Articles of Faith from 1794

Jeff Weaver · Apr 8, 2005

Howdy

Perusing some stuff, I found these articles of faith from a North Carolina Baptist Church established in 1794.

Comments?

Would you have them for your church today?

“1. We believe in God the Father, creator of all things visible and invisible, and in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the Mediator of the New Covenant and in the Holy Ghost; and that these three are one God, co-equal, co-eternal, the same in substance, power and glory.

“2. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God and the only Rule of Faith and Practice, and that the only way of salvation is by the imputed righteousness of Jesus applied to the soul by the Spirit of God without anything in us or done by us as meritorious to our salvation.
“3. We believe the duty we owe God is to adhere to the Scriptures and comply with the commands and duty therein, as baptism, and the laying-on of hands and the Lord’s Supper, keeping the Sabbath and attending on public and private worship of God and church meetings, especially on Saturday more than any other meeting.
“4. We believe the duty we owe to our family is to pray with and for them morning and evening and to set such examples before them and our neighbors as may be for God’s glory and their good.
“5. We believe that sanctification is a work of God's Spirit carried on in the soul and will not be finished till the soul and body are disunited and that all true believers in Jesus Christ shall persevere in grace and never fall so as to be lost
“6. We believe in the resurrection of the body, both of the just and unjust, and there is a day In which God will judge the world by that man Christ Jesus, and that the righteous will be received into eternal glory and that the wicked will be sent into eternal punishment and that through the endless ages of eternity."
“7. We believe it to be our duty to counsel, admonish and reprove one another, and not to expose one another to any in the church or out of it till it is brought before the church agreeably to the Word of God."

rsr · Apr 9, 2005

Interesting, but not surprising. Seems to be quite a few strands of thought going on there — sabbatarianism, some bits from the Philadelphia confession (laying on of hands, the teaching on sanctification).

Is Section 7 evidence of and reaction to a bad church split?

Jeff Weaver · Apr 9, 2005

No, no church split that I am aware of, but the articles were penned during the time of the Regular/Separate merger, which was causing some friction in the association (Yadkin) that this church was a member of. Her pastor was also moderator of that Association.

rsr · Apr 9, 2005

That would make sense, because it seems to blend the two traditions without spelling out a lot of details. I assume there was some connection between the Yadkin Association the Sandy Creek folks.

Jeff Weaver · Apr 9, 2005

Yadkin was a daughter of Sandy Creek, and John Gano adjusted the disagreements in the Yadkin at their first session in 1790 over whether or not to have associational officers. Interesting debate on that.

rsr · Apr 9, 2005

"Adjusted" is an interesting word to use.

At their next Association they were visited by Rev. John Gano, who at that time resided in North Carolina, at a place called the Jersey Settlement. Mr. Gano was received by Stearns with great affection, but as there was at that time an unhappy shyness and jealousy between the Regulars and Separates by the others, he was treated with coldness and suspicion; and they even refused to invite him into their Association. But Mr. Gano had too much knowledge of mankind, humility and good nature, to be offended at this treatment. He continued awhile as a spectator of their proceedings, and then retired with a view of returning home. Stearns was much hurt and mortified with the shyness and incivility of his brethern, and, in the absence of Mr. Gano, expostulated with them on the matter, and made a proposition to invite him to preach with them. All were forward to invite him to preach, although they could not invite him to a seat in their Assembly. With their invitation he cheerfully complied, and his preaching, though not with the New Light tones and gestures, was in demonstration of the spirit and with power. He continued with them to the close of their session, and preached frequently much to their astonisliment as well as edification. Their hearts were soon opened towards him, and their cold indifference and languid charity were, before he left them, enlarged into a warm attachment and cordial affection; and so superior did his preaching talents appear to them, that the young and illiterate preachers said, they felt as if they could never attempt to preach again.

[Quoting John Gano]"This Association, in its early movements, held many sentiments of a peculiar nature, and which do not prevail among their brethren even here at the present tune. In their laudable endeavors to carry out, to the letter, all suggestions of the New Testament as to chrisitian duties, they discovered, in their estimation, the nine following rites, viz: baptism - the Lords Supper- love-feasts - laying-on-of hands - washing feet - annointed the sick- right hand of fellowship -kiss of charity - and devoting children. They also retained the offices of ruling elders, elderesses, and deconesses. And, to close the whole, they held to weekly communion.

"The nature and design of all the above enumerated rites and offices will be easily comprehended, except that of devoting children This rite they founded on the circumstance of parents bringing little children to Christ, &c. It was thus performed: as soon as circumstances would permit, after the birth of the child, the mother carried it to the meeting, when the minister either took it in his arms, or laid his hands on it, and thanked God for his mercy and invoked a blessing on the. child, at which time it received its name. This rite, which was by many satirically called a dry-christening, prevailed, not only in the Sandy Creek Association, but in many parts of Virginia."

It must not be understood that all the churches in this body were strenuous, or even uniform, in the observance of this long list of rites, all of which, however, appear to be suggested by the Scriptures, and some of thein, as love feasts and deaconesses, were unquestionably maintained among the early christians. Nor did those who maintained the whole of them, refuse communion with their brethren who neglected a part.
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David Benedict, History of American Baptists

Articles of Faith from 1794

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