Courteous Reader:
It is no wonder if it seems strange to you that we should publish a confession of our faith, when we are frequently, though unjustly, called heretics, schismatics, and other such names. Nor is it a discouragement to us that this sect, as they call the Anabaptists, is spoken against everywhere, and that we are charged for Christ’s name with the same things as our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember his words: blessed are those reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused for his sake; their reward is great in heaven, as the prophets were persecuted before them. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign his household? The world hated Christ before it hated his people, and those who live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Yet those who share Christ’s sufferings may rejoice at the revelation of his glory.
Our Lord Jesus was accused of sedition and mutiny. Paul was called a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition, and a ringleader of the Nazarenes. They said he was not fit to live and charged him with persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. Christ was accused of perverting the people, forbidding tribute to Caesar, introducing novelties, and breaking the traditions of the elders. He was called mad and demon-possessed; Paul was also thought mad. They were charged with new doctrine, and Christ was condemned for blasphemy. In the same way some object to our meeting in houses to preach and would have us punished for it, although Christ and his apostles did so.
Paul preached from house to house. The church gathered in an upper room where Peter preached; Paul preached to Lydia by the riverside; the disciples met at night in an upper room; and Paul received visitors in a rented house for two years. Had he lived in our days and done the same, some might have petitioned against him. Others call us disturbers of the commonwealth’s peace, although those who know us can testify that we assemble and depart peaceably. Acts 17:5–7 shows who truly disturbed the public peace and deserved correction.
We are also blamed for not frequenting their temples. We dare not trust in the words “The temple of the Lord,” for the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands. We are the temple of the living God; our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; and Christ’s church is not built of dead stones. Some conclude that we must be mistaken because we are few, and that the smaller number should yield to the greater. Yet if Papists or atheists outnumbered Protestants, would Protestants therefore have to abandon their religion? God once permitted the nations to walk in their own ways, and there was one true prophet against four hundred false prophets.
After three years of Christ’s preaching and miracles there remained only a small company. Christ called his people a little flock, while Scripture says that the greatest number followed the beast. Those who preach among us are deemed unlearned and ignorant, as were the apostles. Yet Apollos was more perfectly instructed in God’s way by Aquila, a tradesman, and his wife Priscilla. Scripture commands each to minister his gift to others as a good steward of God’s manifold grace.
Some also say that we are divided into sects and cannot agree among ourselves. Herod and Pilate agreed to crucify Christ; we dare not agree with those who resolved to expel anyone confessing Jesus as the Christ. We desire the unity for which Christ prayed, but cannot agree in what contradicts the truth. Those who baptize infants differ among themselves far more widely, including Papists, Arians, Nestorians, Pelagians, Donatists, Eutychians, Greeks, Lutherans, Arminians, Episcopalians, Nicolaitans, Calvinists, Zwinglians, Hussites, and many others. If divisions disprove a position, their argument stands against themselves.
As the watchmen treated Christ’s beloved when she sought him, so others treat us, striking us, taking away our veil, and covering us with reproaches because we do not follow their broad and common way. By pulpit and print they incite others against us and falsely accuse us of teaching free will, falling from grace, denying election, original sin, children’s salvation, the Old Testament, and men’s rights in their property, and of condemning everyone who differs from us. We disown these accusations as untrue. As to other charges, we refer those seeking satisfaction to the answers already given, including Samuel Richardson’s response to Dr Featley.
These accusations have so stirred the public that crowds are encouraged to seek out our meeting places. We meet in private not because we insist on privacy, but because we have no more public places. Were larger places provided, we would receive them thankfully and joyfully. A single word from those in authority could protect us from violence, yet, as in Acts 17:5–7, we are made to bear the blame. God will in due time clear our innocence, though many now regard us as unworthy to live and threaten to stone us. If these assaults concerned only our persons, we would keep silent and commit our cause to God. But the truth we profess also suffers; therefore we dare not remain neutral and must speak in its defense.
To free ourselves and the truth we profess from these unjust accusations, so that the truth may be at liberty though we are in bonds, we publish this brief Confession of Faith in these troubled times. We declare the thoughts of our hearts as before God, so that those who fear him may judge how unjustly we are treated by people who cast clouds over the truth and its professors. Though some acknowledge that truth is not fully discovered, they would bind all further discovery to an earlier measure of light. God will reveal their error by his truth and exalt Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone rejected by the builders.
Lest this be mistaken for the opinion of a few individuals, this Confession is published by consent and appointment of seven congregations or churches in London, with members from each subscribing on behalf of all. Although we meet separately for convenience, we are one in faith, fellowship, and communion, holding Jesus Christ as our head and lawgiver. We desire to walk under his rule and follow the Lamb wherever he goes, that when our Lord and King calls us to account we may be ready for our Master’s joy. Until then we desire to spend our remaining days to God’s glory, the gospel’s honor, the saints’ comfort, and our country’s good, remembering the day when Christ will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey his gospel.