John Clarke
American Baptist Pioneer
By Ben Stratton

      1. The Life of John Clarke
A. John Clarke was born in Westhorpe, England on October 3, 1609.
      1. Note: Researching his life is difficult because “John Clarke” was such a common name in that day.
     a. Louis Frank Asher’s biography of “John Clarke” is the most helpful. (standardbearer.org)
     b. The movie “As With Roses” about Clark and Holmes is also very edifying. (shilohfilms.org)
2. He was educated at Cambridge University and the University of Leyden in Holland.
     a. John Clarke, “physician,” was called a “man of letters” by early historian John Callender, and was never criticized by his opponents for practicing medicine without a proper license.
     • The Newport Medical Society honored him with a marker in 1885.
     b. Clarke also had knowledge of law and judicial procedure, having worked as a legal counselor.
     c. Finally, Clarke wrote his own Biblical Concordance, which was published in England.

B. John Clarke arrived in Boston in November 1637.
     1. At this time, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a religious hornet’s nest.
     a. Roger Williams had been banished from the colony in the fall of 1635 for his criticism.
     b. There was a major controversy going on over the teachings of Anne Hutchinson.
     • This was between the “Antinomians” and “Legalists” over assurance of salvation.
     c. Clarke immediately sides with the dissenting “Antinomian” group.
     2. Within a few weeks, Clarke leads eighteen families to leave Boston and move to New Hampshire.
     a. In the spring of 1638, Clarke’s group moved to Portsmouth and later to Newport.
     b. Like Roger Williams, they purchased land on Aquidneck Island (Rhode Island) from the natives.
     • “were resolved, through the help of Christ, to get clear of all, and be of ourselves,” John Clarke
3. Except for his years in London, Clarke will pastor the Newport Baptist Church until his death in 1676.

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[Taught by Ben Stratton, at the Solid Rock Baptist Church, Benton, KY, September 14, 2023. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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