisthistory.org/contissues/holcomb.htm Old Faith Baptist Church. Magazine, Arkansas. Retrieved April 22, 2008 From http://vitorian.fortunecity.com/dadd/464/confession.html The Reformed Reader Committed to Historic Baptist Beliefs. 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