1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
Encyclopedia
The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith was written by Particular Baptists, who held to a Calvinistic
Soteriology in England
to give a formal expression of their Christian faith from a Baptist perspective. This confession, like The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Savoy Declaration
(1658), was written by Puritan
s who were concerned that their particular church organisation
reflect what they perceived to be Biblical
teaching.
and “Particular”
brands of Baptist belief. In the early 17th century, English Baptists were mainly a loose organisation of churches, rather than an established denomination. With the advent of Arminianism
at around the same time, many Baptist churches adopted the stance that a Christian's salvation
was ultimately contingent upon his own choice. These Baptist churches were considered “General Baptists” due to their belief in a "general atonement" for all men without exception. On the other hand, many Baptists rejected the teaching of Arminianism and asserted that a Christian's salvation was ultimately contingent upon God and his sovereign choice (Grace or Mercy).
These Baptists were called “Particular” because they believed that the death of Christ
and his atonement was limited only to those whom God had chosen beforehand.
The terms Particular Baptist, Calvinistic Baptist and Reformed Baptist are essentially synonymous.
While these differences in theology were serious, both General and Particular Baptists suffered overt and covert persecution from the established Church of England. Virtually all Baptists had left the established church because they were convinced that the Bible
did not support either an episcopal form of church government
, nor the role of the Monarch
in determining the affairs of the church. Other Puritans at the time, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists
, also suffered persecution, but their numerical strength and influence allowed them to escape much of the persecution that Baptists suffered at the time. The assertion by Baptist churches that only believers could be Baptized put them at odds not only with the Church of England, but also the Presbyterians and Congregationalists – all of whom supported infant baptism
.
and this tension eventually resulted in civil war
, which lasted from 1642 until 1649. King Charles I
lost the conflict and was executed, and England entered into a short period of Republic
anism. These events are recorded in more detail elsewhere.
With this rise in civil unrest, Particular Baptists took the opportunity to write their own statement of faith. Seven congregations sent representatives to write the document. The purpose of the document was to formally differentiate the beliefs of the Particular Baptists from the General Baptists. This was completed in 1644, and, while not very detailed, was clearly Calvinistic in tone. This was known as “The First Baptist Confession”, and predates the far more well-known Westminster Confession of Faith which was written in 1646. The 1644 Confession differed from the Westminster in two other significant ways. First, it rejected the notion that the law convicted of sin, saying that the terrors of the law were not needed to do what the gospel alone has the power to do. Second, it rejected the notion of eternal generation of the Son.
With the demise of the monarchy, the Westminster Confession was officially declared the statement of faith for both the Church of England (Anglican) and Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). The smaller Congregationalists created their own version of the Westminster Confession in 1658 called the Savoy Declaration
. The original 1644 Baptist Confession, while similar in theology
, was nowhere near as expansive as these two English Confessions, and it became clear that another Baptist confession needed to be written.
, a Congregationalist, ruled England as Lord Protector until his death in 1658. The Monarchy, under Charles II
, was restored
in 1660. Relations between Scotland
and England
, as well as their respective Puritans, continued to be abrasive as laws were passed regulating worship. In 1662, the Act of Uniformity
made it illegal to use anything but the new Anglican Prayer Book
in all Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist churches in England. Moreover, the Anglican church had dispensed with the Westminster Confession and had returned to the Thirty-Nine Articles
as their confession of faith.
The 1677 document differed from the Westminster and Savoy confessions in two important ways. Firstly, it had to define the power of the Baptist association (denomination) in its relation to individual congregations. Secondly, and most importantly from a Baptist perspective, it made clear their adherence to Believer's Baptism over and against Infant Baptism. In the latter case, it was their adherence to their view of scripture that resulted in this belief, rather than any historical link with the Anabaptist
movement that arose soon after the Protestant Reformation
.
Persecution and secrecy kept the 1677 document from being officially endorsed by Particular Baptists, though it was obvious that many Baptist church leaders were able to make its contents known to church members.
was passed, which enabled religious freedom
and plurality
to co-exist alongside the established churches in England and Scotland. This official reprieve resulted in representatives from over 100 Particular Baptist churches to meet together in London
from 3–11 July to discuss and endorse the 1677 document. Despite the fact that the document was written in 1677, the official preface to the document has ensured that it would be known as the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.
.
Particular Baptists were quick to develop churches in colonial America, and in 1707 the Philadelphia Baptist Association
was formed. This association formally adopted the 1689 confession in 1742 after years of tacit endorsement by individual churches and congregational members. With the addition of two chapters (on the singing of psalms and the laying on of hands), it was retitled The Philadelphia Confession of Faith Further Calvinistic Baptist church associations formed in the mid-late 18th century and adopted the confession as “The Baptist Confession”.
During the Second Great Awakening
in America, Particular Baptists and other Calvinistic expressions of Protestant Christianity came under sustained attack from evangelists such as Charles Grandison Finney
and theologians such as Nathaniel William Taylor
. Many Particular Baptists retreated into Hyper-Calvinism
, despite the fact that the 1689 confession does not espouse or support such extremes in Reformed theology.
The 1689 confession remains, to this day, a very important document for all Reformed Baptist
churches internationally, allowing them to have an historical confession of faith. The 1693 Keach's Catechism
uses the Confession to teach congregants the basics of the Reformed Baptist faith.
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
Soteriology in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to give a formal expression of their Christian faith from a Baptist perspective. This confession, like The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Savoy Declaration
Savoy Declaration
The Savoy Declaration is a modification of the Westminster Confession of Faith . Its full title is A Declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practiced in the Congregational Churches in England. It was drawn up in October 1658 by English Independents meeting at the Savoy Palace, London.-The...
(1658), was written by Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
s who were concerned that their particular church organisation
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
reflect what they perceived to be Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
teaching.
The General and Particular Baptists in England
The creation of the 1689 Confession is linked to Early English Baptist history and the differences between the “General”General Baptist
General Baptists is a generic term for Baptists who hold the view of a general atonement, as well as a specific name of groups of Baptists within the broader category.General Baptists are distinguished from Particular or Reformed Baptists.-History:...
and “Particular”
Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptists are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s...
brands of Baptist belief. In the early 17th century, English Baptists were mainly a loose organisation of churches, rather than an established denomination. With the advent of Arminianism
Arminianism
Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...
at around the same time, many Baptist churches adopted the stance that a Christian's salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
was ultimately contingent upon his own choice. These Baptist churches were considered “General Baptists” due to their belief in a "general atonement" for all men without exception. On the other hand, many Baptists rejected the teaching of Arminianism and asserted that a Christian's salvation was ultimately contingent upon God and his sovereign choice (Grace or Mercy).
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
These Baptists were called “Particular” because they believed that the death of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
and his atonement was limited only to those whom God had chosen beforehand.
Limited atonement
Limited atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which is particularly associated with the Reformed tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism...
The terms Particular Baptist, Calvinistic Baptist and Reformed Baptist are essentially synonymous.
While these differences in theology were serious, both General and Particular Baptists suffered overt and covert persecution from the established Church of England. Virtually all Baptists had left the established church because they were convinced that the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
did not support either an episcopal form of church government
Episcopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
, nor the role of the Monarch
British monarchy
The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...
in determining the affairs of the church. Other Puritans at the time, the Presbyterians and Congregationalists
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, also suffered persecution, but their numerical strength and influence allowed them to escape much of the persecution that Baptists suffered at the time. The assertion by Baptist churches that only believers could be Baptized put them at odds not only with the Church of England, but also the Presbyterians and Congregationalists – all of whom supported infant baptism
Infant baptism
Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...
.
The 1644 Confession and the English Civil War
As the 17th century continued, relations between the Puritans and the Monarchy deteriorated. Many Puritan leaders were members of ParliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
and this tension eventually resulted in civil war
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, which lasted from 1642 until 1649. King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
lost the conflict and was executed, and England entered into a short period of Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
anism. These events are recorded in more detail elsewhere.
With this rise in civil unrest, Particular Baptists took the opportunity to write their own statement of faith. Seven congregations sent representatives to write the document. The purpose of the document was to formally differentiate the beliefs of the Particular Baptists from the General Baptists. This was completed in 1644, and, while not very detailed, was clearly Calvinistic in tone. This was known as “The First Baptist Confession”, and predates the far more well-known Westminster Confession of Faith which was written in 1646. The 1644 Confession differed from the Westminster in two other significant ways. First, it rejected the notion that the law convicted of sin, saying that the terrors of the law were not needed to do what the gospel alone has the power to do. Second, it rejected the notion of eternal generation of the Son.
With the demise of the monarchy, the Westminster Confession was officially declared the statement of faith for both the Church of England (Anglican) and Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). The smaller Congregationalists created their own version of the Westminster Confession in 1658 called the Savoy Declaration
Savoy Declaration
The Savoy Declaration is a modification of the Westminster Confession of Faith . Its full title is A Declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practiced in the Congregational Churches in England. It was drawn up in October 1658 by English Independents meeting at the Savoy Palace, London.-The...
. The original 1644 Baptist Confession, while similar in theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, was nowhere near as expansive as these two English Confessions, and it became clear that another Baptist confession needed to be written.
Problems after Restoration
After the execution of Charles I, Scottish Presbyterians and English Anglicans and Congregationalists, despite sharing a common theology, were divided over the place of the Monarchy – the former supported it while the latter were opposed to it. Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, a Congregationalist, ruled England as Lord Protector until his death in 1658. The Monarchy, under Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, was restored
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660. Relations between Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as well as their respective Puritans, continued to be abrasive as laws were passed regulating worship. In 1662, the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
made it illegal to use anything but the new Anglican Prayer Book
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
in all Anglican, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist churches in England. Moreover, the Anglican church had dispensed with the Westminster Confession and had returned to the Thirty-Nine Articles
Thirty-Nine Articles
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion are the historically defining statements of doctrines of the Anglican church with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. First established in 1563, the articles served to define the doctrine of the nascent Church of England as it related to...
as their confession of faith.
The 1677 Confession
The result was that, with the restoration of the Monarchy, English Baptists everywhere were suffering persecution for their faith. In 1677 a much larger group of Particular Baptists met together for the purpose of creating a more detailed confession of faith. The process was modeled on the Westminster Confession, which was being used by many Particular Baptist churches despite the differences in church government and mode of baptism.The 1677 document differed from the Westminster and Savoy confessions in two important ways. Firstly, it had to define the power of the Baptist association (denomination) in its relation to individual congregations. Secondly, and most importantly from a Baptist perspective, it made clear their adherence to Believer's Baptism over and against Infant Baptism. In the latter case, it was their adherence to their view of scripture that resulted in this belief, rather than any historical link with the Anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
movement that arose soon after the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
.
Persecution and secrecy kept the 1677 document from being officially endorsed by Particular Baptists, though it was obvious that many Baptist church leaders were able to make its contents known to church members.
The Toleration Act of 1689
In 1689, The Toleration ActAct of Toleration 1689
The Act of Toleration was an act of the English Parliament , the long title of which is "An Act for Exempting their Majestyes Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of certaine Lawes".The Act allowed freedom of worship to Nonconformists who had pledged to the...
was passed, which enabled religious freedom
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
and plurality
Religious pluralism
Religious pluralism is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of various religions, and is used in a number of related ways:* As the name of the worldview according to which one's religion is not the sole and exclusive source of truth, and thus that at least some truths and true values...
to co-exist alongside the established churches in England and Scotland. This official reprieve resulted in representatives from over 100 Particular Baptist churches to meet together in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 3–11 July to discuss and endorse the 1677 document. Despite the fact that the document was written in 1677, the official preface to the document has ensured that it would be known as the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.
Views on Pope
The Confession of Faith taught the typical Protestant view of the time that the Pope is antichristAntichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
.
Historical effects of the 1689 Confession
The 1689 Confession, alongside the Westminster Confession and Savoy Declaration, are considered to be the most important Reformed Confessions made in the English-speaking world. There is no doubt that the 1689 confession relied heavily upon the work already done in writing the two other confessions, but this is not to understate its importance and influence in Baptist churches specifically, and Reformed and Calvinistic churches generally, since that point.Particular Baptists were quick to develop churches in colonial America, and in 1707 the Philadelphia Baptist Association
General Six-Principle Baptists
The Six-Principle Baptists were the first Baptist association in the Americas. The "six-principles" adhered to are those listed in :* Repentance* Faith* Baptism* Laying on of hands* Resurrection of the dead* Final judgment...
was formed. This association formally adopted the 1689 confession in 1742 after years of tacit endorsement by individual churches and congregational members. With the addition of two chapters (on the singing of psalms and the laying on of hands), it was retitled The Philadelphia Confession of Faith Further Calvinistic Baptist church associations formed in the mid-late 18th century and adopted the confession as “The Baptist Confession”.
During the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
in America, Particular Baptists and other Calvinistic expressions of Protestant Christianity came under sustained attack from evangelists such as Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney
Charles Grandison Finney was a leader in the Second Great Awakening. He has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism. Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor...
and theologians such as Nathaniel William Taylor
Nathaniel William Taylor
Nathaniel William Taylor was an influential Protestant Theologian of the early 19th century, whose major contribution to the Christian faith , known as the New Haven theology, was to modify historical Calvinism in order to fit into the religious revivalism of the time .-Life and Ministry:Born in...
. Many Particular Baptists retreated into Hyper-Calvinism
Hyper-Calvinism
Hyper-Calvinism is a pejorative term referring to a denial of the free offer of the gospel and duty-faith. The term "Hyper-Calvinism" is used in the writings of Iain Murray, Curt Daniel, Peter Toon and others who seek to defend the free offer of the gospel as well as duty faith.The controversy over...
, despite the fact that the 1689 confession does not espouse or support such extremes in Reformed theology.
The 1689 confession remains, to this day, a very important document for all Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptists are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s...
churches internationally, allowing them to have an historical confession of faith. The 1693 Keach's Catechism
Keach's Catechism
The Keach's Catechism is a Reformed Baptist catechism consisting of a set of 118 basic questions and answers from scripture teaching readers the basics of the Reformed Baptist faith.The Catechism is similar to the earlier Heidelberg Catechism and Westminster Catechism except for the sections on...
uses the Confession to teach congregants the basics of the Reformed Baptist faith.
External links
- The Baptist Confession of Faith 1689 - With slight revisions by C. H. Spurgeon
- Original text of the 1689 Confession
- Revised 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith
- The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith with Extended Scriptural Footnotes
- Original text of the 1644 Confession
- The Philadelphia Confession - identical to the Second London Confession of Faith (1689), except that chapters 23 and 31 have been added (with other chapters appropriately renumbered). This confession was first issued by the Philadelphia Association in 1742.
- Baptist History Out of Focus – Why has the Southern Baptist Church forgotten its Calvinistic influences?
- Reformed Baptist Fellowship - a network of Reformed Baptist churches
- Baptist Historical Society (UK)
- Strict Baptist Historical Society (UK)