80: Why So Many Churches?: Origins of the Baptists – Part 12

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I'm Eddie Lawrence, and this is the Ready for Eternity podcast, a podcast and blog exploring biblical truths for inquisitive

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Bible students. Imagine living in 17th century England, where questioning infant baptism could land you in prison.

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Out of that situation came the first Baptists, who were determined to follow conscience over the dogma of the state church.

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The Baptist story begins in 17th century England, during an era of sweeping religious and political change.

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The Protestant Reformation reshaped Europe, and England felt its effects deeply.

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The Church of England broke with Rome, yet many believers sought further reform.

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Reformers, called Puritans, wanted to cleanse the Church of England of practices they viewed as unbiblical.

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Some Puritans felt the Church of England was beyond reform and advocated separation.

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These separatists left the established church and formed independent congregations.

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From this historic context, the first Baptist emerged. John Smith stands among the first important figures in early

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Baptist history. A former Anglican priest turned separatist, he left

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England for Amsterdam after clashes with church authorities. There, safe from persecution,

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Smith started a Baptist congregation in 1609 and studied scripture closely.

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He concluded that baptism should be for believers only. He rejected infant baptism, which most churches practiced at that time.

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Smith baptized himself and then others to express his conviction about believer's baptism.

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His actions showed that faith must arise from personal trust rather than family membership.

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Thomas Helwes, a wealthy lawyer and close associate of John Smith, financed the group's migration to Amsterdam.

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He remained only briefly. Helwes returned to England in 1612 and founded the first Baptist congregation near London.

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He soon emerged as a central leader of the movement. Helwes wrote a forceful plea for religious liberty and sent a copy directly to King James I.

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He argued that the king held no authority over the conscience in matters of faith.

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Authorities imprisoned Helwes for his views, and he died in custody in 1616.

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As for Smith, he joined the Mennonites around 1612, but died shortly thereafter of natural causes.

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The early Baptist movement thrived, even with the loss of its two founders.

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Eventually, the movement divided into two streams due to the influence of Calvinism, General Baptist and Particular Baptist.

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General Baptist believed that Christ died to offer salvation to all who believe.

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Particular Baptist insisted that only those God selects are chosen for eternal life, concluding that salvation is not available to all people.

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Both groups, however, insisted on believer's baptism and local church autonomy.

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These shared commitments set Baptist apart from most other Christians of their day. Baptist eventually concluded that immersion is the only biblical mode of baptism.

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Scripture portrays baptism as a full -body action, symbolizing death to sin and resurrection to new life.

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This conclusion comes not only from the narrative symbolism, but also from linguistic study of the original

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Greek words, such as baptizo, which means to immerse or to dip.

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Together, the symbolism and language emphasize both personal faith and the visible bodily commitment of the believer.

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Baptist faced persecution in England. The state church was Anglican, and it was illegal to establish congregations outside of its authority.

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Civil authorities fined, jailed, and sometimes banished those who refused to conform.

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Still, Baptist congregations persisted and slowly grew across towns and villages.

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Their focus on Scripture and conscience attracted believers willing to endure hardship.

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Those convictions prepared Baptists to carry their belief to new lands. Roger Williams established the first recognized

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Baptist church in America at Providence, Rhode Island in 1639.

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He clashed with Massachusetts leaders over state control of religion and freedom of conscience, prompting his move to Rhode Island.

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There Williams built a colony grounded in religious liberty that welcomed dissenters.

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John Clark formed a Baptist church in Newport and defended freedom of worship through legal arguments and civic actions.

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Those Rhode Island congregations became safe havens where Baptists could worship freely.

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Elsewhere in the colonies, Baptists often faced hostility and legal barriers.

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Virginia and Massachusetts sometimes jailed Baptist preachers for unauthorized preaching.

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Still, the movement spread through plain preaching and evangelism. By the time of the

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American Revolution, Baptists had established a significant presence in several colonies.

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Baptist leaders such as Isaac Bacchus argued strongly for separation of church and state.

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They insisted civil authorities should not coerce religious belief or practice. Their advocacy shaped public debate and influenced emerging

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American views on liberty. Those efforts helped create a political environment that later enshrined religious freedom in the

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Constitution. In the 19th century, revivals and missionary efforts propelled

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Baptist growth across the expanding nation. Baptists emphasized congregational autonomy, believers' baptism, and evangelism.

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From small, 17th century gatherings in Amsterdam and London, the movement grew around the world.

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Today, Baptists exist on every continent and continue to influence church life and public discussions.

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The Baptist story blends conviction, courage, and focus on conscience. From John Smith and Thomas Helwes to Roger Williams and John Clark, the movement shaped ideas about faith and freedom.

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The historical account shows how convictions about believers' immersion and religious liberty reshaped church and public life across the centuries.