‘A Gathered Congregation of People which Is Built on Christ’: Core Ecclesial Principles Anabaptists and Early Baptists Held in Common

Abstract

The Anabaptists of the Continental Reformation era and the early English Baptists a century later may have derived from different ecclesial-political and geographic settings, but they shared a number of theological sentiments. While several more theological parallels might be demonstrated, this article will focus on four major areas of overlap: ecclesiology, baptism, covenant, and religious liberty/freedom of conscience. Not only are these four distinctives significant for both traditions but these particular doctrines and practices also coalesce to establish a cohesive ecclesiological model that notably differs from other early Protestant traditions.