Among the various Baptist groups that emerged from the religious turmoil of seventeenth-century England, the Particular Baptists proved to be the most influential in terms of long-term legacy. There is a sense in which all English-speaking Baptists, whatever their current theological orientation, can ultimately be traced back to this community. And at the heart of this community were three key leaders: William Kiffen, Hanserd Knollys, and Benjamin Keach. This new edition introduces the lives and thought of each of these men along with their times, other Baptist figures with whom they interacted, and two vital confessions that were published respectively in 1644 and 1688.
231 pages.
“This reprint of what is now a classic treatment of 17th century Baptists is a welcome publication. Michael Haykin deals with these topics not only as an approved and scholarly academician but as a Christian concerned about the discipleship of those who read the book. He deals with the most influential persons, the most important issues, and the most important confession of faith and shows how these have had abiding impact upon Baptists even to the present. This is a welcome reprint and I commend it to everyone who is interested in understanding an important and very influential segment of modern evangelicalism.”
—Tom J. Nettles, Senior Professor of Historical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“Recent years have seen a revival of publications about the seventeenth-century English Particular Baptists, due in large part to the influence of Michael Haykin. I have long considered the first edition of Kiffin Knollys, and Keach to be a classic introduction to this important era in Baptist life. I am thrilled to see this volume in print again and available to a new audience. The inclusion of new material on the lesser-known John Norcott and his work on believers baptism, which summarizes this community’s collective view, makes this volume a must have for any student of the period.”
—Steve Weaver, Adjunct Professor of Church History, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“The emergence of the Baptists in seventeenth-century England was a seminal development in Protestant church history. This book is an excellent primer on the leaders of the Calvinistic Baptists, their controversies, and their guiding principles.”
—John Coffey, Professor of Early Modern History, University of Leicester
Kiffen, Knollys, and Keach: Rediscovering our English Baptist Heritage is in the following collections: