On April 11, 1612, Edward Wrightman was burned at the stake in Litchfield, England for declaring that the baptism of infants was an abominable custom. His death was the last execution of someone in England for being a Baptist! He had been preceded by countless thousands over hundreds of years. What would cause so many Christians to be willing to sacrifice their lives for their convictions? What would cause many kings, governors, rulers, and ecclesiastical bishops to hate those principles and the people who held those convictions so dearly? In the Twentieth Century, the name Baptist has been given many meanings; but, historically, Baptists have been Evangelical Christians holding to the basic truths of the Christian faith and the following six doctrines: - The Bible as the sole authority for faith and practice
- Independent, autonomous churches
- Regenerated church membership
- Baptism by immersion of believers only, and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances of the church
- Priesthood of all believers and soul liberty
- Separation of church and state
These principles are known as the 'Baptist distinctives.' |
