# 1689 Baptist Confession & church membership/baptism?



## thistle93 (Nov 1, 2021)

Hi! This is probably more geared to those who are baptist but all are welcome to respond if they know the answer.
Does anyone know if one of the articles of 1689 Baptist Confession deals with church membership? If so what are the requirements of church membership? The reason I ask is I know that the 1689 Particular Baptists would require "believers baptism" for church membership but did they actually put that in their Confession? Could one who holds to "open membership" (church that practices only believers baptism but allows those baptized as infants from a Bible beveling church to become a member) not be in violation of 1689 confession?
Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew Wilson


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## SeanPatrickCornell (Nov 1, 2021)

The 1689 Confession doesn't explicitly list baptism as a requirement for church membership, but the requirement can be inferred from the following sections:

Chapter 26: Of the Church
6._____ The *members of these churches* are saints by calling, visibly manifesting and evidencing (in and by their profession and walking) their obedience unto that call of Christ; and *do willingly consent to* walk together, according to the appointment of Christ; *giving up themselves to the Lord*, and one to another, *by the will of God, in professed subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel*.



1689 LBC: Chapter 26: "Of the Church"



Chapter 28: Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
1._____ *Baptism* and the Lord's Supper are *ordinances* of positive and sovereign institution, appointed by the Lord Jesus, the only lawgiver, to be continued in his church to the end of the world.



1689 LBC: Chapter 28: "Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper"

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## C. M. Sheffield (Nov 1, 2021)

thistle93 said:


> Does anyone know if one of the articles of 1689 Baptist Confession deals with church membership? If so what are the requirements of church membership?


In paragraph 2 of chapter 26, the Confession states of what the materials a particular church is to be made up:

All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any error everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; (_b_) and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted. (_c_)​
_b._ 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 11:26​_c._ Rom. 1:7; Eph. 1:20-22​
In this statement, we note two positive qualifications, and two corresponding negative qualifications. Positively, they must 1) profess "the faith of the gospel" and 2) "obedience unto God by Christ according unto it". In short, they must profess repentance and faith. However negatively, they must not "destroy" their profession either by 1) "any error everting the foundation" (any error making void a claim to believe the gospel), or 2) "unholiness of conversation" (i.e. living in known patterns of sin). These qualifications are what constitute what Reformed Baptists call _"a credible profession of faith"_.

The Confessions states that those possessing such a profession, "are and may be called visible saints" and that of such professors "ought all particular congregations to be constituted." In other words, visible churches are made up of visible saints.


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