What did John Newton Brown have in mind when he published his church covenant in 1853? That’s a good question, and one that I’m not sure I can fully answer. Some of the statements are quite clear, and others leave room for doubt about their original intent. Still other words and statements may have been clear when they were first written, but changes in the meaning and usage of terms as well as the general circumstances of Baptist life make them difficult to explain with any degree of confidence. Nevertheless, I hope to offer some explanation of the covenant and the Biblical principles which I believe give support to the individual statements.
“Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior…”
Brown was one of the editors of the New Hampshire Confession of Faith published in 1833 which was intended to serve as a moderately Calvinistic alternative to the Philadelphia Confession of Faith published in 1742 and based very closely on the 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith. This confession from 1689 was very strongly Calvinistic, and in fact was a revision of the Westminster Confession of Faith for congregationalists instead of Presbyterians. Part of the reason for the New Hampshire Confession was to provide a statement of faith that could be affirmed by a broad swath of Baptists in America, even those who were not strongly committed to Calvinism and Baptist Covenant Theology. This opening statement, then, is not intended to be a dividing line between Calvinists and Arminians on the subject of salvation, but is simply an acknowledgment that our salvation is the result of the divine work of God’s Spirit to lead us to receive Jesus Christ.
“…and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and of the Holy Ghost…”
We recognize, as Baptists, that only those who have received Christ may become members of the church, but the NT also clearly teaches that baptism is an essential step of identification with and obedience to the Lord. Since we cannot see faith in any man’s heart, we are limited to hearing his profession of faith in Christ and observing his obedience and submission to God in baptism. It is this public act which speaks to the spiritual reality of salvation and by which we recognize those who belong to this church and who may rightly enter into this covenant.
“…we do now, in the presence of God, angels, and this assembly…”
It is certainly true that any covenant or agreement we enter into is witnessed by God who is present everywhere and at all times. It is also true that this covenant is not entered into merely by individuals who wish to join the church, but by the entire assembly of born-again and baptized believers who have become a part of the church. What is not so clear in this statement is the role of angels as witnesses to this covenant. While there may have been some specific reason for J. N. Brown to include angels in his covenant, I am not sure I can explain why that should be, other than the fact that the Bible does speak of the reality of angels and demons who may very well observe things that go on among men.
“…most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.”
To enter into a covenant is no a light matter. A close parallel to the church covenant for most of us is the covenant of marriage which we entered into in a public ceremony before divine and human witnesses. The marriage covenant is a life-long commitment to love, honor, and serve one another through whatever circumstances arise. We can all agree that too few couples in our day take these vows seriously, and, unfortunately, the same thing is true when it comes to the church covenant. Yet it is a solemn occasion and not a frivolous one when God’s people affirm such a commitment as this covenant. At the same time, it is a joyful occasion because we enter into this covenant freely and without compulsion. As one body in Christ, we ought to commit to fulfill our obligations to one another, not grudgingly but gladly with a spirit of love and affection. It is because we belong to Christ that we may fully commit to this local church body, trusting in the power of his Spirit to help us fulfill all that follows in the rest of this covenant, which we will consider next time.