PRINCIPLES AND CUSTOMS OF THE
BAPTISTS:
A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE WITH
FOCUS ON BRAZIL
One of my early recollections is playing on the sand with other
neighborhood kids, and being called a protestant. I lifted up my head and
vehemently rehearsed what I had learned at church: “I’m not a Protestant, I’m a
Baptist.” The implied message was that the Protestants began with Luther and
Baptist history started in the first century.[1] This way to explain our past
was “my truth” about the Baptists, and I was proud of it. Another experience
took place years later, and it illustrates some of the arguments presented
here. My father was a pious pastor working as a missionary for the Brazilian
Home Mission Board. He worked in the interior and had a profound knowledge of
the Scriptures. I was still a young pastor, when my dear father visited me and
made the following observation: “This dangerous Pentecostal plague of clapping
hands while singing at church, is already reaching my missionary field.” Later
he went to the church I pastored in the Amazon valley, where joyful Christians
sang and gladly clapped their hands. I mention these two examples to show how,
when it comes to faith and practice, our teaching often differs from historical
accuracy and biblical truth. That takes place in churches, denominational
meetings, and even seminaries. We strongly defend liberty, but in reality
oppose it when we are intolerant of people who think differently or have
different practices from ours. Frequently our attitude reflects the Positivism
of August Comte, where everything can be explained and understood as if it were
a mathematical formula. In one occasion, I argued with God because the turn of
events did not seem to match “my math”– in fact I tried to understand God’s
will in my own limited mind. It was then that I concluded that my logic
contained only four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division); however, God is eternal and infinite, so we have to agree that
divine mathematics is more like “infinity plus infinity is infinity,” rather
than “two plus two is four.” We shall never understand the eternal and
the infinite, so we are free to explain things in different ways, without
adversely affecting the principles which identify us.
We may teach and
understand theology, but we shall never be able to teach or pass on our faith.
Faith is the product of experience, and though we try to explain it, words
cannot express the essence of our experience. No one can truly understand who I
am; my innermost identity cannot be known, even by those who are closest to me.
Anyone may be surprised, at times, with my words or actions. By the same token,
there is a Baptist identity which we try to explain, but as with other
experiential realities, we are limited in what we can actually teach and
convey. We cannot define who we are simply based on customs that always existed
in Christian churches, and throughout Baptist history, since the 17th
century.
The first Baptist lay pastor, Thomas Helwys was still in Holland, when
he decided return to England to announce to his fellow countrymen the truth he
had found. He knew he would be persecuted, since his unique group, which was
not Episcopalian, neither Presbyterian, neither Anabaptist-Mennonite, adopted
the principle of liberty of conscience, which he boldly declared in his book, A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity.[2]
Exclusiveness that hinders dialog and understanding with those who think
differently must be renounced and avoided, and that will not deny the fact that
we have our own distinctions that identify us as Baptists, though these
characteristics are still not easily understood or taught. However, our own
distinctive traits should not be confused with the essence of the biblical doctrine,
nor with customs that prevent detraction from primitive Christianity
ecclesiology, nor with “worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Many “formulas”
that we have learned about ourselves must be rethought, without removing the
remaining essence of who we are, which distinguishes us from Episcopalians,
Presbyterians, Pentecostals or Mennonites.
For a proper understanding of this discussion about Baptist principles
and customs, some preliminary remarks are in order: (1) we do not discuss
Baptist Doctrines, because we understand that doctrines are biblical (not
Baptist),[3]
and it is our interpretation of the Bible that leads us to take different
approaches or positions regarding these doctrines. If we characterize doctrines
of the Word of God as exclusive to our denomination, we would devalue all that
we have learned from Christ and the apostles. (2) What really distinguishes us
as a group is a set of universal principles; that is, for it to be a
distinctive principle, all Baptists, all over the world, must follow a given
principle. Some Baptists actually add other principles to this set, but these
additional principles are only characteristic of particular groups of Baptists,
in different localities, countries, or geographic regions. For instance, Brazilian
Baptists from the Brazilian Baptist Convention accept some principles that are
not universal, so we would not think of those rejecting these principles as
being from the Brazilian Baptist Convention, but rejecting those particular
principles does not preclude them from being Baptists. So we cannot affirm that
every Baptist ought to be Calvinist or Arminian, nor that they ought to accept
open or restricted communion, because from the beginning of our history there
were both Arminian and Calvinist Baptists, as well as defenders of both open
and restricted communion. (3) It is important to note that there is no
principle which is exclusive of the Baptists. Different denominations have included
in their principles one, two, or more so called Baptist principles. (4) The
Baptists are not identified through customs, but principles. From the beginning
some different groups of Baptists practiced several customs, including some
which are now perceived as being exclusive of the Pentecostal churches.
With these introductory remarks in mind, we divide this paper in four sections,
in addition to the conclusion: (1) Baptist principles; (2) theological and
ecclesiological positions of Baptists; (3) other Baptist practices; (4)
Evaluation of the Brazilian Baptists. In the Conclusion section, we make
fourteen assertions that we need to think through and reconsider.
As we mentioned above, Baptists are identified by universal principles,
not by those which are accepted only by specific groups, in a given region or
country. So we do not include theological positions as Baptist principles,
since some of them are tied to scatology or divers doctrinal emphases which
characterize specific groups, but not all the Baptists. Some examples of
positions mistaken for Baptist principles by many Baptist leaders include the
following: the restrict communion (not open), the universal atonement of Christ
(not predestination), and the perseverance of the saints (the saints do not
fall away from the grace of God). We must not take customs as principles,
including those which are often believed to be common in the Pentecostal
churches. Some of them were practiced by Baptists in the past, and are still
practiced by some Baptists today. Among them are the use of words like “hallelujah”
and “amen” during public worship, and the custom of raising hands while singing
or praying.
1.1 Evangelical or Reformation Principles
We cannot talk about Baptist principles without mention those which are
defended by all the Protestants, since the 16th century. We do not
recognize as Evangelical those groups who call themselves Evangelical, but they
do not accept some of the Reformation principles. Like all the denominations
which came from the Reform movement, the Baptists defend these three principles.
1.1.1 Justification by faith
– The first of these principles was identified by
Luther through the study of the Scriptures, when he lectured on Paul’s Letters
to the Romans and to the Galatians at the University of Wittenberg, between
1515 and 1517.[4] He saw the
failure of the Roman Church, which put the Church at the center, and good works
at the same level as faith. We are saved by faith, and works are not the cause
but the effect of faith, practiced by the new creature in Christ. It is the sola fide, that is, justification by
faith alone.[5] Some
question the usage of the label “evangelical” for groups such as the Seventh
Day Adventists, who emphasize good works.
1.1.2 Authority of the
Scriptures – The second evangelical principle is the authority
of the Scriptures. Some people add that the Bible is the only rule of faith and
practice for all Christians. The foundation for this principle is in the Bible
itself, which shows in texts such as Acts 17:11, II Timothy 3:16 and II Peter
1:21, the importance of reading and searching God’s direction in the
Scriptures. The Roman Catholic position, however, is that the Bible can be
interpreted only by the clergy; while laymen are warned against reading the
Bible. Nonetheless, the fathers of the Church writings, which the Roman Church,
in the Council of Trent, put on equal footing as Scriptures as a source of
truth,[6]
admonish both clergy and laymen to read the Bible. So Irenaeus leads the people
to feed themselves from the Scriptures; Clement and Tertullian say that the
couple should read the Bible together; Origen teaches that the Christian must
read the Bible at least one or two hours daily, adding that sometimes the
laymen are better interpreters than the clergymen. Eusebius asserts that laymen
and clergymen ought to read and to follow the Bible, because it is a book of
discipline. We turn our attention to Luther again, who criticizes the Roman
Church for putting the authority of the Bible at the same level as tradition.
Many of the traditional writings may be valuable, but we cannot compare them
with the books from the Christian canon, written in the first century. The Reformation
churches discard the apocryphal books as well, which were officially included
as deuteron-canonic by the Council of Trent, but received the same value of the
proto-canonic books. We as Evangelicals and Baptists, on the other hand, use
the characteristic term from the Protestant Reformation, sola scriptura.
1.1.3 Priesthood of all
believers – This principle was a backlash to the
development of a hierarchy, starting in the second century, when the
Presbyters’ Counsel took the place of the apostles. Little by little the local
bishop became the administrator of the churches in the region, and later some
of them claimed universal jurisdiction over them. In strife against heresy,
mainly the Gnosticism, Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus overemphasized the
authority of the bishops. Then Irenaeus’ idea of apostolic succession emerged,
being reinforced in the third century by Cyprian. Clericalism and sacerdotalism
took form, and Christians lost the right to be the people of God and to go
directly to God, because only the clergy represented the believers before God.
This “separation of clergy and laity and the tyranny of the former over the
latter”[7]
hindered fellowship with God and with the brethren. The authority of bishops in
big cities like Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Rome increased, and the
bishop of Rome eventually claimed catholic jurisdiction over the church, and
was seen in the Occidental world as the successor of Peter, representing Christ
on earth. This was the tradition developed since Ireneaus in the second century.
The priesthood of all believers was defended by the dissident groups in the
Middle Age, including the Petrobrusians, Waldensees and the followers of Arnold
of Brescia. In the 16th century the principle was defended by
Anabaptists, and in the 17th century by the Baptists.
In summary, we believe that the Christians can go directly to God,
without a mediator from the church. So the Baptists reject the sacerdotal idea
that grants privilege to a special class which is seen as if it were an elite.
This principle is connected to the Protestant Reformation principle of free
research and free interpretation of the Scriptures. Luther tried to give the
Bible to the people when he translated it to the German language. Later, other
versions of the Bible were provided in different languages. When the Bible was
in the hands and in the mind of the people, the Roman Church felt threatened, and
pope Pius IX issued the famous document, Syllabus of Errors, in 1864, in which
Biblical Societies are deemed to be an evil or a “pest” to be condemned.[8]
According to the Baptists, every Christian is competent to read and to interpret
the Bible, without having to delegate this privilege to any institution or to a
priest.[9]
1.2 Universal Baptist principles
In this section, we discuss principles that have been common to Baptists,
since the first half of the 17th century. Even today, Baptists all
over the world accept these principles. Here we exclude principles that are
specific to certain groups or countries, such as Baptists from the Brazilian Baptist
Convention.
1.2.1 Baptism of believers
(regenerate) – The baptism of believers was the reason which
led John Smyth and Thomas Helwys to begin their church, which had become
Separatist in England and emigrated to Holland. Like the Anabaptists in the 16th
century, and the Mennonites in Amsterdam, Smyth, in 1609, was convinced through
his study of Scriptures that the baptism should only be ministered to those who
believe. So he immediately put in practice that view, as he intended to restore
the New Testament model for the church. In 1638, that very same position was
taken by John Spilsbury in a Separatist church in England, namely the Church of
Jacob, also known as JLJ Church.[10] He was convinced that baptism should be ministered only to those who
believe, and infant baptism should be rejected, so he led a friendly separation
from JLJ Church and formed a new group. The difference between this group and
Smyth’s is that the former adopted Calvinism, while the latter adopted
Arminianism. The acceptance of the general or the particular atonement of
Christ differentiated them, and kept them separate up to 1891, when they
combined to form the Baptist Union of Britain and Ireland.[11]
This principle has been enunciated when it was said that the church was
constituted of baptized believers. Scriptural basis is found in texts such as
John 3:5, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:41-42 and Romans 6:1-6. Some of the fathers of the
Church, including Justin, Tertulian and Athanasius, defended baptism only after
instruction or teaching, and confession of faith. The Council of Laodicea, in
267, ordered that all those admitted for the baptism should be able to repeat
the creed. The validity of the infant baptism was denied by Donatists,
Petrobrusians, Waldensees, Lollards and the Bohemian Brethren. Several groups,
before and after the beginning of our history, have also adopted baptism of
believers.
1.2.2 Congregational church
(local and autonomous) – The principle of local
and autonomous church is what many call “congregational church.” We believe
that since New Testament times this principle was practiced in the churches,
but the new moment for the congregationalism came in the 1580’s, when a man
from England, Robert Browne, published three treatises about congregationalism,[12] which were adopted by the English Separatists. Both the General and the
Particular Baptists maintained this principle as fundamental, defending that no
church, even the biggest ones, and no pastor or leader can meddle in the
affairs of another local church, which works as a democratic group. It is true
that centralization of denominational work has hurt this principle in some
ways, particularly when conventions, associations of churches, associations of
pastors, or other institutions act as if they were above the churches. The
church is composed of baptized believers, so it is a voluntary association of
persons who were regenerated through the Holy Spirit, and it is ruled by the
membership through democratic principles, rather than by a pastor or a priest.
1.2.3 Baptism by immersion – It is possible that some people reject the baptism by immersion as
being an universal principle of the Baptists, because at the beginning they
were baptized by pouring. However, early in the 1640’s, the Particular Baptists
became convinced that “baptism ought to be by dipping the body into the water,
resembling burial and rising again.”[13] So they sent Richard Blunt to be instructed by the Collegiants
Mennonites in Holland, where he was baptized by immersion. On his return to
England, Blunt baptized the teacher of the church and they baptized fifty-one
others. Since then, immersion became practiced by all the Particular Baptists
and soon after by all the General Baptists.[14] Today one cannot think about Baptists using sprinkling or pouring. We
do not accept other modes of baptism due to the etymology of the word, the
practice in the New Testament (Jn 3:23, Mt 3:16, Acts 8:38), and the symbolism
of the ordinance (Rom 6:3-6, Gal 3:27, Col 2:12).
1.2.4 Religious freedom – This principle has been one of the most costly to the Baptists
throughout their history. Scriptural basis is found in texts such as John 8:32,
Galatians 5:1, 13, James 1:25 and I Peter 2:16. From the beginning, the idea
was shun coercion in matters of faith; individuals should keep religion
according to their conscience. In modern times the first document presenting
the idea of religious freedom was written by the first Baptist leader, John
Smyth, in his Propositions and
Conclusions, which was sent by his followers to the Mennonites in 1612.
Since 1610 Smyth had requested affiliation to the Mennonites, but Thomas Helwys
with about 10 or 12 other Christians did not agree and remained Baptists. Also
in 1612, Helwys wrote the book A Short
Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity, considered to be the first
publication to defend the principle of religious freedom in modern times. In
fact, the initial struggle was against the religious persecution, and the
principle only matured and was further developed through the influence of other
Baptists, such as Leonard Busher, John Murton, Edward Barber, Thomas Collier,
William Dell and mainly Samuel Richardson, and Roger Williams.[15]
In spite of this principle, we do recognize that we are often intolerant of
others, who think differently from us, whether they be from within or from
without our own ranks. That is not surprising though, considering that we are
heirs of Thomas Helwys, who was against the use of sword for matters of
conscience and extended freedom of conscience to tyrants and Catholic
idolaters,[16] but was
intolerant when he declared that the Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Puritans, and
English Separatists would be punished with “a spiritual sword” for their mistakes.[17]
On the one hand, his equanimity was apparent when he said that even the king is
not responsible for anybody’s conscience, and he ought to let transgressors act
as heretics, without punishment by earthly power.[18] On the other hand, he appeared intolerant when he accused Smyth of sin
against the Holy Spirit; because he had fallen away, he deserved eternal
condemnation.[19] Helwys
views may seem to be inconsistent, but his intolerance reflected the times in
which he lived.[20] In any
case, liberty and democracy grew in England and in the United States, and one
of the shaping influences that helped these principles to take root were the
Baptists, who are considered champions of religious liberty, to this day.
1.2.5 Separation of church
and state – Closely related to the principle of religious
freedom is separation of church and state. Although Nicene Christianity had become
the official religion only under Theodosius I (379-395), since the time of
Constantine, the Emperor had adopted Christianity, and Christians were granted
special privileges. The official advantages granted to Christianity, along with
the Emperor’s role as pontifex maximus
of the state-sponsored religion, point to a strong connection between Church
and State.[21] Thereafter,
emperors reinforced the councils’ decrees against those who should be condemned
as heretics, both in the occidental and in the oriental world. Throughout the
Middle Ages, there was a power struggle between Church and State, wherein the
Church exerted dominance at times, but was under subjugation at other times.
The traditional reformers continued to practice union of church and state,
leading to the intolerance which was sadly a trait of Lutheran, Zwinglian,
Calvinistic, and Anglican reforms. Even when the persecuted dissidents from
England became Congregationalists and went to the New England, they persecuted
the Baptists and others who disagreed with their viewpoints. In the short span
of time when the Presbyterians were in power in England, there was great
religious intolerance. In the 16th century, only the Anabaptists
defended separation of church and state, and they were harassed by both
Catholics and Protestants for holding that view. Some groups, including the
Mennonites, went as far as discarding the participation of Christians in the
public affairs. In the 17th century, the Baptists disagreed with
this radical Mennonite position, but they still strived for separation of
church and state, asserting that church and state walk different roads. Their
view was that there may be cooperation between them, but never intervention or
interference of one on the other. Roger Williams, who is considered in the
United States the father of religious freedom, criticized the union between
church and state as incompatible with the regenerate church.[22]
The Baptist John Leland, was the one who most influenced Thomas Jefferson in
the contention for religious freedom and the condemnation of state religion,
which resulted in an amendment to the Constitution of the United States in
1791.[23]
From Helwys till today, Baptists defend that religion cannot be imposed, and
that Government ought to serve as a catalyst to promote mutual respect among
faiths, since it is not the State but the Holy Spirit, through the Christians,
who attracts sinners to Christ.
1.2.6 Symbolism of the
ordinances – the symbolism of scriptural ordinances was
gradually replaced by the idea of sacraments, which is a natural result the
sacerdotalism derived from pagan influence. To fight against the Gnostic
heresy, the authority of the Church concentrated in the hands of the bishops,
who were divinely authorized to administer baptism, which was considered
necessary for salvation. Justin wrote about baptismal regeneration and Irenaeus
attributes to the water, in the baptism, a saving divine power. In the third
century, Tertulian says that baptism is regeneration. However, it was Cyprian
who more developed the sacerdotal idea in the Church. The term “sacrament”
resembles Latin loyalty of the military oath, and it implies that physical
elements provide salvation and spiritual grace.[24]
This idea was largely developed in the Middle Ages. Some writers mentioned 12
sacraments, but in 1550, Peter Lombard talked about seven; in the 13th
century, this number was confirmed by Thomas of Aquinas, with emphasis on
baptism and the Lord’s Supper. This became the official position of the Church
of Rome. The reformers limited the number of sacraments to two or three. Ulrich
Zwingli was the first reformer to mention the symbolic character of the
elements in the Lord’s Supper, and that led to a controversy with Luther in the
Marburg Conference, in 1529.[25]
In general, the Anabaptists assimilated the Zwinglian position, and the
Separatists in England stayed with the Calvinistic position, adopting the
sacramental idea, though in a different way from Luther.
The Baptists used the term “sacrament” at the beginning, but truly
rejected the sacramental idea, defending the symbolism of the ordinances. In
fact, the Baptists avoided the use of the term “initiation” for baptism,
although this is the way new Christians are received in the churches as
members. Baptism serves as a public testimony of one’s new life in Christ; the
moment of immersion reminds us that the old man is dead and buried, while the
ensuing emersion points to the resurrection or new life in Christ, according to
Romans 6.3-l6. Similarly, the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the sacrifice of
Christ, who gave his body and shed his blood for the remission of sins. One of
the purposes for the Lord’s Supper, as described in I Corinthians 10.16, is to
bring Christians together in fellowship, or “communion,” and yet differences of
interpretation have led Christians to be divided over this matter. Baptists
agree that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper does not involve eating the
literal body nor drinking the literal blood of Christ – it is a memorial of
Jesus’ sacrifice, and an announcement of the Lord’s death until he comes (1Co
11.26). So baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not sacraments, but ordinances in
which Christians must participate, to remind them of their new life and the
sacrifice of Christ for their salvation.
1.2.7 Cooperative work – The independence or autonomy of each local church does not preclude cooperative
work, which is indispensable to the fulfillment of the “great commission.” From
the beginning Baptist churches did not act isolated, but they sought fellowship
with other churches which accepted the same principles. The inceptive cased
took place as early as 1624, when five churches of the General Baptists took
some public positions in concert, regarding oaths, magistrates, and military
work.[26]
Afterwards associations were organized by the General Baptists and by the
Particular Baptists, the former being more centralized. The name “association”
was used since 1655. Their aim was to use confessions of faith to oppose some
Government or other evangelical groups’ positions that they considered wrong.
In the United States it was not different: in 1707, five churches organized the
Philadelphia Association, which was followed by several others during the 18th
century. In 1800, there were 48 associations in the United States.[27]
It did not take long for assemblies and conventions (or unions) to be formed in
the United States and England. Fortunately, Baptists understood from the
beginning, that challenges of distance and limited resources can be met by cooperative
work.[28]
In Brazil, the Baptists from the Brazilian Baptist Convention[29]
followed the organizational model of the Southern Baptist Convention, but today
they are looking to a new structure, trying to adapt to Brazilian realities and
needs. We understand that some form of cooperation exists in all the Baptist
churches in the world. Models range from limited cooperation among Independent
Baptists (independence is relative), who may have fellowships or may work
together through independent mission boards, to the other groups which have
associations, State conventions, and national conventions. Conventions and
associations are used in Brazil, enabling small churches to be actively engaged
in missionary, social and educational activities.
1.3 Principles of the Brazilian Baptist Convention
In this section we refer to the principles that are accepted by the totality
of the churches of the Brazilian Baptist Convention, knowing that these also
subscribe to all the principles previously enunciated. Certainly, there must be
others that could be included, however, we shall maintain those that, in some
fashion, are contained in the Doctrinal
Statement of the Brazilian Baptist Convention,[30] or are implicit in the Statutes or in the intentions, or yet, in the
Statement of Purpose.
1.3.1 Security of the saved –
There is a general view in Brazil that Baptists are Arminians. The truth is
that security of the saved, or an “irresistible grace” is a strongly
Calvinistic principle of Agostinian origin,[31] negating the idea of “falling from grace” which, since the 17th
century has been accepted by many Baptists, including by Thomas Helwys. The
certainty of salvation is expressed vehemently not only by leaders, but also by
the simplest believer in Brazil. The Doctrinal
Statement of the Brazilian Baptist Convention which officially defines its
doctrinal interpretation since 1986, clearly states that “God, in the exercise
of his sovereign divinity and in the light of His foreknowledge of all things,
elected, called, predestinated, justified and glorified those who over the ages
would freely accept the gift of salvation.”[32] The text continues by affirming that this election is perfectly
consonant with the free will of each person and all men, and that salvation of
the believer is eternal. “No force or circumstance has the power to separate
the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” The Scriptural basis for
this statement is John 3:36, 10:28-29, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4-14, II
Thessalonians 2:13-14.
1.3.2 Universal atonement of Christ
– The second principle of Brazilian Baptist Convention differs from the
previous one, because it is characteristic of Arminianism. Contrary to the
position of the Particular Baptists who hold that Christ died only for the
elect, emphasis is placed in Christ’s redemptive work for all men, stemming
from the universal love of God, even though the redeemed will be only those who
believe on Christ, according to John 3:16 and John 3:36. This principle is
fundamental to the missionary ardor of Brazilian Baptists, propelling believers
to obey Jesus’ great commission, to go and make disciples in all nations (Mat
28:19-20).
1.3.3 Dwelling of the Holy Spirit in
the believer – The principle that the believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment he believes, or at the moment of his
new birth, is contrary to the position generally accepted by the Pentecostals,
which states the need for a second blessing, or that the baptism of the Holy
Spirit should be an experience after conversion of the believer. Landers wrote:
“For the Pentecostals, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second work of
grace, distinct from conversion, and which takes a believer to a superior
spiritual level.”[33] In fact, this item, and not certain practices to be mentioned further
on, is today the wedge dividing the Brazilian Baptist Convention and the
National Baptist Convention, better known as the “Spiritual Renewal” movement.[34] The Doctrinal Statement explains
the official position of the Brazilian Baptist Convention on this subject: “The
baptism in the Holy Spirit always occurs when sinners convert to Christ Jesus,
who integrates them to the Church, being regenerated by the Holy Spirit.”[35] Thus, the Christian, at conversion, has become the Holy Spirit’s
dwelling place. The Statement
affirms specifically that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. Biblical basis
is found in Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13 and, mainly, Romans 8:9-11.
1.3.4 Coherent Christian life
(Christian testimony) – The security of the saved does not lead them to a
licentious life, but to a productive one, with a Christian testimony which
draws a line between them and persons who do not have Christ in their hearts.
However, it remains clear: the simple fact that a Christian has the Holy Spirit
does not exempt him from sin. A Christian sins, but does not remain in sin, as
his nature is different. Sanctification is a process that lasts a lifetime,
during which the Christian seeks the moral and spiritual perfection of Jesus
Christ. The ideal is to reach the fullness of the Holy Spirit, but any new
experience the Christian may have, that leads him to produce more fruit for
God, does not place him on a pedestal above his brethren, nor guarantees that
he will always be at the summit in his spiritual life. There will be highs and
lows, although the ideal process would be progressive sanctification. Those
regenerated through Christ do not find pleasure in sin, confirming the Biblical
expression: “And by this we may be sure
that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 Jn 2:3).
1.3.5 Evangelization and missions – Brazilian
Baptists have a passion for missions and affirm that the Christian’s main task
is to evangelize the world. Therefore, it is the obligation of the churches
and, specifically of Christ’s disciples, to proclaim the gospel. Since the
responsibility of evangelization is to the ends of the world, the churches need
to promote missionary endeavors. Innumerous texts refer to the fulfillment of
this mission, such as Mathew 29:19-20, Luke 24:46-48, Acts 1:8, Romans 1:16,
10:13-15 and I Peter 2:9-10.
Here we present some items connected with doctrinal interpretation or
the customs adopted by Baptists in some of the most famous statements of faith.[36] Of course, we have chosen those items that are not included in the
universal principles and that today are questioned by many churches,
particularly in Brazil, with the false idea that some of the controversial
topics have always had a definite position for Baptist throughout their
history, and that to think differently is to renounce one’s Baptist identity.
2.1 Perseverance of the Saints
As this subject has been dealt with in previous sections, we shall not
consider here all affirmations – Arminian nor Calvinistic – of the first
confessions of faith. We shall only mention expressions of some of these
documents, demonstrating the opposite position expressed by those who defend
the point of view that a believer can fall from grace, and those who defend the
perseverance of believers.
Helwys, in his Declaration of
Faith,[37] published in 1611, leads us to understand in Article 4 that a man can
fall from grace, and affirms in Article 7 that a just man can abandon his justice
and perish:
That
men may fall from the grace off GOD, Heb. 12.15, and from the truth, which they
have received & acknowledged. […] And therefore let no man to thinke that because
he hath, or had once grace, therefore he shall alwaies have Grace: But […] iff
they continew vnto the ende, they shalbee saved.[38]
On their side, the Particular Baptists, in their so-called First London Confession,[39] in 1644, speak in Article 21 of “salvation and reconciliation onely for
the elect,”[40] and, in
article 23 affirm that “Those that have this pretious faith […] can never
finally nor totally fall away; and though many stormes and floods do arise and
beat against them, yet […] shall be kept by the power of God to salvation.”[41]
In Article 11, the Particular Baptist document known as The Somerset Confession,[42] dating 1656, expresses: “That those that are chosen of God, called and
justified, shall never finally fall from him, but being born from above are
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”[43]
The document known as the Second London
Confession,[44] of 1677, offers a more objective expression in stating that those
“sanctified by his Spirit, […] can neither totally nor finally fall from the
state of Grace.”[45]
In the United States, in the 19th century, article 11 of The New Hampshire Confession[46] of 1833, presents a very Calvinistic position as to the perseverance of
the saints through the following statement: “That such only are real believers
as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the
grand mark which distinguishes them from mere professors.”[47]
On the other hand, the Treatise on the
Faith of the Free Will Baptists[48] (originally written in 1834, and revised in 1954), presents an Arminian
position in Article 13, when it speaks of the hope of the truly regenerate who
persevere to the end, but final salvation is uncertain, as there is the danger
of falling, for which reason they are “to watch and pray lest they make shipwreck
of their faith and be lost.”[49]
2.2
The Visible Universal (Catholic) Church
Due to the emphasis on the local church, some think that Baptists do not
accept the existence of the visible universal church. Concerning this, the
Particular Baptists, in their Second
London Confession, dating 1677,
speak in chapter 26 of ”the Catholick, or universal Church, which […] consists
of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered
into one, under Christ the head thereof.”[50]
It also speaks of the local churches (congregations), the members of which are
saints, who should maintain communion among themselves, exercising gifts and
graces, growing in love and mutual edification. The churches are constituted of
officials and members, who are united in continual prayer for the well-being
and prosperity of the churches of Christ in every place. There is no
institution for the totality of local congregations, but they form the visible
church of Christ on earth. Also the General Baptists, in Articles 29 and 30 of
the Orthodox Creed[51] (1679), after mentioning the invisible universal church and the local
congregations, they affirm: “We believe the visible church of Christ on earth
is made up of several distinct congregations, which make up that one catholick
church, or mystical body of Christ.”[52]
Other Baptist documents make statements concerning this visible universal
church on earth.
2.3 Bishop or Messenger
According to Baptist principles, church officials are pastors, also
called bishops or presbyters, and deacons. Actually, John Smyth, in one of his
writing,[53] affirmed this in saying: “the officers of a true visible Church are of
two kinds: (i) Bishops, who in the New Testament are also called Elders or
Presbyters, and (ii) Deacons.”[54]
In the beginning, Particular Baptists, in Article 36 of the London Confession, of 1644, similar to
the position of Calvin, mention the officials of the churches as being four
officials, namely, pastors, professors, presbyters and deacons.[55] In the Second Confession,
dating 1677, the number of officials already defined in Article 26, as being
bishops, or elders, are also called pastors, and deacons.[56] However, history shows that in the 17th century, the General
Baptists had officials known as messengers, who acted as administrators or bishops,
similar to the apostles in the New Testament, taking on the responsibility of
several churches in a determined region. As a matter of fact, the messengers
were officials of the Church (with a capital “C”), being their responsibility
the government of the churches which had elected them, while the elders and
deacons were officials of the local churches and congregations.[57] Thus, the elders were the pastors of local churches and the deacons
took care of the charity funds for these churches. The confession that deals
clearly with this subject is the Orthodox
Creed, dating 1679. Article 31 it lists three officers appointed by Christ,
namely: “Bishops, or Messengers; and Elders, or Pastors; and Deacons, or
Overseers of the poor.”[58] In Brazil, for over 100 years, North-American missionaries acted as
executives in various fields in each state, with a position that was no
different from that attributed to the messengers of the General Baptists of the
17th century.
2.4
Ministerial Remuneration
The subject of pastoral salary has been the motive of many discussions
in assemblies, having been defined in some confessions. The Particular
Baptists, different from the General Baptists, favored just remuneration for
ministers. The first London Confession,
of 1644, of the Particular Baptists, in Article 38, based on texts such as I
Timothy 5:17-18 and Philippians 4:15-16, mention the Biblical expression that
those who preach the Gospel should draw their sustenance from their work
ministering and teaching the Gospel and that without consternation.[59] In 1656, the Somerset Confession,
also Particular Baptist, says “that such a ministry labouring in the Word and
doctrine, have a power to receive a livelihood of their brethren, whose duty is
to provide a comfortable subsistence for them.”[60]
In the Second London Confession,
dating 1677, they confirm this position saying that the ministers “may have a
comfortable supply, without being themselves entangled in Secular Affairs.”[61]
The confession of the General Baptists, called The Faith and Practice of Thirty Congregations,[62] of 1651, regarding the ministers of Christ, affirms in Article 60 that
their maintenance “ought to be the free and Charitable Benevolence, of the
cheerful contribution of those that acknowledge themselves members of the same
fellowship.”[63] In the
following article, based on I Corinthians 4:12, the statement is that “the
Ministers of the Gospel, ought to be content with the necessary food and
rayment, and to labour with their hands, that they may not be overchargeable.”
In The Standard Confession,[64] dating 1660, the General Baptists affirm “that the Ministers of Christ,
that have freely received from God, ought freely to Minister to others.”[65]
On the other hand, the Orthodox Creed,
of 1679, also of the General Baptists, in Article 31, deals with an honorable
maintenance for bishops and elders, and that “this maintenance is to be given
out of the labours, profits, and estates of the people…”[66]
2.5
Deaconesses
The activity of women as deaconesses among Brazilian Baptists generated
much discussion in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Today, however, most every church has
deaconesses among its officers. At this time the discussion is entwined around
the subject of women’s pastoral activities, although there are already women
pastors in the Brazilian Baptist Convention, in at least five states of Brazil.[67] It is interesting to notice how open the first Baptist pastor, John
Smyth was; In his Short Confession of
Faith in XX Articles[68] (the first to be written before his effective separation from Helwys, and
probably drawn up in 1609), he mentions “deacons, men and widows, who attend to
the affairs of the poor and sick brethren.”[69] Opposing this view, Thomas Helwys, in his Declaration of Faith, dated 1611, stated in Article 20: “That the Officers off everie Church or
congregation are either Elders, […] or Deacons Men, and Women who by their
office releave the necessities off the poore and impotent brethren concerning
their bodies.”[70]
2.6
Sacrament or Ordinance
In the beginning, the term “sacrament,” today totally rejected by the
Baptists, was used in some of the first faith confessions presented by General
Baptist leaders of the past. John Smyth, in his Short Confession of Faith in XX Articles, of 1609, affirms in
Article 16: “That the ministers of the church are, not only bishops (‘Episcopos’), to whom the power is given
of dispensing both the Word and the sacraments, but also deacons.”[71]
It is interesting to observe that those who went along with Smyth, in 1612, in
the 100 article document which came to be known as Propositions and Conclusions[72] also used the term sacrament in Article 75, but before, in Article 73,
affirms “that the outward baptism and supper do not confer, and convey grace
and regeneration to the participants or communicants.”[73] Thomas Helwys also takes the same position of his ex-companion when, in
1610, he wrote his Short Confession of
Faith.[74] In Article 28 he says “there are two sacraments appointed by Christ, in
his holy church, the administration whereof he [Christ] hath assigned to the
ministry of teaching, namely Holy Baptism and Holy Supper.”[75]
After his separation from John Smyth, in his Declaration of Faith, dated 1611, the expression “sacrament” is not
mentioned. He defines in very clear terms his position as to baptism of
believers in Article 14, when he also wrote: “That Baptisme or washing with
Water, is the outward manifestacion off dieing vnto sinn, and walkeing in newness
off life.”[76] As for communion, in Article 15 he says that “the outward manifestation
off the Spiritual communion betweene CHRIST and the faith mutuallie […], to
declare his death vntil he come.”[77]
Later on, another General Baptist document uses the term “sacrament”
although it also mentions the term “ordinances” for the water baptism and holy
communion, demonstrating that there still was a certain confusion as to this
matter. Referring to the Orthodox Creed of
1678, Article 27 says: “these two sacraments, viz. Baptism, and the
Lord’s-supper, are ordinances of positive, sovereign, and holy institution, appointed
by the Lord Jesus Christ, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his church, to
the end of the world.”[78]
It is interesting to observe that, in spite of being an Arminian confession,
the affirmation referring to the two ordinances is a repetition of what the Particular
Baptists (Calvinists) affirmed one year earlier. Actually, the theological preoccupation
of confirming the divinity and the humanity of Christ made it easy to forget
theological divergences with the Particular Baptists, and the document demonstrates
an aligning of the two groups of Baptists by the end of the 17th
century.
Even before the General Baptists presented their Orthodox Creed, Particular Baptists started using the term
“ordinance” for baptism. This occurred in the First London Confession in
the expression: “That Baptisme is an ordinance of the New Testament, given by
Christ, to be dispensed onely upon persons professing faith, or that are Disciples,
or taught, who upon a profession of faith, ought to be baptized.”[79]
In 1677, in the so-called Second
Confession of Faith, Article 28, the term ordinance is repeated, giving the
idea that it was already used normally by Particular Baptists: “Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper are ordinances of a positive, and sovereign institution:
appointed by the Lord Jesus the only Law-giver, to be continued in his Church
to the end of the world.”[80]
In Article 30 of the same document, the term ordinance is repeated for the Holy
Communion, condemning transubstantiation and affirming that it is only a
memorial.
2.7 The Lord’s Supper Open
or Restricted
The first faith confessions are restricted to affirm that the Lord’s
Supper should be ministered to baptized Christians, members of a local church,
although some of them affirm that it can be administered only by presbyters who
have received laying on of hands for such ministry. The Orthodox Creed of the General Baptists, condemns transubstantiation
and consubstantiation, and affirms that the bread and the wine should not be
offered to anyone not baptized, an unbeliever, profane or heretic.[81] In the 17th century, general practice was free participation
of the Lord’s Supper among Particular Baptists, the subject being discussed in
assembly in 1689, with the almost unanimous position on the subject, that
restriction should be contained only to free-membership, once John Bunyan
defended both practices. In the 19th century there was still
controversy among Particular Baptists. The great Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(1834-1892) was one of the leaders who favored free-communion, such that in
1861, the trust-deeds of the Metropolitan Tabernacle[82] determined:
Shall
be legal for the members of the church or society to admit to the communion of
the Lord’s Supper (but not to church-membership) any persons professing
repentance towards God, and faith and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ,
although such person may not have been baptized by immersion.[83]
Well-known leaders also favored the free-communion, including those who
most contributed to the organization and continuity of the World Baptist Alliance,
Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) and John Clifford (1836-1923). On the other
hand, the Sandemanian Baptists,[84] from Scotland, in the second half of the 18th century, held
as their principles the restricted Lord’s Supper. The Southern Baptists in the United States, in their Committee Report
on the Baptist Faith and Message, dated 1925, do not speak of free or
restricted supper, but do present a quite restricted idea upon affirming that
during the Lord’s Supper “the members of the church, by the use of bread and
wine, commemorate the dying love of Christ.”[85]
2.8 Laying on of Hands on
the Baptized Christian
This practice was used by the General Baptists in England, being
practically of universal usage among them. It was also used by Particular
Baptists and is also registered among the first Baptists in the United States.
They declared that the new Christians received the promise of the Holy Spirit
through laying on of hands. Thus, in 1660, the Standard Confession of the General Baptists, speaking of baptized
Christians, states that they should submit to prayer and laying on of hands,
“that they may receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.” The Orthodox Creed,[86] of 1678, affirms:
Prayer,
with imposition of hands by the bishop, or Elder, on baptized believers, as
such, for the reception of the holy promised spirit of Christ, we believe is a
principle of Christ’s doctrine, and ought to be practiced and submitted to by
every baptized believer in order to receive the promised spirit of the father
and son.[87]
The practice of laying on of hands on a new Christian, although defended
by important Baptist leaders, including Benjamim Keach, was controversial, in
both the 17th and beginning of the18th century, but was
officially accepted by the Philadelphia Association according to The Philadelphia Confession[88] of 1742, that states:
We
believe that (Heb. 5:12 and 6:1-2; Acts 8:17-18 and 19:6) laying on of hands
(with prayer) upon baptized believers, as such, is an ordinance of Christ, and
ought to be submitted by all such persons that are admitted to partake of The
Lord’s Supper, and that the end of this ordinance is […] a farther reception of
the Holy Spirit of promise, or for the addition of the graces of the Spirit, and the influences thereof.[89]
2.9
Congregational Singing
The question at hand was not what kind of songs should be used in the
churches, but the simple decision of singing or not during a service to God. In
the beginning of the 17th century, this dilemma penetrated into the
churches, Benjamim Keach (1640-1704) being a pioneer in favor of singing hymns
during services. He received imposing of hands to be pastor of the Baptist
Church in Southwark, England, in 1668. Later he organized the Particular
Baptist church in Horsley Down, where he introduced the practice of singing
hymns in the church. At a time of much controversy on this subject, he
published a hymnal, in 1691, with approximately 300 hymns, provoking great
debate at the Particular Baptist assembly in 1692; this group recommended moderation
in the dispute. This first hymnal was followed by another, written by Joseph
Stennett Sr., with baptismal and sacramental hymns. In the following century,
in 1787, John Rippon published a book of hymns and another of songs.[90] As soon as the New Connection General Baptists[91] came into existence, they also provided a hymnal.[92] Among them, the Conference of Midland churches, in 1783, although
permitted congregational singing, considered illegal the use of musical
instruments.[93]
In the Second London Confession,
in Article 22, mentioned as part of the service, besides the prayer, is “the
reading of the Scriptures, Preaching, and hearing the Word of God teaching and
admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs, singing with
Grace in our Hearts to the Lord.”[94]
In the Orthodox Creed, Articles 40
and 41 speak of adoration, and never mention singing of hymns, but limit
activities to public or private services which should consist of “hearing,
meditating, and conferring and reading in, or of the holy scriptures, together
with payer, publick or private, and in the duties of necessity, charity, and
mercy and not in any vain or worldly discourse, or idle recreations
whatsoever.”[95] Later this
controversy brought about hot discussions, both among General and Particular
Baptists, in England and in the United States. At the end of the 17th
century, General Baptists went as far as to take position against this
practice, as being a carnal formality, allowing songs by one person, but not
the whole congregation.[96] In the 18th century there was some tolerance among them,
including that expressed in the assembly of 1733, although the attitude was
that care should be taken as “all novelties were dangerous.”[97] As for the Particular Baptists, the controversy was of greater amplitude,
but the aftermath of Benjamin Keach’s leadership reverberated as late as the 18th
century; the end result was that there was greater acceptance of singing among
the Particular than the General Baptists. The issue also came to the surface in
the United States, but in the Philadelphia
Confession, of 1742, Article 33, we find a very clear statement: “We
believe that […] singing the praises of God, is a holy Ordinance of Christ, […]
and that the whole church in their public assemblies, as well as private
Christians, ought to […] sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”[98]
The long controversy in England and the United States concerning congregational singing was not, as some might imagine, about the choice between spiritual songs or contemporary/informal music, such as choruses so much in style today in the Brazilian Baptist churches; the issue centered around hymns per se. Later on, when congregational singing was universally accepted, the controversy was transferred to musical instruments. Even the organ, years ago viewed as the only instrument to be used in the churches, was rejected in many Baptist churches of the past, for the sheer fact that it was also used in nightclubs. Then the piano, the guitar, and, more recently, the drum set were questioned. It is interesting to note that in the past, as in our days, these matters concerning adoration, order of service and format have always been the order of the day. Today all over