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