All evangelical churches profess to take the Holy Scriptures as their only and sufficient guide in matters of religious faith and practice. Baptists, especially, claim to have no authoritative creed except the New Testament. It is common, however, for the churches to have formulated statements of what are understood to be the leading Christian doctrines, printed and circulated among their members. These are not uniform among the churches, but are in substantial agreement as to the doctrines taught. Indeed, each church is at liberty to prepare its own confession, or have none at all; no one form being held as binding and obligatory on the churches to adopt. Members, on being received to fellowship, are not required to subscribe or pledge conformity to any creed-form, but are expected to yield substantial agreement to that which the church with which they unite has adopted. There are two Confessions which have gained more general acceptance than any others, and are now being widely adopted by the churches over the country. As to substance of doctrine, they do not essentially differ. That known as the New Hampshire Confession is commonly used by the churches North, East, and West; while that known as the Philadelphia Confession, is very generally in use in the South and Southwest. The former is much more brief and for that reason preferred by many. The other is substantially the London Confession of Faith, published by English Baptists in 1689. It is much more full in statement than the other, and is higher in its tone as to the doctrines of grace. American Baptists are decidedly Calvinistic as to substance of doctrine, but moderately so, being midway between the extremes of Arminianism and Antinomianism. Though diversities of opinion may incline to either extreme, the "general atonement" view is for the most part held, while the "particular atonement" theory is maintained by not a few. The freedom of the human will is declared, while the sovereignty of Divine grace, and the absolute necessity of the Spirit's work in faith and salvation are maintained. They practice "strict communion," as do their mission churches in foreign lands. In Great Britain, Baptists are sharply divided between "strict and free communion," and between the particular and the general atonement theories. The New Hampshire Confession, with a few verbal changes, is here inserted. But some of the proof-texts usually accompanying these articles are, for want of space, omitted.[1] ARTICLES OF FAITH I. THE SCRIPTURES