The first Baptist association in the Americas.

John Smyth, Thomas Helwys, and John Murton were co-founders of the Baptist movement in England, and produced a rich literature advocating liberty of conscience. Williams certainly had read some of their writings because he commented on them in his Bloudy Tenent. While Smyth, Helwys and Murton were General Baptists, a Calvinistic Baptist variety grew out of some Separatists around 1630. Williams became a Calvinist or Particular Baptist.

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The history of General Six-Principle Baptists in America begins in Rhode Island in 1652 when the historic Providence Baptist Church, which was once associated with Roger Williams, split. The occasion was the development within the congregation of an Arminian majority that held to the six principles of Hebrew 6:1-2 - repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying-on-of-hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Of these, the laying-on-of-hands was the only one really distinctive to this body, and that only because it was advocated as mandatory. This rite was used at the baptism and reception of new members symbolizing the reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some Calvinistic Baptist churches were also "Six-Principle," but they did not survive as a separate body. Even the influential Philadelphia Baptist Association (org. 1707) added an article concerning laying-on-of-hands to their 1742 reprint of the 1689 London Baptist Confession. A distinguishing feature of these "General" Six-Principle Baptists was that they would not commune with other Baptists who did not observe the laying-on-of-hands. In 1656, members left the First Baptist Church in Newport, the church of John Clarke & Obadiah Holmes, and formed a second Six-Principle Baptist Church.

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SeventhValley said:

Yup the Six-principal Baptists had both Calvanist and Arminian strains like all original Baptists. But since they were anti-confessional and Bible based the Calvanists left to the confessional particular Baptists. The Arminians then decided to form the first Bible based Baptist convention in the U.S. So the First Baptist convention in the U.S. was Arminian They even influenced the development of the Calvanist Philadelphia Baptist Association.



General Six-Principle Baptists - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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SeventhValley said:

They even influenced the development of the Calvanist Philadelphia Baptist Association.

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The laying on of hands was mandatory to be used with the Baptism and the reception of new members and represented the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

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We believe that laying on of hands, with prayer, upon baptised believers, as such, is an ordinance of Christ,1 and ought to be submitted unto by all such persons that are admitted to partake of the Lord's Supper, and that the end of this ordinance is not for the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, but for a farther reception of the Holy Spirit of promise,2 or for the addition of the graces of the Spirit, and the influences thereof; to confirm, strengthen, and comfort them in Christ Jesus, it being ratified and established by the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit in the primitive times,3 to abide in the church as meeting together on the first day of the week was,4 that being the day of worship, or christian sabbath, under the Gospel, and as preaching the word was,5 and as baptism was,6 and prayer was,7 and singing psalms, etc. was,8 so this laying on of hands was,9 for as the whole Gospel was confirmed by signs and wonders, and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost in general,10 so was every ordinance in like manner confirmed in particular.

Footnotes: ​

1. Hebrews 5:12; Hebrews 6:1,2; Acts 8:17,18; Acts 19:6
2. Ephesians 1:13,14
3. Acts 18:7, 19:6
4. Acts 2:1
5. Acts 10:44
6. Matthew 3:16
7. Acts 4:31
8. Acts 16:25,26
9. Acts 8 & 19
10. Hebrews 2:3,4

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Query from the church at Philadelphia. Suppose a gifted brother, who is esteemed an orderly minister by or among those that are against the laying on of hands in any respect, should happen to come among our church; whether we may allow such an one to administer the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper or no?
Answered in the negative; because it is contrary to the rule of God's word: see Acts 13:2, 3; and 14:23 compared with Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 4:14; from which prescribed rules we dare not swerve. We also refer to the Confession of faith, chap. xxvii., sect. 9.

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Query. Whether a person, ordained by laying on hands, for a ruling elder, who should afterwards be called by the church, by reason of his gifts, to the word and doctrine, must be again ordained by imposition of hands? Resolved in the affirmative.
Agreed, that since the catechisms are expended, and few or none to be had, and our youth thereby not likely to be instructed in the fundaments of saving knowledge, that the several congregations we represent should consult amongst themselves what they can raise of money for so good a design, and send, against the 1st of May next, by their letters, to Mr. Jenkin Jones or John Holmes, in Philadelphia, that they may know what number to draw out of the press.

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They believe the Bible makes the laying on of hands an ordinance. They believe it is the symbol of a passing of blessing like when Isaac bestowed the blessing on Jacob, or when Jesus blessed the little children, or transferred His healing powers. They believe the Scripture records Jesus Christ laying hands on the Apostles and the Apostles laying hands on people in blessing after they were baptized, and the people receiving the Holy Spirit as a result, for witness and power for ministry.

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Q. How do baptism and the Lords supper become effectual means of salvation?
A. Baptism and the Lords supper become effectual means of salvation, not for any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ (1 Pet. 3:21; Mt. 3:11; 1 Cor. 3:6, 7), and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them (1 Cor. 12:3; Mt. 28:19).

Q. What is baptism?
A. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, burial, and resurrection; of his being ingrafted into him (Rom. 6:3, 4, 5; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27); of remission of sins (Mk. 1:4; Acts 2:38, and 22:16); and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3, 4).

Q. To whom is baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God (Acts 2:38; Mt. 3:6), faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to none other (Acts 8:12, 36, 37, 38; 10:47, 48).

Q. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?
A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized, because there is neither command or example in the holy scriptures, or certain consequence from them to baptize such (Ex. 23:13; Pr. 30:6; Lk. 3:7, 8).

Q. How is Baptism rightly administered?
A. Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ's institution, and the practice of the apostles (Mt. 3:16; Jn. 3:23; 4:1, 2; Mt. 28:19, 20; Acts 8:38; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12), and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of men.

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