What does it mean to be a Baptist? Though ideas abound, we must go to the one man for a sure answer, John Quincy Adams. For with unashamed boldness and clarity, Adams articulates the fundamental distinctives of the Baptist faith. These fundamentals include the importance of sola Scriptura, believer’s baptism, the separation of the church and state, equality of the saints, and liberty of conscience. Even C. H. Spurgeon, calling it “the best Manual of Baptist principles he had met,” included the text in his Pastor’s College curriculum. First published in 1858 and reprinted multiple times since, this work has become a classic tome on Baptist principles.
