Readings from History – 17th Century English Baptists on the Relationship Between Baptism & Church Membership

Readings from History – 17th Century English Baptists on the Relationship Between Baptism & Church Membership

Readings from History – 17th Century English Baptists on the Relationship Between Baptism & Church Membership
Introduction to this Series…
There are a number of aims of these “RBC Baptism Resources”. First, to consider what the Bible teaches about baptism. Second, to consider what RBC has taught and communicated about baptism in the past. And, third, to consider what Christians have taught about baptism throughout history. It is our prayer that these resources might be helpful for building one another up in Christ, equipping the believers for the work of the ministry issuing to the glory of God alone. The aim is not to lose the forest for the trees, so please see this link to see a summary of how we pursue to obey how the Bible would have a local church make disciples baptizing.

At this link you can find a brief recording of our senior pastor reading a few excerpts from the following 17th Century English Baptists on the relationship between baptism & church membership. The pdf is attached above for download, so if you would like you can read along with the audio.

First, Henry Danvers (1674) from his work A Treatise of Baptism.
Second, William Kiffin (1681) from his work A Sober Discourse of Right to Church-Communion.
Third, Benjamin Keach (1689 and 1693) from his works Gold Refin’d; or, Proving Baptism in Water an Holy Institution of Jesus Christ, and to Continue in the Church to the End of the World and The Baptist Catechism.
Fourth, Hercules Collins (1680) from his work An Orthodox Catechism.

Each of these serve to show that the idea of a connection between Christian baptism and visible church membership is not new.