Journal: Journal of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies
Volume: JIRBS 09:1 (NA 2024)
Article: Troubling The Churches Defending Scripture, God, And Christ In The Second London Confession Of Faith
Author: James M. Renihan

JIRBS 9 (2024) p. 15

Troubling The Churches Defending Scripture, God, And Christ In The Second London Confession Of Faith

James M. Renihan*

*James M. Renihan, Ph.D., is President and Professor of Historical Theology at International Reformed Baptist Seminary, Mansfield, TX, and author of several books. This material was originally delivered as two lectures at the Sacramento Gospel Conference, Immanuel Baptist Church, Sacramento, CA, September 16, 2023.

In Defense Of Scripture

“The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving Knowledge, Faith and Obedience.” When reading the text of the Second London Confession of Faith (2LCF), these are the first words the student encounters. They are unique to the Baptist Confession, for they are not present in the two parent documents—the Westminster Confession of 1646/47 and the Savoy Declaration of 1658. Nor are they drawn from any other historical or contemporary text. They were written by and for the baptized churches who adopted this statement of faith.

This sentence is a wonderful expression of love for the Holy Scriptures. It teaches that the written Word of God is the sole rule of salvation. It is sufficient in that it contains “The whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own Glory, Mans Salvation, Faith and Life;” it is certain, the equivalent term for our more recent word “inerrant,” teaching us that the Bible contains no errors in its 66 books, and is completely reliable in everything it states; and it is infallible, indicating that

JIRBS 9 (2024) p. 16

it cannot contain any errors, so that Holy Scripture perfectly presents to us the Lord’s will for our salvation, faith and obedience.

We must not think that the Westminster Confession of Faith or the Savoy Declaration are somehow defective since they do not contain these words. A high doctrine of Scripture is present in those documents, and they are in no way inadequate. Nevertheless, our fathers saw the necessity of making a strong statement even stronger. We ought to ask ourselves why it is that the Baptists did this. Why did they recognize the importance of beginning their Confession of Faith with these words? Let us attempt to answer this question.

When originally published, 2LCF included an epistle placed before the text of the Confession. Among its assertions we read these sentences:

One thing that greatly prevailed with us to undertake this work, was (not only to give a full account of our selves, to those Christians that differ from us about the subject of Baptism, but also) the profit that might from thence arise, unto those that have any account of our labors, in their...