What is the New Hampshire Confession of Faith?

The New Hampshire Confession of Faith (NHCF) is a belief statement that reflects Baptist doctrines. In 1833, Baptist churches in New England sought a clear and concise summary of their doctrine. They also wanted it to reflect beliefs they held that differed from earlier Baptist confessions. The drafting of the NHCF met this need by covering important articles of faith concerning the Bible, the person and work of Jesus Christ, salvation, the church, and baptism. The confession unified Baptist churches in the region and eventually influenced congregations in other regions and guided later confessions.

The New Hampshire Confession of Faith was written and adopted during an era of change among Baptists in America. Many churches in the tradition valued historic confessions like the Second London Baptist Confession (SLBC) of 1689. However, they wanted a new statement that was more concise and reflected their own beliefs. John Newton Brown (1803—1868), a Baptist pastor, worked with other Baptist leaders in New England to write the NHCF as an expression of their churches’ views. Their goal was to provide a guide for doctrine and practice that Baptist congregations could affirm.

A key reason for writing the NHCF was that earlier Baptist confessions, especially the SLBC and its American adaptations, expressed Calvinistic beliefs in great detail. For instance, their wording on the atonement—often understood in explicitly Calvinistic terms—expressed beliefs that many Baptist churches in New England did not share. For this reason, the NHCF used broader and more moderate language that a wide range of Baptists could affirm.

For example, in Chapter 3, Paragraph 6, the Second London Baptist Confession reads, “As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto.” This means that God will determine who receives salvation and how. Another example appears in Chapter VIII, Paragraph 5 of the SLBC, which says that Jesus purchased redemption “for all those whom the Father hath given unto Him”—wording that limits the saving intent of Christ’s death to the elect.

In contrast, the New Hampshire Confession of Faith does not reflect a limited view of the atonement. Its summary is broader and emphasizes that the blessings of salvation are “made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own voluntary refusal to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ” (Chapter VI). The confession also teaches the universal offer of salvation without specifying the extent of the atonement. This wording made it easier for churches with different views to adopt the NHCF. In particular, it allowed churches that did not hold to Calvinism to use it.

After its publication, the New Hampshire Confession of Faith gained widespread use in Baptist churches. Pastors used it to train new believers and to guard their churches from heresy. Its careful wording affirmed historic Christian beliefs, reflected Baptist convictions about church life, and helped unite congregations that differed on secondary issues. The confession informed later Baptist doctrinal statements, including the Baptist Faith and Message of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The New Hampshire Confession of Faith remains relevant today because its teachings still guide and influence Baptist churches. Pastors continue to rely on it when discipling believers on the core truths of the Christian faith. Churches also use it to assess current trends and ideas, evaluating them against Scripture. The confession reminds believers that doctrine shapes the Christian life and that clearly stated beliefs strengthen churches.