The Glory of a True Church

In The Glory of a True Church, Benjamin Keach provides one of the earliest and clearest Baptist treatments of church polity. Written to give ordinary church members a practical and accessible guide, this work sets out the biblical principles that shape the life, order, and discipline of a gospel church.

Keach explains what constitutes a true church, how it should be formed, how members are to walk together in holiness, and how Christ’s authority is exercised in the gathered congregation. He addresses the marks of order and disorder, the responsibilities of members, and the nature of church discipline — all with pastoral warmth and scriptural clarity.

In the preface, Keach notes that while many Congregational writers had addressed church government, their works were often too large or technical for everyday believers. Baptists, he observed, had not yet produced a concise work on this subject. At the request of church members and fellow pastors, Keach wrote this “small and plain tract” so that Christians might not only know Baptist doctrine, but also see Baptist order.

Clear, practical, and deeply rooted in Scripture, The Glory of a True Church remains a vital introduction to historic Baptist congregational church government. Included in this edition are the Articles of Faith Keach prepared for his own congregation shortly before his death, offering further insight into the theology and church life of early Particular Baptists.