Book excerpt: Studies In Baptist History And ThoughtThe seventeenth century was a significant period in English history during which the people of England experienced unprecedented change and tumult in all spheres of life. At the same time, the importance of order and the traditional institutions of society were being reinforced. Hanserd Knollys, born during this pivotal period, personified in his life the ambiguity, tension, and paradox of it, openly seeking change while at the same time cautiously embracing order. As a founder and leader of the Particular Baptists in London, despite persecution and personal hardship, he played a pivotal role in helping shape their identity externally in society and internally, as they moved toward becoming more formalized by the close of the country.