Note. — We  publish  the  following  outline  of  our  religious  faith,  not  to  add
to  or  take  from  anything  in  the  Scriptures,  but  simply  to  set  forth,  in  a  concise
form,  our  views  of  Christian  faith  and  practice,  for  the  knowledge  and  approval
of  those  who  may  propose  to  become  members  of  the  Church.
This  summary  agrees  in  substance  with  the  Confession  of  Faith  adopted  by
the  Philadelphia  Association  in  1742,  and  approved  liy  this  Church.
SUMMARY    OF    FAITH


I.  THE  SCRIPTURES.
We  believe  that  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,
regarded  by  the  mass  of  Protestant  Christians  as  inspired  and
canonical,  contain  the  revealed  will  of  God  to  man  ;  that  these
writings  constitute  the  only  reliable  sources  of  information  on
all  the  great  questions  which  affect  our  spiritual  and  immortal

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4IO  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH.
interests;  and  that  these  furnish  the  only  infallible  standard  of
faith  and  practice  in  all  matters  of  religion.
2  Timothy  iii :  i6.      Psalms  xix  :  7.      2  Peter  i :  20,  21.      Isaiah  viii :  20.
II.   THE  EXISTENCE  OF   GOD.
We  believe  that  there  is  one  living  and  true  God,  infinite  in
being  and  perfection,  the  Creator,  Preserver,  and  Disposer  of
all  things;  that  there  are  three  distinct  and  co-equal  persons  in
this  one  God,— the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.
Isaiah  xiv  :  5.      I  John  v  :  7.
III.  THE  CREATION  AND  FALL  OF  MAN.
We  believe  that  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  pure  and
upright;  that  our  first  parents  fell  from  this  original  state  by
their  transgression  of  the  Divine  Law  ;  that  in  consequence  of
that  transgression  their  descendants  of  the  whole  human  family
have  been  made  sinners  and  placed  in  a  state  of  guilt,  condem-
nation, and  wrath.
