Sacramental baptists?

AMIDST US OUR BELOVÈD STANDS:
Recovering sacrament in the Baptist tradition.
By Michael A.G. Haykin
Lexham Press. 153 pages. £15.99
ISBN 978 1 683 595 854

‘Baptists are sacramental.’ Really? Surely we reject the sacramentalism of other traditions, and treat baptism and the Lord’s Supper as ‘ordinances’ not sacraments?

Michael Haykin shows that a more nuanced position is needed. The hymn that gives the book its title, written by Spurgeon, reflects a deeper understanding of both baptism and the Lord’s Supper, much closer to Calvin than Zwingli. Drawing on his exhaustive knowledge of Particular Baptist history, Haykin leads us through spiritually richer times.

Early English Baptists understood believer’s baptism, administered despite strong opposition (the account of Francis Langdon’s baptism is unforgettable!) not just as an outward sign but an inward means of grace, giving assurance to the Christian baptised.

These Baptists did not all view the Lord’s Supper merely as a memorial sign. Haykin covers the views of Collins, Kiffen and Keach, who saw the Lord’s Supper as vitally important to the Christian life, a ‘Soul-reviving Cordial’, an emphasis taught by Andrew Fuller. However, John Sutcliff and friends placed such a strong emphasis on gospel preaching that the Lord’s Supper lost some of its value.

Another controversy followed – should the Lord’s Supper be ‘open’ to all Christians, or restricted to those baptised as believers? Haykin describes the debate between Bunyan and Kiffin, allowing both sides a full airing and critiquing both, as well as later disagreements between Fuller, Ryland Jr. and Carey. This treatment should be read by all who take sides in current debates on this issue.

Haykin explores the devotional life of the early Baptists through their hymns, which reveal their view of the ordinances more clearly than anything we use today, and he highlights the writings of the remarkable Anne Dutton. Finally, he connects these arguments with the Covid pandemic, setting out six theses that express the views of the past and applying them with an urgency to the present as we rediscover our participation together in the visible local church. Haykin opens a window on a chamber of church history long closed to most of us, and it releases shafts of light that can reinvigorate our church life today.