Sample First London Confession of Faith

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The First London Baptist Confession of Faith Mr. Cox[e], who likely was involved in the confession’s revisions, felt it necessary to provide “a more full Declaration of the Faith and Judgment of Baptized Believers” 19 to avoid future misunderstandings and further substantiate their orthodoxy. In following years, the confession would undergo several more editions that contained slight corrections, none of which resulted in significant alterations. The third edition would be published in 1651 and a fourth in 1652. These later editions added a tract entitled “Heart Bleedings for Professors’ Abominations” which has been included in this republication. A fifth edition is recorded as being printed in 1653 by a church “usually meeting at Leith and Edinburgh” 20 who were Particular Baptist minister and is recorded as having engaged Richard Baxter in a public debate regarding infant baptism. Afterward Cox was imprisoned for his beliefs. See Thomas Crosby, History of the English Baptists (Lafayette, TN: Church History Research and Archives, 1978 facsimile reprint) 1:220-221. 19 Subtitle to Cox’s Appendix. 20 John Rippon, The Baptist Annual Register, 1794-7 (London: I.R., 1794) 361. xvi
Publisher’s Introduction insisting upon their unity, in faith and order, with the London churches. 21 Approaching the end of the English Civil Wars (c.1642-51), the Particular Baptist churches along with other non-conformists enjoyed limited religious freedoms. Such welcomed toleration would continue to increase under Oliver Cromwell’s tenure as Lord Protector of England (1653-58). Subsequently, their churches began to multiply and appear throughout the land. In fact, “An association, or general assembly, of the churches in Somersetshire and adjacent counties, was in consequence formed.” 22 It would be during this favorable providence under Cromwell, that the First London Confession of Faith would further gain for these early Calvinistic Baptists a distinctive 21 Rippon, 361. 22 E.B. Underhill, p. xi; B.R. White, “The Organisation of the Particular Baptists 1644-1660” Journal of Ecclesiastical History 27, no. 2 (1966): 209 demonstrates “General Meetings” being held as early as 1650. xvii
Page 1 and 2: The First London Baptist Confession
Page 3: Published in honor of: Terry Woleve
Page 25 and 26: EPISTLE DEDICATORY (1646) To the Ri
Page 27 and 28: PREFACE (1646) To the judicious and
Page 29 and 30: Preface (1646) Our Lord Jesus was a
Page 31 and 32: Preface (1646) disturbed the public
Page 33 and 34: Preface (1646) be put out of the sy
Page 35 and 36: Preface (1646) cannot prove the thi
Page 37 and 38: Preface (1646) show their error, an
Page 41: A CONFESSION OF FAITH Of Seven Cong
Page 44 and 45: First London Baptist Confession of
Page 53 and 54: Appendix B: Heart Bleedings for Pro
Page 55 and 56: SCRIPTURE INDEX Keynotes: Appx.=App

Sample First London Confession of Faith

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