‘Baptism, no wall of division’: seventeenth-century Particular Baptists and dynamics of toleration

Abstract

This thesis examines religious toleration dynamics from the perspective of a religious minority, the Particular Baptists in seventeenth-century England. Religious toleration has most commonly been analysed ‘from above’. Scholars have ably discussed how the state responded to Nonconformist communities in society, and the philosophical reasons given for tolerating them. Recent scholarship has highlighted the more pragmatic dimensions of toleration, exploring how toleration dynamics were at play among the wider English populace. This thesis continues such work, by examining how the Particular Baptists experienced, and engaged in toleration dynamics. While the civil and intellectual contexts are important to recognise, they were not the only contexts in which religious toleration took place. Rather, toleration was multi-dimensional. Particular Baptist congregations showed toleration and intolerance of those among their flock. The various Nonconformist denominations constantly engaged in toleration dynamics with each other, as well. Moreover, not only did King Charles II wrestle with whether to tolerate the Particular Baptists, but at times they deliberated whether to tolerate him. Indeed, ultimately some chose not to do so, resulting in the Rye House Plot and the Monmouth Rebellion. This thesis chronologically charts how the Particular Baptists engaged in dynamics of toleration, from their inception in the late 1630s, through the Civil War, the Interregnum, the Restoration, the reign of James II, to the Glorious Revolution. This reveals how religious minorities often have greater agency in how toleration takes place, than might be expected. It also highlights the distinct contributions those seeking toleration can provide to our understanding of religious tolerance and intolerance.