Hall V · What We Believe
A plain statement of faith
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV
Who we are, what our name means, and what we hold, with the Scripture for each point and a source for every claim about Baptist history.
The Name
What “Militia” means here
“Militia” here means the Christian as a soldier of Jesus Christ, the picture the Apostle Paul himself uses. His warfare is spiritual. His enemy is sin and the powers of darkness, never a neighbour. His armour is truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Stated plainly: this is a library and museum of Scripture and church history. It does not advocate, endorse, or have any connection with any armed, physical, or political militia, and it calls no one to violence. The only weapons it commends are the ones Ephesians 6 names.
What We Believe
Six Baptist convictions, each with its Scripture
These are the six convictions that historians commonly name as the common ground of Baptists (summarised from Winthrop S. Hudson, “Baptist: Teachings,” Encyclopaedia Britannica). This museum holds them, and each one is set beside a text of the King James Bible.
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The Scriptures
The Bible is the supreme authority in every matter of faith and practice. Baptists have published confessions to declare what they commonly believe, but their final appeal is always to the Scriptures, not to any confession.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
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Believer’s Baptism
Baptism belongs to those who believe. Because baptism pictures dying to the old life and rising to new life with Christ, Baptists hold that immersion is the apostolic form.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
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A Church of Believers
A church is not a parish or a territory. It is a gathered people: those whom Christ has called, who trust in Him and give evidence of that faith.
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
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The Priesthood of Believers
Every Christian stands before God without a human priest between. Pastors carry real responsibilities, given with the consent of the church, but hold no special priestly status.
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
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The Local Church Under Christ
Each rightly gathered congregation is fully equipped to minister Christ and answers to no outside authority but Him. Churches still keep fellowship and cooperate with one another freely.
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
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Liberty of Conscience
The church must be free to obey Christ without interference from the state, and no one may be compelled in matters of faith. Baptists stood at the forefront of the long struggle for religious freedom in England and America.
“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Summary of convictions: britannica.com (W. S. Hudson, “Baptist: Teachings”). The wording above is ours, and the Scripture is verbatim KJV.
The Book
Why Scripture alone, and why the King James Bible
The first article of the Second London Baptist Confession (1677, reissued 1689), which is on the Timeline, opens with these words:
“The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience…”
That is the conviction this museum is built to show. Every hall points back to the Book: the Armoury to its own words, the Timeline to how it was kept and carried into English, and the Catalogue to its sixty-six books.
This museum reads and quotes the King James Version (the Authorized Version of 1611), the Bible of its founder and his church. Every verse on these pages is quoted verbatim and linked so that it may be checked.
Method & Provenance
This museum has three rules. First, Scripture is quoted verbatim from the KJV, with its reference. Second, every historical or biographical claim carries a link to a credible source, and where historians disagree, the page says so. Third, images are used only when public-domain or properly licensed, with their credit shown. Nothing is displayed until it can be shown true. Everything on this page was checked on 28 September 2026. If you find an error, it will be corrected.
The members’ area, reached through the members’ door, is separate from this museum. It runs as its own application with its own database, it is open by invitation only, and nothing written there appears on these public pages. Search engines are asked not to index it. To ask for prayer, offer to serve, or learn what the fellowship is, begin at the Visitors’ Center.
“…as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
Here the suggested walk ends. Walk the halls again in any order, and test every word by the Book.