Post on 17-Dec-2015
The Rise of the General BaptistsThe Rise of the General Baptists& the Particular Baptists& the Particular Baptists
Copyright 2007 NOBTS, Rex D. Butler and Lloyd A. Harsch
John SmythJohn Smyth (c.1560-1612)(c.1560-1612)
Religious WandererReligious Wanderer
General BaptistsGeneral Baptists
John SmythJohn Smyth
Cambridge graduate; Anglican who became a Puritan at school
Began preaching in his home town of Gainsborough, where he formed a Separatist congregation in 1606
A second branch was formed at Scrooby Manor with William Brewster, William Bradford, and Pastor John Robinson
John SmythJohn Smyth 1608, congregation moved to Amsterdam
Lived in bakery owned by Mennonites
Congregation still based on OT model of covenant
1609, reformed under New Testament model of believer's baptism
Separatists had felt uneasy about validity of baptism in apostate Church of England
Bible study led to desire to follow NT model
Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-38; Acts 16:30-33
No record of infant baptism in NT
Possible influence of Mennonites in Amsterdam
John SmythJohn Smyth
Recovery of believer’s baptism Smyth baptized himself (by pouring), then
others
A few weeks later, he doubted validity of se-baptism & wanted to join Waterlander Mennonites; wrote “Short Confession”
1612, died without having been accepted himself, but many followers joined in 1615
Smyth’s congregation is considered the first Baptist church in modern times
Thomas Helwys (1550-1616)Thomas Helwys (1550-1616)
Thomas HelwysThomas Helwys
From wealthy family, Helwys financed trip to Amsterdam
Left wife & children in England
Helwys disagreed with Smyth’s decision to become a Mennonite
Became pastor of the few who remained
1611, Wrote A Declaration of Faith of English People First Baptist confession of faith in English
Response to Smyth’s “Short Confession” (1610)
Declaration of Faith Declaration of Faith • Believer’s baptism and closed
communion – only for members (articles 13-15)
• Free will aided by God’s grace (art. 4)• General atonement (art. 5); falling
from grace (art. 7)– General Baptists take their name from
their doctrine that Jesus died “generally” for all people
Declaration of Faith Declaration of Faith • Church established by confession of
faith and baptism – not covenant (art. 10)
• Church is autonomous, yet connected to the whole (art. 11-12)
• Church members can do ordinances without pastor (art. 11)
• Church is not to get too big (art. 16)
Declaration of Faith Declaration of Faith • Congregational rule and authority
extends only to that congregation (art. 21-22)
• Officers: elders and deacons – both men & women (art. 20)
• Participation in government & oaths not forbidden (art. 24-25)
Thomas HelwysThomas Helwys Returned to England in 1611, to Spitalfield
(London)
His wife Joan was imprisoned in England
First Baptist church on English soil
Wrote Mistery of Iniquity (1612)
First plea for religious liberty in English
Christ is the head of the church, not the king
King has no power over conscience
Religious freedom for all – Jews, Turks, heretics
Thomas HelwysThomas Helwys Sent inscribed copy to James I
“For men’s religion to God is betwixt God & themselves; the king shall not answer for it, neither may the king be judge between God & man. Let them be heretics, Turks, Jews or whatsoever, it appertains not to the earthly power to punish them in the least measure”
Arrested 2 weeks later and died in prison (1616)
John MurtonJohn Murton Became pastor after Helwys’ arrest
Wrote Humble Supplication (1620)
From prison: wrote in milk on paper stoppers; heat revealed writing
Submit to king in civil matters, not spiritual
Priesthood of believers gives competency in spiritual matters
Died in Newgate Prison
Leonard BusherLeonard Busher
• Spitalsfield layman
• 1614, wrote Religion’s Peace, or a plea for liberty of conscience– Compared forced religion to spiritual rape
Thomas Grantham (1634-92)Thomas Grantham (1634-92)• Converted by age 15; baptized at 19;
became pastor at 22
• Endured persecution under Presbyterian state-church
• 1666, ordained & then organized several churches
• Wrote Christianus Primitivus– Covers Baptist theology & worship– Considered hymn singing a human
invention & listed restrictions to singing
Growth of General BaptistsGrowth of General Baptists
• By 1624, there were 5 congregations
• By 1647, there were at least 47 congregations
Particular BaptistsParticular Baptists
• The first Particular Baptist church also emerged out of English Separatism
• This congregation came out of a congregation known by historians as the “JLJ” Church, named for its first three pastors: Jacob, Lathrop, Jessey
Henry Jacob (pastor 1616-22)Henry Jacob (pastor 1616-22)• Signed “Millenary Petition” as a Puritan• Wrote treatises for church reform;
1605, went into exile; 1616, returned to England
• Formed Independent Puritan congregation in Southwark (London)– Composed of Separatists & Semi-separatists
(who occasionally took communion in Anglican Church)
• 1622, Jacob left for Virginia; 1624, died there
John Lathrop (pastor 1624-34)John Lathrop (pastor 1624-34)
• 1630 Schism– Some objected to those who practiced occasional
conformity– Led by Mr. Dupper
• 1633 Schism– Two factors
• Congregation became too large to meet without risk• Objection to worshipping with occasional conformists
– Led by Samuel Eaton– Eaton & others received “further baptism”
• Probably because they considered their baptism in corrupt Anglican church to be invalid
• Possibly because they rejected infant baptism
Henry Jessey (pastor 1637-39)Henry Jessey (pastor 1637-39)• Church was without pastor for 3 years• 1638 Schism
– 6 more split off “for the purpose of re-baptism”– Joined Eaton’s congregation, now led by John
Spilsbury (Eaton was in jail)– This merged group agreed to doctrine of
believer’s baptism– 1638, Spilsbury’s congregation forms first
Particular Baptist church
• 1639, Jessey left JLJ Church to form Baptist congregation
(See JLJ Church Chart)
Recovery of ImmersionRecovery of Immersion
• Individual advocates– 1610, Henry Jacob spoke of it
• “Dipping” is biblical mode of baptism, but did not restore practice
– 1614, Leonard Busher supported it in Religion’s Peace
• Christ “hath commanded to be baptized in water, that is, dipped for dead in the water”
– 1630s, Mark Luker of Eaton’s church advocated it
Recovery of ImmersionRecovery of Immersion• Jessey’s congregation
– Sent Richard Blunt to Netherlands to confer with Waterlanders about immersion
– Blunt returned, either having been baptized by the Waterlanders or having received instructions (probably the former)
– 1641, Blunt baptized Mr. Blacklock & they baptized about 53 others
• Not all of Jessey’s church agreed with necessity of re-re-baptism by immersion
• Some questioned wisdom of consulting with Anabaptists & expressed doubts about successionism
Recovery of ImmersionRecovery of Immersion• Spilsbury’s congregation
– 1644, began practice of immersion by claiming authority from the Bible to do so
– Rejected any attempt to establish historic successionism, as Jessey’s church did
• Occasionally early baptisms were done naked
First London Confession
• 1644, seven Particular Baptist congregations issued confession of faith– Four of these congregations came out of
JLJ Church
• Refuted accusations that Particular Baptists were radical Anabaptists like those of Münster
• Antagonistic to Parliament
First London ConfessionFirst London Confession
– Particular atonement (art. 3, 21-23); perseverance of the saints• Human depravity implied, not
pronounced like Dort• Faith is gift of God• Omitted teaching on reprobation• Gospel to be preached to all (art. 24)• No mention of covenant theology
– Strong Christology
First London ConfessionFirst London Confession– Church composed of visible saints
(art. 33)– Baptism by immersion (art. 39-40)
• First official statement of believer’s baptism by immersion
– Congregational polity (art. 37-38)– Four-fold ministry (art. 36) as in
Calvinism• Pastor, teacher, elder, deacon
– Disestablishment of State Church (art. 48-51)
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders• William Kiffin (1616-1701)
– Wealthy merchant– Baptist pastor for 60 years
• 1642, debated Daniel Featley– Author of “The Dippers Dipt or the
Anabaptists Ducked & Plung’d over Head & Ears at a Disputation at Southwark”
• Publicized Baptist doctrines & practices– Local church as visible body– Believer’s baptism by immersion– Ministry of all believers– Authority of Scripture
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders
• Hanserd Knollys (1598-1691)– Former Anglican priest– Baptist pastor for 50 years– Wrote grammars on Greek &
Hebrew
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders• Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)
– Tailor by trade; saved in General Baptist church & called as pastor at age 18
– Fined & pilloried for his Baptist faith; persecution drove him to London
– After his first wife died, he married a Particular Baptist & converted to that faith in 1672
– Pastor for 36 years of Baptist church that was ancestor or Spurgeon’s New Park Street Church
– 1689, became deathly ill; Hanserd Knollys prayed for 15 more years of life
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders• Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)
– Wrote in defense of Baptist beliefs but without using personal attacks
• Baptism: circumcision was sign of legal covenant; baptism, of spiritual covenant
– Laying on of hands• Held to six principles of Heb. 6:1-2• General Baptists practiced it; Particular Baptists divided on
the issue
– Wrote in favor of pastoral pay– 1673, introduced hymn singing
• Baptists were first English group to sing hymns that were not Psalms
• Acceptance took 20 years
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders• John Bunyan (1628-88)
– Blasphemous, profane tinker & soldier in Parliamentary Army
– 1653, converted & baptized by Andrew Gifford in Particular Baptist church in Bedford
– Imprisoned for 12 years under persecution by Charles II
– When released, he succeeded Gifford as pastor of Baptist church in Bedford
Particular Baptist LeadersParticular Baptist Leaders• John Bunyan
– Grace Abounding to the Chiefest of Sinners
– Differences in Judgement about Water Baptism No Bar to Communion
– The Pilgrims Progress• Classic allegory about journey
of “Christian” through Slough of Despond, Valley of Shadow of Death & Vanity Fair to Celestial City
• Christian encounters Worldly Wiseman, Talkative, Facing-both-Ways, Turn-away & Evangelist