The Scots Baptists.

To the majority of people today, the Baptist witness in Scotland is represented by a type of Christianity that is indefinite in its doctrine, and man-centred in its presentation of the gospel. The following extract, taken from Rippon's Register of Churches, 1795, shows that this was far from the position of the historic baptist tradition in our land.

“They believe,” records Rippon of the old Scots Baptists, “that the salvation of guilty, helpless sinners, is first and last of sovereign free grace, and not of him that willeth or runneth. That Jesus is the saviour of His people from their sins - The Christ, or anointed prophet, priest and king of His church - The Son of God, or the word made flesh, God manifested in the flesh, the first-begotten of the dead, and constituted heir of all things. That by His life, death, resurrection and ascension into the heavenly, holy place, with His blood, He hath obtained eternal redemption for his people from the guilt, power and all the consequences of sin, and procured for them everlasting life with Himself from the dead. That men are justified freely by Divine grace, without works of any kind, but solely through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whenever they really believe, or credit the testimony of God concerning His Son; which belief is not of themselves, but the gift of God. That all who believe and are justified, have immediate peace with God in proportion to the degree of their faith; and joy in God through Jesus Christ, by whom they have now received the reconciliation.

That the belief of the truth will be shown by love to God who first loved us, and to those who are of the truth for the truth's sake which dwelleth in them; it will overcome the world, with all the allurements and tribulations thereof; and it will purify the heart, not only from the guilt of sin, but also from worldly lusts, such as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, that is, sensuality, covetousness, and ambition. That in proportion as we hold fast the faith, and are influenced by it to love God and keep His commandments, who shall have an increasing evidence of our interest in Christ, additional to what we had at our first believing; therefore, we ought to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, and to show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Though they hold the doctrine of particular election, of God's unchangeable and everlasting love, and of the perseverance of the saints, yet they think it dangerous to comfort people by these considerations if they are evidently in a backsliding state.

In this case, they think the scripture motives to fear are most useful, and ought to have their full force, even the fear of falling away, and of coming short of the heavenly rest. They think it also unsafe in such a case, to draw comfort from the reflection of our having once believed, it being their opinion that we must be reduced to the mere mercy of God, through the atonement that gave us relief at first. These appear to be their views of the leading doctrines of the gospel, and of Christian experience.”

It should require little pointing out, in the light of that brief extract of baptist belief, that what pervades in Scotland today, although it may be “mainstream” baptist belief and practice, is certainly not the historic baptist position, and is the child of a newer age and era.