Historical Theology

“To the Judicious and Impartial Reader” | Epistolary Preface to the Second London Baptist Confession (1689)

Kirk E. Miller

The following is the prefatory letter to the Second London Baptist Confession. In it, the signatories of the confession explain that, despite their distinctive belief in believer’s baptism, Particular Baptists (as we have come to call them) stand in agreement with the Protestant Reformed doctrine of their Presbyterian and Congregationalist brothers and sisters. Its irenic tone reflects a desire to distance themselves from radical sectarian movements, claim their rightful place among Reformed Protestants, and present a unified front with them amidst persecution. Thus, this preface functions to explain some of the main reasons for the construction and adoption of this confession.

It’s important to note that the Second London Baptist Confession is based on the Presbyterians’ Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) and the Congregationalists’ Savoy Declaration (1658), the Savoy itself being based on the Westminster. The Congregationalists (or Independents) and Baptists made their changes mostly to reflect their distinct ecclesiologies.

This letter is sometimes called “To the Judicious and Impartial Reader” or just “Courteous Reader.” Below I provide its original text with only slight revisions to modernize certain spellings, capitalizations, and punctuation along with occasional clarifying brackets.

Courteous Reader,

It is now many years since diverse of us (with other sober Christians then living and walking in the way of the Lord that we profess) did conceive ourselves to be under a necessity of publishing a confession of our faith, for the information and satisfaction of those that did not thoroughly understand what our principles were, or had entertained prejudices against our profession, by reason of the strange representation of them by some men of note, who had taken very wrong measures and accordingly led others into misapprehensions of us and them; and this was first put forth about the year 1643 in the name of seven congregations then gathered in London, since which time diverse impressions [i.e., printings] thereof have been dispersed abroad and our end proposed in good measure answered, inasmuch as many (and some of those men eminent both for piety and learning) were thereby satisfied that we were no way guilty of those heterodoxies and fundamental errors which had too frequently been charged upon us without ground or occasion given on our part. And forasmuch as that confession is not now commonly to be had, and also that many others have since embraced the same truth which is owned therein, it was judged necessary by us to join together in giving a testimony to the world of our firm adhering to those wholesome principles, by the publication of this which is now in your hand.

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The Pastoral Ministry of Richard Baxter (with Tim Cooper)

Kirk E. Miller

Richard Baxter was a 17th-century English Puritan pastor best known for his rigorous and methodical approach to pastoral care. What can we today learn from Baxter about pastoring, what it looks like to be pastored, and the nature of the Christian life experienced within the church. Church history professor, Tim Cooper, joins Kirk to talk about the legacy of Baxter for the church today.

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

Closed Membership & Close Communion in Baptist Confessions & Catechisms

Kirk E. Miller

The First London Confession of Faith (1644)

“Jesus Christ hath here on earth a spiritual kingdom, which is His Church, whom He hath purchased and redeemed to Himself as a peculiar inheritance; which Church is a company of visible saints, called and separated from the world by the word and Spirit of God, to the visible profession of faith of the gospel, being baptized into that faith, and joined to the Lord, and each other, by mutual agreement in the practical enjoyment of the ordinances commanded by Christ their head and king.”

“Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, given by Christ, to be dispensed upon persons professing faith, or that are made disciples; who upon profession of faith, ought to be baptized, and after to partake of the Lord’s Supper.“

“That the way and manner of dispensing this ordinance, is dipping or plunging the body under water; it being a sign, must answer the things signified, which is, that interest the saints have in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.”

[Implicates closed membership. Makes explicit close communion.]

Benjamin Cox’s Appendix to the First London Confession (1646)

“Although a true believer, whether baptized, or unbaptized be in the state of salvation, and shall certainly be saved: yet in obedience to the command of Christ every believer ought to desire baptism, and to yield himself to be baptized according to the rule of Christ in His word: And where this obedience is in faith performed, there Christ makes this His ordinance a means of unspeakable benefit to the believing soul. Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; I Pet. 3:21. And a true believer that here sees the command of Christ lying upon him, cannot allow himself in disobedience thereunto, Acts 24:16.”

“Believers baptized ought to agree and join together in a constant profession of the same doctrine of the Gospel, and in professed obedience thereunto, and also in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42. And a company of baptized believers so agreeing and joining together are a church or congregation of Christ, Acts 2:47.”

[Assuming the First London Confession’s definition of baptism, this implicates closed membership.]

“Though a believer’s right to the use of the Lord’s Supper doth immediately flow from Jesus Christ apprehended and received by faith, yet in as much as all things ought to be done not only decently, but also in order; I Cor. 14:40, and the word holds forth this order, that disciples should be baptized. Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38, and then be taught to observe all things (that is to say, all other things) that Christ commanded the Apostles, Matt. 28:20, and accordingly the Apostles first baptized disciples, and then admitted them to the use of the Supper, Acts 2:41,42, we therefore do not admit any to the use of the Supper, nor communicate with any in the use of this ordinance, but disciples [having once been] baptized, lest we should have fellowship with them in their doing contrary to order.”

[Makes explicit close communion.]

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The Historic (Reformed) Theology of Baptism & the Lord’s Supper in Baptist Confessions & Catechisms

Kirk E. Miller

The following examples demonstrate that the historic Baptist position on Baptism and the Lord’s Supper was essentially a credobaptist version of the Reformed view. This contrasts with the views of many Baptists today who conceive and speak of the ordinances as mere acts of the believer (e.g., acts of remembrance, public declarations of faith) as opposed to also being signs and confirmations of God’s promises to us, and thereby means of his grace in the life of the believer.

The Belgic Confession and The Westminster Confession (to be clear, neither of which are Baptist) can be cited as representative of the Reformed view:

“Our gracious God, taking account of our weakness and infirmities, has ordained the sacraments for us, thereby to seal unto us His promises, and to be pledges of the good will and grace of God towards us, and also to nourish and strengthen our faith; which He has joined to the Word of the gospel, the better to present to our senses both that which He declares to us by His Word and that which He works inwardly in our hearts, thereby confirming in us the salvation which He imparts to us.” (Belgic)

“Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him.” (Westminster)

Even The Augsburg Confession (not Reformed, but Lutheran) overlaps with this Reformed view on at least this point: “[The Sacraments] were ordained, not only to be marks of profession amongst men, but rather that they should be signs and testimonies of the will of God towards us, set forth unto us, to stir up and confirm faith in such as use them. Therefore men must use Sacraments so, as to join faith with them, which believes the promises that are offered and declared unto us by the Sacraments.”

So our church, CrossWay Milwaukee (Reformed Baptist), expresses our convictions this way in our statement of faith: “We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances instituted by God for the Church as signs to represent Christ and His benefits, and pledges to confirm believers’ interest therein. In this way, they serve our spiritual nourishment when received in faith—the signs themselves not to be confused as actually becoming those things signified nor as having any saving effect in and of themselves. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a professing believer into water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is properly connected to conversion and inclusion in the church. We believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial administered with bread and wine designed to commemorate Christ’s death and exhibit believers’ communion with Him as well as each other.”

The First London Confession of Father (1644)

“To this Church He hath made His promises, and giveth the signs of His covenant, presence, acceptation, love, blessing and protection. Here are the fountains and springs of His heavenly graces flowing forth to refresh and strengthen them.”

“That the way and manner of dispensing this ordinance, is dipping or plunging the body under water; it being a sign, must answer the things signified, which is, that interest the saints have in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ: And that as certainly as the body is buried under water, and risen again, so certainly shall the bodies of the saints be raised by the power of Christ, in the day of the resurrection, to reign with Christ.”

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Pastoral Theology & Church Practice in Calvin’s Geneva, Pt. 2 (Scott Manetsch)

Kirk E. Miller

In this episode, Kirk sits down with professor and well-regarded church historian, Dr. Scott Manetsch, to discuss what church life was like in Reformation-era Geneva under the ministry the John Calvin.

Access the episode here (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more).

See all other episodes in this series