Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

odies from 1521 onwards … practiced strict communion. English General
Baptists, from the beginning of their history in 1610, were strict. Their
Confessions published in 1611, 1660, 1663 and 1678 plainly require baptism
before communion. Their churches would not even allow attendance upon
other worship. They said, ‘The whole Scripture is against such Balaamitic and
wavering actions.’ They were never open communion until in the last century
they became Socinians. The Confessions of Faith of the Particular Baptists in
England are emphatic for strict communion. … The same is true of all the
Confessions that can be found in Baptist history until 1688. Then the Century
Confession of London which is always pleaded for open communion
appeared. … This confession itself makes communion a church ordinance,
and puts it after immersion; but as these brethren avowed their aim to show
how little Baptists differed from Presbyterians and Congregationalists they
granted an appendix that while most of the churches adhered to strict
communion some few did not; and they recognized this fact and would not
impose conditions upon these.”
Rev. Dr. Underwood, f1035 of Chilwell College, Nottinghamshire, in a paper,
read before the English Baptist Union, at Birmingham, Oct., 1864, said:
“In the matter of communion our churches are far from being uniform. Until
within a very few years nearly all our churches were close and strict.”
In the language of Rev. Porter S. Burbank, one of the most representative
Freewill Baptist defenders: “The Freewill Baptist connection in North America
commenced A.D. 1780, in which year its first church was organized.” f1036 .
From history and its own confession the Free-will Baptist sect is certainly of
modern origin.
The Six Principle “Baptists” are of the seventeenth century — Rev. A.D.
Williams, their representative, beingwitness. f1037 They being Arminian in
showing Baptists have ever been Calvinists, the foregoing chapters, have
demonstrated them not in the line of Church Perpetuity. The so-called
“German Baptists” or Tunkers thus originated in Germany, in 1708:
“The first constituents were Alexander Mack and wife, John Kipin and wife,
George Grevy, Andreas Bhony, Lucas Fetter and Joanna Nethigum. They
agreed to read the Bible together, and edify one another in the way they had
been brought up, for as yet they did not know there were any Baptists in the
world. However, believers’ baptism and a Congregational church soon gained
on them, insomuch that they were determined to obey the gospel in these
matters. They desired Alexander Mack to baptize them, but he deemed
himself in reality unbaptized, refused, upon which they cast lots to find who
should be the administrator; on whom the lot fell hath been carefully
concealed. However, baptized they were in the river Eder, by Schwartzenau,
and then formed themselves into a church, choosing Alexander Mack as their
minister.” f1038