-
Article 16 – The Constitution Of The Church
Articles Of The Faith And Order Of A Primitive Or Strict And Particular Baptist Church Of The Lord Jesus Christ, Based On The Declaration Of Faith And Practice Of John Gill, D. D., 1720 XVI. The Constitution of a Church. We believe that a Church is an independent and organised body of spiritual men and women[1] who have been baptised and are agreed upon the essential truths and ordinances of the Gospel,[2] and have voluntarily given themselves to the Lord and to each other, for their common benefit and the glory of God;[3] and that it is subject (in all spiritual matters) to no authority save that of the Lord as made known in His holy word.[4] ------------------------------- [1] Acts 15:41,42; 18:22; Rom 16:16; 1…
-
Chapter 15—On Communion, Answering The Charge Of Discrimation
Mr. Bridgman: "Are the elect, redeemed, and regenerated of the Lord, to be kept from, or thrust back if they approach the Lord's table, because they have not been immersed in cold water—although, as the elect, their names are in the Lamb's book above." My Reply: 1. The Lamb's book above is no rule for our conduct in the church below, but the revealed and written will of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, given under heaven. 2. Neither election, redemption, nor regeneration, constitute any perceptive law of institutions, or of order in the church; but the word of the God of all such grace. We are to be neither law-makers for the wicked, nor breakers of divine law for the saints.…
-
Chapter 14—On Communion, Answering The Charge Of Exclusivity
Mr. Bridgman: "I would ask that minister in all seriousness, Have you and your denomination exclusively the keys of the Church of Christ." My Reply: In reply to this we say no; nor do we ever pretend to any such thing, "We are but servants, and our great Master's word and the example of his first servants on his New Testament establishment, is our law, rule, and only authority of order and of action. We lock nothing up that the scriptures have not locked up, and we have got no keys to unlock what the word of God does not unlock, if you have. If that word be no law to you it is to us; and you have, for all what you have written…
-
Chapter 13—On Communion, Answering The Charge Of Inconsistency
Mr. Bridgman: "That your sect goes too far, much too far, or to be thoroughly consistent with a bad principle, not far enough." My Reply: 1. We go too far for you and for your opinion it seems, and too far for the confederating, accommodating, faithless, fleshly spirit of the age; and consequently too far for our own carnal interest, but not far enough to establish a bad principle, and so not too far for the word of God, and not far enough for you to condemn us, except by your own opinion. This is just were we wish to be, out-running all supineness in regard to the sacred text as our only standard and our rule, without going into extravagance by any unhallowed constructions…
-
Closed Communion
What is a Strict Baptist? These articles are about the historically, and more importantly, scripturally authentic church practice known as Closed Communion. The practice is also known as ‘Restricted Communion’, and it is from the word ‘restricted’ that ‘Strict Baptist’ churches take their title. Although the casual or unsaved visitor to a Strict Baptist church may indeed find the congregation rather stern, dull or strange at first meeting, the designation ‘strict’ has nothing to do with any such behaviour or dress code which might exist in such a church. Rather, it refers specifically and solely to the scripturally prescribed practice of restricting participation in the communion service to a specifically limited subset of the population. Neither does ‘Strict Baptist’ refer to a denomination, as does,…
-
Chapter 12—On Communion, Answering The Charge Of Extremism
Mr. Bridgman: "In this matter I have always been of opinion that your sect goes too far, much too far, or else to be thoroughly consistent with a bad principle, not far enough." My Reply: 1. You are not the first person that has had a bad opinion of our sect; for a great long while ago, it was hated of all men, even of brothers too, for Christ's sake; Mat 10:22; it was everywhere spoken against, Acts 28:22. and made as the filth of the earth, and the off scouring of all things unto this day. 1 Cor. 4:13. And it has been the opinion of many religious folk, that service has been done to God when we have been cast out of the…
