The Four Cs of Doctrinal History — Part 13: The 2nd London Baptist Confession

With the spread of the Reformation throughout Europe and the subsequent beginnings of Protestantism, came the birth of various denominations within Protestantism, along with their own Creeds and Confessions. From the teachings of Martin Luther came those who were called Lutherans, mostly in Germany (The Augsburg Confession of 1530). Conrad Grebel and Felix Mantz, former followers of Ulricht Zwingli, began what became known as the Anabaptist movement (The Dordrecht Confession of 1632). Henry VIII of England essentially began the Anglican Church in defiance against the Roman Catholic Pope (The 39 Articles of Faith of 1571). John Knox began as an Anglican but pulled away from its teaching and began what would be called the Scottish Presbyterian Church (The Westminster Confession of 1646).

This article seeks to highlight the beginnings of the Baptist movement, and its primary Confession of faith.

Theories of Baptist Origins

There are a differing views regarding the beginnings of the Baptist denomination.

1. One view is called the Organic Successionist View. This is the belief that the Baptist Church can be traced organically all the way back to John the Baptist. They went by different names throughout the centuries until the term “Baptist” became the prominent term for them in the 17^th Landmark Baptists essentially hold this view today, though there is no way to prove the theory’s historical reality and accuracy.
2. A second view is called the Succession of Principles View, which believes that the principles of Baptist beliefs have been around since the first century. Charles Spurgeon held this position, but again it is very difficult to trace.
3. A third view is called the Anabaptist Kinship View. Because of some similarities of belief, some hold that the Baptist church came from the Anabaptist church. And while they hold a similar view of baptism after conversion, they have sought to distinguish themselves from one another.
4. A fourth view is called the English Separatist View, stating that the Baptist denomination came out of the British Puritan Separatist Movement of the 1600s. This view seems the most reasonable.

Two Branches of Baptists

The General Baptists essentially held to a general or unlimited view of Christ’s atonement (i.e. Christ died for all men, not just the elect). John Smyth began the first General Baptist Church in 1609 in the Netherlands. Thomas Helwys established the first Baptist church in England in 1612. By 1644 there were 47 General Baptist Churches in London.

The Particular Baptists were those who held to a particular or limited view of the atonement (i.e. Christ died only for the elect). The first Particular Baptist Church in England was started by John Spilsbury in 1638. By 1644 there were seven Particular Baptist Churches in London.

The General Baptists produced a confession of faith in 1660 called The Standard Confession. It affirmed a universality of Christ’s atonement, though it recognized that God elects some to salvation based on God’s grace alone.

However, the confessions produced by the Particular Baptists became more influential in Baptist life.

The First London Baptist Confession of 1644

In 1644 the seven Particular Baptist Churches in London met and produced the London Baptist Confession. Its purposes were to 1) articulate their own beliefs, 2) distinguish themselves from the Anabaptists and General Baptists, and 3) provide a basis of fellowship. It was the first major confession to assert immersion as the only proper mode of baptism for believers

As more persecution arose from the Anglicans and Puritans, the Particular Baptists desired to be more united with the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists (also descended from the Puritans) to validate their place as a denomination.

The Second London Baptist Confession

In 1658 the Congregationalists took the Westminster Confession and modified it for themselves, calling it The Savoy Declaration. The Particular Baptists followed a similar path. William Collins revised the Westminster to fit Particular Baptist beliefs. This was adopted in 1677. It was later revised and reissued in 1688, but then more formally and widely accepted in 1689 at their first Baptist General Assembly and is known as the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 (2LBC).

The introduction of the 2LBC states their agreement with the Presbyterians and Congregationalists in the Protestant doctrines. The body of 2LBC is similar to that of the Westminster Confession, albeit with Particular Baptist modifications. It affirms things like limited atonement and the need for God’s effectual calling. It removes the sacramental language that was prevalent in the Westminster Confession. It also emphasizes baptism by immersion of already converted people while at the same time rejecting the notion of infant baptism.

The Second London Baptist Confession has remained a highly significant Baptist document in two ways. One, it became a model for subsequent Baptist Confessions including Benjamin Keach’s Confession of 1697, the Philadelphia Confession of 1742 and it influenced the New Hampshire Baptist Confession of 1833. Two, it has been used as a teaching tool for educating believers in the Baptist faith ever since it was written.

Though it is not the only accepted Baptist Confession today, it remains a highly respected by many within the broader Baptist Church.

Previously in this series:

•  Introducing the Four “C’s” of Doctrinal History
• The Origins, Division, and Authority of the Four C’s of Doctrinal History
• The Four C’s Part 3 – The Apostles’ Creed
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History: Part 4 – The Nicene Creed
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History: Part 5 – The Chalcedonian Definition
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History Part 6 – The Athanasian Creed
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History – Part 7: Luther and His Catechism
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History – Part 8: The Lutheran Augsburg Confession
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History – Part 9: Early Protestant National Confessions
• The Four C’s of Doctrinal History – Part 10: Anglicanism and the 39 Articles of Religion
• The Four Cs of Doctrinal History: Part 11 – Anabaptists and the Dordrecht Confession
• The Four Cs of Doctrinal History – Part 12: The Westminster Confession

---

Taigen Joos is the pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Dover, NH.