St. Anselm of Canterbury
We believe that the Word of God is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. It is contained within the 66 books of the Christian Bible, 39 of them in the Old Testament, 27 of them in the New Testament. The Holy Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). We affirm that this is indeed the final and ultimate authority for the saints of God.
We believe that God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth (WSC Q.4). He is three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost in one being. He has but one divine will (Deut. 6:4, 1 Cor. 8:6). Together with all the saints we worship Him and Him alone.
We believe that Jesus Christ was indeed a real man who walked amongst the sons of man. Yet He was no mere man, being the Son of God who took on mortal flesh (John 1:14, Rom. 9:5). He was born of the Virgin Mary, persecuted by Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again. We affirm that He will indeed come again to judge both the living and the dead, though no man knows the hour or the day of His arrival (1 Thess. 5:2).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is truly God, Lord and giver of life. He proceeds from both the Father and the Son (John 14:26). We affirm that the Holy Spirit effectually calls us to salvation and instills us with faith, so that we might believe and be saved (2 Thess. 2:13-14, Acts 2:37, Eph. 2:8). He serves as the seal of our salvation and the guarantee of our total sanctification to come (Eph. 1:13-14).
We believe that all men are sinfully and totally broken. Each of us has sinned in Adam and continually sins, damning ourselves and keeping ourselves from the love of God (Rom. 5:12, 6:20-23). But we are not without hope. We believe and affirm that God knew us before creating us, destined us for salvation, called us, justified us, and continually redeems us through His Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:29-30). This salvation comes as a result of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who took our place and bore our shame (1 Peter 2:24).
We believe that the Church is both universal and local. In its universal composition, the Church serves as the body of all elect believers under God. In the local sense, the church is a collection and assembly of one body of believers in one site and one assembly professing and preaching the Gospel. It is to be led by their elders with the rule of member care given to the congregation and is to be individual of any higher power (Presbytery, Diocese, etc.), save God Himself. Each congregation should be orderly, well-known by their elders, and governed by a plurality of elders. Each congregation must serve in all submissiveness to their elders, as these are the caretakers of their souls (Heb. 13:17). They are to be evangelical, preaching the Gospel and making disciples of men in both domestic and foreign missions (Matt. 28:19).
We believe that the fruits of the Spirit are developed through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and are a mark of the Christian. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). We also believe and affirm that in every place and every time that the Gospel was to go forth and was impeded, the Holy Spirit worked in magnificent ways to overcome boundaries, affirm the Gospel, and prove the Gospel. We maintain that such gifts are not as needed today, but have in no way ceased as they continue in rare circumstances in the most lost and depraved of places. We place neither limitation nor expectation on the Spirit, knowing that He will do that which is most glorifying to Almighty God.
We believe that the sacrament of baptism is a holy rite, commanded by Our Lord, with the purpose of initiating us into the Christian religion, proclaiming God's faithfulness to save, and is an appeal to God for a clean conscience (Matt. 28:19, 1 Peter 3:21). This baptism is only for those who repent and believe in the Gospel, because faith must precede baptism.
We believe that the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, aka the Eucharist (Greek: Thanksgiving), is a sacrament given for believers as both sign and seal of our salvation and it serves as a plea for the Return of Christ. It is to be done with bread and wine, as is the custom of Passover in which Our Lord gave such to us. Worthy receivers, outwardly partaking of the visible elements, do then also inwardly by faith, really and indeed, yet not carnally and corporally, but spiritually receive, and feed upon Christ crucified, and all the benefits of His death (London Baptist Confession of Faith 30.7). Just as bread and wine nourish the body, so too in a special way does Christ nourish the soul by faith and His Holy Spirit. This we maintain with all the Reformed Tradition.
We believe that in the end of days, that is, the Day of the Lord, Christ will return to judge the living and the dead (Rev. 20:11-15). No one knows the day nor the hour (Matt. 24:36). This end will be a display of both God's mercy and justice, and Christ will reign forevermore as King. We plead as St. John the Evangelist pleaded, Come Lord Jesus. Amen. (Rev. 22:20).