The History of Baptists in America
Posted by wagardner - 11/05/08 at 09:05:23 pmRoger Williams founded the first Baptist church that we know of in America. Williams was welcomed to America by Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts on February 5, 1631. Williams came to America escaping the persecution of William Laud and the Church of England.
In America Williams found that the Puritans still held to many of the same beliefs as the church of England and principally that the government had to insure the church financially and even more importantly protect the church from error. They claimed that the Scriptures were their sole authority but looked to the elders of the church to interpret the Scriptures for them. Since the church and state were so intermingled there were lost people in the church—actually forced to be part of the church. When the church in Boston called Williams to be the pastor he refused because he would not pastor an un-separated church.
In Salem Williams found a church of independent thinkers like himself. They refused to accept public control over their conscience and worship. Williams became their pastor. He believed and taught that it was even wrong to force people to be members of a church or attend the services. He also took the gospel to the Indians and this caused many problems with the religious leaders of the day. He tried to win the Indians to Christ. He also found out that the Puritans had mistreated the Indian in the way that they paid for the land. He felt that the Indians had been swindled.
He was so harassed in Salem that he left and went to Plymouth and lived among the Pilgrims. While in Plymouth Williams made a treaty with the Indians. Since the Pilgrims also believed that the government should support the church Williams could not be happy there either and soon withdrew to Salem again.
IN Salem he thundered out that men should be given complete freedom in all spiritual things. This again caused problems. On October 8, 1635 Williams was put on trial and then banished from the territory since he refused to recant. He was given 6 weeks to leave. He received word that they were on the way to his house to arrest him and went out into the wilderness in the middle of a blinding snowstorm. The Indians he had befriended were the ones who saved his life.
While in exile he decided to form his own colony. Williams purchased land from the Indian and founded Providence. He was excited to watch the new experiment unfold, religious freedom in action. IN March Ezekiel Holliman baptized Williams. Then Holliman baptized Williams. Te church was open to all who desired to be faithful members just as the colony was.
Williams refused to allow the colony to make laws concerning religion. There were no Sunday blue laws, the Seventh Day Baptist were even allowed to hold their services when they desired.
Williams is credited with having started the fist Baptist church in America. But of course did not continue as pastor and so we proceed to the fist permanent Baptist church in America.
In 1640 John Clark and several others went to Roger Williams who helped them purchase land from the Indians. They then organized the First Baptist Church of Newport. Clark would be pastor there for the next 36 years. At first they seem not to have believed or practiced believers baptism until a brother arrived from England who had been immersed
Later John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, and John Crandall returned to Massachusetts to visit a brother who was blind, aged and Baptist. Upon hearing that they had entered the colony John Cotton wanted them punished. They were seized put on trial and Cotton himself came to accuse them. He claimed that they were guilty of murder even though it be soul murder since they denied infant baptism and therefore salvation to these infants. They had been holding a service without permission. They agreed that they had been in service but in a private home with the doors closed and so the law had no right to enter into the home and take them prisoner. The judge agreed and decided to only fine them and if they refused they would be whipped and they were to immediately leave the province.
Friends raised the money to pay the fines. Crandall was released. As Clark approached to be whipped someone gave the money to the official and he was released. Others wanted to help Holmes also but he adamantly refused saying that to pay the fine was to admit that he had done something wrong. He was willing to be whipped.
They so whipped him that he was able only to sleep on his knees and elbows for 20 days and nights.
Churches continued to be started and to grow. In Philadelphia 1707 there were 5 churches already in existence and they began to fellowship together. There fellowship was only to see how they could aid one another. They would send messengers but the Association could make no rules over the churches since each had to be autonomous.
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