DR. GRAHAM BEYNON ON BAPTISTS HISTORY IN ENGLAND

 The following is my summary of Graham Beynon's research into early Baptist history in England.

According to Graham Beynon, an English pastor, leader in the Fellowship Independent Evangelical Churches, professor at Oak Hill Seminary, London, with a PhD from St Andrew's University. Below is a summary of his writings on Baptist history in England in the 17th century. You can read his full article here .

1)  In 1626 there were 150 General Baptists "0" Particular Baptists. Obviously the Generals were more numerous.  So how "early" do you consider early Baptists? 
2) Particular Baptists first appeared in 1633.
3) From 1640 to 1660 many Baptists accepted preaching positions in the Anglican Church. (Seems strange to me, but ok) did they baptize those in the Anglican Church??
4) By 1660 there were 130 Particular Baptist churches and 110 General baptist churches. The Generals tended to have a larger congregations tho, so numerically, it is still very possible that the Generals outnumbered Particulars.
5) The Act of Uniformity resulted in the Great Ejection from the state church, mainly comprising Presbyterians. Many of the ejected ministers (Presbyterians) joined the Baptist camp. (Did this affect Particular Baptist theology??? Is this one reason why the London Confession so closely follows the Westminster?)
6) Beynon says "In particular it showed movement away from some traditional Anabaptist positions and towards that of Presbyterian and Congregational polity" What Anabaptist positions did the Particular Baptists hold? Anabaptists were totally Arminian.
7) Both groups of Baptists declined about the same time, with the Generals refuting heresy at their General Assembly, but allowing the heretics to remain among them, and the Particulars becoming hyper Calvinists, antinomian etc with the conclusion that evangelization was useless. One example is given by Hoad who speaks of a pastor who was “so afraid of Arminianism and Pelagianism that he made no attempt to awaken the consciences of the unconverted lest he should despoil God of the sole glory of their conversion.” C. H. Spurgeon later commented that such theology had “chilled many churches to their soul."

"New life breathed into the General Baptist movement by the creation of the New Connexion of General Baptists. This was initiated by Dan Taylor who led a congregation at Wadsworth and cultivated close relationships with a group of independent Baptists in Leicestershire, who had also been affected by the revival. Having become disillusioned with the state of the General Baptists, Taylor moved to unite the Leicestershire group with his church and any other General Baptist churches that remained orthodox. As a result the New Connexion of General Baptists came into being in 1770. Underwood states: “ It was obviously a child of the Methodist Revival, and manifested two Methodist characteristics: strong evangelistic zeal and strong corporate feeling."

"Many of the Particular Baptists effectively sat out of the revival, being especially skeptical of Wesley due to his Arminianism. They thought better of Whitefield but were wary of his “Arminian dialect” and “semi-Pelagian address”  Despite this frosty reception Whitefield was invited to speak at a number of Particular Baptist churches and saw enthusiastic responses to his message".

I dont know much about Professor Beynon, but if his facts and statements are true, I am not at all sure it can be discerned which group of Baptists were more numerous. The last quotes brings us to 1770, just past the time my research begins. If Calvinists called Whitefield "Arminian" and "semi pelagian" it is obvious that most of them had ceased any efforts at evangelization.. Of course Whitefield was a card carrying Calvinist. Cant imagine what they wouldve called Spurgeon!






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