1689 Baptist Confession of Faith and 1693 Baptist Catechism

Historically, the Protestant churches have utilized written confessions as a means of clarifying and systematizing Christian belief, and as a means of exposing and opposing error. It is recognized that without a systematic expression of the various elements of Scripture - an expression that displays their internal relations, that shows their harmony and consistency, and that vindicates their cogency against objections - individuals will either lack Christian instruction, or what instruction they receive will vary according to the individual knowledge, abilities, and dedication of their teachers. In order to prevent ignorance of God's word, confessions can supplement Scripture memorization and catechism-based instruction. The Baptist believers of the English Separatist movement held convictions which were incompatible with the established churches of the 1600s. The central differences were belief that baptism should be performed only upon profession of faith, and congregational independence. These convictions are expressed in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.