The story of the Baptists begins in England. When Henry VIII became king in 1509, the Roman Catholic Church controlled the religious life of the country. Henry separated from Rome and formed the Church of England with himself as the head. Its internal affairs were managed by the bishops. Many of the practices of the Roman Church remained. Conformity of doctrine and worship were required. Everyone was obligated to belong to the state church.

As time passed and rulers changed, growing numbers felt that the church should be freed of certain objectionable Roman practices. Those who wanted to purify the church were called "Puritans." After they failed to obtain the desired changes, some became discouraged and finally left the church to establish their own along independent lines. These were known as "Separatists."

The Separatists' view was that the church should not be governed by bishops but by the congregations themselves. In late 1607 or early 1608, about 80 Separatists led by John Smyth and Thomas Helwys went to Amsterdam, Holland, where they could practice their religion without interference. There they maintained a congregation emphasizing believers' baptism and liberty of conscience.

A handful of this group returned to England under Thomas Helwys and founded the first Baptist church on English soil in 1612. Helwys wrote a book, The Mistery of Iniquity (1612), proclaiming liberty of conscience. [One writer has said that was the the first claim for freedom of worship published in English.] Helwys called for individuals to answer to God for themselves and claimed that the king was a mortal man and could not make spiritual laws for men. For this declaration King James I promptly lodged Helwys in Newgate Prison, where he died. Baptists along with other Separatists were persecuted and even put to death for their views.

The first Baptist church held to a "general" atonement, which means that salvation is available for mankind in general with no idea of a limited number. As a result, they were called "General" Baptists, and their view was known as "Arminian" due to Jacob Arminius, who taught it. Holding to believer's baptism, they opposed the baptism of infants because they felt the church should be composed of believers only. They also held to the separation of church and state.

A second group of Separatists arose in England about 1638 and were called "Particular" Baptists since they followed John Calvin's teaching on the atonement. Their belief was that only a particular number would be saved who were chosen or elected by God from the foundation of the earth. They and the General Baptists practiced a democratic form of church government.

Both of these Baptist groups were represented in the American colonies. While some Baptists emigrated from England and Wales, others adopted Baptist views after they arrived. Roger Williams, who founded the Rhode Island Colony, became a Baptist after his arrival and helped establish the first Baptist church in America in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1639.

(The story continues. See The History of Baptists in Early America.)

This material is taken from The History of Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1820-1995 by John S. Moore.