How Baptists and the Pilgrims share a Kinship. by Dan Nelson

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Dan Nelson November 27, 2020  · 

How Baptists and the Pilgrims share a Kinship. Many may not know that the bulk of the Pilgrims came out of a sister congregation in Scrooby which the Baptists from which Thomas Helwys the founder of a permanent Baptist church in London in 1612 came. A Baptist congregation began under the leadership of John Symth in Gainsborough that had some kinship with the one at Scrooby. Both were Separatists and rejected the King as the Head of any of church which they believe did not exist. Under John Robinson, the group from Scrooby church went to Leyden, Holland, and established a church there. However, they were unfamiliar with the language and didn’t see much of a future for them and their families in Holland. They could not go back to England without being forced into the state church, by the threat of prison and severe restriction of their faith. The only course was to go to the New World. So off they went on the Mayflower landing in Plymouth Rock as a deeply religious people who came to the New World and endured much hardship to live as they pleased, practice their faith as they pleased, and extend the gospel establishing a beachhead of faith in Plymouth. Really, only a portion of Robinson’s congregation went to America paving the way for the whole congregation to make the trip there later.The Pilgrims then came out of a Church in England connected in some way with Smyth’s congregation and they were both in the Separatist movement in England meaning that they refused to acknowledge the King as head of the State Church of England and the only recognized religious body there. Here are some similarities with Baptist:1-Both refused to acknowledge the King as Head of the Church: This position was established by Henry the 8th since the Pope wouldn’t give him a divorce. The immoral lifestyles of several Kings proved what a foolish notion this was. It has not changed however till this very day.2-Both denied the ritualistic and semi-Catholic services of the Church of England: Both were in the free church tradition, concentrating on the Scripture as the source of their worship and not a carry-over from Catholicism. There was no altar but the pulpit as the center of worship as the Bible was expounded.3-Both denied State Religion: There was not an official State Religion of the Early Christians until the paganism of the Romans exported it under Constantine. Christians should be free from entanglement with the immoral and unjust practices of the State. Christians should be free to worship and practice their faith as they please and not persecuted and at times martyred because they refuse to be members of the State Church.4-Both viewed Christianity as woven into the fabric of daily life. Bible truths were reinforced in the education of their children. Religion was of the heart and not a token as the State Church adherence allowed.5-A major difference was a really divergent factor between Baptist and Pilgrims was Baptism by Immersion. The Pilgrims were later incorporated into the Puritan movement as they came to America. They retained infant sprinkling since the Puritans stayed in the State church trying to reform it. So they still practiced it in fulfillment of what they said was Covenant Theology. They were incorporated into the State Church of Massatuchutes and Plymouth which eventually turned against Baptists and persecuted them.However, Baptists believe salvation is a personal, individual commitment that cannot be made for anyone by sponsorship. They believe in full immersion of the believer once they come to Christ to demonstrate our belief in the gospel and to follow Christ who was baptized that way and commanded his church to do it.These are just thoughts on Thanksgiving. Dan NelsonMy information was taken from the author’s general knowledge of the Pilgrim’s beliefs and practices. Latourette, Christian, McBeth, and Bainton may be checked for general information that is presented here.