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   Many contemporaries have a deep―seated suspicion of catechisms. In our own Baptist denomination, many would consider the words "Baptist catechism" as mutually exclusive. A popular misconception is that catechisms are used in times and places where inadequate views of conversion predominate or the fires of evangelism have long since turned to white ash. If the Bible is preached, they continue, no catechism is necessary; catechisms tend to produce mere intellectual assent where true heart religion is absent. This concern reflects a healthy interest for the experiential side of true Christianity. Concern for conversion and fervor, however, should never diminish one's commitment to the individual truths of Christianity nor the necessity of teaching them in a full and coherent manner.―An Encouragement to Use Catechisms, Tom Nettles

Charles Spurgeon | The Reformed ReaderI am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly's and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation.  Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.―C. H. Spurgeon


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"There never was a man in the world without a creed. What is a creed? A creed is what you believe. What is a confession? It is a declaration of what you believe. That declaration may be oral or it may be committed to writing, but the creed is there either expressed or implied."―B.H. Carroll

ANABAPTIST CONFESSIONS OF FAITH

  • WALDENSES CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1120 and 1544

  • THE SCHLEITHEIM CONFESSION, 1527

  • DISCIPLINE OF THE CHURCH, 1527

  • RIDEMANN'S RECHENSCHAFT, 1540

  • THE DORDRECHT CONFESSION, 1632

  • A DECLARATION OF SEVERAL PEOPLE CALLED ANABAPTISTS, 1659

ENGLISH BAPTIST-SEPARATIST CONFESSIONS

  • A TRUE CONFESSION, 1596

  • SHORT CONFESSION OF FAITH IN XX ARTICLES, 1609

  • A SHORT CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1610

  • A DECLARATION OF FAITH OF ENGLISH PEOPLE REMAINING AT AMSTERDAM, 1611

  • PROPOSITIONS AND CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, 1612-1614

EARLY ENGLISH BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONAL CONFESSIONS

  • JOHN SPILSBURY AND HIS CONFESSION

  • THE FIRST LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1644
        CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
            ENGLISH
            SPANISH

  • THE FIRST LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1646 Edition

  • AN APPENDIX TO A CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1646, Benjamin Cox (Coxe)

  • THE FAITH AND PRACTISE OF THIRTY CONGREGATIONS, 1651

  • THE TRUE GOSPEL-FAITH DECLARED ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, 1654

  • THE MIDLAND CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1655

  • THE SOMERSET CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1656

  • CARTER LANE DECLARATION OF FAITH, 1757

  • JOHN GILL'S DECLARATION OF FAITH, 1757

ENGLISH BAPTIST GENERAL CONFESSIONS

  • THE STANDARD CONFESSION, 1660

  • THE ASSEMBLY or SECOND LONDON CONFESSION, 1677 AND 1688, approved 1689
    WITH SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
        CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
           
    ENGLISH
            FRENCH
            SPANISH
            GERMAN
    ©
            RUSSIAN
    ©
            UKRAINIAN
    ©
            CHINESE [Chinese Traditional (Big5)]
            PHILIPINO
            ITALIAN
            MALTESE
    ©
            CROATIAN
    ©

  • A SHORT CONFESSION OR A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF FAITH, 1691

  • THE COALHEAVER'S CONFESSION, 1745

  • ARTICLES OF RELIGION OF THE NEW CONNEXION, 1770

  • THE GOATYARD DECLARATION OF FAITH, 1792

 

AMERICAN BAPTIST CONFESSIONS

  • THE PHILADELPHIA CONFESSION, 1742

  • THE SANDY CREEK CONFESSION, 1758

  • THE NEW HAMPSHIRE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH, 1833
        CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
            ENGLISH
            SPANISH

  • TREATISE ON THE FAITH AND PRACTICE OF THE FREE WILL BAPTISTS, 1834 AND 1948

  • THE ABSTRACT OF PRINCIPLES, 1858
       
    CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
            ENGLISH
            FRENCH
            SPANISH
            GERMAN
            ITALIAN
    ARTICLES OF FAITH PUT FORTH BY THE BAPTIST BIBLE UNION OF AMERICA, 1923

  • BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE, 1925
        CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
            ENGLISH
            SPANISH

  • BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE, 1963
        Report of Committee on Baptist Faith and Message, May 9, 1963
        Report of the Presidential Theological Study Committee, June, 1994
        Report of Committee on Baptist Faith and Message, June 9, 1998
        1963 and 2000 Amendment Comparisons
            CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
                ENGLISH
                SPANISH

  • CAMBRIDGE DECLARATION, 1998

GENERAL BAPTIST CONFESSIONS

  • LIBERTY ASSOCIATION ARTICLES OF FAITH (1824)

  • GENERAL ASSOCIATION ARTICLES OF FAITH (1870)

  • GENERAL ASSOCIATION ARTICLES OF FAITH (1949)

  • A SHORT CONFESSION OF FAITH, IN TWENTY ARTICLES, JOHN SMYTH

BAPTIST CATECHISMS

  • A CATECHISM FOR BABES, OR LITTLE ONES, 1652

  • A SHORT CATECHISM ABOUT BAPTISM, 1659

  • INSTRUCTION FOR THE IGNORANT, BUNYAN'S CATECHISM, 1675

  • BENJAMIN KEACH'S CATECHISM, 1677

  • THE ORTHODOX CATECHISM, 1680

  • A CATECHISM FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

  • A CATECHISM OR INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

  • THE PHILADELPHIA BAPTIST CATECHISM

  • THE BAPTIST CATECHISM, CHARLESTON ASSOCIATION CATECHISM, 1813
    CURRENT TRANSLATIONS:
             ENGLISH
             SPANISH

  • THE BAPTIST SCRIPTURAL CATECHISM, 1850

  • A PURITAN CATECHISM, 1855

  • A CATECHISM FOR LITTLE CHILDREN, 1864

  • COMPEND OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES HELD BY BAPTISTS:  IN CATECHISM, 186

  • A CATECHISM OF BIBLE TEACHING, 1892

  • A BRIEF CATECHISM OF BIBLE DOCTRINE

WALDENSES CATECHISM

  • A CATECHISM OF THE SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

GADSBY'S CATECHISM

  • A CATECHISM TO VINDICATE FALSE ACCUSATIONS THAT GADSBY DID NOT PREACH THE GOSPEL

CONFESSIONS OF OTHER NATIONALITIES

  • GEST?DNIS VON GLAUBEN DES B?DNISSES VON EVANGELISCH-FREECHURCH GEMEINDEN, DEUTSCHLAND, 1944,
    [CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE ALLIANCE OF EVANGELICAL-FREECHURCH CONGREGATIONS, GERMANY, 1944]

  • Bek?nelsen OM TRON Om SVENSK D?aren, 1861
    [THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE SWEDISH BAPTISTS, 1861]

  • CONFESSION ET FOI ET PRINCIPES ECCLESSIASTICAL DE L'ASSOCIATION ?ANG?IQUE D'?LISES BAPTISTES FRANCOPHONES, 1879 ET 1924
    [CONFESSION AND FAITH AND ECCLESSIASTICAL PRINCIPLES OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION OF FRENCH-SPEAKING BAPTIST CHURCHES, 1879 AND 1924]


HARMONY OF CALVINISTIC BAPTIST CONFESSIONS OF FAITH

  • First London Baptist Confession of Faith (1644/1646)

  • Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689)

  • New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833/1853)

  • Abstract of Principles (1859)

  • Baptist Faith and Message (1925)

These five historic Calvinistic Baptist Confessions of Faith are considered to be in essential harmony and all agree on Calvinistic soteriology. Although it is true that the New Hampshire Confession of 1833 and the Statement on Baptist Faith and Message of 1925 could be accused of containing only a diluted form of Calvinism, all the basic tenets of Calvinism strictly considered are present. The difference perhaps, is that you must look for Calvinism in these two confessions, rather than be confronted by it. Historically these two confessions have been used by many churches which are not Calvinistic, or which may only hold to "eternal security."

 

THE FIRST LONDON CONFESSIONS OF FAITH

In Parallel Forms with Supporting Documents Being the Editions of 1644, 1646, 1651 and 1652.


Reviews by many prominent Baptist and non-Baptist scholars:

Some Early Baptist Confessions of Faith Explicitly Disowned the "Openness" View
by John Piper

An Encouragement to Use Catechisms
Part 1, Thomas J. Nettles (Founders On-Line)

An Encouragement to Use Catechisms
Part 2, Thomas J. Nettles (Founders On-Line)

An Encouragement to Use Catechisms
Part 3, Thomas J. Nettles (Founders On-Line)

Missions and Creeds
Part 1, Thomas J. Nettles (Founders On-Line)

Missions and Creeds
Part 2, Thomas J. Nettles (Founders On-Line)

What is Catechism
by Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583)

Biblical and Pastoral Basis for Confessions and Creeds
by Robert S. Rayburn  "Premise" Volume III, Number 3 / March 29, 1996

Are Creeds Appropriate for Bible Believing Baptists?
by Thomas J. Nettles

The Need To Recover the Practise of Catechism
by Kim Riddlebarger

The Legitimacy and Function of Creeds
by Dean Allen/Mark Sarver

Confessing the Faith in 1644 and 1689
The 1689 Confession in America
by James M. Renihan

Seventeenth Century Reformed Confessional Theology on the Natural Law and the Decalogue
by Richard Barcellos

Baptists, the Bible and Confessions, The Need for Statements of Faith
by Gregory A. Wills

 

BOOK REVIEW

Baptist Confessions, Covenants, and Catechisms,
Edited by Timothy and Denise George

Why Creeds and Confessions?
By Jay Rogers

 

 
 
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