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| Information on Confessions of Faith | ||
| The background to the 1689 Confession | ||
| A Confession of Faith is an attempt to provide a brief but comprehensive summary of Christian doctrine. It sets out to answer the question: what does the Bible teach? The 1689 Confession is the Confession of Faith of Reformed, or Calvinistic Baptists. (Until recently, these Christians were usually called Particular Baptists because of their belief in Particular Redemption). It is now in use in many parts of the world. | ||
| It was originally drafted in 1677, but was printed anonymously because this was a time of persecution. This had begun shortly after the end of the Commonwealth and the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. It continued until 1688, when William of Orange became king and when, by an Act of Toleration, Non Conformists were allowed to register their meeting houses. At a Calvinistic Baptist general assembly in 1689 in London the Confession was reissued, this time with the signatures Of 37 Ministers (including those of Hanserd Knollys, William Kiffin and Benjamin Keach). | ||
| The Reasons for the Confession were as follows: | ||
| 1 | To explain why Baptists differed from other Reformed Christians An earlier Baptist confession had been issued in 1644. For this reason, the 1689 Confession is also sometimes called the Second London Confession. Since 1644, a number of events had taken place. These prompted some Baptist leaders to think that the time had come for a revised confession. The most important of these developments was the production in 1646 of the Westminster Confession of Faith. This was a by product of the Westminster Assembly, a gathering of divines including representatives from Scotland, which set out to replace the Anglican Church of England with a new national church organised on Presbyterian lines. In the end this never materialised but the Westminster Confession remains as its legacy to the generations which have followed. To this day, second to the Word of God, it is the standard of faith for many Presbyterian denominations throughout the world. | |
| In 1658 the Independents, or Congregationalists, modified it in line with their view of church government. They called their confession the "Savoy Declaration". This included a section not in the Westminster Confession concerning the world wide spread of the gospel. The 1689 Confession owes much to both of these earlier Confessions. In the main it follows the modifications made by the Savoy Declaration with regard to the doctrine of the Church but differs from both with respect to the ordinance of baptism. | ||
| The bulk of the 1689 Confession is an affirmation of the Reformed faith held by Protestant Christians in general at that time. Baptists are first and foremost Christians and the 1689 Confession is a Christian confession of faith. However, the differences, though few, are significant. In sum the 1689 Confession sets out to do two things. First, it stresses that in most respects Particular Baptists are at one with other Reformed Christians. (This approach was very vase in the late 17th Century when Baptists in England were regarded with much suspicion.) Second, it draws attention to those few aspects of Christian teaching which are nevertheless important, where Baptists conscientiously differ from other believers. | ||
| 2 | To explain how Baptists differed from other groups active at that time. Many fanatical groups were active in England during the 1670s and 1680s and Baptists did not wish to be lumped together with them in the public mind. In addition, not all Baptists were orthodox in doctrine. The General, or Arminian, Baptists for instance did not believe in Particular Redemption. It was important to make it clear that not all Baptists held Arminian principles. | |
| Are Confessions of Faith Legitimate? | ||
| It is not enough for Christians to say, "I believe the Bible". Many heretical groups say as much while using the words of the Bible to attack the Bible. | ||
| 1. | Those who do not use written confessions have an unwritten one inside their own heads. No believer is completely without convictions! Every Christian holds some things to be true and others to be false. In a local church with no confession what is to prevent there being many different confessions of faith, one per member, each reflecting a different set of opinions? What is to be the court of appeal when views clash? | |
| 2. | Others argue that a confession of faith is inconsistent with liberty of conscience. They say that people may be put in a position where they are required to give public assent to doctrines that they don't really believe. This problem is illusory. In a free society, subscription is voluntary. Those who don't agree with a given confession of faith are under no compulsion to join a church that upholds it. In the same way, if they already belong to such a church and their views change, they are at liberty to leave it. And when people do value confessions of faith, should they not be free to make use of them? | |
| The Uses of Confessions of Faith | ||
| 1. | The public affirmation and defence of the truth. They provide in a small compass a precise and easily understood summary of the truths of the Bible. They answer the question "What do your churches stand for?" | |
| 2. | The instruction of Christians. By arranging the major doctrines of the faith in logical sequence, they function as concise bodies of divinity. | |
| 3. | As public standards of fellowship and discipline. All believers may have fellowship at a personal level but if they are going to live together as a church they need to be of one mind. (Matt 12:25). When people join churches the question uppermost in their minds ought to be, "Do these people love the truths of God's word?" How can this be ascertained if there is no shared agreement as to what those truths are? Similarly, how can a church discipline error when it has no public standard of truth? | |
| 4. | They provide concise standards for evaluating ministers of the word. When a church needs to ascertain the theological position of a prospective pastor, or even a visiting preacher, it is all so much easier if it is understood that the man in question is a "1689 man". | |
| 5. | They give a sense of continuity with those who came before. Christians in confessional churches are able to see that they have a heritage and belong to a succession of believers who have held fast to the same profession as the centuries have passed. As C. H. Spurgeon said when he re issued the confession for the use of New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, in 1855 "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." | |
