The 1900 Primitive Baptist Confession of Faith

• Preface
• General Address
• Chapter I - Of the Holy Scriptures
• Chapter II - Of God and of the Holy Trinity
• Chapter III - Of God's Decree
• Chapter IV - Of Creation
• Chapter V - Of Divine Providence
• Chapter VI - Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
• Chapter VII - Of God's Covenant
• Chapter VIII - Of Christ the Mediator
• Chapter IX - Of Free Will
• Chapter X - Of Effectual Calling
• Chapter XI - Of Justification
• Chapter XII - Of Adoption
• Chapter XIII - Of Sanctification
• Chapter XIV - Of Saving Faith
• Chapter XV - Of Repentance Unto Life and Salvation
• Chapter XVI - Of Good Works
• Chapter XVII - Of The Perseverance Of The Saints
• Chapter XVIII - Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
• Chapter XIX - Of the Law of God
• Chapter XX - Of the Gospel, and of the Extent of the Grace Thereof
• Chapter XXI - Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
• Chapter XXII - Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day
• Chapter XXIII - Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
• Chapter XXIV - Of the Civil Magistrate
• Chapter XXV - Of Marriage
• Chapter XXVI - Of the Church
• Chapter XXVII - Of the Communion of Saints
• Chapter XXVIII - Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
• Chapter XXIX - Of Baptism
• Chapter XXX - Of the Lord's Supper
• Chapter XXXI - Of the State of Man After Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead
• Chapter XXXII - Of the Last Judgment
• Appendix

Chapter IX - Of Free Will

1. God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice, that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil.1

1. Mt 17:12; Jas 1:14; Dt 30:19.

Fulton Footnote: This section has reference alone to Adam in a state of innocence.


2. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well-pleasing to God,2 but yet was unstable, so that he might fall from it.3

2. Ecc 7:29.
3. Ge 3:6.


3. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation;4 so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin,5 is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.6

4. Ro 5:6; 8:7.
5. Eph 2:1,5.
6. Tit 3:3-5; Jn 6:44.


4. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He freeth him from his natural bondage under sin,7 and by His grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good;8 yet so as that by reason of his remaining corruptions, he doth not perfectly, nor only will, that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil.9

7. Col 1:13; Jn 8:36.
8. Php 2:13.
9. Ro 7:15,18-19,21,23.

Fulton Footnote: We understand the expression "when God converts" to mean when God regenerates.


5. This will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone in the state of glory only.10

10. Eph 4:13.