This is the finest edition available in the English language of the original 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith along with the 1695 edition of the Baptist Catechism. This is the paperback version of the bonded-leather edition that has been available for nearly 10 years.

Here in modern English is the most famous of Baptist Confessions containing the heart and soul of the Reformation in terms of clear Biblical truth. Here is a Confession of faith for churches to be founded upon, a faith for church members to know, love, defend and propagate, a faith that church officers can hand on to future generations. The Introduction which forms a preface to this Confession explains its origin and discusses several particularly relevant issues contained in the chapters, thereby increasing the usefulness of the whole.

The truths that this confession promoted fell out of favor for much of the twentieth century, but in the last fifty years there has been a great recovery of gospel truth among Evangelicals and once again there are those deeply committed to the doctrines of this confession. The English language, however, has changed over time, and just as there are phrases in the Authorized Version (1611), also known as the King James Version, that are no longer as clear as they once were due to linguistic change, so it is the case with the 1689 Confession. For this reason, this new rendition of the confession by Dr. Reeves is indeed welcome. He has sought to render it readable by the typical twenty-first-century Christian reader, but with minimal change and without sacrificing any of the riches of the original text. I believe he has succeeded admirably in both of these aims. (From the Foreword by Michael A.G. Haykin)

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.

The Young Baptist's Catechism is a summary of the basic teachings of Christianity. Written in a question-and-answer format, this book of instruction is to be used by young children or other laypeople as a guide in daily devotions and as a study of Holy Scripture. Every Christian, no matter how young, ought to have a complete understanding of the true teachings of the Bible. This catechism, taken from the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689, is meant to fill the role of teaching especially the young about Christian belief. This wonderful guide will introduce young children to the historic Reformed faith.

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.

"This book represents a substantial accomplishment, one that provides a useful resource for those wanting to deepen their understanding of the sacraments, particularly baptism. Reflecting a massive amount of research, against the background of an in-depth survey of various views of baptism in church history, Fesko provides an extensive exegetical and biblical-theological study of the covenantal and eschatological significance of baptism followed by systematic theological reflections on key issues like baptism as a means of grace, the efficacy of baptism, the biblical warrant for infant baptism (and against paedocommunion) and the importance of baptism for the church. One need not agree with his reflections at every point to benefit from his considerable labors." - Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary