John Murton (1585 – c. 1626), also known as John Morton, was a co-founder of the

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

faith in Great Britain. John Murton had been a

furrier Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...

by trade in Gainsborough-on-Trent and was a member of the 1607 Gainsborough Congregation that relocated to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. Murton had been a close disciple of John Smyth while in Holland and eventually Murton returned to London with

Thomas Helwys Thomas Helwys (c. 1575 – c. 1616), an English minister, was one of the joint founders, with John Smyth, of the General Baptist denomination. In the early seventeenth century, Helwys was principal formulator of demand that the church and th ...

and his church. Murton possibly spent time in prison with Helwys before his death, and then became the Elder of the congregation. Murton continued Helwys' traditions until 1624 when he had a falling out with the congregation. Murton wrote several books influencing later Baptists, such as

Roger Williams Roger Williams (21 September 1603between 27 January and 15 March 1683) was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ...

who opened his influential book, "'' The Bloudy Tenent'' by reprinting parts of John Murton's anonymously published tract, ''A Most Humble Supplication of the King's Majesty's Loyal Subjects'' (1620)."JESSICA R. STERN, "A Key into The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution: Roger Williams, the Pequot War, and the Origins of Toleration in America," Early American Studies Vol. 9, No. 3 (Fall 2011), p. 602, accessible on JSTOR

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murton, John 1585 births 1626 deaths English Baptist ministers 17th-century Christian clergy