The following information about John Smyth's baptism was discussed by Mark Osgatharp on the Baptist Board back in July of 2003. I found it interesting. Read part of the post below.
"I have the book written by Henry Dexter, a Congregationalist of the 1800s, which is supposed to prove that the manner of baptizing practiced by Smyth, as well as all Anabaptists up until 1641 was pouring. The title of the book is The True Story of John Smyth, the Se-Baptist.
"The title page of the book has a drawing which portrays John Smyth in nothing but a pair of drawers standing knee deep in water and bent over forwards with his hands on his head and water dripping from his head. On page 31 of the book the same drawing appears and Mr. Dexter claims it to be a 'tracing' from 'an ancient engraving.'
"Mr. Dexter asserts that the drawing represents Smyth pouring water on his head in his self baptism. Actually, it portrays a man dipping himself in water.
"This "ancient engraving' originally appeared on the title page of Daniel Featley's book The Dippers Dipt which was published in 1645. The page has an elaborate picture of a demon hovering over sketches of 'the severall sorts of ANABAPTISTS with there manner of Rebaptizing'." Read more...
1 comment:
John Smyth is hardly a good example to the Baptist Churches. He was a rebellious and ordained vicar of the Church of England. It was in Holland he formed a "sort of" Baptist group. Pouring was as close as he could come to rejecting infant baptism. His doctrines changed with every whim and fancy. He was closer to Congregational than Baptist and later considered joining the Mennonites.
Even the CofE baptized infants by immersion and adults, by request. Most of the older churches have a baptismal tank located under the pulpits or somewhere near the pulpits even to this day.
There were Baptist Churches in Wales long before Smyth and the first real Baptist Church in England was established in the Midlands by Welsh missionaries.
Someone claiming Smyth needs to read more church history.
Cheers,
Jim
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