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The Origin of the Baptists By S.H. Ford
Introduction to New Edition
The writer of this book, Dr. S. H. Ford, has traced Baptists from the days of Jesus Christ, the Founder of Baptist churches, down through the centuries, including the eighteenth century. Many of the readers of this book have lived in the latter part of nineteenth and the first part of the twentieth centuries, so it is not deemed necessary to follow a line of church continuity further than the eighteenth century. In fact, there are many churches now in existence which have been doing business for the Lord, in their respective localities, according to the teachings of His Word, for more than one hundred (100) years.
Notwithstanding the fact that during the past one hundred years, many individual Baptists, and in some instances whole Baptist churches, have departed from the ancient faith for which the early churches stood, and for which millions in the past have died, still there are those in existence which contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints, Jude 3. Yes, there are whole associations of Baptist churches who have remained true to the principles given by the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are literally hundreds of churches, who, today cooperate with the American Baptist Association of churches who believe what Jesus taught in the following passages of Scripture, that His churches would always exist in the world until the end of the age, for example:
"And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit): teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (age). Amen" (Matthew 28:19, 20).
"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Eph. 3:21).
What further proof do we need that the church has been standing all the time since the days of Jesus, and will continue to stand unto the end of the world, or age? If we will not take the words of Jesus, the Son of God, we would not take the words of men though hundreds of testimonies should be produced. Certainly hundreds of men have testified to the fact that Baptist churches, or churches though called by some other name than Baptists, have been in existence all the way from the days of Jesus until this present time.
With respect to the American Baptist Association mentioned above, there are churches who cooperate in that great body of churches who were never affiliated with any other groups of churches except Association Baptist Churches. Many of them, when there were no associations of sound Baptist churches, near enough for them to associate with, or when there were none of whom they knew that they could associate with stood alone and worked for the Lord in the support of missions and missionaries to the best of their ability and opportunity. These churches were and many of them are today called, Independent Baptists, Direct Baptists, Gospel Mission Baptists, etc., but they are Baptists right on and believe, teach and practice what they find recorded in the Word of God to the best of their ability. One does not have to cooperate with any certain group of churches in order to be a sound Baptist church. However, I believe it is safest and best that churches cooperate together in the work of missions than for them to stand aloof from each other.
Doctrinal Statement of the
American Baptist Association
"1. We believe in the infallible verbal inspiration of the whole Bible, II Tim. 3:16, 17.
"2. The Triune God, Matt. 28:19.
"3. The Genesis account of creation.
"4. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ, Matt. I :20-23.
"5. The Deity of Jesus Christ.
"6. His crucifixion and suffering as vicarious and substitutionary.
"7. The bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the bodily resurrection of His saints, 1 Cor. 15.
"8. The second coming of Christ, personal and bodily, as the crowning event of the Gentile age, Acts 1:11.
"9. We also hold in common what real Baptists have ever held: That the great commission was given to the churches only. That in kingdom activities the church is the unit of co-operation, and that equal authority and responsibility should be met and shared by them according to their several abilities.
"10. We believe that all co-operating bodies such as associations and conventions, their boards and committees, etc., are, and properly should be, the servants of the churches.
"11. We believe the great commission teaches that there has been a continuous succession of Missionary Baptist Churches from the days of Jesus Christ down to this day.
"12. We believe that baptism, to be valid, must be administered by a Scriptural Baptist Church."
In addition to the above doctrines the American Baptist Association believes in every phase of mission work as outlined in the Scriptures in Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:44-48, and Acts 1:8. The churches of this association support missionaries on several foreign fields and a large number of missionaries in the United States.
E.C. Gillentine.
A Testimony
DOCTOR S. H. FORD’S STATEMENT BEFORE THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, 1905.
In the tentative meeting of the American Baptist Association, in the spring of 1905, I was appointed to go to Kansas City to meet the Southern Baptist Convention which met in May of that year, to try to get the Convention to change its Constitution so as to admit churches on an equality, and thus avoid the necessity of organizing the American Baptist Association, then known as the General Association.
I presented the Memorial to the Convention and they refused to change their Constitution. Dr. Ford took part in the discussion of our Memorial. He said in substance:
"I have been associating with these good brethren who bring this Memorial to us. I believe they are right and I wish the Convention would change its Constitution so as to satisfy them for we should not be divided. But if they organize I shall not go with them for I have spent a life time in the Convention, and I am now eighty-five years old, too old to make a change."
Dr. Ford wrote some strong articles and spoke some fervent words in favor of what the American Baptist Association stands for, but he said he was "too old" to make ant,’ change. He had attended the session of the Arkansas State Baptist Association the previous year and took active part with us and encouraged us. He was severely criticized by leading Convention men for doing that, but he said he thought we were right, and he would not apologize for encouraging us in our work.
Dr. Ford was one of the greatest men who has lived among us. Blessings on his memory. This good book is only a sample of his great writings.
Sincerely,
Ben M. Bogard
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