Philadelphia Confession

The Philadelphia Confession of Faith was adopted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association on September 25, 1742. Its main body is the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, to which the Association added two articles not found in the 1689 text: an article on the Singing of Psalms and an article on the Laying on of Hands. The shared body of the confession (the thirty-two chapters of the 1689 Baptist Confession) is recorded under the separate document lbcf-1689; only the two Philadelphia additions are recorded here.

We believe that singing the praises of God is a holy ordinance of Christ, and not a part of natural religion or a moral duty only; but that it is brought under divine institution, it being enjoined on the churches of Christ to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; and that the whole church, in their public assemblies (as well as private Christians), ought to sing God's praises according to the best light they have received. Moreover, it was practised in the great representative church by our Lord Jesus Christ with his disciples after he had instituted and celebrated the sacred ordinance of his holy supper as a commemorative token of redeeming love.

We believe that laying on of hands, with prayer, upon baptized believers, as such, is an ordinance of Christ, and ought to be submitted unto by all such persons that are admitted to partake of the Lord's Supper, and that the end of this ordinance is not for the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, but for a farther reception of the Holy Spirit of promise, or for the addition of the graces of the Spirit, and the influences thereof to confirm, strengthen, and comfort them in Christ Jesus; it being ratified and established by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the primitive times, to abide in the church, as meeting together on the first day of the week was, Acts ii:1, that being the day of worship, or Christian Sabbath, under the gospel; and as preaching the Word was, Acts x:44, and as baptism was, Matthew iii:16, and prayer was, Acts iv:31, and singing psalms, etc., was, Acts xvi:25, 26, so this of laying on of hands was Acts viii. and xix.; for, as the whole gospel was confirmed by signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost in general, so was every ordinance in like manner confirmed in particular.