The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
Tagged: Creeds and Confessions Reformation Baptist
Historical Context
The Second London Baptist Confession was published anonymously in 1677 by Particular (Reformed) Baptist churches in England and was formally adopted at a London assembly in 1689, after the Toleration Act allowed its open publication. It follows the Westminster Confession closely in structure and wording, differing chiefly on baptism, which it restricts to professing believers by immersion, and on church government. It is a confessional standard of particular Baptist churches, not an ecumenical creed of the whole Church.
Use and Practice
Reformed Baptist churches use the Confession as their doctrinal standard for membership, ordination, and teaching. It is studied in catechism classes and adult instruction rather than recited in worship.
References
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
- Ligonier Ministries Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.
- Apostles' Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Nicene Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
Related Across the Site
- Baptist Heritage Library Library — An open-access digital archive of Baptist identity, mission, and practice, hosted on the Internet Archive with full-text search.
- Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives Library — Digital resources of the Southern Baptist Convention: annuals, biographies, newspapers, photographs, manuscripts, and periodicals.
- Apostles' Creed Prayer or Creed — The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- Thirty-Nine Articles Prayer or Creed — The Church of England's defining doctrinal articles, finalized in 1571 and printed in the Book of Common Prayer.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.