First Baptist Church of Boston

CONFESSION OF FAITH

PRESESENTED SEPTEMBER, 1665

TO THE

COLONY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY

COURT OF ASSISTANTS

The church being gathered mett with great opposition from the government of the place, upon which they drew up and delivered to the Court this confession as followeth to let the world know there faith & order proved from the word of God.

Wee believe with the heart & confess with the mouth that there is but (a) one god (b) Creator & governor of all things (c) distinguished into father, Son, & holy spirit (d) & that this is life eternall to know the only true god & Jesus Christ whom hee hath sent (a) Deut. 6:4: 1 tim. 2:5: Eph. 4:6: (b) gen. 1:1: hebs 11:3; (c) matt. 8:16: 1 John 5:7: (d) John 17:3: heb's 5:9: (d) & that the rule of this knowledge faith & obedience concerning the worship & service oF god & all other christian duties is the written word of god contained in the bookes of the old and new testaments (e) john 5:39: 2 tim 3:15: 16: 17: deut: 4:2: 5: 6: gen 6:22 exd 20:4: 5: 6: 7 39: 42: 43 1 chron: 28: 19; psalm; 119: ezra: 8: 19: 20: & 27: 13: gall: 1: 8: Rev 22:18: 19:  (f) wee believe Christ is the foundation laid by the father (g) of whom moses and the prophets wrote & the apostles preached (h) who is that great prophet whom wee are to heare in all things (i) who hath perfectly revealed out of the bossom of his father the whole word and will of god which his servants are to know believe and obey (f) gen 3:15: & 22: 18: (g) deut: 18:15: psal: 22: 6: 7: 12: & 17: (h) deut: 18: 15: acts 3: 22: 23: (i) john 1: 18: & 12: 29: & 15: 15 & 17: 18: matt: 17:5: 2 tim: 3: 15: 16: 17: (k) Christ his commission to his disciples is to teach & baptise (l) And those that gladly receive the word & are baptised are saints by calling & fitt mattter for a vissible church (m) And a competent number of such joyned together in covenant & fellowship of the gosple are a Church of Christ (k) matt: 28: 19: acts 9: 10: 18: & 10: 28: (l) acts 2: 41: (m) 1 cor 1: 1: 2: 4: 5: jer 50: 4: 5: psal: 50: 5: micha 4: 5: matt: 18: 15: 20: (o) wee believe that a church thus contituted are to walk in all the appointments of Christ (p) And have power from him to chuse from among themselves there owne oficers whom the gosple allowes to administer in the ordinances of Christ among them whom they may depute or ordaine to this end (o) matt 28: 20: (p) acts 14: 23 & 6: 3: 5: 6: Rom 12: 4: 8: acts 9: 10: 18 & 10: 47: 48: (q) And this church hath power to receive into there fellowship vissible believers (r) & if any prove scandelouse & wicked to put forth such from amongst them (s) when the church is mett together they may all propesie one by one that all may learne & all may be comforted (t) & they ought to meet together the first day of the weeke to attend upon the Lord in all his holy ordinances continuing in the Apostles doctrine & fellowship & breaking bread & praise (q) rom: 14: 1: & 16: 2: (r) matt 18: 7: 1 cor: 4: 5: (s) 1cor: 14: 23: 24: 25: 31: (t) acts 20: 7: 1 cor: 16: 2; acts 2: 42: (v) wee acknowlidge majestracy to bee an ordiance of god & to submit ourselves to them in the lord not becawse of wrath only but also for consience sake rom: 13: 1: 1 pet: 2: 13: 14: (w) thus wee desire to give unto god that which is gods & unto ceasere that which is ceaseres & to every man that which belongeth to them (x) endeavoring alwaise to have a cleare consience voide of offence towards god & towards men having hope in god that the resurrection of the dead bee of the just unto life & of the unjust unto condemnation everlasting (y) if any take this to bee heresie then doe wee with the apostles confess that after the way which they call heresie weee worship the father of our Lord Jesus Christ believing all things that are written in the law& in the prophets & in the psalms (w) matt: 22: 21: (x) acts: 24: 14: 15: 16: john 5: 28: (y) 2 tim: 1: 13: & 3: 14: 15: 16: 17: matt: 10:32.  This was delivered to a Court of Assistants on the . . .of the seventh month 1665.

above text transcribed from transcription printed in:

Nathan Eusebius Wood, The History of the First Baptist Church of Boston (American Baptist Publication Society, 1899), pp. 67-68