An inquiry into the degree of theological freedom permitted by local Baptist churches to their members in American History before 1815 disclosed the following. Members were to be Calvinists, supporters of believer's baptism, Sunday as the day of worship, and the ordinance of laying on of hands. Members could be excluded for not conforming and local churches could be refused admission to Baptist associations. The Philadelphia Baptist Association on September 28, 1742 adopted the 1689 London Confession of Faith and had a tremendous influence on Baptist churches and associations throughout the country in securing conformity to that Confession's affirmations.
The principle of majority consensus operated implicitly in local churches and in associations. There were temporary experiments within local churches of togetherness of groups with different perspectives on some issues. There were conciliatory efforts and expressions of goodwill and humility that were refreshing, even inspiring. But the concern for Calvinist orthodoxy prevailed.
