General Baptists

General Baptists, also called Arminian Baptists, are Baptists that hold to the doctrine of general atonement (belief that Jesus Christ died for all humanity and not only for the elect). General Baptist soteriology initially was not Arminian, but over time they embraced some distinctive Arminian doctrines until completely adopting the Five Points of Arminianism, while still maintaining strong Calvinistic language and other Reformed doctrines.

General Baptists have produced two major confessions of faith: The Standard Confession of Faith (1660), and the Orthodox Creed (1679).^[1] Henry Denne, Thomas Grantham and Daniel Taylor were some of the greatest theological figures for the General Baptist strand in England. Together with the Particular Baptists, the second strand, they form the Baptist tradition.

Historical Background

In the late 16th century and early 17th century, Puritan activity was strong in the English Midlands. In this period, a Puritan church gathered in Gainsborough, led by the cleric John Smyth, recently excommunicated for dissatisfaction with the state of the Church of England, as persecution against Puritan reforms. The church came to be known as the Gainsborough Congregation. They later developed a distinctive Baptist theology and is considered one of the precursors of General Baptists.^[2] Under Thomas Helwys' ministry, the church was reestablished at Spitalfields outside London in 1612, after a brief period of exile in Amsterdam.^[3] Helwys is credited with the formation of a church in Coventry in 1614 or earlier when he assembled with Smyth and other Puritan leaders to lead Coventry Puritans organizing a Conference in 1606, at the mansion of Sir William Bowes and his wife, Isobel.^[4]

Development

In 1660, selected General Baptists ministers assembled together in the City of London to draw up a confession of faith defining their theology. They elected Thomas Grantham and Joseph Wright to present the confession to King Charles II in the same year. It was adopted by their ecclesiastical organization, the General Assembly of General Baptists. ^[5]

Dr. Charles Marie Du Veil, a respected French Huguenot Biblical scholar, ^[6] became a General Baptist. He was baptised into the St. Paul's Alley church and published his new views. Du Veil helped the General Baptist influence after 1685. ^[7]^[8]

In 1733, a case against several Northamptonshire churches was presented to the General Assembly for "singing the psalms of David or other men's composures" which determined no fixed rule on congregational singing, but deferred to the local church to set forth their own reasons as the General Assembly had in 1689.^[9]

In America

In 1825, opponents of General Baptists in North Carolina dubbed them as "Freewillers" for their Arminian belief. Then, these Baptists assumed the name Free Will Baptists.^[10]^[11]^[12]

Arminian Baptists who accepted the existence of a second work of grace during the Holiness movement established associations such as the Ohio Valley Association of the Christian Baptist Churches of God and Holiness Baptist Association.^[13]

Denominations

References

^ Chute, Anthony L.; Finn, Nathan A.; Haykin, Michael A. G. (2015). The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4336-8316-9.
^ William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 243
^ Leonard, Bill J. (2005). Baptists in America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780231127028. Retrieved 2013-06-21. isbn:9780231127028.
^ "The City of Coventry: Protestant nonconformity, Introduction." A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8, the City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick. Ed. W B Stephens. London: Victoria County History, 1969. 372-382. British History Online. Web. 28 April 2020. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp372-382.
^ Taylor, Adam. (1818). The History of the English General Baptists. Printed by T. Bore, London. pp. 359f. Google Books website Retrieved 27 April 2020.
^ Agnew, David Carnegie Andrew. (1886). Protestant exiles from France, chiefly in the reign of Louis XIV; or, The Huguenot refugees and their descendants in Great Britain and Ireland. Book one. Chapter VIII – Refugees being Converts from Romanism during the First Half of the Reign of Louis XIV. pp. 166f. Wikisource website Retrieved 27 April 2020.
^ Taylor, 1818, pp. 346-349.
^ WorldCat website Retrieved 27 April 2020.
^ Julian, John. editor. (1985)."Baptist Hymnody, English." Dictionary of hymnology : origin and history of Christian hymns and hymnwriters of all ages and nations. Grand Rapids, Michigan : Kregel Publications. Vol. 2, pp. 110f. Google Books website Retrieved 27 April 2020.
^ Brackney, William H. (13 April 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Baptists. Scarecrow Press. p. 245. ISBN 9780810862821.
^ Garrett, James Leo (2009). Baptist Theology: A Four-century Study. Mercer University Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780881461299.
^ Jonas, W. Glenn (2008). The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition. Mercer University Press. p. 151. ISBN 9780881461206. General Baptists in North Carolina (the Palmer/Parker heritage) were often called "free willers" by their Regular (Reformed) Baptist neighbors. The name was becoming popular by the beginning of the nineteenth century, and in 1828 the group there adopted the name "Free Will Baptists." The reference, of course, was to the doctrine of General Atonement taught by the General Baptists.
^ Lewis, James R. (2002). The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions. Prometheus Books. ISBN 9781615927388.
^ Robertson Co, TN. Turner Publishing Company. 1996. p. 183. ISBN 9781563113055.
^ McBeth, H. Leon (29 January 1987). The Baptist Heritage. B&H Publishing Group. p. 857. ISBN 9781433671029.
^ Kurian, George Thomas; Day, Sarah Claudine (14 March 2017). The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries. Baker Publishing Group. p. 82. ISBN 9781493406401.

External links

The Standard Confession - confession of faith upheld by General Baptists
The Orthodox Creed - confession of faith upheld by General Baptists

This article about Baptist Christianity is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[ChuteFinnHaykin2015-1] Chute, Anthony L.; Finn, Nathan A.; Haykin, Michael A. G. (2015). The Baptist Story: From English Sect to Global Movement. B&H Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-4336-8316-9.

[2] William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 243

[Leonard-3] Leonard, Bill J. (2005). Baptists in America. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780231127028. Retrieved 2013-06-21. isbn:9780231127028.

[4] "The City of Coventry: Protestant nonconformity, Introduction." A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8, the City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick. Ed. W B Stephens. London: Victoria County History, 1969. 372-382. British History Online. Web. 28 April 2020. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp372-382.

[5] Taylor, Adam. (1818). The History of the English General Baptists. Printed by T. Bore, London. pp. 359f. Google Books website Retrieved 27 April 2020.

[6] Agnew, David Carnegie Andrew. (1886). Protestant exiles from France, chiefly in the reign of Louis XIV; or, The Huguenot refugees and their descendants in Great Britain and Ireland. Book one. Chapter VIII – Refugees being Converts from Romanism during the First Half of the Reign of Louis XIV. pp. 166f. Wikisource website Retrieved 27 April 2020.

[7] Taylor, 1818, pp. 346-349.

[8] WorldCat website Retrieved 27 April 2020.

[9] Julian, John. editor. (1985)."Baptist Hymnody, English." Dictionary of hymnology : origin and history of Christian hymns and hymnwriters of all ages and nations. Grand Rapids, Michigan : Kregel Publications. Vol. 2, pp. 110f. Google Books website Retrieved 27 April 2020.

[Brackney2009-10] Brackney, William H. (13 April 2009). Historical Dictionary of the Baptists. Scarecrow Press. p. 245. ISBN 9780810862821.

[Garrett2009-11] Garrett, James Leo (2009). Baptist Theology: A Four-century Study. Mercer University Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780881461299.

[Jonas2008-12] Jonas, W. Glenn (2008). The Baptist River: Essays on Many Tributaries of a Diverse Tradition. Mercer University Press. p. 151. ISBN 9780881461206. General Baptists in North Carolina (the Palmer/Parker heritage) were often called "free willers" by their Regular (Reformed) Baptist neighbors. The name was becoming popular by the beginning of the nineteenth century, and in 1828 the group there adopted the name "Free Will Baptists." The reference, of course, was to the doctrine of General Atonement taught by the General Baptists.

[Lewis2002-13] Lewis, James R. (2002). The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions. Prometheus Books. ISBN 9781615927388.

[14] Robertson Co, TN. Turner Publishing Company. 1996. p. 183. ISBN 9781563113055.

[McBeth1987-15] McBeth, H. Leon (29 January 1987). The Baptist Heritage. B&H Publishing Group. p. 857. ISBN 9781433671029.

[KurianDay2017-16] Kurian, George Thomas; Day, Sarah Claudine (14 March 2017). The Essential Handbook of Denominations and Ministries. Baker Publishing Group. p. 82. ISBN 9781493406401.

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v t e Arminianism
Background	Protestantism Synod of Dort Remonstrants Calvinist–Arminian debate
Documents	Five Articles of Remonstrance Remonstrant Confession
Doctrine	Total depravity Conditional election Unlimited atonement Prevenient grace Conditional preservation of the saints
Historical theologians	Jacobus Arminius Simon Episcopius Hugo Grotius John Goodwin Thomas Grantham John Wesley Richard Watson Thomas Osmond Summers John Miley William Burt Pope Henry Orton Wiley
Modern theologians	J. Kenneth Grider David Pawson Thomas C. Oden Grant R. Osborne Ben Witherington III Roger E. Olson Craig S. Keener B. J. Oropeza
Movements	Arminianism in the Church of England General Baptists Methodism Wesleyan theology Adventist church Holiness movement Pentecostalism