Are Reformed Baptists (or Particular Baptists) those holding to the 1689 London Baptist Confession heretics? Reformed Baptists have been accused of being the same heretics also known as Anabaptists. Indeed many of the confessions speak out against the errors of the Anabaptists. Here culled from the confessions are the Anabaptist heresies:
The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article XVIII The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Therefore we confess (in opposition to the heresy of the Anabaptists, who deny that Christ assumed human flesh of His mother) that Christ partook of the flesh and blood of the children; that He is a fruit of the loins of David after the flesh; born of the seed of David according to the flesh; a fruit of the womb of Mary; born of a woman; a branch of David; a shoot of the root of Jesse; sprung from the tribe of Judah; descended from the Jews according to the flesh; of the seed of Abraham, since (A.V.) he took on him the seed of Abraham, and was made like unto his brethren in all things, sin excepted; so that in truth He is our IMMANUEL, that is to say, God with us.
[color:blue]The London Confession of Baptist Faith, Chapter VIII Of Christ the Mediator
II. The Son of God, the second person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things He hath made, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof,[9] yet without sin;[10] being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her: and the power of the Most High overshadowing her; and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David according to the Scriptures;[11] so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion; which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.[12]
9. John 1:14; Gal. 4:4 10. Rom. 8:3; Heb. 2:14, 16-17; 4:15 11. Matt. 1:22-23; Luke 1:27, 31, 35 12. Rom. 9:5; I Tim. 2:5
The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article XXXVI The Magistracy (Civil Government)
Wherefore we detest the Anabaptists and other seditious people, and in general all those who reject the higher powers and magistrates and would subvert justice, introduce community of goods, and confound that decency and good order which God has established among men.
The Second Helvetic Confession - Chapter XXX Of the Magistracy
We condemn the Anabaptists, who, when they deny that a Christian may hold the office of a magistrate, deny also that a man may be justly put to death by the magistrate, or that the magistrate may wage war, or that oaths are to be rendered to a magistrate, and such like things
[color:blue]The London Confession of Baptist Faith, Chapter XXIV Of the Civil Magistrate
I. God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under Him, over the people, for His own glory and the public good; and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword, for defence and encouragement of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers.[1]
1. Rom. 13:1-4
II. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto; in the management whereof, as they ought especially to maintain justice and peace,[2] according to the wholesome laws of each kingdom and commonwealth, so for that end they may lawfully now, under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.[3]
2. II Sam. 23:3; Psa. 82:3-4 3. Luke 3:14
III. Civil magistrates being set up by God for the ends aforesaid; subjection, in all lawful things commanded by them, ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but for conscience' sake;[4] and we ought to make supplications and prayers for kings and all that are in authority, that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.[5]
4. Rom. 13:5-7; I Peter 2:17 5. I Tim. 2:1-2
The Second Helvetic Confession - Chapter XVIII Of the Ministers of the Church, Their Institution and Duties
The Worker Is Worthy of His Reward. All faithful ministers, as good workmen, are also worthy of their reward, and do not sin when they receive a stipend, and all things that be necessary for themselves and their family. For the apostle shows in I Cor., ch. 9, and in I Tim., ch. 5, and elsewhere that these things may rightly be given by the Church and received by ministers. The Anabaptists, who condemn and defame ministers who live from their ministry are also refuted by the apostolic teaching.
[color:blue]This I believe comes from the fact that the early Anabaptist drew their preachers from the common layman. While they did have ordained preachers they were not highly educated but rather simple men self trained. [color:green]See also: Rites of Anabaptism Confession and Society : Anabaptist
However, by the time of the 1689 confession while the Baptist preachers were typically from layman origin and many were self trained they were supported by their various congregations.[/LIST]
The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, Article XXXVIII Of Christian Men's Goods, Which Are Not Common
The Riches and Goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same; as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability.
[color:blue]Again this was from the radical Anabaptists that had taken over the cities of Munster and others in German (many of these radical Anabaptists were Dutch) their beliefs about the end of the world, and scripture were extremist to say the least. The problem is that these people painted the entire Anabaptist movement as radical revoluntionaries and that wasn't true. Neither was it true that the Baptists who signed the 1689 confession held to these same views.
The Second Helvetic Confession - Chapter XX Of Holy Baptism
Anabaptists. We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that newborn infants of the faithful are to be baptized. For according to evangelical teaching, of such is the Kingdom of God, and they are in the covenant of God. Why, then, should the sign of God's covenant not be given to them? Why should those who belong to God and are in his Church not be initiated by holy baptism? We condemn also the Anabaptists in the rest of their peculiar doctrines which they hold contrary to the Word of God. We therefore are not Anabaptists and have nothing in common with them.
The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article XXXIV Holy Baptism
Therefore we detest the error of the Anabaptists, who are not content with the one only baptism they have once received, and moreover condemn the baptism of the infants of believers, who we believe ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as the children in Israel formerly were circumcised upon the same promises which are made unto our children. And indeed Christ shed His blood no less for the washing of the children of believers than for adult persons; and therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of that which Christ has done for them; as the Lord commanded in the law that they should be made partakers of the sacrament of Christ's suffering and death shortly after they were born, by offering for them a lamb, which was a sacrament of Jesus Christ. Moreover, what circumcision was to the Jews, baptism is to our children. And for this reason St. Paul calls baptism the circumcision of Christ.
[color:blue]The London Confession of Baptist Faith, Chapter XXIX Of Baptism
I. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized, a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him;[1] of remission of sins;[2] and of giving up into God, through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.[3]
II. Those who do actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to, our Lord Jesus Christ, are the only proper subjects of this ordinance.[4]
4. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36-37; 18:8
III. The outward element to be used in this ordinance is water, wherein the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.[5]
5. Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:38
IV. Immersion, or dipping of the person in water, is necessary to the due administration of this ordinance.[6]
6. Matt. 3:16, John 3:23
Now if you understand the history of the Anabaptists you will know that by upholding to their belief in the voluntary church membership they refuted infant baptism instead held to the idea that church should be those who had made a good confession of faith and desired to be a part of the body. Because at that time of the first Anabaptists it was a law that all infants must be baptized they became a persecuted people (of both Protestants and Roman Catholics) who fled to secluded communities in order to practice their beliefs.
None of us I would dare say now believe that you must force a person to baptize their children especially if they don't belong to a paedobaptism believing church.
This belief in credobaptism is the only real difference between the Baptists who signed the 1689 confession and the rest of the Reformed believers. But does this make us heretics? I say no. And I would like to point out that in my searching of the various confessions you do not see the Westminster Confession condemning Anabaptists. Perhaps they knew what we should now know that credobaptism isn't a condemnable offense.
