Thomas Helwys's ecclesiological contributions

The purpose of the dissertation was to examine Thomas Helwys's work, A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity, in order to determine if it was an important seminal contribution to Baptist ecclesiology. The main issue of research focused upon Helwys's thesis which revealed Baptist ecclesiology as the only true church.;The research included an investigation of the genre of writing known as apocalyptic literature. The works of John Bale and John Foxe were reviewed for content. Foxe detailed the history of the false church persecuting the true church thereby establishing a chronology of physical abuse. The research conveyed the extent to which these writings impressed Thomas Helwys as he wrote against the same false church. However, Helwys applied the meaning of the second beast of Revelation to the Church of England in his work, A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity. Thus, the research demonstrated that Helwys followed in the apocalyptic ecclesiology of John Bale and John Foxe.;An examination of the historical writings of Thomas Helwys included his works entitled A Declaration of Faith of English People Remaining at Amsterdam in Holland, and An Advertisement of Admonition unto the Congregations, Which Men Call the New Frylers, in the Lowe Countries . These writings demonstrated that Helwys had a firm grasp of Baptist ecclesiology prior to writing A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity.;The research depicted Helwys's interaction with the Puritan movement. He considered their reform to be false based upon the fact they remained committed to a false church with a false ruler of the church. Helwys charged the Puritans with not following the logical conclusions of their own reform position.;The progression of the research investigated the Separatists' theological concept of covenant and its impact on Thomas Helwys and his developing Baptist ecclesiology. In his continued usage of the covenant, Helwys maintained, as did the Separatists, the concept of a gathered church. Finally, the research demonstrated the concept of Believer's baptism as a means to enter the new covenant in a gathered covenanted community. Believer's baptism was Helwys's contribution to the true reformed church.