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THE FIRST LEADERS Thomas Helwys was one of John Smyth’s most devoted and committed followers He joined Smyth’s movement while in England and moved to Amsterdam when the Anglican Church forced them out of England. Although Smyth is regarded as the founder of “the Baptist” denomination, Helwys established it as a distinct group within Protestantism. This is not to downplay Smyth’s role in the formulation of the Baptist denomination. Like Luther, he was the man suited for the time. His only problem was his indecisiveness, especially about his own theology. The danger of this propensity became evident when he came under the influence and teachings of the Mennonites (Anabaptists) in Amsterdam. It is not clear why he turned to a sect that was so far from his own doctrinal beliefs. Even more puzzling was their ability to cause him to question and doubt what he had believed earlier. By February 1610, the Mennonites’ influence had won over Smyth. He was now convinced that he had acted hastily in baptizing himself and the other members of his group. After convincing most of his followers that he had acted in error, he abandoned the Baptist movement and petitioned the Mennonites to allow him and his followers to join their membership (A History of The Baptist, Robert G. Torbet, Judson Press). However, Thomas Helwys and eight or nine others did not agree with Smyth’s conclusion and subsequently parted company with him. They felt Smyth had sinned against the Holy Spirit by doubting his initial beliefs and actions. Helwys believed there were still major differences between the Mennonites and their views and was not willing to compromise by joining them. He and the others believed so strongly that they drafted a Confession of faith to distinguish them from John Smyth’s group (Baptist History). It goes without saying that the Mennonites did not welcome Smyth and his followers immediately. It is not certain what caused the Mennonites to doubt the sincerity of Smyth’s petition. Perhaps it was their prior experience with him or it could have been Helwys constant change of mind. In either case, The Mennonites were not willing to grant Smyth’s request without carefully examining him and his followers. Three years would go by before the Mennonites would grant Smyth’s petition. Unfortunately, his death preceded that decision. Meanwhile, Helwys and his small following left Amsterdam in 1611 and returned to England. Their return was not based on the fact the Anglican Church had stopped her persecution against her opposers, because she hadn’t! They returned simply to spread their new faith in Christ. The small congregation, numbering no more than ten men and women, met outside London’s wall in Spitalfield. This small group comprised the first Baptist Church on English soil (Baptist History). Surprisingly though, this first group of Baptists were Arminian (belief that Christ died for all mankind) in doctrine and can be regarded as the origin of the General Baptists. Another important point is that their mode of baptism was affusion (the act of pouring water on one’s head) and not immersion. This would explain how it was possible for John Smyth to baptize himself earlier. Helwys held strong views against other religions. He opposed the Calvinists for their strict view of predestination. He also criticized the Mennonites for their emphasis on free will and insistence on apostolic succession. He also challenged their teaching of Christians not taking part in any form of civil government. However, his opposition and outspokenness against the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church is what got him in trouble. Unlike Smyth, he was unwavering in his beliefs. He could criticize Calvinists and Mennonites because they were far removed from his location. However, he was in the bosom of the Roman Church and even more so with the Anglican Church. In a sense he was opposing them in their face. No place is this more obvious than in the inscription to his fourth book entitled, “A Short Declaration of the Mistery of Iniquity.” He wrote, “The king is a mortal man and not God, therefore hath no power over y immortall soules of his subjects to make lawes and ordnances for them to set spiritual Lords over them” (The Baptist). Needless to say, King James I did not find this amusing and had Helwys imprisoned. The year was 1612. Helwys died in prison sometime before 1616. However, the movement he and John Smyth had begun would continue through the little Church in Spitalfield under the leadership of John Murton, a furrier and close friend who had been with Helwys from the beginning. Like Helwys, John Murton’s passion for the purity of God’s word was unwavering, making him ideal as successor to Helwys and Smyth.
In Christ, Minister John Cobb
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