What is the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith?
The 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith, also commonly referred to as the 1689 London Confession, serves as a document to be an interpretation of Scripture. Something worth noting is that the confession was not written or even published in 1689. It was compiled by several Particular Baptist churches in London in 1677. The London General Assembly of 1689 recognized and adopted the confession as their own; thus, we refer to it as the 1689 London Baptist Confession. The document is preceded by the First London Confession of 1644, primarily written to defend the beliefs of the Particular Baptists of that time against the radical Anabaptists in Germany. They were involved with much crime and heresy.
The Particular Baptists were in a tough situation regarding their reputation, and they needed to write a confession of faith to make it known to the people around them that they were not affiliates of the Anabaptists. As discussed further in this article, the 2nd London Baptist Confession contains doctrine taught by the preceding Reformed confessions of faith. Most notably, it has much theological agreement with the Westminster Confession of 1646 and the Savoy Declaration of 1658.
Why Was it Written, and What Purpose Does it Serve?
There is much to say regarding the historical background of the confession. There were a few reasons as to why it was written.
1. By the 1670s, copies of the First London Confession were running low on print, making them hard to get. Consequently, the Baptists felt it necessary to explain where they differ from other Christians, namely, the subject of baptism, and help their congregations stay true to the Gospel to which they have confessed. The Particular Baptists made note that they had studied the doctrines taught by the Westminster Confession of 1646 and wrote in the letter appended to the front of the 2nd London Confession that,
“We did readily conclude it best to retain the same order in our present confession: and also, when we observed those last mentioned did in their confession (for reasons which seemed of weight both to themselves and others) choose not only to express their minds in words concurrent with the former in sense, concerning all those articles wherein they agreed, but also for the most part without any variation of the terms we did in like manner conclude it best to follow their example in making use of the very same words with them both, in these articles (which are very many) wherein our faith and doctrine is the same as theirs, and this we did, the more abundantly, to manifest our consent with both, in all the fundamental articles of the Christian Religion, as also with many others, whose orthodox confessions have been published to the world; on behalf of the Protestants in divers Nations and Cities: and also to convince all, that we have no itch to clog Religion with new words, but do readily acquiesce in that form of sound words, which hath been, in consent with the holy Scriptures, used by others before us; hereby declaring before God, Angels & Men, our hearty agreement with them, in that wholesome Protestant Doctrine, which with so clear evidence of Scripture they have asserted.”
- Benjamin Coxe, Appendix to the Confession
The goal of the Particular Baptists was not to plagiarize or steal from the earlier confessions. But rather, they intended to publish their beliefs in agreement with the Reformed confessions which preceded theirs, of course, with some exceptions. They wanted the 2nd London Confession recognized as a Reformed confession and acknowledged as a biblically sound document.
2. Another reason worth noting was the need to refute the hyper-Calvinism spreading across the West of England. It was necessary to emphasize that the elect are not personally justified until the work of the Spirit is applied to them.
3. One of the more influential reasons for needing a new confession was Thomas Collier. He was a Particular Baptist evangelist in West England who was a man of much respect in his younger years. He served as a chaplain, pastor, evangelist, church planter, and associational leader in the West. From the 1640s all the way to the 1670s, he slowly abandoned all his Particular Baptist beliefs and adopted serious heresies that he eventually published into a book. In 1674, he published “A Body of Divinity”. It’s a long title, but the text refers to itself as a confession of faith, which alarmed the Particular Baptists. Two years later, he published another called “An Additional Word to the Body of Divinity”. The doctrines contained in these books placed Collier outside of Protestant orthodoxy. He now denied original sin. He believed that God dwells in eternal habitations. He held that Christ died for the entire universe and that salvation was achievable apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. He had a heretical Christology, believing that Christ as the Son of God is a creature and is only to be considered the Son of God as He is in His humanity and divinity. This put the Particular Baptists in a rough spot. Thomas Collier was heavily involved in the work and ministry of the 17th century of the Particular Baptists. For him to apostatize and then publish, his newfound heresies made it even more crucial for the Baptists to uphold their reputation and keep themselves in good standing with the Reformed brethren and with others surrounding them. Two results sprung from the issue. One was the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith written in 1677, and the other was a book titled “Vindiciae Veritatis”, published by a theologian named Nehemiah Coxe. The book served as a direct confutation of Collier’s errors, while our confession gives a broader insight into beliefs held by confessional Baptists.
What are the theological beliefs taught in the confession?
The Confession contains 32 chapters. It addresses various theological topics such as the infallibility of Scripture, predestination, impassibility, simplicity, trinitarianism, eschatology, and much more. As confessional Baptists, it is of great importance that we hold to these doctrines. A proper understanding of the infallibility of Scripture, God’s trinitarian nature, the doctrine of God’s decree, and the broad topic of theology helps us shape our understanding of who God is as He has revealed to us in His Word. These were the beliefs held by the Particular Baptists of the 17th century, which they incorporated into the confession.
The confession lays out the Word's certainty, reliability, and inerrancy. It confesses the trinitarian nature of God. That God is one being and yet in 3 persons or subsistences, all being co-equal and co-eternal with one another, equal in power and glory with one another. The confession also lays out the divine simplicity of God, which teaches that God is “without parts”. This means that God is not comprised of any material outside of Himself. He is one in Himself and is self-sufficient, independent, and perfectly glorified in Himself. The document likewise confesses God’s impassibility. This is to say that God is not affected or moved by His creatures. The line in the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness expresses this well, “There is no shadow of turning with Thee”. God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.” He is faithful to His people without change. We have great comfort in this. After addressing the nature of God and the divine decree of God, the confession addresses creation, divine providence, and the fall of man.
Each of these topics is important in its own way. The writers were clear that creation was made “Ex Nihilo”, to say out of nothing. They were clear that creation was in 6 days and all “very good” and that creation points all creatures under Heaven to God. In the chapter on Divine Providence, they carefully addressed various aspects, such as the problem of evil and God’s will for the wicked, amongst other things. The next chapter on the fall addresses original sin and ordinary generation. This was particularly important for the Baptists to address, mainly due to the Socinians. They denied original sin and held that God deals with each person individually. The Baptists make it clear in the confession that Adam served as our federal head and that we all fell in him by his transgression. Every creature, infant or otherwise, is guilty before God unless the Lord Jesus saves them.
The confession further lays out the Particular Baptist views of free will, God’s covenant, and the “golden chain”, referring to effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification in chapters 10-13. It also contains theological insight on the sabbath, the law of God, ecclesiology, the sacraments, eschatology, and more. It is a beneficial, helpful, and biblical document worth reading and confessing.
The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith remains to be held by many Reformed Baptists today. It is the standard by which we consider ourselves to be Confessional Baptists. A blessing from this is the association of churches who all mutually hold to this confession. What a blessing it is to be surrounded by brothers and sisters in the Lord who hold dearly to the doctrines of the Reformed confessions of faith. May the Lord be glorified in the work of His church.
Soli Deo Gloria!