"The Holy Catholick Church": Baptists, tradition and reception in the late seventeenth century

Abstract

During the latter half of the seventeenth century, baptistic Christians sought to be more catholic, but in doing so, became more distinctly Baptist. This period saw an immense amount of change in England, and as the interregnum gave way to a restored monarchy, the implications on religious groups were numerous. Some individuals were hopeful, others sceptical, and still others were fearful. One religious group which embodied both hope and fear in the Restoration era was a growing movement of Calvinistic Christians who rejected the common practice of infant baptism. These “baptistic Calvinists” went through significant development as they faced renewed persecution, the rise of an elite dissenting class, Protestant fears over Roman Catholicism, and the relief of formal toleration. The present thesis argues that amidst the social, political, and religious development of their day, baptistic Calvinists were concerned with catholicity and Christian unity, while also advancing their own ideas in distinct ways. For these baptistic thinkers, a desire for Christian unity ran parallel with the reality of theological divergence and these authors often made catholic appeals to justify that which made them unique. These authors appealed to a diverse swath of patristic, medieval, and post-Reformation theologians and clearly aligned themselves with contemporary Protestant and Reformed groups. Despite their divergent views of the church and sacraments, baptistic Christians sought a theological method and ecclesiological practice which was shaped by, and consistent with, the Christian past and contemporary orthodox Protestants. The present study considers the baptistic desire for catholicity through their writing, while acknowledging the contexts in which this catholicity was being articulated. As these figures expressed that which made them the same as other Christians, they began to better understand that which distinguished them from other Christians: namely, what it meant to be distinctly Baptist.

Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2031.

Date of Award	Jul 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Supervisor	Crawford Gribben (Supervisor) & Ian Campbell (Supervisor)