For Baptists the question of Christian Union goes to the heart of the deeper question as to the nature of the Christian religion. Questions of outward forms of worship and organization and of relations to other denominations depend upon the fundamental question: What is Christianity? The Christian religion is primarily the personal union of the individual with Christ by faith. From this root springs the tree. It is this direct relation of the soul to God in Christ which is the guiding principle for Baptists.
In their view of religion Baptists are necessarily democrats of the most thoroughgoing kind. They hold the following truths as self-evident: first, that the individual soul is competent to deal directly with God in Christ; second, that all souls are equally entitled to direct access to God; third, that all believers are entitled to equal privileges in the church; fourth, that to be responsible the soul must be free; sixth, that the true ideal of the relations between the church and state is a free church in a free state; sixth, that our social ideal is best expressed in the divine command, "Love your neighbor as yourself." These principles allow and encourage the broadest charity and cordiality for Christians of other names, and they permit us to cooperate for many common ends with Christians of other names - ends which involve no compromise or weakening of conviction. But the same principles debar us from all forms of effort where these principles cannot be fully safeguarded.
We hold the foregoing principles, not as incidental or detachable opinions, but as cardinal teachings of the New Testament and vital to genuine Christianity.
Baptists are convinced that the voluntary principle is an essential element in all ecclesiastical and religious organization, because of the direct relation of the soul to Christ and of the equality of believers in the church. It follows that they reject any and all forms of centralized church and ecclesiastical organization and government. In the Baptist view there could scarcely be any greater disaster to 'Christianity than the formation of a great centralized bureaucratic organization, with a single directing head for all the denominations. As we believe, such organizations would be the forerunner of news forms of strife and discord, new and bitter antagonism s, and new legal contests. And it is because Baptists desire to olive in amicable relations with their brethren of other names that they oppose any artificial joining together of alien elements in any form of so-called organic church union. since Baptists feel themselves called, not only to hold, but also to bear witness to the truths above set forth, they refrain from combinations with others in ways which would bring embarrassment to others by reason of the Baptist witness and embarrassment to Baptists by reason of the restraints imposed. We hold that freedom of preaching is of greater value to the world than the alleged gains of merely outward union.
Baptists are irrevocably committed to a great missionary and educational program, unhampered by any compromises of gospel teaching. We are convinced that the whole world needs the Christianity of the New testament, unmixed with errors brought over from earlier ages of autocratic and sacramental doctrines of the church. We pledge ourselves to such a program , and pray for the cooperation of all our people to this end. In this new age of the world all Baptists should seek fraternal relations with others, so far as this is practicable. Thus united upon the broad platform of New Testament Christianity, we should seek together the great ends of an apostolic program of world redemption.
Finally, we would admonish all who accept these articles of faith and practice that they do not compromise them through either fear or sentiment, but that they so teach and observe these things as to commend them to the understanding and conscience of all men everywhere.
"Now to Him who is able to guard you from falling, and to set you without blemish in gladness before the presence of His glory; to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might and authority, before all time, and now, and forever. Amen."
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