Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

organized before Williams’ church; that the advocates of the first church of
Providence being the oldest in America concede their case exceedingly
doubtful; that the John Clarke church swarmed with numerous churches and
ministers; that, inasmuch as Baptist churches of America originated generally
from European immigration we could admit the first church of Providence to
be the Williams and the oldest American Baptist church, without implying it is
the mother of American Baptist churches to any noticeable extent. The
“Christian Messenger,” a most bitter Campbellite paper, concedes
“We have never considered that Roger Williams’ baptism had any material
effect upon Baptist succession. The baptist churches of America did not
originate with the Roger Williams church, nor receive their baptism from it,
at least the great mass of them did not.”