BAPTIST HISTORY LESSON 5

1. BAPTIST HISTORYLESSON 5 RISE OF PARTICULAR BAPTISTS

2. Elizabeth 1558-1603 James I 1603-1625 Charles I 1625-1649 English Commonwealth 1649-1653 Elizabethan Settlement Failure of Hampton Ct. Conf. Arch Wm. Laud Dismissed Part. ‘29 Puritans Book of Sports Separatists War on Scotland ‘40 1609: Smyth Church in Amsterdam/ 1612 Helwys in Spitalfields GENERAL BAPTIST Cromwell 1653-1658 Charles II 1660-1685 James II 1685-1688 William & Mary 1688-1702

3. RISE OF PARTICULAR BAPTISTS I. Founding of Jacob, Lathrop, Jessey Church 1. Henry Jacob-(1616-1622) 2. John Lathrop-(1622-1634) 3. Henry Jessey-(1634-1637) II. 1630- Mr. Dupper seceded; baptism by parish clergy invalid III. 1633-Samuel Eaton received a “Further Baptism” IV. 1638-Group of six men “being convinced that Baptism was not for Infants, bur professed Believers joyned with Mr. Jo. Spilsbury” V. Jessey, Blunt and the Kiffen Manuscript

4. The Church became two by mutual consent just 1640 half being with Mr. P. Barebone, & [the] other half with Mr. H. Jessey Mr. Richard Blunt with him being convinced of Baptism yet also it ought to be by dipping [the] Body into [the] Water, resembling Burial and rising again. 2 Col: 2.12. Rom: 6.4. had sober conference about in [the] Church, & then with some of the forenamed who also were so convinced: And after Prayer & conference about their so enjoying it, none having then so so [sic] practised in Enland to professed Believers, & hearing that some in the Netherlands had so practised they agreed & sent over Mr. Richard Blunt (who understood Dutch) with Letters of Commendation, who was kindly accepted there, & returned with Letters from them John Batte a Teacher there, & from that Church to such as sent him. They proceed on therein, viz, Those Persons yet were persuaded 1641 Baptism should be by dipping [the] Body had met in two Companies, & did intend so to meet after this, all these agreed to proceed alike together. And then Manifesting (not by any formal Words a Covenant) which word was scrupled by some of them, but by mutual desires & agreement each Testified. Those two Companies did set apart one to Baptize the rest; So it was solemnly performed by them. Mr Blunt Baptized Mr. Blacklock yet was a Teacher amongst them, & Mr. Blunt being Baptized, he & Mr. Blacklock Baptized [the] rest of their friends that ware so minded, & many being added to them they increased much. “But the greatest number of the English Baptists, and the more judicious, looked upon all this as needless trouble, and what proceeded from the old Popish Doctrine of right to administer sacraments by an uninterrupted succession, which neither the Church of Rome, not the Church of England, much less the modern dissenters, could prove to be with them. They affirmed, therefore, and practiced accordingly, that after a general corruption of baptism, an unbaptized person might warrantably baptize, and so begin a reformation.” Thomas Crosby The History of the English Baptists, Vol. I, pg 101 1. Were there no other churches practicing believers baptism in 1640? 2. Did Blunt travel to Holland to merely consult w/ Mennonites or to receive baptism from them? 3. Did Blunt baptize Blacklock, who then baptized Blunt? The church voluntarily split in two: Jessey congregation & Praise-God Barebone (Barbon) congregation

5. VI. Different Particular Baptist Churches arising from JLJ Church 1. Spilsbury 1638 2. Eaton/Blunt 1640 3. Hanserd Knollys 1643 4. William Kiffen 1643 5. Henry Jessey 1645 “God had more light yet to break forth from his word”

6. BAPTISTS 1640-1660 I. Period of Revolution: 1640-1648 II. Period of Protectorate: 1649-1659 III. Baptist Highlights During Entire Period A. Political Characteristics Archbishop William Laud Dismissed Parliament: expanded ‘law of prerogative’ Force Book Common Prayer on Scotland; They answer by raising army Had to recall Parliament for money: surprise! Parliament raises army: Oliver Cromwell Civil War: 1642-1648 Cavalier army & Charles defeated Parliament attempts to restore Charles under strict guidelines Charles resists; goes to France; returns with army and is soundly defeated Charles II (1625-1649) April 1, 1649 Charles is beheaded

7. B. Religious Characteristics of this period To the Kings most Excellent Maiesty, and the Honourable Court of Parliament. The humble Petition of many his Maiesties loyall and faithfull subiects, some of which having beene miserably persecuted by the Prelates and their Adherents, by all rigorous courses, for their Consciences, practicing nothing but what was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ, who was Lord of all Administrations, Math. 28.19. and practiced by the Primitive Christians; submitting to his Maiestie and his Lawes, so farre as concernes our Estates, Libertie, and Lives; and so, as we conceive, give to Cæsar the things that are Cæsars, and to God those things that are his. 1. High Baptist Visibility a. Pamphlet Warfare Baptism by dipping Local churches right to its own minister “making the presses sweat and groan under the load of their great blasphemies” b. Public Disputations 1641-1700: 109 public disputations (79 between 1641-1660!)

8. c. Baptists in the Army “almost to a man they were supporters of the Parliamentary cause, which was the cause of liberty, religious as well as civil. Large numbers of Baptists took service in the armies of Parliament, some of whom rose to high rand, and were much trusted by the Lord Protector, Cromwell.” H.C. Vedder A Short History of the Baptist, p. 219 d. Confessions of Faith (1) General Baptists • The Faith and Practice of Thirty Congregations (1651) • The Standard Confession (1660) • The Orthodox Confession (1678) (2) Particular Baptists • The First London Confession (1644) • The Midland Confession (1655) • The Somerset Confession (1656)

9. John Spilsbury (c. 1596-c. 1662/64) Also one Spilsberyrose up of late (Who doth, or did dwell over Aldersgate) His office was to weigh Hay by the Trusse (Fit for the pallat of Bucephalus) He in short time left his Hay-weighing trade, And afterwards he Irish Stockings made: He rebaptiz’d in Anabaptist fasion One Eaton (of the new found separation) A zealous Button-maker, grave and wise, And gave him orders, others to baptize; Who was so apt to learn in one day Hee’d do’t as well as Spilsbery weigh’d Hay. “Though few men may legitimately be called pioneers, John Spilsbury deserves that title” James Renihan John Spilsbury in The British Particular Baptists, Vol. 1, p 21 1643 A Treatise Concerning the Lawfull subject of Baptisme 1646 God’s Ordinance, The Saints Priviledge What constitutes a true church? 1. The right preaching of the Word of God “fit..for matter and form’ 2. Confession of personal faith 3. Voluntary covenant constituting the church 4. Proper use of the ordinances 1642: 10 articles of faith 1644: signer of the First London Confession of Faith