Thomas Helwys

Thomas Helwys (c. 1550 in Nottinghamshire, † 1616 in Newgate, England) applies with John Smyth as a founder of the Baptists and as early champion of religious freedom.

Thomas Helwys was the second son of the couple, Edmund and Margaret Helwys. They were descendants of a long-established Norman family, who possessed not insignificant possessions in Lincoln, Northampton, Nottingham and York. Thomas Helwys grew up in the English county of Nottinghamshire. As Edmund Helwys died in 1590, the now forty- year-old took over his father's business, handed it but only a little later in the hands of friends of the family, to begin studying law at Gray 's Inn, one of the premier law schools of England. In 1593 he put his law degree from, seized the profession of a lawyer and took up his residence in London for two years.

1595 married Thomas Helwys in the St. Martin 's Church in Bilborough / Nottingham Joan Ashmore. From their marriage seven children were born. His house, the Broxtowe Hall, became a refuge and meeting place free ecclesiastically oriented Christians who gathered as so-called dissenters outside the Church of England wrote to the common Bible study and prayer. About John Smyth, a former Anglican clergyman, he found contact with the separatist congregation in Gainsborough, whose 60 to 70 members met in secret for fear of persecution.

As faith refugee in Amsterdam

However, the meetings of the Dissenters were not hidden from the state church authorities. 1606, therefore leaving a part of this community took place in England and Amsterdam ( Netherlands) asylum. Among the religious refugees were Thomas Helwys and John Smyth, who soon took over the management of the refugee community. The circle around Smyth began contacts with the Amsterdam Mennonite community to socialize and so came into contact with the Anabaptist beliefs. 1609 John Smyth was baptized by a Mennonite pastor because of his personal creed. He baptized then followed by the members of his congregation - among them Thomas Helwys.

Founding of the first Baptist church

Helwys returned in 1611 with a small group of asylum seekers Amsterdam municipality to England. Upon arrival they found together and founded the first Baptist church. The foundation for a growing church community to this day could begin. The community movement founded by Helwys later received the name General Baptists because they, unlike the younger Particular Baptists were the " general (general) reconciliation through Christ, which is imputed to the believer ," taught.

Since its creation in the 16th century called the Baptist church as a persecuted minority religion and freedom of conscience. As John Smyth Helwys and Roger Williams stood in this tradition. Already in 1610 he wrote his famous letters A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity ( A brief explanation of the mystery of iniquity ). He brought with him on his return to England and made there for their publication. It is the first printed call in English to complete religious freedom for all. Among other things it says in it: Our Lord, the King, is only an earthly king and he has therefore as king only authority in earthly things, and if the people of the king are obedient and true subjects, obeying all human laws enacted by the King so may our lord the king, do not ask for more. because the religion of man to God is between God and themselves, the king is not in favor of speech stand, neither shall the king be judge between God and man. Let them be heretics, Turks, Jews, or something else, it is not the earthly power to punish them, therefore, in the slightest.

This book is dedicated Helwys the English King James I with the following appeal: Hear, O Lord, and do not despise the advice of the poor, and let their actions come before you. The king is a mortal man, and not God, and therefore he has no power over the immortal souls of his subjects, for they ( Anm.d. Übers: the souls ) to adopt laws and regulations and to set spiritual lords over them. If the king has authority to enact spiritual masters and laws, then he is an immortal God and no mortal man. O king, let yourself be tempted to sin against God, you should not obey by fraudsters, nor against thy poor subjects, who should obey you and will do it with life, limb and property, and if not, to her life from this earth be taken.

Because of this dedication Thomas Helwys was captured and spent in jail. Here Helwys in 1616 died a martyr. King James, was arrested at his instigation Helwys, incidentally, was the original publisher of the well-known English translation of the Bible King James Version.