Anabaptists in the First Continental Congress?

[mike]

I don’t think so because the Baptists an Anabaptists were already distinct denomination and in his letter to his wife he wrote Anabaptists- distinctly. They were started by different men and had distinct denominational names during Reformation era.

I would like to see that. Can you give more information about which letter contains this reference.

I will look for it- I have it in a book- actually, I saw it a few weeks ago in another book I have- they’re the same letter from John Adam’s to his wife. Probably I was the only person reading it that it “stood out” to me with my interest in Anabaptists- I was surprised by it. He was mentioning different denominations that were in Congress because someone made the suggestion that they opened their sessions with prayer. That’s when John Adams brought up these different denominations how they all couldn’t agree on the prayer!

Valerie apparently you are right. But the common understanding is that he meant Baptists.

ChatGPT query: Is there a letter from john adams to his wife that mentions baptists or anabaptists?

Yes. The best-known example is a letter from **John Adams to his wife, Abigail Adams**, dated **September 16, 1774**, written from Philadelphia during the First Continental Congress. ([Founders Online][1])

In describing the debate over whether Congress should open its sessions with prayer, Adams wrote:

> "...we were so divided in religious Sentiments, **some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians and some Congregationalists**, so that We could not join in the same Act of Worship." ([Founders Online][1])

He then recounts how Samuel Adams argued that he was "no Bigot" and was willing to hear a prayer from any pious and virtuous clergyman who supported the American cause. Congress therefore invited the Anglican minister Jacob Duché to offer the opening prayer, which Adams says had "an excellent Effect upon every Body here." ([Founders Online][1])

### Why "Anabaptists" instead of "Baptists"?

In the eighteenth century, the terms were sometimes used loosely. Adams almost certainly meant **Baptists** in the American colonies rather than the historic sixteenth-century European Anabaptists (such as Mennonites or Hutterites). Many educated writers of the period used "Anabaptist" as a generic label for Baptists, even though Baptists themselves generally rejected the term because they did not practice rebaptism of former believers. ([Founders Online][1])

This letter is frequently cited because it demonstrates:

* the religious diversity present among the delegates to the First Continental Congress,
* the willingness of the delegates to accommodate differing Christian traditions,
* and John Adams's appreciation for religious cooperation despite theological differences. ([Founders Online][1])

[1]: https://founders.archives.gov/documents ... hatgpt.com "John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 September 1774"

[Valerie]

I see in at least my one book it didn’t finish like the list before mine -
The one I posted was from my Presidential Prayer Team Devotional- my other book might have the full letter.

I have several books about the faith of our founding fathers and their belief in prayer & Scripture reading so it was no surprise. They wanted to do this in the museum of the Bible. I know that President Trump has mentioned they’re trying to push God out of our country. He is very angry about the growing popularity of communism and wants to remind the American people that means they will want to get rid of God in our country. I don’t think the younger people realize this and probably a lot of them. Don’t care when that happened in Russia I know the Orthodox Church went underground and millions of Christians were martyred.

[Valerie]

I would like to see that. Can you give more information about which letter contains this reference.

I will look for it- I have it in a book- actually, I saw it a few weeks ago in another book I have- they’re the same letter from John Adam’s to his wife. Probably I was the only person reading it that it “stood out” to me with my interest in Anabaptists- I was surprised by it. He was mentioning different denominations that were in Congress because someone made the suggestion that they opened their sessions with prayer. That’s when John Adams brought up these different denominations how they all couldn’t agree on the prayer!

Valerie apparently you are right. But the common understanding is that he meant Baptists.

ChatGPT query: Is there a letter from john adams to his wife that mentions baptists or anabaptists?

Yes. The best-known example is a letter from **John Adams to his wife, Abigail Adams**, dated **September 16, 1774**, written from Philadelphia during the First Continental Congress. ([Founders Online][1])

In describing the debate over whether Congress should open its sessions with prayer, Adams wrote:

> "...we were so divided in religious Sentiments, **some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians and some Congregationalists**, so that We could not join in the same Act of Worship." ([Founders Online][1])

He then recounts how Samuel Adams argued that he was "no Bigot" and was willing to hear a prayer from any pious and virtuous clergyman who supported the American cause. Congress therefore invited the Anglican minister Jacob Duché to offer the opening prayer, which Adams says had "an excellent Effect upon every Body here." ([Founders Online][1])

### Why "Anabaptists" instead of "Baptists"?

In the eighteenth century, the terms were sometimes used loosely. Adams almost certainly meant **Baptists** in the American colonies rather than the historic sixteenth-century European Anabaptists (such as Mennonites or Hutterites). Many educated writers of the period used "Anabaptist" as a generic label for Baptists, even though Baptists themselves generally rejected the term because they did not practice rebaptism of former believers. ([Founders Online][1])

This letter is frequently cited because it demonstrates:

* the religious diversity present among the delegates to the First Continental Congress,
* the willingness of the delegates to accommodate differing Christian traditions,
* and John Adams's appreciation for religious cooperation despite theological differences. ([Founders Online][1])

[1]: https://founders.archives.gov/documents ... hatgpt.com "John Adams to Abigail Adams, 16 September 1774"

Is that the common understanding from all people or is it the common understanding among Anabaptists? Baptists never called themselves Anabaptists- so seems to me it’s strange they confused that in congress when they all stated what they were. I can certainly see why Amish and Mennonites would not want to accept that- but I’m going with that he knew what they were by their own admission. Quakers no longer serve either but he did say Quaker- I just concluded at some later point they withdrew from government.
I accept I could be wrong-

[mike]

Is that the carbon understanding from all people or is it the common understanding among Anabaptists? Baptists never called themselves Anabaptists- so seems to me it’s strange they confused that in congress when they all stated what they were. I can certainly see why Amish and Mennonites would not want to accept that- but I’m going with that he k ew what they were by their ow own admission. Quakers no longer serve either but he did say Quaker- I just concluded at some later point they withdrew from government.
I accept I could be wrong-

I never even heard of this before. I am quite sure it is the common historical understanding of the issue if it's in the AI summary. If there were Amish or Mennonites in Congress, we would certainly know who they were. There is no evidence of such. This is new to me, but apparently in eighteenth-century English, "Anabaptist" was often used loosely to describe Baptists.

[Valerie]

Is that the carbon understanding from all people or is it the common understanding among Anabaptists? Baptists never called themselves Anabaptists- so seems to me it’s strange they confused that in congress when they all stated what they were. I can certainly see why Amish and Mennonites would not want to accept that- but I’m going with that he k ew what they were by their ow own admission. Quakers no longer serve either but he did say Quaker- I just concluded at some later point they withdrew from government.
I accept I could be wrong-

I never even heard of this before. I am quite sure it is the common historical understanding of the issue if it's in the AI summary. If there were Amish or Mennonites in Congress, we would certainly know who they were. There is no evidence of such. This is new to me, but apparently in eighteenth-century English, "Anabaptist" was often used loosely to describe Baptists.

Question- if you were one of the men who was Baptists, would you state your denomination (as they all apparently did) as “Anabaptist “? I mean why would you do that? They were very distinct (I learned that from my Mennonites in Europe, history book) - so from the start you knew if you were a Baptist and you knew if you were an Anabaptist-
Guess we will never know for sure who they were, again no shame, Quakers were there too but no longer.

Perhaps AI got their info from Anabaptists

[JohnH]

Baptists hardly existed in the 1700s.

[ohio jones]

Guess we will never know for sure who they were...

Why not? There were 56 delegates to the 1774 Continental Congress, and it's not that difficult to look up their religious affiliations. The "Anabaptist" in question is Samuel Ward of Rhode Island, a Seventh Day Baptist.

[mike]

Question- if you were one of the men who was Baptists, would you state your denomination (as they all apparently did) as “Anabaptist “? I mean why would you do that? They were very distinct (I learned that from my Mennonites in Europe, history book) - so from the start you knew if you were a Baptist and you knew if you were an Anabaptist-
Guess we will never know for sure who they were, again no shame, Quakers were there too but no longer.

Perhaps AI got their info from Anabaptists

Because that's what other people called them at the time? John Adams wasn't Baptist, he was Congregational, and later became more aligned with the Unitarians.

Can you direct me to any source at all, other than this letter, that states there were Anabaptists in the first US Congress? Again, if there were, we would know their names. Because we know the names of every single member of the First Continental Congress, and their religious affiliation. Which of these do you suggest could have been an actual Anabaptist (Amish or Mennonite)?

Delegate - Colony - Religious Affiliation

Peyton Randolph Virginia Anglican
Richard Henry Lee Virginia Anglican
George Washington Virginia Anglican
Patrick Henry Virginia Anglican
Richard Bland Virginia Anglican
Benjamin Harrison V Virginia Anglican
Edmund Pendleton Virginia Anglican
John Adams Massachusetts Congregationalist (later Unitarian theology)
Samuel Adams Massachusetts Congregationalist
Thomas Cushing Massachusetts Congregationalist
Robert Treat Paine Massachusetts Congregationalist
John Hancock Massachusetts Congregationalist
Stephen Hopkins Rhode Island Congregationalist
Samuel Ward Rhode Island Congregationalist
Eliphalet Dyer Connecticut Congregationalist
Roger Sherman Connecticut Congregationalist
Silas Deane Connecticut Congregationalist
James Duane New York Anglican
John Jay New York Anglican
Philip Livingston New York Dutch Reformed
Isaac Low New York Anglican
William Floyd New York Anglican
John Alsop New York Dutch Reformed
Simon Boerum New York Dutch Reformed
John Dickinson Pennsylvania Quaker (later more broadly Protestant)
Joseph Galloway Pennsylvania Anglican
Thomas Mifflin Pennsylvania Quaker (later disowned)
Charles Humphreys Pennsylvania Quaker
Edward Biddle Pennsylvania Quaker
John Morton Pennsylvania Anglican
George Ross Pennsylvania Presbyterian
Samuel Rhoads Pennsylvania Quaker
James Kinsey New Jersey Quaker
William Livingston New Jersey Presbyterian
Stephen Crane New Jersey Presbyterian
Richard Smith New Jersey Presbyterian
John De Hart New Jersey Dutch Reformed
Caesar Rodney Delaware Anglican
Thomas McKean Delaware Presbyterian
George Read Delaware Anglican
Samuel Chase Maryland Anglican
William Paca Maryland Anglican
Thomas Johnson Maryland Anglican
Robert Goldsborough Maryland Anglican
Matthew Tilghman Maryland Anglican
Thomas Lynch Sr. South Carolina Anglican
John Rutledge South Carolina Anglican
Edward Rutledge South Carolina Anglican
Christopher Gadsden South Carolina Anglican
Henry Middleton South Carolina Anglican
Thomas Lynch Jr. (arrived late) South Carolina Anglican

Of these, it's not even clear which ones Adams had in mind when he used the Anabaptist (Baptist) label. He was speaking loosely in a personal letter.

[ohio jones]

But I know John Adam’s said there were Anabaptists in Congress in early days of America’s Independence so maybe they eventually became more isolated.

By that he meant Baptists, not Mennonites or Amish Mennonites.

I don’t think so because the Baptists an Anabaptists were already distinct denomination and in his letter to his wife he wrote Anabaptists- distinctly. They were started by different men and had distinct denominational names during Reformation era.

Consider that the other participants in the Congress came from denominations that practiced infant baptism (Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Irish Protestant, Congregational) or did not practice water baptism at all (Quaker, Unitarian). The only delegate whose denomination practiced adult baptism (which Adams referred to as "Anabaptism") was a Baptist -- and a Seventh Day Baptist at that, really an oddball compared to the rest.

[mike]

By that he meant Baptists, not Mennonites or Amish Mennonites.

I don’t think so because the Baptists an Anabaptists were already distinct denomination and in his letter to his wife he wrote Anabaptists- distinctly. They were started by different men and had distinct denominational names during Reformation era.

Consider that the other participants in the Congress came from denominations that practiced infant baptism (Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, Irish Protestant, Congregational) or did not practice water baptism at all (Quaker, Unitarian). The only delegate whose denomination practiced adult baptism (which Adams referred to as "Anabaptism") was a Baptist -- and a Seventh Day Baptist at that, really an oddball compared to the rest.

Which delegate was that?