Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

nearly all night with Elders Henry Helwisse and John Morton, who defended
our cause well.’ Not yet, however, was he convinced, but after three months’
reflection, his mind had advanced beyond the position of the Separatists. He
had, says the Church Book, ‘consulted the Scriptures and admitted that he was
deceived in the way of Pedobaptistry,’ and ‘so, embraced the faith in a true
christian and apostolic baptism,’ and on the 24th of March, 1606, at midnight,
to avoid the satellites of the persecuting Church, and under the glare of the
torchlight, ‘he was baptized by Elder John Morton, in the River Don, and then
walked to Epworth, a distance of two miles in his wet clothes.’”
Dr. Clifford says:
“The church book from whence this statement is taken about John Symth’s
baptism, belonged to the church at Epworth and Crowle, in Lincoln-shire. The
Rev. Jabez Stuttered, minister at Epworth and Crowle, heard his deacons
speak of the existence of this work; and being interested, found that it was in
the possession of Rev. Smith Watson, a minister at Butterwick, hard by. He
obtained a sight of it, and discovered that it consisted of a few moth eaten
leaves, which had been given to Mr. Smith Watson by an old Baptist family
of the district, who met with it in an old chest many years before. Mr.
Stuttered thought the pages might be of value, and the opinion of an expert a
skilled antiquarian, of the district, was sought and he reported as follows:
‘NOVEMBER 9th, 1866.
‘As keeper of the Manor Charts of North Lincoln-shire, I have examined the
old Baptist Records, and believe them to refer to the last days of Queen
Elizabeth and James the First. And recommend the friends connected with the
Baptist cause, to quickly copy them or they will surely vanish away.’
‘F. CHAPMAN, Antiquarian.’”
The book was guarded with jealous care, but at the request of the deacons, and
with their aid, Mr. Stuttered made a number of extracts, and after some time
forwarded them to me. I was surprised at their contents, and especially at the
statement concerning John Smyth’s baptism, and asked to see the original;
meanwhile Smith Watson had deceased, and the book could not be found.
Search has been made again and again, but, at present in vain. The following
document bears date December the 16th, 1879:
“We, the undersigned deacons of the Baptist church at Butterwick, Epworth,
Crowle, having seen and handled the Old Records of seven or eight loaves,
long before Rev. J. Stuttered came into the country, and at our request and
desire, and with our assistance he copied the same moth-eaten records, We, as
a church, tendered him our sincere thanks and requested him to send them to
the editor of the General Baptist Magazine for insertion. When copied they
were taken back to Butterwick, and consigned to the care of the late Rev.