BAPTIST CONFESSIONS OF FAITH

By

W. J. McGLOTHLIN, Ph. D., D. D.

Professor of Church History in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Author of

“A Guide to the Study of Church History,” etc.

“Die warhayt ist untödtlich.”—Hubmaier

philadelphia

AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY

toronto, can.

Copyright 1911 by

A. J. ROWLAND, Secretary

Published March, 1911

PREFACE

An effort has been made to bring together in the following pages the most important statements of doctrine put forth by the various bodies of Baptists scattered throughout the world. Material was in hand to make the volume more complete, but the limits of space forbade the incorporation of a few Confessions and catechisms which might have been expected. It is believed, however, that no Confession of much importance which had any large circulation in any language has been omitted. The volume presents all the material necessary to acquaint one with the doctrinal position of the Baptists throughout the world, and makes an impressive presentation of their substantial unity, with some exceptions, on the more important points of our religion. It is also noteworthy that doctrinal differences have been melting away until there is probably a greater measure of agreement at present than ever before.

Special thanks for valuable assistance are due to the management of Colgate Library, Hamilton, N. Y., which contains the best collection of the sources of Baptist history which can be found in this country; to Rev. W. T. Whitley, D. D., Preston, England; to Rev. Claus Peters, Hamburg, Germany; to Rev. C. E. Benander, Stockholm, Sweden; to Rev. H. Andru, Compiègne, France; and to others who have in one way or another aided in the discovery of material or the gathering of information. Some details as to editions of some of the English Confessions have been gleaned from the unpublished work of the late John Taylor, of Northampton, on “European Confessions of Faith.” In the case of the English Confessions whose original editions could be found the effort has been made to reproduce the text as nearly as possible exactly, in all its inconsistencies of spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc. The desire has been to let the reader see the Confession as it first appeared to the world. It would be vain to hope that the work is wholly without mistakes where the reproduction of such a mass of details is involved; but no labor has been spared in an effort to make it as accurate as possible. The translations, except that from the Swedish, are by the author.

W. J. McGlothlin.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,

Louisville, Ky., October, 1910.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

PART ONE

The Anabaptists, 1–23

Earliest Anabaptist Articles, 2–9

Other Articles from Bern, 9–13

Peter Riedemann’s Rechenschaft, 13–18

Appeal to the Lords of Lichtenstein, 18–23

PART TWO

The Mennonites, 24–49

Earliest Confession, Circa 1580, 24–25

A Brief Confession, etc., 26–48

Other Confessions, 48–49

PART THREE...