General Six-Principle Baptists

The Six-Principle Baptists is a Baptist Christian denomination in United States.

History
The history of General Six-Principle Baptists in America began in Rhode Island in 1652 when the historic
First Baptist Church, once associated with Roger Williams, split.[1] The occasion was the development
within the congregation of an Arminian majority who held to the six principles of Hebrew 6:1–2:
repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying-on of hands,
resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Of these, the laying-on of hands was the only doctrine really
distinctive to this body, and that only because it was advocated as mandatory. This rite was used at the
baptism and reception of new members symbolizing the reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some
Calvinistic Baptist churches were also "Six-Principle," but they did not survive as a separate body. Even
the influential Philadelphia Baptist Association (org. 1707) added an article concerning laying-on of hands
to their 1742 reprint of the 1689 London Baptist Confession. A distinguishing feature of these "General"
Six-Principle Baptists was that they would not commune with other Baptists who did not observe the
laying-on of hands. In 1656, members left the First Baptist Church in Newport, the church of John Clarke
and Obadiah Holmes, and formed a second Six-Principle Baptist Church.

Churches were planted and conferences rose up in Rhode Island,

Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. The Rhode Island
Yearly Meeting was formed in 1670, becoming the first Baptist
association in America. It was incorporated in 1895 as the General
Six-Principle Baptist Conference of Rhode Island. The word
"Hope" and the emblem of the anchor (both taken from Hebrews
6) on the flag and Seal of Rhode Island attest to the historical
influence of Six-Principle Baptists in that state. The New York
Yearly Conference was organized around 1824. After 1865, it
became known as the General Six-Principle Baptist Association of
Pennsylvania. The Six-Principle Baptists of New England were
called "General", distinguishing that they held the general view of
Christ's atonement (making salvation possible for all men) rather
than the particular view (that he atoned for the elect only).

Six-Principle Baptists also existed in England, probably pre-dating

those in America.[2] The Standard Confession of 1660 specifies the First Baptist Church in America
doctrine of laying-on of hands. According to Henry Vedder,

In March 1690, the churches holding these views formed an Association. This continued with
varying fortunes for some years; at its strongest, numbering but eleven churches in England,
though there were others in Wales when the Calvinistic Baptists withdrew, and the rest of the
churches were gradually absorbed into the General body.
In 1954, the Rhode Island Conference lifted their ban on
communing with other Christians, preparing the way for their
assimilation into the broader Baptist community. One of the last
historical churches to survive is the Stony Lane Six Principle
Baptist Church in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.[3] As late as
2009 their pastor, Rev. John Wheeler, wrote "We keep the name
only for historical purposes and to our knowledge we are the last
church to use it in our official name. We don't include it in our
stationary etc., nor do we hold to the specific teaching of
highlighting Hebrews 6:1–2 over other parts of Scripture."[3] Stony Lane Six Principle Baptist
However, in 2022 they no longer include any mention of "Six Church in North Kingstown, Rhode
Principle" on the church website. According to Albert Wardin, Island
there is also "one church, located in Pennsylvania, which still
carries Six Principle in its name, but its current pastor does not
observe all the six principles."[4] The Pine Grove Church of Nicholson, Pennsylvania and the Stony Lane
Church were the last two churches to be considered historically Six-Principle Baptist.

Reorganization
Saddened by the dissolution of the historic Six-Principle denomination, a small group of Baptist ministers
began a reorganization of the movement in 2001. This incorporated reorganization movement was officially
renamed on July 10, 2003, as the General Association of Six-Principle Baptist Churches, Inc. It is also
known as the General Association of Six-Principle Baptists which is more descriptive of the fact that the
General Association includes not only churches, but individuals, ministers, and ministries.

Since its reorganization, the denomination has grown steadily. All of the ministers credentialed by the
General Association serve as Missionaries of the General Association. The General Association of Six-
Principle Baptist Churches has no direct historical connection to the original body of Six-Principle Baptists.

Beliefs
The "six-principles"[5] adhered to are those listed in Hebrews 6:1–2 (https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=He
brews%206:1–2&version=nrsv):

Repentance
Faith
Baptism
Laying on of hands
Resurrection of the dead
Final judgment
 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not
laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the
doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment.

References
1. Lemons, J. Stanley. First: The First Baptist Church in America, pp. 13-19, Charitable Baptist
Society, Providence, RI, 2001.
2. Knight, Richard. History of the General Or Six-Principle Baptists in Europe and America, pp.
11-17, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, North Charleston, S.C. Reprint, 2014.
3. Stony Lane Six Principle Baptist Church website 2009 (http://www.stonylane.org/)
4. Wardin, Albert W. Baptists Around the World, p. 53, Broadman and Holman Publishing,
Nashville, 1995.
5. "Six Principle Baptists" (https://goodfaithmedia.org/six-principle-baptists-cms-3102/). 16
September 2003.

Further reading
Annual Reports, Rhode Island Conference
Richard Knight, History of The General or Six Principle Baptists in Europe and America (http
s://books.google.com/books?id=4blHRAAACAAJ&source=gbs_book_other_versions),
(Smith and Parmenter, 1827)
A Short History of Baptists, by Henry Vedder
Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
Doing Diversity Baptist Style, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
Elder John Gorton and the Six Principle Baptist Church of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, by
Cherry Fletcher Bamberg
The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness, by H. Leon McBeth

External links
Denominational Home (http://www.spbaptists.info)
The Standard Confession 1660 (http://www.reformedreader.org/ccc/tsc.htm)
Rhode Island State Flag (http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/ri_flag.htm)
History of The General or Six Principle Baptists in Europe and America (https://books.googl
e.com/books?id=RIYuAAAAYAAJ) by Richard Knight, (Smith and Parmenter, 1827)

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