Philadelphia Baptist Tradition of Church and Church Authority an Ecumenical Analysis and Theological Interpretation

Proposes that the Philadelphia Baptists recognized the divinely established authority of church councils over participating local churches in time of crisis, practiced a true delegation of authority and power, and had ecclesiological significance for Baptist belief and practice. Provides a thorough analysis of the tradition of church and church authority in the Philadelphia Baptist Association, a group which had great impact on the character and theology of all Baptist life in the Americas. Includes two historical chapters describing the British and American roots of the Association, traces the genealogy of the Philadelphia Baptist Confession of 1742 back to the Second London Confession of 1677 and 1689 and to earlier British sources, and contains thorough appendices and bibliography.