Thoughts on the Second London Baptist Confession
Introduction to the
Second London Baptist Confession
Part 1
By Brian Pendleton
Read the Introduction the 2LBC
The Second London Baptist Confession (2LBC) is not God-breathed. Period. The only writings that ever have been breathed out by God is the 66 books of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). While I don’t believe anyone in our churches believes that the Confession is inspired by God, and am personally unaware of anyone who believes this, it is always good to have the friendly reminder that the Confession is not Scripture. Even though the Confession is not God-breathed, however, it is a fruit of the Spirit’s illumination.
Christ has been giving gifts to His church in the form of pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-13) for the past 2,000 years. These pastors and teachers have at times created creeds and confessions in the midst of controversy to clarify the teachings of Scripture and confirm ‘the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.’ So why was the 2LBC formed?
One reason the 2LBCF was formulated was to show commonality and orthodoxy. From the introduction of the confession we read, “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 the behalf of the protestants in diverse nations and cities; and also to convince all that we have no itch to clog religion with new words, but to 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, and men, our hearty agreement with them, in that wholesome protestant doctrine, which, with so clear evidence of scriptures they have asserted.” Similarly in the appendix we read, “Whosoever reads, and impartially considers what we have in our forgoing confession declared, may readily perceive, that we do not only consent with all other true Christians on the Word of God (revealed in the Scriptures of truth) as the foundation and rule of our faith and worship, but that we have also industriously endeavoured to manifest, That in the fundamental Articles of Christianity we mind the same things, and have therefore expressed our belief in the same words, that have on the like occasion been spoken by other societies of Christians before us.”
Another reason for the 2LBCF was to show their distinctives from their Reformed paedobaptist brethren. “In those things wherein we differ from others we have expressed ourselves with all candor and plainness, that none might entertain jealousy of aught secretly lodged in our breasts that we would not the world should be acquainted with; yet we hope we have also observed those rules of modesty and humility as will render our freedom in this respect inoffensive, even to those whose sentiments are different from ours.”
Third, the 2LBCF was formed to distance Particular Baptists from the Anabaptists. “This we have done, that those who are desirous to know the principles of Religion which we hold and practise, may take an estimate from our selves (who jointly concur in this work) and may not be misguided, either by undue reports; or by the ignorance or errors of particular persons, who going under the same name with our selves, may give an occasion of scandalizing the truth we profess.”
To Be Continued…