Audio Season 3 1 Series 3 Episode 1 -John Smyth and the Origins of the Baptist Movement. (Transcript added)

© 20 26 The Rise of the Protestants., Author, Shaughan Holt.

Audio • Series 3 Episode 1 –

The Picture: A Winter Landscape with Skaters is an imagined scene set in Amsterdam in 1608, painted in the style of Dutch artists of the period.

It depicts people from all walks of life enjoying a day skating on a frozen river.

The painting reflects the exceptionally harsh winter of 1607–1608, the most severe in living memory across much of early modern Europe.

Part of the Little Ice Age, it followed a period of reduced solar activity and volcanic eruptions, bringing widespread crop failures, hardship, and famine. The winter left a lasting mark on society and became famous in England when the River Thames froze solid for almost six weeks. Unable to work, enterprising water,men and merchants set up tents and stalls on the ice, creating the first recorded Frost Fair, a remarkable winter carnival on the frozen river.

The Music: Praise to the Lord the Almighty performed by the Texas Bluebonnets.

The Texas Bluebonnet Mennonite Chorus is a volunteer choir made up of singers from various Anabaptist and Mennonite churches throughout Texas.

Episode Description.

The Protestant Reformation did not stop with Luther, Calvin, or the English Reformers.

During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, new movements kept appearing as people studied the Scriptures, questioned old traditions, and tried to bring back what they saw as the New Testament Church’s original pattern.

This chapter looks at some of these changes, starting with the Anabaptists and Mennonites and moving on to the Baptists, with a brief reference to the Remonstrants and later Methodism.

We will also see how ideas like believers' baptism, religious freedom, personal faith, and the authority of Scripture spread far from where they started and still influence millions of Christians today.

© 20 26 The Rise of the Protestants., Author, Shaughan Holt.

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Your feedback matters, send me an email with any comments, suggestions, or criticisms.

© 20 26 The Rise of the Protestants., Author, Shaughan Holt.

"All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced, translated, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law".

Requests regarding translation, licensing, or republication should be directed to: [email protected]

Your feedback matters, send me an email at [email protected], with any comments, suggestions, or criticisms.

I read every message.

Series 3.

Episode 1.

John Smyth and the Origins of the Baptist Movement.

The English Separatists, were united by more than just their opposition to the Church of England.

They believed that remaining within what they saw as a corrupt national church, made it impossible to follow God faithfully.

Their unity, rested on several core beliefs.

They wanted a church based on the New Testament, made up only of committed believers who had covenanted to support one another.

They believed that the Bible—not bishops, monarchs, or tradition—should govern the church’s worship and organisation.

By 16 07, most had concluded that the Church of England could not be reformed from within, and that true Christians must separate from it.

They were also bound together by persecution, enduring hardship and standing beside one another.

Many had lost their jobs, faced heavy fines, were imprisoned, or lived under the constant watch of the High Commission.

Sharing these hardships strengthened their feeling of unity and common purpose.

They valued freedom of conscience, and believed they should be free to worship according to the Bible, without interference from the king or church authorities.

Ironically, the beliefs that had brought them together in England, would later cause divisions to appear in Amsterdam.

Once they were no longer persecuted, disagreements about church leadership, worship, baptism and beliefs soon appeared.

John Smyth, began to move toward Baptist and Mennonite beliefs.

John Robinson and the Scrooby group, left Amsterdam and settled in Leiden, while Thomas Helwys returned to England and founded the first Baptist church there.

Leiden is a historic university city in South Holland, about 50 kilometres , or 31 miles south of Amsterdam.

Ironically, after gaining religious freedom in Amsterdam, their newfound independence, would lead to new disagreements, and the emergence of several, different Protestant groups.

John Smyth was an English Puritan minister, theologian, and former Church of England clergyman, who became one of the leading figures in the early Baptist movement.

In his later years, he encountered Mennonite theology, and, as a result, began to support more radical ideas such as religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

Smyth was born around 15 70 in Sturton-le-Steeple Nottinghamshire.

He was educated locally before attending Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Gainsborough, and later Christ’s College Cambridge.

He became a Fellow of Christ's College in 15 94, and was ordained soon after by Bishop John Aylmer of London.

In 16 00, Smyth became a lecturer in Lincoln where he preached until 16 02.

At that time, his beliefs reflected those of a moderate Puritan.

He generally accepted set forms of prayer, supported the use of vocal and instrumental music in worship, and recognised the authority of the Crown over the Church of England.

John Smyth, and his congregation's Flight to Amsterdam.

In late 16 07 and early 16 08, John Smyth led his Separatist congregation, out of Gainsborough, escaping by sea, to Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic, to avoid increasing religious persecution.

At that time, English subjects were forbidden to leave the kingdom without royal permission, making emigration itself a criminal offence.

As a result, Smyth's followers had to plan their escape in total secrecy.

By then, the Separatist congregation in Gainsborough had become too large to meet without being noticed.

Their refusal to conform to the Church of England, drew the attention of the authorities, exposing them to the constant threat of arrest, imprisonment and prosecution before the Ecclesiastical High Commission.

When they realised they could no longer worship safely, the congregation decided to seek refuge in another country.

Instead of leaving all at once, they departed in small, carefully organised groups over several months.

Each group, travelling separately to ports along England's east coast, before attempting the dangerous crossing of the North Sea.

Their journeys were both dangerous and costly.

Much of the expense was borne by Thomas Helwys, a wealthy lawyer and leading member of the congregation, whose financial support was crucial to the escape's success.

Their destination was Amsterdam, one of Europe's most tolerant cities, where exiles from across the continent could practice their faith with a freedom that was impossible in England.

Upon settling in Amsterdam, Smyth and his followers sought to establish a new church, based entirely on their interpretation of New Testament teachings, independent of both Episcopal and royal authority.

The Dutch Republic became a refuge for many Protestant dissenters, such as English Separatists, Anabaptists and French Huguenots.

The word Anabaptist, comes from the Greek prefix,- "Ana", - meaning "again," and "baptizein", - meaning "to baptise".

It translates to,- "one who baptises again" or "re-baptiser".

The movement did not choose this name for itself.

Instead, opponents used it as an insult, because Anabaptists rejected infant baptism and only baptised people who made a personal profession of faith.

The Huguenots, were French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin.

Persecuted by the French Crown, especially after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 16 85 and Protestantism was banned in France, hundreds of thousands fled abroad.

Finally, Smyth's congregation, found they could worship openly without fear of arrest or persecution.

It was in Amsterdam, that Smyth's theological thinking continued to develop.

Over the next year, he came to reject infant baptism, a conviction that would eventually make him one of the founding figures of the Baptist movement.

When Smyth's congregation, first settled in Amsterdam in 16 08, they found an already established English Separatist church, known as the AncientChurch led by Francis Johnson and Henry Ainsworth.

Although this congregation would later be divided by theological disputes, at that time it was a sizeable and outwardly united community.

It almost certainly provided practical support and encouragement to the newly arrived English exiles.

Before long however, Smyth and several of the other ministers, including Richard Clyfton and John Robinson, began to question whether the Ancient Church had fully achieved the biblical pattern they sought.

Whether this led immediately to a formal regrouping of congregations, remains uncertain.

It is possible, that the new arrivals wanted to preserve the identity of their own congregations from Gainsborough, and later from Scrooby, rather than simply merging into an existing church.

This desire to maintain their original church communities would soon shape the future of English Separatism in the Dutch Republic.

When John Smyth arrived in the Dutch Republic, he joined the growing community of English Separatists who had already found refuge in Amsterdam.

His congregation from Gainsborough became the fourth major English Separatist congregation to settle there.

Earlier groups included the followers of Robert Browne in 15 82, the Barrowists in 15 93, and the congregation led by Francis Johnson in 15 97.

Smyth knew Johnson, from their time at Christ's College Cambridge, and was familiar with the history of the English exile churches.

Now, along with leaders like John Robinson, Smyth was following the same path.

He left the Church of England to find the freedom to worship as his conscience guided him.

By the time the Gainsborough congregation arrived in Amsterdam, Johnson's group was known as the AncientChurch.

The name reflected its roots in the earlier leadership of the martyred Separatists, Henry Barrow and John Greenwood.

It had been their movement, that laid the foundations of the English Separatist church, nearly twenty years earlier.

At first, Amsterdam seemed to offer Smyth and his followers exactly what they wanted: safety and a new beginning.

After years of surveillance, pressure and the constant threat of arrest, they were finally free to worship as they believed was right.

However, that peace did not last long.

The English exile churches in Amsterdam, were already troubled by disputes over leadership, church discipline and authority.

Even among believers who shared faith and the experience of persecution, it would prove difficult to attain lasting unity.

Smyth and his congregation arrived in the midst of this fragile situation, unaware of what lay ahead.

At first, they joined Francis Johnson's Ancient Church, but before long, the old divisions resurfaced.

Smyth held strong yet shifting beliefs, and he soon began to doubt not only the Church of England, but also aspects of Separatist belief and practice itself.

What started out as a place of refuge slowly turned into a centre of debate, disagreement, and eventually division.

At that time, Amsterdam was known for its religious tolerance, and already had a stable thriving community of English Separatist exiles.

For John Smyth however, even this did not go far enough.

Soon, he would start to question the beliefs and practices of other English churches especially their ways of worship.

Smyth rejected fixed forms of worship such as the use of English Bible translations, formal sermons, singing psalms together and even collecting offerings during services.

Instead, he wanted a simpler approach, based on the New Testament church as described in the Book of Acts.

In his 16 07 work, "Principles and Inferences Concerning the Visible Church", Smyth argued that the congregation, not the ministers should have the final authority.

He recognised only two church roles, elders and deacons, and insisted that both should answer to the entire group of believers.

These beliefs would increasingly put him at odds with the other Separatists groups in Amsterdam.

The next year, in his publication "The Differences of the Churches of the Separation", he clearly explained his disagreements.

Soon after its publication, he broke away from Francis Johnson's Ancient Church and led his followers to form a new congregation.

In retrospect, it seems inevitable that John Smyth would become a controversial figure.

He was a talented preacher and independent thinker, who refused to accept beliefs solely because they were widely held.

He continually questioned his own beliefs, even when it required abandoning ideas he previously supported.

Throughout his life, Smyth's religious journey took him from committed Puritan, to Separatist, and finally to the Anabaptist movement.

Each step brought fresh disagreements and new divisions.

Friends and colleagues who once shared his vision, often felt left behind, as Smyth advocated reforms they considered too extreme.

His ongoing pursuit, of what he saw as biblical truth, resulted in both innovation and deep divisions.

By rejecting infant-baptism in favour of believers-baptism, he helped lay the foundations for the Baptist movement, but this also left him increasingly isolated.

In 16 09, after baptising himself and his followers in Amsterdam, many, within his own congregation, eventually rejected his latest theological conclusions.

It was a powerful reminder, that the same determination which made Smyth a pioneering reformer also made him a deeply divisive figure.

The Amsterdam Bakehouse and the Birth of the Baptists.

When John Smyth and his congregation arrived in Amsterdam in 16 07 and 16 08, they experienced more than religious freedom; they found a new beginning.

The English exiles made their home in a large building by the River Amstel, known as the Great Bakehouse.

Originally built as a bakery for ships' biscuits, and later converted into an arsenal, the building contained family lodgings, a bakery and several communal rooms.

These provided the congregation with a place to live, gather and worship together under the same roof.

Later, the Bakehouse became associated with Jan Munter, a successful merchant, ship owner and leader among the Waterlander Mennonites, who bought the property from the Dutch East India Company in 16 10.

It is unclear whether Munter himself arranged for the new English group to stay there.

However, what is clear, is that the Waterlander Mennonites, soon welcomed Smyth's followers and kept in close contact with them from early on.

At first however, trust developed slowly between them.

Like many English Protestants, Smyth's group viewed the Anabaptists with suspicion.

Across Europe, Anabaptists were seen as dangerous heretics and revolutionaries.

This reputation, stemmed from the actions of a few radical groups during the German Peasants' War, especially the Münster Rebellion of 15 34 and 15 35.

The Mennonites were just as cautious, about the English.

They had only recently come out of decades of persecution in Holland, so they distrusted outsiders, and were concerned by the frequent arguments among the English exile churches.

Language and cultural differences, would also widen the gap between the groups, however, over time, suspicion turned to friendship.

The Waterlanders, named after the Waterland region in North Holland, were part of the moderate peaceful side of the Dutch Anabaptist movement.

They focused on believers' baptism, voluntary church membership, religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

Their ideas had a strong influence on Smyth, while his own study of the Bible, was also leading him to many of the same conclusions.

As a result, he began to reject set liturgies and stopped using prescribed forms of worship.

He even liked to preach straight from the Hebrew Old, and the Greek New Testament, translating as he spoke.

Like the Mennonites, he came to believe that the Church should be made up only of people who had openly declared their faith in Christ.

The most significant change in John Smyth's thinking concerned the subject of baptism.

Although a few other Separatists had questioned infant baptism, Smyth rejected it altogether, arguing that baptism should follow personal repentance and faith.

In his 16 08 work, The Character of the Beast, he argued that if the Church of England was not a true church, then its sacraments—including baptism—could not be valid.

The implication was inescapable.

If the baptisms performed by the Church of England were in-valid, then neither Smyth nor any member of his congregation, had ever truly been baptised as Christians.

Since Smyth could not find any church he thought had the right authority to baptise him he decided to do something unusual.

He broke up his congregation, freed its members from their agreement, and started the church again, this time based on believers' baptism.

Using a bucket and ladle, Smyth poured water over his own head, baptising himself, before baptising around forty members of his congregation in the same way.

The act astonished both his supporters and critics.

His opponents quickly pointed out, that even Christ had not baptised Himself, and Smyth soon became known as the Se-Baptist or self-baptiser.

Despite its unusual nature, the event is widely regarded as marking the beginning of the first English Baptist church.

Historians still debate, whether Smyth arrived at these convictions solely through his study of the Bible, or whether he was also influenced by the Waterlander Mennonites.

Smyth however, always insisted that the Bible alone had convinced him.

Even so, the timing stands out, and Smyth’s way of baptising, pouring water three times in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was very similar to how Mennonites did it at the time.

Ironically, it wouldn't be long before Smyth started to question his own self-baptism.

Later, as Smyth learned more about Mennonite beliefs he found himself agreeing with them more and more.

He accepted many of their unique beliefs, such as pacifism, refusal to take oaths, support for religious freedom, free choice of church membership and keeping church and state separate.

By 16 10, Smyth had decided that his self-baptism was irregular, and therefore formally asked to join the Waterlander Mennonite fellowship.

However, two major obstacles still remained.

The first obstacle was about the nature of Christ's humanity.

Many Mennonites following Menno Simons, believed that Christ's human flesh did not come from Mary, but instead, "passed through her as water through a pipe".

To Smyth and most other theologians, this idea was similar to the ancient heresy of Docetism, which sought to lessen Christ's true human nature.

It taught that Jesus, only seemed, to have a physical body and that His suffering and crucifixion were merely an illusion, thereby denying His true humanity.

Smyth found this doctrine hard to accept.

The second issue was even more personal for him.

If Smyth's self-baptism was invalid, as many critics said, would the Mennonites require him and his followers to be baptised again, before joining their fellowship?.

These unresolved questions, would shape the final chapter of Smyth's remarkable spiritual journey.

Smyth's journey from Puritan to Separatist, then from Baptist pioneer to would-be Mennonite, is one of the most remarkable theological pilgrimages of the Reformation.

He always insisted, that only Scripture led him to these conclusions, but the influence of the Waterlander Mennonites is clear.

Their example, helped shape his views on baptism, church membership, religious freedom, and the relationship between the Church and the state, leaving a lasting mark on the beginnings of the Baptist movement.

Whether he was guided mainly by Scripture or influenced by the Mennonites, his constant search for biblical truth, changed both his own life and the future of Protestant Christianity.

However, Thomas Helwys and a small group could not accept Smyth’s final decision, and refused to join the Mennonite fellowship.

With a few supporters, he remained convinced that their baptism was valid, and believed God wanted them to return to England rather than remain in exile.

So they broke away from Smyth’s congregation.

Helwys believed, the baptism he and his followers had already received was valid, so he saw no need for another.

As a lawyer, he also disagreed with the Anabaptists’ refusal to swear oaths, believing that lawful oaths had a proper place in society.

While he shared the Mennonites' desire for peace and remained deeply suspicious of warfare, he stopped short of embracing complete pacifism.

He argued that governments had the right to defend their people, even though rulers often justified aggressive wars by calling them "necessary" or "just".

Helwys also faced a personal dilemma: he had the future and safety of his wife and children to consider, and if Smyth's congregation joined the Mennonites, their exile in Amsterdam would almost certainly become permanent.

Helwys believed God had called them to return to England, to share the Baptist faith and to accept any persecution that might come.

As a result, Helwys and about a dozen companions, returned to England in 16 11, and started the first Baptist congregation in Spitalfields, which was then a rural area outside London’s Roman walls.

In 11 97, London citizen Walter Brunus, and his wife Roisia had founded a hospital and priory, later known as St Mary Spital, on the site of an old Roman cemetery.

The name Spitalfields, appears on old maps as, Spittellond, in 13 99 and as, The Spitel Fyeld in 15 61.

It is believed that the name "spital", comes from a shortened form of the word "hospital".

After Smyth died of tuberculosis in 16 12, aged 58, most of his congregation joined the Waterlander Mennonites, among whom he had already been recognised as an elder.

Thomas Helwys however, had already parted company with Smyth.

In 16 11, he and a small group returned to England, where they established the first Baptist church.

These believers later became known as General Baptists, distinguishing them from the Calvinistic Particular Baptists who emerged a generation later.

Although the General Baptists remained a separate denomination, they maintained close ties with the Waterlander Mennonites for many years, exchanging letters, ideas, and occasionally members.

Many also adopted Mennonite teachings, particularly their commitment to religious freedom and peace.

John Smyth is still regarded as one of the most remarkable figures of the English Reformation.

Critics accused him of inconsistency because he repeatedly changed his views, but his supporters saw something different.

They believed he was committed to testing every belief and every church practice against Scripture, whatever the cost.

His relentless search for biblical truth helped lay the foundations of one of the most important Protestant movements of the seventeenth century.

Published in Amsterdam in 16 08 while living in exile, Differences of the Churches of the Separation was one of John Smyth's most important theological works.

In it, Smyth examined the growing disagreements between the Separatists, the Church of England, and other Protestant groups over what constituted a true New Testament church.

He argued that the Church of England remained too heavily influenced by Roman Catholic traditions.

While moderate Puritans wanted to reform the Church from within, Smyth believed that true Christians should leave it entirely and form independent congregations, guided only by Scripture.

He rejected set forms of worship, including the Book of Common Prayer, believing that prayer and preaching, should arise freely under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than from fixed liturgies.

He also rejected the authority of bishops, arguing that each congregation should govern itself, through its own elected elders and ministers.

Above all, Smyth was known for his determined search, for what he believed to be biblical truth.

He believed Christians should always be willing to change their beliefs and practices whenever Scripture required it, regardless of tradition or past convictions.

These ideas would soon lead him beyond Separatism itself.

Within a year of publishing his book, Smyth had rejected infant baptism and embraced believers' baptism.

This marked the beginning of a theological journey, that would make him one of the founders of the Baptist movement.

Epilogue

The Mennonites, are a Protestant Christian group, named after Menno Simons, a former Dutch Catholic priest, who brought leadership and stability to the moderate side of the Anabaptist movement.

Their origins can be traced to the Swiss Brethren, who emerged near Zürich in 15 25, after separating from the Swiss Reformer Ulrich Zwingli.

Led by Konrad Grebel, Felix Manz and others, they rejected infant baptism.

They believed that only those who had personally professed faith in Christ should be baptised and welcomed as members of the Church.

The Church they argued, was meant to be a voluntary community of committed believers, separate from the authority of the state.

These beliefs led to fierce persecution, and thousands of Anabaptists were imprisoned, exiled or executed across Europe.

During the 15 30s and 15 40s, Menno Simons helped unite many of the surviving peaceful Anabaptist communities.

Over time, his followers became known as Mennonites.

They were distinguished by their commitment to believers' baptism, voluntary church membership, religious liberty, the separation of church and state, non-resistance and Christian pacifism.

Today, there are between 1.5 and 2 million Mennonites worldwide.

Although the movement began in Europe, the largest Mennonite communities are now found in the United States, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Canada.

The Amish also trace their roots to the Anabaptist movement, but they separated from the Mennonites in the late seventeenth century.

While the Amish generally avoid most modern technology and live in more isolated communities, Mennonite groups vary widely.

Many Mennonites participate fully in modern society, while still remaining faithful to their historic Christian beliefs.

The Mennonites of Russia and North America.

In the late eighteenth century, Mennonite history entered a new phase.

In 17 88, many Mennonite families left the Vistula Delta in Prussia and settled on the fertile steppes of what is now Ukraine, then part of the southern Russian Empire.

Catherine the Great invited them because she wanted skilled farmers to help develop these vast but sparsely populated lands.

In return for their farming expertise, the Mennonites received several important privileges.

These included religious freedom, self-government, and, most importantly, exemption from military service, which lay at the heart of their beliefs.

The arrangement proved highly successful.

By 18 35, around 1,600 Mennonite families had established seventy-two villages and were farming nearly half a million acres.

Their communities became known for their industry, prosperity, and strong commitment to education, family and the Christian faith.

In the 18 60s, a spiritual revival swept through the Russian Mennonite colonies, leading to the formation of the Mennonite Brethren Church.

What began with just a few believers in the Molotschna Colony of Ukraine, soon grew into a movement calling for deeper personal faith, renewed spiritual commitment and stricter church discipline.

Just a few years later, another major migration began.

In the 18 70s, the Russian government announced that it would end the military exemptions that had first drawn the Mennonites to the Empire.

Faced with the prospect of compulsory military service, thousands chose to leave their homes once again, rather than abandon their beliefs.

Many Mennonites, renowned for their farming skills, settled on the Great Plains of North America, particularly in Kansas, Nebraska and other parts of the Midwest.

Others established thriving communities in Manitoba, Canada.

Today, the descendants of these settlers, continue to preserve many aspects of their Mennonite heritage, ensuring that a movement, born amid the upheavals of the sixteenth-century Reformation, remains a living and influential Christian tradition around the world.

Arminianism and the Remonstrants.

The Remonstrants, or Remonstrant Brotherhood, emerged in the Dutch Republic during the early seventeenth century as followers of the Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius.

They challenged the strict Calvinist doctrine of predestination, teaching instead that Christ died for all people, and that individuals are free to accept or reject God's offer of salvation.

This theological system became known as Arminianism.

While the Remonstrants were the original Dutch movement, Arminianism became the broader theological tradition, that spread far beyond the Netherlands, and developed into several branches over the centuries.

One of its best-known modern advocates was the American evangelist Billy Graham, whose preaching emphasised God's love for all people, and the importance of each individual, making a personal decision to follow Christ.

This contrasted with classical Calvinism, which places greater emphasis, on God's sovereign election - in salvation.

Today, Arminian theology continues to influence many Protestant traditions, particularly the Wesleyan and Methodist churches.

Methodism originated in the 17 20s and 17 30s as a renewal movement within the Church of England, led by John and Charles Wesley while they were at the University of Oxford.

Its emphasis on personal conversion, disciplined Christian living, and evangelical preaching, gave rise to a movement, that eventually became a distinct Protestant denomination.

Today, Methodist refers to the worldwide movement, while Wesleyan, usually describes churches that follow John Wesley's Arminian theology, and the traditions that grew out of his ministry.

From its English beginnings, Methodism has spread across the globe, and today includes tens of millions of believers, throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australasia.

John Smyth's search for biblical truth, helped shape the beginnings of the Baptist movement, but his story was only one part, of the wider legacy of the Reformation.

Over the centuries, that legacy has continued to inspire new churches, movements and expressions of Christian faith around the world.

In future episodes, we will explore more of these movements and the people behind them.

But next, we return to the English Separatists, as the congregation at Scrooby prepares for its perilous attempt to escape to Amsterdam.