Baptist

A “Particular” Baptist History

You’ve had people tell you their pun was not intended? Well, this time it is. Briefly, here is a glimpse into the origins, theological establishment, and by God’s grace, the perseverance of a people that have come to be known as “Particular” Baptists. Standing in the stream of a confessional and what is often termed the Reformed Tradition, a particular grouping of believers called Baptists emerged in the middle years of the seventeenth century in England. 

The period of the mid-seventeenth century in England was tumultuous to say the least. Due to the “escalating political and religious tension” during this period, according to Matthew Barrett, in his recently published Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution, the atmosphere of the day was that of a “theological hotspot.” This created a context in which new groups, breaking away from the Church of England, began to emerge and to various extents, make their mark on the theological landscape of the day. Among these groups, were those who became known to history as the Particular Baptists.

The identity of this “break away” group made itself clearly and distinctly known in the publication of a Confession of Faith in the year 1644. This publication was a bold move, and they knew it. But they believed it must be done, as the cause for them was clear. They were going public in their words, for “the vindication of the truth.” And this, according to them, was “indeed the maine wheele at this time that sets us awork.” In other words, this was the turning point for them, the “wheele” upon which they were pivoting from a semi-private to full-orbed public faith. This set these “particular” baptizing brethren on a course from which they would never look back. 

These men and their seven churches were committed to their cause. A cause of carrying on the spirit of the Reformation before them, to conform every aspect of church life to the authority of the Word of God. Their commitment to confessionalism only grew through the remaining years of the century, culminating in what has come to us today as the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith. This confession while remaining substantially at one with their former confessional work, embracing the “same truth,” served the purpose of further clarifying their doctrine.

While the years have seen much ebb and flow in the life of those who stand in this “particular” stream of Baptist life, our link to our forebearers, our theological grounding, and our desire to persevere in what we believe to be a sound expression of the faith once for all delivered to the saints remains sure. We humbly, yet boldly stand with those who have blazed a strong confessional trail before us. We are grateful for their labors. And yes, pun intended, that makes us Baptists, of a “particular” kind. 

Recommended Resources:

Bingham, Matthew. Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.

Renihan, James M. “A Reformed Baptist Perspective on Associations of Churches.” In Denominations or Associations? Essays on Reformed Baptist Associations, ed. James M. Renihan, 39-71. Amityville, NY: Calvary Press, 2001.

______. A Tale of Two Associations. Fullerton, CA: Reformed Baptist Publications, 1997.

______. Edification and Beauty: The Practical Ecclesiology of the English Particular Baptists, 1675-1705. Vol. 28 of Studies in Baptist History and Thought. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2008.

______. Faith and Life for Baptists: The Documents of the London Particular Baptist General Assemblies, 1689-1694. Palmdale, CA: RBAP, 2016.

______. For the Vindication of the Truth. Cape Coral, FL: Founders Ministries, 2021.

White, B. R. The English Separatist Tradition: From the Marian Martyrs to the Pilgrim Fathers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971. 

______. The English Baptists of the Seventeenth Century. London: Baptist Historical Society, 1983.