One way of characterizing the change that took place in British and Irish Particular Baptist life in the course of the long eighteenth century (1680s-1830s) is along the lines of walls and bridges: the Particular Baptists transitioned from being a community of wall-builders (Song of Songs 4:12 was a favoured text, the “enclosed garden” being understood as an image of the community of properly-baptized visible saints) to one of being bridge-builders.
This general description can be misleading if taken as an invariable description of all British and Irish Particular Baptists of that remarkable era. But as a general description I find it to be quite helpful.
To be sure, the idea of a walled community provided a measure of security and clear identity, but, in the case of these Particular Baptists, it also led to a narrowness of outlook and loss of catholicity. Thus, the suspicions of far too many in the Particular Baptist camp about George Whitefield: he claimed to be a Calvinist, but, to Baptist ears, he spoke with an Arminian accent and moreover, he was an Anglican. If he had truly been sent by God, he would leave the state church, characterized as a daughter of the Whore of Babylon, and become a Baptist.
With the advent of Fullerism, though, the bricks in these walled communities began to be used to build bridges. Witness the friendships that were established between Particular Baptists like John Ryland, Jr. and an Anglican like John Newton.
Of course, there was a danger here in the other direction, namely, the loss of Baptist identity in the wide ocean of Evangelicalism.
But for the lifetime of men like Andrew Fuller and John Sutcliff, John Hinton and Samuel Pearce, William Carey and Joshua Marshman—in the final decades of the eighteenth century and first few decades of the nineteenth century—the balance was retained: the bridges that bespoke evangelical catholicity were not built to the neglect of the walls of identity.
Such a balance is much needed in our day, though it is not easy to achieve or maintain.
Born in England of Irish and Kurdish parents, Michael A.G. Haykin serves as professor of church history & biblical spirituality. Haykin has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto (1974), a Master of Religion from Wycliffe College, the University of Toronto (1977), and a Th.D. in Church History from Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto (1982). Haykin and his wife, Alison, have two grown children: Victoria and Nigel.
He is the author of a number of books, including The Spirit of God: The Exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian Controversy of the Fourth Century (E. J. Brill, 1994); One heart and one soul: John Sutcliff of Olney, his friends, and his times (Evangelical Press, 1994); Kiffin, Knollys and Keach: Rediscovering Our English Baptist Heritage (Reformation Today Trust, 1996); ‘At the Pure Fountain of Thy Word’: Andrew Fuller as an Apologist (Paternoster Press, 2004); Jonathan Edwards: The Holy Spirit in Revival (Evangelical Press, 2005); The God who draws near: An introduction to biblical spirituality (Evangelical Press, 2007).
Course taught for CBTS: Biblical Spirituality.
