Articles of faith

Bible

Our confession of faith is The Bible. We need and hold nothing else for our guidance. The Old Testament sets forth our faith only in figures, types and shadows (Hebrews 10:1). The New Testament sets it forth plainly and definitely. Our practice as a church is confined exclusively to the New Testament, the “book of the generation of Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:1). But for the understanding of our views by others, we submit the following few particulars, that our faith and practice may be more readily known.

  1. We believe in the being of a God Almighty, eternal, unchangeable; of infinite wisdom, power, justice, holiness, love, mercy, and truth; and that this God has revealed himself in his word, under the characters of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (I John 5:7).
  2. We believe that Almighty God has made known his will to the children of men in his word, which word we believe to be of divine authority and contains all things necessary to be known for the salvation of sinners, and that the same is contained in the commonly received version of the Old and New Testament (II Timothy 3:16-17).
  3. We believe that God did, before the foundation of the world, give to his Son a definite portion of Adam’s race for the inheritance (Psalm 2:7-8; Deuteronomy 32:9), and that portion is represented in the scriptures as the elect.
  4. We believe that God made men, perfect, holy, and upright, able to keep the law, but liable to fall; and to be a federal head; and that they were to be partakers of the benefits of his obedience, or exposed to the miseries resulting from his disobedience (Romans 5:12).
  5. We believe that Adam fell from this state of moral rectitude, and involved himself and all his posterity in a state of death. And by that original transgression all are both guilty and unclean in the sight of a just and holy God (Romans 5:12; Psalm 53:2-3).
  6. We believe that it is utterly out of the power of men, as fallen creatures, to keep the law of God perfectly, repent of their sins truly, or believe in Christ savingly, except they be drawn thereto by the Holy Ghost (Romans 8:7-8; Romans 2:4; Acts 5:31; Ephesians 1:19-20; Philippians 1:29).
  7. We believe that God in his own appointed time and way (by means which he hath ordained), the elect shall be called, justified, pardoned and sanctified; and that it is impossible they can refuse the call, but shall be made willing by divine grace (Romans 8:28-30; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 110:3).
  8. We believe that justification in the sight of God is only by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ; that experimental justification in the hearts of his children is by works of faith; and that justification in the sight of men is by works of righteousness (Romans 3:24; I Corinthians 6:11; Romans 4:6; Romans 5:12; James 2:21-25).
  9. We believe that in like manner as God’s elect shall be called and justified, they shall also be born again and changed by the effectual working of God’s Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-6).
  10. We believe that all men who are called and justified by his grace shall be preserved in holiness and never fall finally away (Romans 8:30-39; John 5:24).
  11. We believe it to be the duty of all God’s children to walk religiously in good works; not in the old covenant way of seeking life and favor of the Lord by it; but only as a duty from the principle of love (John 14:15; Ephesians 5:1-2).
  12. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s supper are gospel ordinances; but belonging to true believers; that immersion only is baptism, and that persons sprinkled or dipped while in unbelief are not regularly baptized according to God’s word, and that such ought to be baptized after they are savingly converted unto the faith of Christ (Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 11:26; Romans 6:4).
  13. We believe washing the saints’ feet is an example given by our Lord, to be practiced in like manner, by his disciples until he comes (John 13:14-15; Matthew 28:20).
  14. We believe that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting and the joys of the righteous eternal (Matthew 25:46).
  15. We believe that no person has a right to administer the ordinances, only such as are regularly baptized, called and come under the hands of a presbytery authorized by the church of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:2-3).
  16. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is the only ecclesiastical authority on earth and is so far independent in matters of discipline that associations, conventions, councils, or conferences of several ministers or churches are not to impose on it the keeping, holding, or maintaining any principle or practice contrary to the church’s judgment (Matthew 18:15-18; I Corinthians 6:1-6).