Are Southern Baptists Anglo-Saxon Protestants?
Baptists are indeed a sect from the Protestant religion, more specifically the Church of England. At the end of the English Civil War, the victors (Parliament) who were dominated by the Puritan faction, passed a law called the ‘Freedom of Religion act’. This was the first law anywhere in the world which allowed for the practise of any religion and not just what ever the state religion was(except Roman Catholic which was still banned) Within a few years new religions were springing up all over England, The Baptists, Anabaptist’s, Quakers and Levellers (and later methodists) were all founded during this period, and it wasn’t just normal well considered religions either, the law allowed ANYONE to start a new religion no matter how odd or bizarre it may be, as such it was not uncommon to walk the streets of an English town and find people standing around claiming they were Jesus and you must follow them, After the English Civil war there followed a period of about 10 years were Parliament
