TableofContentsINTRODUCTIONCHAPTERONECHAPTERTWOCHAPTERTHREEFIRSTLECTURESECONDLECTURETHIRDLECTUREFOURTHLECTUREFIFTHLECTURETHETIMELINECHART

INTRODUCTIONByCLARENCEWALKER

Dr. J. M. Carroll, the author of this book, was born in the state of

Arkansas, January8, 1858, anddied inTexas, January10, 1931.His father, aBaptistpreacher,movedtoTexaswhenBrotherCarrollwassixyearsold.Therehewasconverted,baptized,andordainedtotheGospelministry.Dr.Carrollnotonlybecamea leader amongTexasBaptists, but anoutstanding figureof SouthernBaptists,andoftheworld.

Years ago he came to Ashland Avenue Baptist Church and brought themessagesfoundinthisbook.ItwasthenIbecamegreatlyinterestedinBrotherCarroll’s studies. I, too, hadmade a special research inChurchHistory, as towhichistheoldestChurchandmostlikethechurchesoftheNewTestament.

Dr.J.W.Porterattendedthelectures.HewassoimpressedhetoldBrotherCarroll if hewouldwrite themessages hewould publish them in a book.Dr.Carrollwrote the lectures and gaveDr. Porter the right to publish them alongwiththechartwhichillustratesthehistorysovividly.

However, Dr. Carroll died before the book came off the press, but Dr.Porter placed them before the public and thewhole editionwas soon sold. Iwant toaskallwhoreadandstudy thesepages to joinme inprayerandworkthatanever-increasingnumbershallgoforth.

“Andtomakeallmenseewhatisthefellowshipofthemystery,whichfromthebeginningoftheworldhathbeenhidinGod,whocreatedallthingsbyJesusChrist: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenlyplacesmightbeknownbythechurchthemanifoldwisdomofGod,…Untohimbeglory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.Amen”(Ephesians3:9-10,21).

CHAPTERONE

ItwaswonderfultohearDr.Carrolltellhowhebecameinterestedinthehistoryofthedifferentdenominations, ESPECIALLYTHEIRORIGIN.Hewrotethebookafterhewas70yearsold,buthesaid,“IwasconverteduntoGodwhenIwasjustaboy.IsawthemanydenominationsandwonderedwhichwasthechurchtheLordJesusfounded.”

EveninhisyouthhefeltthatinthestudyoftheScripturesandhistory,hecouldfindthechurchwhichwastheoldestandmostlikethechurchesdescribedintheNewTestament.Thisresearchforthetruthledhimintomanyplacesandenabledhimtogatheroneofthegreatestlibrariesonchurchhistory.ThislibrarywasgivenathisdeathtotheSouthwesternBaptistSeminary,Ft.Worth,Texas.

Hefoundmuchchurchhistory,mostofitseemedtobeabouttheCatholicsandProtestants.ThehistoryofBaptists,hediscovered,waswritteninblood.TheywerethehatedpeopleoftheDarkAges.Theirpreachersandpeoplewereputintoprisonanduntoldnumberswereputtodeath.Theworldhasneverseenanythingtocomparewiththesufferings,thepersecutions,heapeduponBaptistsby the Catholic Hierarchy during the Dark Ages. The Pope was the world’sdictator.ThisiswhytheAna-Baptists,beforetheReformation,calledthePope“THEANTICHRIST”.

Theirhistoryiswritteninthelegaldocumentsandpapersofthoseages.Itisthroughtheserecordsthatthe“TRAILOFBLOOD”windsitswayasyoufindsuchstatements:

“At Zurich, after many disputations between Zuinglius and the Ana-Baptists, the Senatemade anAct, that if any presume to rebaptize thosewhowerebaptizedbefore (i.e.as infants) they shouldbedrowned.AtViennamanyAna-Baptistsweretiedtogetherinchainsthatonedrewtheotherafterhimintotheriver,whereintheywereallsuffocated(drowned.”(VidaSupra,p.61)

“IntheyearofourLordA.D.1539twoAna-BaptistswereburnedbeyondSouthwark, and a little before them five Dutch Ana-Baptists were burned inSmithfield.”(FullerChurchHistory)

“In1160acompanyofPaulicans (Baptists) entered Oxford.Henry IIordered them to be branded on the foreheadwith hot irons, publiclywhippedthem through the streets of the city, to have their garments cut short at thegirdles,andbeturnedintotheopencountry.Thevillageswerenottoaffordthemanyshelterorfoodandtheyperishedalingeringdeathfromcoldandhunger.”(Moore,EarlierandLaterNonconformityinOxford)

The old Chronicler Stowe, A.D. 1533, relates: “The 25th of May in St.Paul’s Church, London, examined nineteen men and six women. Fourteen ofthemwerecondemned;amanandawomanwereburnedatSmithfield,theothertwelveofthemweresenttotownstheretobeburned.”

Froude, the English historian, says of these Ana-Baptist martyrs: “Thedetails are all gone, their names are gone. Scarcely the facts seem worthmentioning. For them no Europe was agitated, no court was ordered inmourning, nopapal hearts trembledwith indignation.At their death theworldlookedoncomplacent,indifferentorexulting.Yethere,outoftwenty-fivepoormenandwomenwerefoundfourteen,whobynoterrorofstakeortorturecouldbetemptedtosaytheybelievedwhattheydidnotbelieve.Historyhasforthemnowordofpraise,yetthey,too,werenotgivingtheirbloodinvain.Theirlivesmighthavebeenasuselessasthelivesofmostofus.IntheirdeaththeyassistedtopaythepurchaseofEnglishfreedom.”

Likewise,inwritingsoftheirenemiesaswellasfriends,Dr.Carrollfoundtheirhistoryandthattheirtrailthroughtheageswasindeedbloody:

Cardinal Hosius (Catholic, A.D.1524), President of the Council ofTrent:

“WereitnotthattheBaptistshavebeengrievouslytormentedandcutoffwiththeknifeduringthepasttwelvehundredyears,theywouldswarmingreater number than all theReformers.” (Hosius,Letters,ApudOpera, pages112,113.)

The“twelvehundredyears”were theyearsprecedingtheReformation inwhichRomepersecutedBaptistswiththemostcruelpersecutionthinkable.

Sir IsaacNewton: “TheBaptists are the only bodyof knownChristiansthathaveneversymbolizedwithRome.”

Mosheim (Lutheran): “Before the rise of Luther and Calvin, there laysecretedinalmostallthecountriesofEuropepersonswhoadheredtenaciouslytotheprinciplesofmodernDutchBaptists.”

EdinburgCyclopedia(Presbyterian):“Itmusthavealreadyoccurred toourreadersthattheBaptistsarethesamesectofChristiansthatwereformerlydescribed as Ana-Baptists. Indeed this seems to have been their leadingprinciplefromthetimeofTertulliantothepresenttime.”

TertullianwasbornjustfiftyyearsafterthedeathoftheApostleJohn.

CHAPTERTWO

BaptistsdonotbelieveinApostolicSuccession.TheApostolicofficeceasedwith the death of the Apostles. It is to His churches that He promised acontinual existence from the time He organized the first church during HisearthlyministryuntilHecomesagain.Hepromised,“Iwillbuildmychurch:andthegatesofhellshallnotprevailagainstit”.(Matthew16:18)

Then,whenHegavethegreatCommission,whichtellswhatHischurchesare todo,Hepromised“Iamwithyoualway,evenunto theendof theworld.Amen”(Matthew28:20).ThisCommission—thiswork—wasnotgiventotheApostlesas individuals,but to themand theotherspresent in theirchurchcapacity. The Apostles and the others who heard Him give this Commissionwere soon dead—BUT, His Church has lived on through the ages, makingdisciples (getting folks saved), baptizing them, and teaching the truth—thedoctrines—He committed to the Jerusalem Church. These faithful churcheshave been blessed with His presence as they have traveled the TRAIL OFBLOOD.

This history shows how the Lord’s promise to His churches has beenfulfilled.Dr.Carroll shows that churcheshavebeen found in every agewhichhave taught the doctrines He committed unto them. Dr. Carroll calls thesedoctrinesthemarksofNewTestamentChurches.

MarksoftheNewTestamentChurch

1.ItsHeadandFounder—CHRIST.Heisthelawgiver;theChurchisonly

theexecutive.(Matthew16:18,Colossians1:18)2.Itsonlyruleoffaithandpractice—THEBIBLE.(2Timothy

3:15-17)3. Its name—CHURCH, CHURCHES. (Matthew 16:18, Revelation

22:16)4. Its polity—CONGREGATIONAL – all members equal. (Matthew

20:24-28,Matthew23:5-12)5.Itsmembers—ONLYSAVEDPEOPLE.(Ephesians2:21,1Peter2:5).6. Its ordinances—BELIEVERS’ BAPTISM, FOLLOWED BY THE

LORD’SSUPPER.(Matthew28:19-20,1Corinthians11:26)7.Itsofficers—PASTORSANDDEACONS.(1Timothy3:1-16)8.Itswork—GettingfolksSAVED,BAPTIZINGthem(withabaptismthat

meets all the requirementsofGod’sWord),TEACHING them“toobserveallthingswhatsoeverIhavecommandedyou.”(Matthew28:16-20)

9.Itsfinancialplan—TITHESandOFFERINGS.(1Corinthians9:14)

10. Itsweaponsofwarfare—SPIRITUAL,notcarnal. (2Corinthians10:4,Ephesians6:10-20)

11. Its independence—SEPARATION of Church and State. (Matthew22:21)

CHAPTERTHREEInanytowntherearemanydifferentchurches,allclaimingtobethetrue

church.Dr.Carrolldidasyoucandonow-take themarks,or teachings,of thedifferentchurchesandfindtheoneswhichhavethesemarks,ordoctrines.Theoneswhichhave thesemarks,ordoctrines, taught inGod’sWord,are the truechurches.

This,Dr.Carroll,hasdone,tothechurchesofallages.Hefoundmanyhaddeparted from“thesemarks, ordoctrines.”Other churches, however, he foundhadbeentruetothese“marks”ineverydayandagesinceJesussaid,

“Iwillbuildmychurch;and thegatesofhell shallnotprevailagainstit.”(Matthew16:18)

“Iamwithyoualway,evenuntotheendoftheworld.Amen.”(Matthew28:20)

THETRAILOFBLOODor

FollowingtheChristiansDownThroughtheCenturiesFromTheDaysofChristtothePresentTime

Ortoexpressitdifferently,butstillexpressively,“AhistoryoftheDoctrinesastaughtbyChrist,andHisApostles,andthosewhohavebeenloyaltothem.”

FIRSTLECTURE

“Remember thedaysofold,consider theyearsofmanygenerations:ask thyfather,andhewillshewthee;thyelders,andtheywilltellthee.”(Deuteronomy32:7)

1. What we know today as “Christianity” or the Christian Religion,beganwithChrist,A.D.25-30in thedaysandwithintheboundsof theRomanEmpire.Thiswasoneofthegreatestempirestheworldhaseverknowinallitshistory.

2. This Empire at that period embraced nearly all of the then knowninhabitedworld.TiberiusCaesarwasitsEmperor.

3.Initsreligion,theRomanEmpire,atthattime,waspagan.Areligionofmanygods.Somematerialandsome imaginary.Thereweremanydevoutbelieversandworshippers.Itwasareligionnotsimplyofthepeople,butoftheempire.ItwasanESTABLISHEDreligion.Establishedbylawandsupportedbythegovernment.(MosheimVolume1,Chapter1)

4. The Jewish people, at that period, no longer a separate nation, werescatteredthroughouttheRomanEmpire.TheyyethadtheirtempleinJeruselem,and the Jews yet went there to worship, and they were yet jealous of theirreligion.Butit,likethepagan,hadlongsincedriftedintoformalismandhadlostitspower.(MosheimVolume1,Chapter2)

5.ThereligionofChristbeingareligionnotofthisworld,itsfoundergaveitnoearthlyheadandnotemporalpower.Itsoughtnoestablishment,nostateorgovernmental support. It sought no dethronement of Caesar. Said itsauthor,“Render thereforeuntoCaesar the thingswhichareCaesar’s:anduntoGod the things thatareGod’s.” (Matthew22:19-22,Mark12:17,Luke20:20)Beingaspiritualreligion,itwasarivalofnoearthlygovernment.Itsadherents,however,weretaughttorespectallcivillawandgovernment.(Romans13:1-7,Titus3:1,1Peter2:13-16)

6.Iwanttonowcallyourattentiontosomeofthelandmarksorearmarksofthisreligion,theChristianReligion.IfyouandIaretotraceitdownthroughtwenty long centuries, and especially down through 1,200 years of midnightdarkness, darkened by rivers and seas of martyr blood, then we will need toknowwell thesemarks.Theywillbemanytimes terriblydisfigured.But therewillalwaysbesomeindeliblemark.Butletuscarefullyandprayerfullybeware.Wewill encountermany shams andmake-believes. If possible, the very electwill be betrayed and deceived.Wewant, if possible, to trace it down through

crediblehistory,butmoreespeciallythroughtheunerring,infallible,wordsandmarksofDivinetruth.

SomeUnerring,InfallibleMarksIf,ingoingdownthroughthecenturieswerunuponagrouporgroupsof

people bearing not these distinguishing marks and teaching other things forfundamentaldoctrines,letusbeware.

1.Christ, theauthorof this religion,organizedHis followersordisciplesintoaChurch.Andthedisciplesweretoorganizeotherchurchesasthisreligionspreadandotherdisciplesweremade.(BaptistSuccession-Ray-RevisedEdition,1stChapter)

2.Thisorganization,orchurch,accordingtotheScripturesandaccordingto the practice of the Apostles and early churches, was given two kinds ofofficersandonlytwo:pastorsanddeacons.ThepastorwascalledBishop.Bothpastoranddeaconsweretobeselectedbythechurchandtobeservantsofthechurch.

3.Thechurchesintheirgovernmentanddisciplinetobeentirelyseparateandindependentofeachother.JerusalemtohavenoauthorityoverAntioch;norAntioch over Ephesus; nor Ephesus over Corinth; and so forth. And theirgovernment tobe congregational, democratic.Agovernmentof thepeople, bythepeople,andforthepeople.

4.Tothechurchwasgiventwoordinancesandonlytwo:BaptismandtheLord’sSupper.Thesetobeperpetualandmemorial.

5.OnlytheSAVEDweretobereceivedasmembersofthechurch.(Acts2:47).These savedones to be savedbygrace alonewithout anyworks of thelaw.(Ephesians2:5,8,9).Thesesavedones,andtheyonly, tobe immersedinthenameoftheFather,Son,andHolySpirit.(Matthew28:19).Andonlythosethusreceivedandbaptized,topartakeoftheLord’sSupper,andthesuppertobecelebratedonlybythechurch,inchurchcapacity.

6.Theinspiredscriptures,andtheyonly,infact,theNewTestamentandthatonly,tobetheruleandguideoffaithandlife,notonlyforthechurchasanorganization,butforeachindividualmemberofthatorganization.

7. Christ Jesus, the founder of this organization and the Savior of itsmembers,tobetheironlypriestandkin,theironlyLordandLawgiver,andtheonly head of the churches. The churches to be executive only in carrying outtheirLord’swillandcompletedlaws;neverlegislative,toamendorabrogateoldlawsortomakenewones.

8.ThisreligionofChristtobeindividual,personal,andpurelyvoluntaryorthrough persuasion. No physical or governmental compulsion. A matter ofdistinctindividualandpersonalchoice.“Chooseyou”isthescripturalinjunction.It could be neither accepted nor rejected nor lived by proxy nor undercompulsion.

9. Mark well! That neither Christ nor His apostles, ever gave to Hisfollowers,what is known today as a denominational name, such asCatholic,Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, and so forth—unless the name given byChrist to Johnwas intended for such,TheBaptist, John theBaptist. (Matthew11:11, and ten or twelve other times.) Christ called the individual followerdisciple. Two or more were called disciples. The organization of disciples,whetheratJerusalemorAntiochorelsewhere,wascalledChurch.Ifmorethanoneoftheseseparateorganizationswerereferredto,theywerecalledChurches.ThewordChurch in the singularwasneverusedwhen referring tomore thanoneoftheseorganizations.Norevenwhenreferringtothemall.

10. I venture to give one more distinguishing mark. We will call itCompleteSeparationofChurchandState.No combination,nomixtureofthis spiritual religionwith a temporal government and added to this, complete“ReligiousLiberty,”foreverybody.

And now, before proceeding with the history itself, let me call yourattentionto:

THECHART

Ibelieve,ifyouwillstudycarefullythischart,youwillbetterunderstandthehistory,anditwillgreatlyaidyourmemoryinretainingwhatyouhearandsee.

Rememberthischartissupposedtocoveraperiodoftwothousandyearsofreligioushistory.Noticeatbothtopandbottomofthechartsomefigures,thesamefiguresatbothtopandbottom—100,200,300,andsoonto2,000.Theyrepresentthetwentycenturiesoftime,theverticallinesseparatingthedifferentcenturies.

Now notice on the chart, near the bottom; other straight lines, this linerunning left to right, the longway of the chart. The lines are about the samedistanceapartastheverticallines.Butyoucan’tseethemalltheway.Theyarecoveredbyaverydarkspot,representinginhistorywhatisknownasthedarkages.Itwillbeexplainedlater.

Between the two lowest lines are the names of countries… Italy,Wales,

England,Spain,France,andsoforth,endingwithAmerica.Thesearethenamesof countries inwhichmuch history ismade during the period covered by thenamesthemselves.Ofcoursenotallthehistory;somehistoryismadeinsomeofthecountriesineveryperiod.Butsomespecialhistoryismadeinthesespecialcountries,atthesespecialperiods.

Nownoticeagain,nearthebottomofthechart,otherlinesalittlehigher.They,too,coveredinpartbythedarkages,theyalsoarefullofnames,butnotthenamesofcountries.Theyareallnicknames.Namesgiventothosepeoplebytheir enemies. Christians—that is the first: “And the disciples were calledChristians first inAntioch.” (Acts 11:26)This occurred aboutA.D. 43.EitherthepagansorJewsgavethemthatnameinderision.Alltheothernamesinthatcolumnwere given in the samemanner—Montanists, Novationists, Donatists,Paulicans,Albigenses,Waldenses,andAna-Baptists.Allofthesewillagainandagainbereferredtoasthelecturesprogress.

Butlookagainatthechart.Seetheredcircles.Theyarescatterednearlyallover thechart.They representchurches.Single individualchurches inAsia, inAfrica,inEurope,inmountainsandvalleys,andsoforth.Theirbeingbloodredindicatesmartyrblood.ChristtheirfounderdiedontheCross.AlltheApostlessave two,JohnandJudas,sufferedmartyrdeaths.JudasbetrayedhisLordanddiedinasuicide.TheApostleJohn,accordingtohistory,wasboiledinagreatcauldronofoil.

Youwillnotesomecirclesthataresolidblack.Theyrepresentchurchesalso—but erring churches. Churches that had gone wrong in life or doctrine.TherewerenumbersoftheseevenbeforethedeathofPeter,PaulandJohn.

Having now about concludedwith a general introduction and some verynecessaryandevenvitalpreliminaries,Icometotheregularhistory.

FIRSTPERIODA.D.30-500

1.Under the strangebutwonderful impulse and leadershipof John the

Baptist, theeloquentmanfromthewilderness,andunder the loving touchandmiracleworkingpowerof theChristHimself, and themarvelouspreachingofthetwelveApostlesandtheirimmediatesuccessors,theChristianreligionspreadmightilyduringthefirst500yearperiod.However,itleftaterriblybloodytrailbehind it. Judaism andPaganismbitterly contested every forwardmovement.

JohntheBaptistwasthefirstofthegreatleaderstogiveuphislife.Hisheadwas taken off. Soon after him went the Savior Himself, the founder of theChristianreligion.HediedontheCross,thecrueldeathoftheCross.

2. Following their Savior in rapid succession fell many other martyredheroes: Stephen was stoned, Matthew was slain in Ethiopia, Mark draggedthroughthestreetsuntildead,Lukehanged,PeterandSimeoncrucified,Andrewtiedtoacross,Jamesbeheaded,Philipcrucifiedandstoned,Bartholomewflayedalive,Thomaspiercedwith lances, James the less thrownfromthe templeandbeaten todeath, Jude shot todeathwitharrows,Matthias stoned todeath, andPaulbeheaded.

3.Morethanonehundredyearshadgonebybeforeallthishadhappened.This hard persecution by Judaism and Paganism continued for two morecenturies. And yet mightily spread the Christian religion. It went into all theRoman Empire, Europe, Asia, Africa, England,Wales, and about everywhereelsewhere therewas any civilization.The churchesgreatlymultiplied and thedisciples increased continuously.But someof the churches continued to go inerror.

4.ThefirstofthesechangesfromNewTestamentteachingsembracedboth policy and doctrine. In the first two centuries the individual churchesrapidly multiplied and some of the earlier ones, such as Jerusalem, Antioch,Ephesus,Corinth,etc.,grewtobeverylarge.Jerusalem,forinstance,hadmanythousand members (Acts 2:41, 4:4, 5:14), possibly 25,000 or even 50,000 ormore.AclosestudentofthebookofActsandEpistleswillseethatPaulhadamightytaskeveninhisdayinkeepingsomeofthechurchesstraight.SeePeter’sandPaul’spropheciesconcerning the future. (See2Peter2:12,Acts20:29-31,alsoRevelationsecondandthirdchapters.)

These great churches necessarily had many preachers or elders. (Acts20:17)Someofthebishopsorpastorsbegantoassumeauthoritynotgiventhemin theNewTestament. They began to claim authority over other and smallerchurches.They,withtheirmanyelders,begantolorditoverGod’sheritage.(IIIJohn1:9)

Herewas thebeginningofanerrorwhichhasgrownandmultiplied intomanyotherseriouslyhurtfulerrors.Herewasthebeginningofdifferentordersintheministry running up finally towhat is practiced now by others aswell asCatholics. Here began what resulted in an entire change from the originaldemocraticpolicyandgovernmentoftheearlychurches.Thisirregularitybeganinasmallway,evenbeforethecloseofthesecondcentury.Thiswaspossibly

thefirstseriousdeparturefromtheNewTestamentchurchorder.5. Another vital change which seems from history to have had its

beginning before the close of the second centurywas on the great doctrine ofSalvationitself.TheJewsaswellasthePagans,hadformanygenerations,beentrainedtolaygreatstressonCeremonials.Theyhadcometolookupontypesasanti-types,shadowsasrealsubstances,andceremonialsasrealsavingagencies.Howeasytocomethustolookuponbaptism.Theyreasonedthus:TheBiblehasmuch to say concerning baptism. Much stress is laid upon the ordinance andone’s duty concerning it. Surely it must have something to do with one’ssalvation.So that itwas in thisperiod that the ideaofBaptismalRegenerationbegantogetafixedholdinsomeofthechurches.(Shackelford,p.57;Camp,p.47;Benedict,p.286;Mosheim,vol.1,p.134;Christian,p.28)

6.Thenextseriouserrortobegincreepingin,andwhichseemsfromsomehistorians(notall)tohavebeguninthissamecenturyandwhichmaybesaidtohavebeenaninevitableconsequenceofthebaptismalregeneration idea,wasachange in the subjects ofbaptism. Since baptism has been declared to be anagencyormeanstosalvationbysomeerringchurches,thenthesoonerbaptismtakes place the better. Hence arose infant baptism. Prior to this believers andbelievers only, were regarded as proper subjects for baptism. Sprinkling andpouringarenotnowreferredto.Thesecameinmuchlater.Forseveralcenturies,infants,likeother,wereimmersed.TheGreekCatholics(averylargebranchofthe Catholic church) up to this day, have never changed the original form ofbaptism. They practice infant baptism but have never done otherwise thanimmersethechildren.(Note:Someofthechurchhistoriansputthebeginningofinfant baptism within this century, but I shall quote a short paragraph fromRobinson’sEcclesiasticalResearches.)

“Duringthefirstthreecenturies,congregationsallovertheEastsubsistedin separate independent bodies, unsupported by government and consequentlywithout any secular power over one another.All this time theywere baptizedchurches,andthoughallthefathersofthefirstfourages,downtoJerome(A.D.370),wereofGreece,SyriaandAfrica,andthoughtheygivegreatnumbersofhistoriesofthebaptismofadults,yetthereisnotoneofthebaptismofachilduntil the year 370.” (Shackelford’s Compendium of Baptist History, p. 43;Vedder,p.50;Christian,p.31;Orchard,p.50,etc.)

7.Let itberememberedthatchanges liketheseherementionedwerenotmade in a day, nor even within a year. They came about slowly andneverwithinallthechurches.Someofthechurchesvigorouslyrepudiated

them. So much so that in A.D. 251, the loyal churches declared non-fellowship for those churches which accepted and practiced these errors.Andthuscameaboutthefirstrealofficialseparationamongthechurches.

8.Thusitwillbenotedthatduringthefirstthreecenturies,threeimportantand vital changes from the teachings of Christ and His Apostles had theirbeginnings. And one significant event took place. Note this summary andrecapitulation:

* The change from the New Testament idea of bishop and churchgovernment. This change grew rapidly, more pronounced, and complete andhurtful.

* The change from the New Testament teachings as to Regeneration to“baptismalregeneration.”

* This change from believers’ baptism to infant baptism. (This last,however,didnotbecomegeneralnorevenveryfrequentformorethananothercentury.)

THETRAILOFBLOOD

9. Baptismal Regeneration and Infant Baptism—these two errors have,

according to the testimony ofwell established history, caused the shedding ofmore Christian blood, as the centuries have gone by, than all other errorscombined,orthanpossiblyhaveallwars,notconnectedwithpersecution,ifyouwill leave out the recentWorldWar. Over 50,000,000 Christians died martyrdeaths,mainlybecauseoftheirrejectionofthesetwoerrorsduringtheperiodoftheDarkAgesalone,abouttwelveorthirteencenturies.

10.Threesignificantfacts,foralargemajorityofthemanychurches,areclearlyshownbyhistoryduringthesefirstthreecenturies.

*TheseparatenessandindependenceoftheChurches.*Thesubordinatecharacterofbishopsorpastors.*Thebaptismofbelieversonly.IquotenowfromMosheim.thegreatestofallLutheranchurchhistorians.

Volume1,pages71and72:“Butwhoever supposes that thebishopsof thisgoldenageof thechurch

correspondwiththebishopsofthefollowingcenturiesmustblendandconfoundcharactersthatareverydifferent,forinthiscenturyandthenext,abishophadcharge of a single church, which might ordinarily be contained in a privatehouse; norwas he its Lord, butwas in reality itsminister or servant...All the

churches in those primitive times were independent bodies, or none of themsubject to the jurisdiction of any other. For though the churches which werefoundedbytheApostlesthemselvesfrequentlyhadthehonorshownthemtobeconsulted in doubtful cases, yet they had no judicial authority, no control, nopower of giving laws. On the contrary, it is as clear as the noonday that allChristian churches had equalrights, andwere in all respects on a footing ofequality.”

11. Up to this period, notwithstanding much and serious persecutions,Christianityhashadamarvelousgrowth.Ithascoveredandevengonebeyondthe great RomanEmpire.Almost, if not all the inhabitedworld has hears thegospel.And according to some of the church historians,many of the originalchurches organized by the Apostles are yet intact, and yet loyal to Apostolicteachings. However, as already shown, a number of very marked and hurtfulerrorshavecreptinandgottenapermanentholdamongmanyofthechurches.Somehavebecomeveryirregular.

12.Persecutionshavebecomeincreasinglybitter.Nearthebeginningofthefourthcenturycomespossiblythefirstdefinitegovernmentedictofpersecution.The wonderful growth of Christianity has alarmed the pagan leaders of theRomanEmpire. HenceGalerius, the emperor, sent out a direct edict ofmoresavage persecution. This occurred February 24, A.D. 303. Up to this timePaganismseemstohavepersecutedwithoutanydefinitelawstothateffect.

13.ButthisedictfailedsoutterlyinitspurposeofstoppingthegrowthofChristianity, that this same emperor,Galerius, just eight years thereafter (A.D.311) passed another edict recalling the first and actually granting toleration,permission to live the religion of Jesus Christ. This was probably its firstfavorablelaw.

14.BythebeginningoftheyearA.D.313,Christianityhaswonamightyvictory over paganism.A new emperor has come to the throne of theRomanEmpire. He evidently recognized something of the mysterious power of thisreligionthatcontinuedtogrowinspiteofpersecution.Historysaysthatthisnewemperor, who was none other than Constantine, had a wonderful realisticvision.He saw in the skies a fiery red cross andon that crosswritten in fieryletterthesewords,“Bythisthoushaltconquer.”Heinterpretedittomeanthathe should become a Christian. And that by giving up paganism and that byattachingthespiritualpoweroftheChristianreligionontothetemporalpowerofthe Roman Empire the world, could be easily conquered. Thus the Christianreligionwouldinfactbecomeawholeworldreligion,andtheRomanEmpirea

wholeworldempire.15.SoundertheleadershipofEmperorConstantinetherecomesatruce,a

courtshipandaproposalofmarriage.TheRomanEmpire through its emperorseeks amarriagewithChristianity. Give us your spiritual power andwewillgiveyouofourtemporalpower.

16. To effectually bring about and consummate this unholy union, acouncilwascalled. InA.D.313,acallwasmadeforacoming togetherof theChristianchurchesortheirrepresentatives.Manybutnotallcame.Thealliancewas consummated. A Hierarchy was formed. In the organization of theHierarchy, Christ was dethroned as head of the churches and EmperorConstantineenthroned(onlytemporarily,however)asheadofthechurch.

17. The Hierarchy was the definite beginning of a development whichfinallyresultedintowhatisnowknownastheCatholic,oruniversalchurch.Itmightbesaidthatitsindefinitebeginningswerenearthecloseofthesecondandbeginning of the third century, when the new ideas concerning bishops andpreacher-churchgovernmentbegantotakeshape.

18.Let it bedefinitely remembered thatwhenConstantinemadehis callfor the council, there were very many of the Christians (Baptists) and of thechurches,whichdeclined to respond.Theywantednomarriagewith the state,and no centralized religious government, and no higher ecclesiasticalgovernment of any kind, than the individual church. These Christians(Baptists)northechurcheseveratthattimeorlater,enteredthehierarchyoftheCatholicdenomination.

19.Whenthishierarchywascreated,Constantine,whowasmadeitshead,wasnothimselfat that timeaChristian.Hehadagreedtobecomeone.ButastheerringorirregularchurcheswhichhadgonewithhimintothisorganizationhadcometoadopttheerrorofBaptismalregeneration,aseriousquestionaroseinthemindofConstantine,“IfIamsavedfrommysinsbybaptism,whatistobecomeofmysinswhichImaycommitafterIambaptized?”Heraisedaquestionwhichhaspuzzledtheworldinallsucceedinggenerations.Canbaptismwashawayyetuncommittedsins?Or,arethesinscommittedpriortobaptismwashed away by one method (that is, baptism), and the sins committedsubsequenttobaptismwashedawaybyanothermethod?

20.Notbeingabletosettlesatisfactorilythemanyquestionsthusarising,Constantinefinallydecided tounitewith theChristians,but to postpone hisbaptism until just preceding his death, so that all his sins might thus bewashedawayatonetime.Thiscoursehefollowed,andhencewasnotbaptized

untiljustprecedinghisdeath.21.Constantine’s action in repudiating for thewholeRomanEmpire the

pagan religion, and acceptingChristianity, incurred the hot displeasures of theRoman Senate. They repudiated, or at least opposed his course. And theiropposition finally resulted in the removal of the seat of empire fromRome toByzantium,anoldcityrebuiltandthenrenamedConstantinopleforConstantine.AsaresulttherecametobetwocapitalcitiesoftheRomanEmpire—RomeandConstantinople. The two rival cities several centuries later became the rulingcentersofthedividedCatholicchurch,RomanandGreek.

22.UptotheorganizationoftheHierarchyandtheunitingofchurchandstate, all the persecution of Christianity has been done either by Judaism orPaganism.Nowcomesaseriouschange.Christians(inname)begintopersecutetrueChristians.Constantine,desiringtohaveallChristiansjoinwithhiminhisnew idea of a state religion, and many conscientiously opposing this seriousdeparture from New Testament teachings, he begins using the power ofgovernment tocompel.Thusbegin thedaysandyearsandevencenturiesofahard and bitter persecution against all those Christians whowere loyal to theoriginalChristandApostolicteachings.

23.Remember thatwe are nownoting the events occurring between theyearsA.D.300andA.D.500.TheHierarchyorganizedundertheleadershipofConstantine, and rapidly developed into what is now known as the Catholicchurch. This newly developing church joined to a temporal government, nolonger simply an executive to carry out the completed laws of the NewTestament,begantobelegislative,amendingorannullingold lawsorenactingnewonesutterlyunknowntotheNewTestament.

24. One of the first of its legislative enactments, and one of the mostsubversiveinitsresults,wastheestablishingbylawofinfantbaptism.Bythisnewlaw,InfantBaptismbecomescompulsory.ThiswasdoneA.D.416.Infantshadbeeninfrequentlybaptizedforprobablyacenturyprecedingthis.Insofarasthis newly enacted law became effective, two vitalNewTestament lawswereabrogated—BelieversBaptismandVoluntaryPersonalobedienceinBaptism.

25.Asaninevitableconsequenceofthisnewdoctrineandlaw,theseerringchurches were soon filled with unconverted member. In fact, it was not verymany years until probably a majority of the membership was composed ofunconverted material. So the great spiritual affairs of God’s great spiritualkingdomwereinthehandsofanunregeneratetemporalpower.Whatmaynowbeexpected?

26. Loyal Christians and churches, of course, rejected this new law.Believersbaptism,ofcourse,NewTestamentbaptism,wastheonlylawforthem.Theynotonlyrefusedtobaptizetheirownchildren,butbelievinginthebaptismof believers only, they refused to accept the baptizing done by andwithin thechurches of this unscriptural organization. If any of the members from thechurchesof thisneworganizationattempted to joinanyof thechurcheswhichhad refused to join inwith theneworganization, aChristianexperienceandarebaptismwasdemanded.

27.Thecoursefollowedbytheloyalchurchessoon,ofcourseincurredthehot displeasure of the state religionists,many, if notmost ofwhom,were notgenuine Christians. The name Christian, however, was from now on deniedthoseloyalchurcheswhorefusedtoacceptthosenewerrors.Theywererobbedof that,andcalledbymanyothernames,sometimesbyoneandsometimesbyanother: Montanist, Tertullianists, Novationists, Paterines, etc. Some at least,becauseoftheirpracticeofrebaptizingthosewhowerebaptizedininfancy,werereferredtoasAna-Baptists.

28.A.D.426,justtenyearsafterthelegalestablishmentofinfantbaptism,theawfulperiodknownastheDarkAgeshaditsbeginning.Whataperiod!Howawfullyblackandbloody!Fromnowonformorethanadecadeofcenturies,thetrailofloyalChristianityislargelywashedawayinitsownblood.Noteonthechart some of themany different names borne by the persecuted. Sometimesthesenames aregivenbecauseof some speciallyheroic leader and sometimesfromother causes, and frequentlynames for the samepeoplevary indifferentcountriesandevenindifferentcenturies.

29. Itwasearly in theperiodof theDarkAgeswhenrealPoperyhad itsdefinitebeginnings.ThiswasbyLeoII,A.D.440to461.This,however,wasnotthe first time the titlewas ever used.This title, similar to theCatholic churchitself, was largely a development. The name appears, as first applied to theBishopofRomeA.D.296-304.ItwasformallyadoptedbySiricius,BishopofRome A.D. 384-398. Then officially adopted by Leo II, A.D. 440-461. Thenclaimed to be universal, A.D. 707. Then some centuries later declared byGregoryVIItobetheexclusiverightofthepapacy.

30. Now to sum up themost significant events of this first five-centuryperiod:*Thegradualchangefromademocracytoapreacher-churchgovernment.*Thechangefromsalvationbygracetobaptismalsalvation.

*Thechangefrombelievers’baptismtoinfantbaptism.

*TheHierarchyorganized.Marriageofchurchandstate.*SeatofempirechangedtoConstantinople.*Infantbaptismestablishedbylawandmadecompulsory.*ChristiansbegintopersecuteChristians.*TheDarkAgesbeginA.D.426.*TheswordandtorchratherthatthegospelbecomethepowerofGod

(?)untosalvation.* All semblance of Religious Liberty dies and is buried and remains

buriedformanycenturies.*LoyalNewTestamentchurches,bywhatevernamecalled,arehunted

andhoundedtotheutmostlimitofthenewCatholictemporalpower.Remnantsscatter over the world and are finding uncertain hiding places in forests andmountains,valleys,densandcavesoftheearth.

SECONDLECTUREAD600-1300

1.WeclosedthefirstLecturewiththecloseofthefifthcentury.Andyet

a number of things had their beginnings back in those early centuries, whichwere not even mentioned in the first Lecture.We had just entered the awfulperiod known in the world’s history as theDark Ages. Dark and bloody andawful in the extreme they were. The persecutions by the established RomanCatholic Church are hard, cruel, and perpetual. The war of intendedextermination followspersistentlyand relentlessly intomany lands, the fleeingChristians. A “TRAIL OF BLOOD” is very nearly all that is left anywhere.Especially throughout England, Wales, Africa, Armenia, and Bulgaria. Andanywhere elseChristians could be foundwhowere trying earnestly to remainstrictlyloyaltoNewTestamentteaching.

2.Wenow call attention to theseCouncils calledEcumenical or Empireside.ItiswelltorememberthatalltheseCouncilswereprofessedlybasedupon,orpatternedaftertheCouncilheldbytheApostlesandothersatJerusalem(seeActs15:1),butprobablynothingbearingthesamenamecouldhavebeenmoreunlike.Wehereandnowcallattentiontoonlyeight,andthesewereallcalledbydifferentEmperors, noneof themby thePopes.Andall theseheld among theEastern or Greek churches. Attended, however, somewhat by representativesfromtheWesternBranchorRomanChurches.

3.The firstof theseCouncilswasheldatNiceorNicea, inA.D.325. ItwascalledbyConstantinetheGreat,andwasattendedby318bishops.

The second met at Constantinople, A.D. 381, and was called byTheodosiustheGreat.Therewerepresent150bishops.(Intheearlycenturies,bishopssimplymeantpastorsoftheindividualchurches.)

ThethirdwascalledbyTheodosiusII,andbyValentianIII.Thishad250bishopspresent.ItmetatEphesus,A.D.431.

ThefourthmetatCalcedon,A.D.451,andwascalledbyEmperorMarian;500or600bishopsorMetropolitans (MetropolitanswereCitypastorsorFirstChurchpastors)werepresent.During thisCouncil thedoctrineofwhat isnowknownasMariolatrywas promulgated.Thismeans theworship ofMary, themotherofChrist.Thisnewdoctrineatfirstcreatedquiteastir,manyseriouslyobjecting.ButitfinallywonoutasapermanentdoctrineoftheCatholicchurch.

ThefifthoftheseeightcouncilswasheldatConstantinople(whichwasthesecond to be held there). This was called by Justinian, A.D. 553, and was

attendedby165bishops.This,seemingly,wascalledmainlytocondemncertainwritings.

In theyearA.D.680 theSixthCouncilwascalled.ThiswasalsoheldatConstantinopleandcalledbyConstantinePegonator,tocondemnheresy.Duringthis meeting Pope Honorius by name was deposed and excommunicated.However,atthistimeinfallibilityhadnotyetbeendeclared.

TheSeventhCouncilwascalledtomeetatNiceaA.D.787.Thiswasthesecondheldatthisplace.TheEmpressIrenecalledthisone.HereinthismeetingseemstohavebeenthedefinitestartingplaceofbothImageWorshipandSaintsWorship. You can thus see that these people were getting more markedlypaganizedthanChristianized.

The last of what were called the Eastern Councils, those called by theEmperors,washeldinConstantinople,inA.D.869.ThiswascalledbyBasiliusMaredo.TheCatholicChurchhadgottenintoserioustrouble.Therehadarisenacontroversyofaveryseriousnaturebetween theheadsof the twobranchesofCatholicism—theEasternandWestern,GreekandRoman—PontiustheGreekatConstantinopleandNicholas the1st atRome.Soseriouswas their trouble, thatthey had gone so far as to excommunicate each other. So for a short timeCatholicismwasentirelywithoutahead.Thecouncilwascalledmainlytosettle,ifpossible,thisdifficulty.ThisbreakintheranksofCatholicismhasnever,evento this day, been satisfactorily settled. Since that far away day, all attempts athealing that breach have failed.TheLateran-power since then has been in theascendancy.NottheEmperors,buttheRomanPontiffscallingallCouncils.ThelaterCouncilswillbereferredtolaterintheselectures.

4. There is one new doctrine to which we have failed to call attention.There are doubtless others but one especially—and that is Infant Communion.Infantswerenotonlybaptized,but received into thechurch,andbeingchurchmembers, they were supposed to be entitled to the Lord’s Supper. How toadministerit tothemwasaproblem,butitwassolvedbysoakingthebreadinthewine.Thusitwaspracticedforyears.Andafterawhileanothernewdoctrinewasadded to this—itwas taught that thiswasanothermeansofSalvation.Asstillanothernewdoctrinewaslateraddedtothese,wewillagainrefertothisalittlelaterinthelectures.

5. During the fifth Century, at the fourth Ecumenical Council held atChalcedon, A.D. 451, another entirely new doctrine was added to the rapidlygrowinglist—thedoctrinecalledMariolatryortheworshipofMary,theMotherof Jesus.A newmediator seems to have been felt to be needed. The distance

from God to man was too great for just one mediator, even though that wasChristGod’sSon,therealGod-Man.Marywasthoughttobeneededasanothermediator,andprayersweretobemadetoMary.ShewastotakethemtoChrist.

6. Two other new doctrines were added to the Catholic faith in the 8th

Century.Thesewerepromulgatedat theSecondCouncil held atNicea (Nice),theSecondCouncilheldthere(A.D.787).ThefirstofthesewascalledImageWorship, a direct violation of one of the commands of God.“Thou shalt notmake unto thee any graven image.” (Exodus 20:3-5) Another addition fromPaganism.

ThenfollowedtheWorshipofSaints.ThisdoctrinehasnoencouragementintheBible.OnlyoneinstanceofSaintworshipisgivenintheBibleandthatisgiven to show its utter folly—the dead richmanpraying toAbraham inLuke16:24-31.Theseare some,notallof themany revolutionarychanges from theNewTestamentteachings,thatcameaboutduringthisperiodofChurchhistory.

7.Duringtheperiodthatwearenowpassingthroughthepersecutedwerecalled by many and varied names. Among them were Donatists, Paterines,Cathari, Paulicans, and Ana-Baptists; and a little later, Petro-Brussians,Arnoldists, Henricians, Albigenses, and Waldenses. Sometimes one group ofthesewas themostprominentand sometimesanother.But someof themwerealmost always prominent because of the persistency and terribleness of theirpersecution.

8.LetitnotbethoughtthatallthesepersecutedoneswerealwaysloyalinallrespectstotheNewTestamentteachings.Inthemaintheywere.Andsomeofthem, considering their surroundings, were marvelously so. Remember thatmanyofthematthatfarawaytime,hadonlypartsoftheNewTestamentortheOldTestamentastothat.Thebookwasnotprinted.Itwaswritteninmanuscriptonparchmentorskinsorsomethingofthatkind,andwasnecessarilylargeandbulky.Few,ifany,familiesorevensimplechurcheshadcompletecopiesofthewholeBible.BeforetheformalcloseoftheCanon(endoffourthcentury)therewereprobablyveryfewsimplemanuscriptsoftheentireNewTestament.Oftheonethousandknownmanuscripts,onlyabout30copiesincludedallthebooks.

9.Furthermore,duringall theperiodof theDarkAgesand theperiodofthe persecution, strenuous efforts were made to destroy even what Scripturemanuscripts thepersecuteddidpossess.Hence inmany instances thesepeoplehadonlysmallpartsoftheBible.

10.ItiswelltonotealsothatinordertopreventthespreadofanyviewofanysortcontrarytothoseoftheCatholic,veryextremeplansandmeasureswere

adopted.First, allwritingsof any sort,other than thoseof theCatholics,weregathered and burned. Especially was this true of books. For several centuriesthese plans and measures were strictly and persistently followed. That is,according to history, themain reasonwhy it is so difficult to secure accuratehistory.

About all persistent writers and preachers also died martyr deaths. Thiswas a desperately bloody period.All of the groups of persistent heretics (So-called) by whatever name distinguished, and wherever they had lived werecruelly persecuted. The Donatists and Paulicans were prominent among theearliergroups.TheCatholics,strangeasitmayseem,accusedallwhorefusedtodepart from the faith with them, believe with them, accused them of beingheretics, and then condemned them as being heretics. Those called CatholicsbecamemorethoroughlypaganizedandJudaizedthantheywereChristianized,andwere swayed farmoreby civil power, than theywereby religiouspower.Theymadefarmorenewlaws,thantheyobservedoldones.

11.ThefollowingareafewofthemanynewvariationsthatcameaboutinNewTestamentteachingsduringthesecenturies.Theyareprobablynotalwaysgivenintheorderof theirpromulgation.Infact itwouldsometimesbenext toimpossible to get the exact date of the origin of someof these changes.TheyhavebeensomewhatliketheCatholicsystem.Theyaregrowthsofdevelopment.In the earlier years especially, their doctrines or teachings were subject toconstantchange—byadditionorsubtraction,orsubstitutionorabrogation.

TheCatholicChurchwasnowno longer,even if ithadeverbeen,a realNewTestamentChurch.Itnolongerwasapurelyexecutivebody, tocarryoutthealreadymadelawsofGod,buthadbecomeactivelylegislative,makingoutnewones,changingorabrogatingoldonesatwill.

12.Oneoftheirnewdoctrinesordeclarationsaboutthistimewas,Thereisno salvation outside of the Church—the Catholic Church, of course, as theydeclared there was no other. Be a Catholic or be lost. There was no otheralternative.

13.ThedoctrineofIndulgencesandtheSaleofIndulgenceswasanotherabsolutely new and serious departure from New Testament teachings. But inordertomakethatnewteachingreallyeffective,stillanothernewteachingwasimperatively necessary: A very large Credit Account must somehow beestablished—acreditaccountinheaven,butaccessibletoearth.SothemeritofgoodworksasameansofSalvationmustbetaught,andasameansoffillingup,puttingsomethinginthecreditaccount,fromwhichsomethingcouldbedrawn.

ThefirstlargesumtogointotheaccountinheavenwasofcoursetheworkoftheLordJesus.AsHedidnoevil,noneofHisgoodworkswereneededforHimself, so allHis goodworks could andwould of course, go into the creditaccount.Andtheninadditiontothat,allthesurplusgoodworks(inadditiontowhateachmightneedforhimself)bytheApostles,andbyallgoodpeoplelivingthereafter,would be added to that credit account,making it enormously large.And then all this immense sum placed to the credit of the church—the onlychurch(?)!—andpermissiongiventothechurchtouseasneededforsomepoorsinningmortal,andchargingfor thatcreditasmuchasmightbe thoughtwise,foreachoneneededtheheavenlycredit.

HencecametheSaleofIndulgences.Personscouldbuyforthemselvesortheirfriends,orevendeadfriends.Thepricesvariedinproportiontotheoffensecommitted—or to be committed. This was sometimes carried to a desperateextreme,asadmittedbyCatholicsthemselves.SomehistoriesorEncyclopediasgivealistofpriceschargedondifferentsinsforwhichIndulgencesweresold.

14. Yet another new doctrine was necessary, yea imperative, to makethoroughlyeffectivethelasttwo.ThatnewdoctrineiscalledPurgatory,aplaceof intermediate state between heaven and hell, at which all must stop to becleansedfromallsinslessthandamningsins.Eventhe“Saints”mustgothroughpurgatoryandmustremainthereuntilcleansedbyfire—unlesstheycangethelpthroughthatcreditaccount,andthattheycangetonlythroughtheprayersorthepaying for Indulgences, by those living. Hence the Sale of Indulgences. OnedeparturefromtheNewTestamentteachingsleadsinevitablytoothers.

15.Itmaybewell justheretotaketimetoshowthedifferencesbetweentheRomanandGreekCatholics:

* In the Nationalities: The Greeks mainly are Slavs embracing Greece,Russia,Bulgaria, Serbia etc., speakingGreek.TheRomans aremainlyLatins,embracingItaly,France,Spain,SouthandCentralAmerica,Mexico,etc.

* The Greek Catholics reject sprinkling or pouring for baptism. TheRomansuse sprinkling entirely, claiming the right to change from theoriginalBibleplanofimmersion.

* TheGreek Catholics continue the practice of Infant Communion. TheRomans have abandoned it, though they once taught it as another means ofSalvation.

*TheGreeksinadministeringtheLord’sSuppergivethewineaswellasthebread to the laity.TheRomansgive thebreadonly to the laity, thepriestsdrinkthewine.

*TheGreekshavetheirprieststomarry.TheRomanpriestsareforbiddentomarry.

*TheGreeksreject thedoctrineofPapalInfallibility, theRomansacceptandinsistuponthatdoctrine.

Theaboveareatleastthemainpointsonwhichtheydiffer,otherwisetheGreekandRomanchurches,itseems,wouldstandtogether.

16.Inourlecturewehavejustaboutgottenthroughtheninthcentury.Webeginnowwiththetenth.PleasenotetheChart.JustherewheretheseparationhastakenplacebetweentheRomanandGreekCatholics.Youwillsoonseeasthecenturiesadvance,othernewlawsanddoctrines,andotherdesperatelybitterpersecution.(Schaff-HerzogEncyclopedia,Vol.11,page901)

THETRAILOFBLOOD

17.Iagaincallyourattentiontothoseuponwhomthehardhandof

persecutionfell.Iffiftymillionpeoplediedofpersecutionduringthe1,200years of what are called the “Dark Ages” as history seems positively toteach--thentheydiedfasterthananaverageoffourmillionpeopletoeveryhundredyears.That seemsalmostbeyond the limit ofhuman conception.Asbeforementioned,thisironhand,drippingwithmartyrblood,felluponPaulicans, Arnoldists, Henricians, Petro Brussians, Albigenses,WaldensesandAna-Baptists--ofcoursemuchharderuponsomethanothers.Butthishorridpartofourstorywewillpassoverhurriedly.

18.TherecamenowanotherratherlongperiodofEcumenicalCouncils,

ofcoursenotcontinuouslyorconsecutively. Therewereall through theyearsmanycouncilsthatwerenotEcumenical,notEmpireWide.TheseCouncilswerelargely legislative bodies for the enactment or amendment of some civil orreligious(?)laws,allofwhich,boththelegislationandthelaws,weredirectlycontrarytotheNewTestament.Remembertheseweretheactsofanestablishedchurch—achurchmarriedtoaPagangovernment.AndthischurchhasbecomefarmorenearlypaganizedthanthegovernmenthasbecomeChristianized.

19. When any people discard the New Testament as embracing allnecessary laws for aChristian life,whether for the individualChristian or thewholechurch, thatpeoplehas launchedupona limitlessocean.Anyerroneouslaw, (and any law added to the Bible is erroneous) will inevitably and soondemandanother,andotherswilldemandyetothers,withouteveranend.Thatis

whyChristgaveHischurchesandpreachersnolegislativepowers.Andagain,and more particularly, that is why the New Testament closes with thesesignificantwords:

“ForItestifyuntoeverymanthatheareththewordsoftheprophecyofthisbook,Ifanymanshalladduntothesethings,Godshalladduntohimtheplaguesthatarewritteninthisbook:Andifanymanshalltakeawayfromthewords of the bookof this prophecy,God shall take awayhis part out of thebookoflife,andoutoftheholycity,andfromthethingswhicharewritteninthisbook.”(Revelation22:18-19) NOTE: We insert here this parenthetical clause, as a warning. Let BaptistChurchesbewareofevendisciplinaryandothervarietiesof resolutions,whichtheysometimespassintheirconferences,whichresolutionsmightbeconstruedas lawsor rules ofChurchgovernment.TheNewTestament has all necessarylawsandrules.

20.Theextremelimitofthislittlebookprecludesthepossibilityofsayingmuchconcerningthesecouncilsorlaw-makingassemblies,butitisnecessarytosaysomethings.

21. The first of these Lateran orWestern Councils, those called by thepopes, was called by Calixtus II, A.D. 1123. There were present about 300bishops.AtthismeetingitwasdecreedthatRomanpriestswerenevertomarry.ThiswascalledtheCelibacyofthepriests.Weofcoursedonotattempttogiveallthingsdoneatthesemeetings.

22.Afewyearslater,A.D.1139,PopeInnocentII,calledanotheroftheseCouncilsespeciallytocondemntwogroupsofverydevoutChristians,knownasPetro-BrussiansandArnoldists.

23.Alexander IIIcalledyetanother,A.D.1179, just fortyyearsafter thelast. In thatwas condemnedwhat they called theErrors and Impieties of theWaldensesandAlbigenses.

24.Just36yearsafter this lastone,anotherwascalledbyPopeInnocentIII.ThiswasheldA.D.1215,andseemstohavebeenthemostlargelyattendedof possibly anyof thesegreat councils.According to thehistorical account ofthis meeting, “there were present 412 bishops, 800 Abbots and Priors,Ambassadors from the Byzantine court, and a great number of Princes andNobles.”Fromtheverymake-upof thisassemblyyoumayknowthatspiritualmatterswereatleastnotalonetobeconsidered. At that time was promulgated the new doctrine of Transubstantiation, theintendedturningofthebreadandwineoftheLord’sSupperintotheactualand

realbodyandbloodofChrist,afteraprayerbythepriest.Thisdoctrine,amongothers, hadmuch to dowith stirring up the leaders of theReformation a fewcenturies later.Thisdoctrineofcourse taught thatall thosewhoparticipatedinthesupperactuallyateofthebodyanddrankofthebloodofChrist.Auricularconfession—confessing one’s sins into the ear of a priest—was another newdoctrineseeminglyhavingitsbeginningatthismeeting.Butprobablythemostcruelandbloodythingeverbroughtuponanypeopleinall theworld’s historywaswhat is known as the Inquisition and other similarcourts, designed for trying what was called heresy. The whole world isseeminglyfilledwithbookswrittenincondemnationofthatextremecruelty,andyetitwasoriginatedandperpetuatedbyapeopleclaimingtobeledanddirectedbytheLord.Forrealbarbaritythereseemstobenothing,absolutelynothinginall history that will surpass it. I would not even attempt to describe it. I willsimply refermy readers to someof themanybookswrittenon the Inquisitionandletthemreadandstudyforthemselves.Andyetanotherthingwasdoneatthissamemeeting,asifenoughhadnotbeendone.ItwasexpresslydecreedtoExtirpateallheresy.Whatablackpage—yea—many black pages were written into the world’s terrible history by theseterribledecrees.

25. InA.D.1229, just14yearsafter the last awfulmeeting, still anothermeetingwasheld.(Thisseemsnot tohavebeenecumenical.)Itwascalledthecouncil at Toulouse. Probably one of the most vital matters in all Catholichistorywas declared at thismeeting.At this it was decreed, theBible,God’sbook, shouldbedenied to all laymen, allmembers ofCatholic churchesotherthan priests or higher officials. How strange a law in the face of the plainteaching of theWord, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye haveeternallife:andtheyaretheywhichtestifyofme.”(John5:39)

26.YetanotherCouncilwascalled tomeetatLyons.ThiswascalledbyPopeInnocentIV,inA.D.1245.Thisseemstohavebeenmainlyforthepurposeof excommunicating and deposing Emperor Frederick I of Germany. TheChurch, the adulterousbride at themarriagewith theState inA.D.313 in thedaysofCONSTANTINETHEGREAT,hasnowbecometheheadofthehouse,and is now dictating politics of State government, and kings and queens aremadeorunmadeatherpleasure.

27.InA.D.1274anotherCouncilwascalledtobringaboutthereunitingofthe Roman and Greek branches of the great Catholic Church. This greatassemblyutterlyfailedtoaccomplishitspurpose.

THIRDLECTUREAD1400-1600

1.These three centuries, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth, are among

themosteventfulinalltheworld’shistory,andespeciallyisthistrueinChristianhistory.Therewas almost a continual revolution inside theCatholicChurch—both Roman and Greek—seeking a Reformation. This awakening of longdormantConscienceandthedesireforagenuinereformationreallybeganinthethirteenth century or possibly even a little earlier than that. History certainlyseemstoindicateit.

2.Let’sgobackjusta little.TheCatholicChurchbyitsmanydeparturesfrom New Testament teachings, its many strange and cruel laws, and itsdesperatelylowstateofmorals,anditshandsandclothesreekingwiththebloodofmillionsofmartyrs,hasbecomeobnoxiousandplainlyrepulsivetomanyofitsadherents,whoare farbetter than theirownsystemand lawsanddoctrinesandpractices.Severalofitsbravestandbestandmostspiritualpriestandotherleaders, one by one, sought most earnestly to reform many of its mostobjectionable laws and doctrines and get back, at least nearer, to the plainteachingsoftheNewTestament.Wegivesomestrikingexamples.

Note, not only how far apart andwhere the reformatory fires began, butnote also the leaders in the reformation. The leaders were, or had been, allCatholicpriestsorofficialsofsomekind.Therewas,evenyet,alittleofgoodinthe much evil. However, at this time there was probably not one solitaryunmarreddoctrineoftheNewTestamentretainedinitsoriginalpurity--butnownotesomeofthereformersandwheretheylabored.

3. It iswell to note, however, that formany centuries prior to this greatreformation period, there were a number of noted characters who rebelledagainsttheawfulextremesoftheCatholic,andearnestlysoughttoremainloyaltotheBible,buttheirbloodytrailwasaboutallthatwasleftofthem.Wecomenowtostudyforawhilethismostnotedperiod—theReformation.

4.From1320-1384therelivedamaninEnglandwhoattractedworld-wideattention.His namewasJohnWycliff. Hewas the first of the brave fellowswhohad thecourage toattempta real reformation inside theCatholicChurch.HeismanytimesreferredtoinhistoryasTheMorningStaroftheReformation.Helivedanearnestandeffectivelife.

It would really require several volumes to contain anything like anadequatehistoryofJohnWycliff.Hewashated,fearfullyhated,bytheleadersof

the Catholic hierarchy. His life was persistently sought. He finally died ofparalysis.Butyearslater,sogreatwasCatholichatred,hisbonesweredugandburned,andhisashesscattereduponthewaters.

5. Following tolerably close on the heels of Wycliff came John Huss,1373-1415, adistinguished son from far awayBohemia.His soulhad felt andrespondedtothebrilliantlightofEngland’sMorningStar.Hiswasabraveandeventful life, but painfully and sadly short. Insteadof awakening a responsivechordamonghisCatholicpeopleinfavorofarealreformation,hearousedafearand hatred and oppositionwhich resulted in his being burned at the stake—amartyramonghisownpeople.Andyethewasseekingtheirowngood.HelovedhisLordandhelovedhispeople.However,hewasonlyoneofmanymillionswhohadthustodie.

6. Next to John Huss of Bohemia, came a wonderful son of Italy, themarvelously eloquent Savonarola, 1452-1498. Huss was burned in 1415,Savonarolawas born 37 years later.He, likeHuss, though a devoutCatholic,found the leaders of his people—the people of Italy—like those of Bohemia,against all reformation. But he, by his mighty eloquence, succeeded inawakeningsomeconscienceandsecuringaconsiderablefollowing.

ButarealreformationintheHierarchymeantabsoluteruintothehigher-ups in that organization. So Savonarola, as well as Huss, must die. HE TOOWASBURNEDATTHESTAKE.Ofalltheeloquentmenofthatgreatperiod,Savonarola possibly stood head and shoulders above all others. But he wascontending against a mighty organization, and their existence demanded thattheyfightthereformation,soSavonarolamustdie.

7.Of course, in giving the names of the reformers of this period,manynamesarenecessarily tobe left out.Only thosemost frequently referred to inhistoryarementionedhere.FollowingItaly’sgoldentonguedoratorcameamanfrom Switzerland. Zwingle was born before Savonarola died. He lived from1484to1531.

Thespiritofreformationwasbeginningnowtofillthewholeland.Itsfiresare now breaking out faster and spreading more rapidly and becoming mostdifficulttocontrol.ThisonekindledbyZwinglewasnotyetmorethanpartiallysmothered before another, more serious than the rest, had broken out inGermany.Zwinglediedinbattle.

8. Martin Luther, probably the most noted of all the fifteenth andsixteenthcenturyreformers,lived1483to1546,andascanbeseenbythedates,wasverynearlyanexactcontemporaryofZwingle.Hewasbornoneyearearlier

andlivedfifteenyearslater.Farmore,probably,thanhistorydefinitelystates,hisgreatpredecessorshaveingreatmeasuremadeeasierhishardwaybeforehim.Furthermore, he learned from their hard experience, and then later, and mostthoroughlyfromhisown,thatagenuinereformationinsidetheCatholicChurchwouldbe an utter impossibility.Toomany reformmeasureswould be needed.Onewoulddemandanotherandothersdemandyetothers,andsoonandon.

9. SoMartin Luther, after many hard fought battles with the leaders ofCatholicism,andaidedbyMelancthonandotherprominentGermans,becamethe founder in 1520, or about then, of an entirely newChristian organization,now known as the Lutheran Church, which very soon became the Church ofGermany. Thiswas the first of theneworganizations to comedirectlyout ofRome and renounce all allegiance to the Catholic Mother Church (as she iscalled)andtocontinuetolivethereafter.

10.Skippingnow for a littlewhile theChurchofEngland,whichcomesnext to the Lutheran in its beginnings, we will follow for a little while theReformation on theContinent. From 1509 to 1564, there lived another of thegreatestof thereformers.ThiswasJohnCalvin,aFrenchman,butseemingatthe time to be living in Switzerland. He was really amightyman. He was acontemporaryofMartinLutherfor30years,andwas22yearsoldwhenZwingledied.

Calvin is the accredited founderof thePresbyterian church.Someof thehistorians,however,givethatcredittoZwingle,butthestrongestevidenceseemstofavorCalvin.UnquestionablytheworkofZwingle,aswellasthatofLuther,mademucheasier theworkofCalvin.So in1541 (that seems tobe theyear),just eleven years after the founding by Luther of the Lutheran Church, thePresbyterianChurchcameintoexistence.Ittoo,asinthecaseoftheLutherans,was led by a reformedCatholic priest or at least official. These six—Wycliff,Huss, Savonarola, Zwingle, Luther and Calvin—great leaders in their greatbattlesforreformation,struckCatholicismastaggeringblow.

11. In 1560, nineteen years after Calvin’s first organization in Geneva,Switzerland,JohnKnox,adiscipleofCalvin,establishedthefirstPresbyterianChurch in Scotland, and just thirty-two years later, in 1592, the PresbyterianbecametheStateChurchofScotland.

12. During all these hard struggles for Reformation, continuous andvaluable aid was given to the reformers by many Ana-Baptists, or whateverother name they bore. Hoping for some relief from their own bitter lot, theycameoutoftheirhidingplacesandfoughtbravelywiththereformers,butthey

were doomed to fearful disappointment. Theywere fromnowon to have twoadditional persecuting enemies.Both theLutheran andPresbyterianChurchesbroughtoutoftheirCatholicMothermanyofherevils,amongthemherideaofaStateChurch.TheybothsoonbecameEstablishedChurches.Bothweresooninthepersecutingbusiness,fallinglittle,ifany,shortoftheirCatholicMother.

THETRAILOFBLOOD

Sadandawfulwas the fateof these long-sufferingAna-Baptists.The

world now offered no sure place for hiding. Four hard persecutors werenowhotontheirtrail.SurelytheirswasaTrailofBlood.

13. During the same period, really earlier by several years than the

Presbyterians,aroseyetanothernewdenomination,notonthecontinent,butinEngland.However,thiscameaboutnotsomuchbywayofreformation(thoughthatevidentlymadeiteasier)asbywayofarealsplitordivisionintheCatholicranks.Morelikethedivisionin869,whenEasternCatholicseparatedfromtheWestern, and became from that time on, known in history as the Greek andRomanCatholicChurches.Thisnewdivisioncameaboutsomewhatinthiswise:

England’s king, Henry VIII, had married Catherine of Spain, butunfortunately,aftersometimehissomewhattroublesomehearthadfalleninlovewithAnneBoleyn.SohewantedtodivorceCatherineandmarryAnne.Gettingadivorcebackthenwasnoeasymatter.OnlythePopecouldgrantit,andheinthiscase,forspecialreasons,declinedtograntit.

Henrywasingreatdistress.Beingking,hefeltheought tobeentitledtofollow his own will in the matter. His Prime Minister (at that time ThomasCromwell)rathermadesportoftheKing.Whydoyousubmittopapalauthorityonsuchmatters?Henryfollowedhissuggestion,threwoffpapalauthority,andmade himself head of theChurch ofEngland.Thus began the newChurch ofEngland. This was consummated in 1534 or 1535. At the time there was nochangeindoctrine,simplyarenunciationoftheauthorityofthePope.HenryatheartreallyneverbecameaProtestant.HediedintheCatholicfaith.

14.Butthissplitdidultimatelyresultinsomeveryconsiderablechange,orreformation.While a reformationwithin theCatholicChurch andunder papalauthority,asinthecaseofLutherandothers,wasimpossible,itbecamepossibleafter the division. Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley and others led in some markedchanges.However, they andmany others paid a bloody price for the changes

when a few years later, Mary—Bloody Mary—a daughter of the divorcedCatherine,cameto theEnglish throne,andcarried thenewChurchbackunderthepapalpower.

Thisfearfulandterrificreactionendedwiththestrenuousandbloodyfive-yearreignofMary.WhiletheheadsweregoingunderthebloodyaxeofMary,herswentwiththem.Thepeoplehadgotten,however,apartialtasteoffreedom,so when Elizabeth, the daughter of Anne Boleyn (for whom Catherine wasdivorced)becameQueen, theChurchofEnglandagainoverthrewpapalpowerandwasagainre-established.

15. Thus, before the close of the Sixteenth Century, there were fiveestablished Churches—churches backed up by civil governments. The Romanand Greek Catholic counted as two; then the Church of England; then theLutheran,orChurchofGermany;thentheChurchofScotlandnowknownasthePresbyterian. All of them were bitter in their hatred and persecution of thepeople calledAna-Baptists,Waldenses and all other non-established churches,churcheswhichneverinanywayhadbeenconnectedwiththeCatholics.

Theirgreathelpinthestruggleforreformationhadbeenforgotten,orwasnowwhollyignored.Manymorethousands,includingbothwomenandchildren,wereconstantlyperishingeverydayintheyetunendingpersecutions.Thegreathope awakened and inspired by the reformation had proven to be a bloodydelusion.RemnantsnowfindanuncertainrefugeinthefriendlyAlpsandotherhidingplacesovertheworld.

16. These three new organization separating from, or coming out of theCatholics, retained many of their most hurtful errors, some of which are asfollows:*Preacher-churchgovernment(differinginform).*ChurchEstablishment(churchandstatecombination).*InfantBaptism.*SprinklingorPouringforBaptism. *BaptismalRegeneration(someatleast,andothers, if manyoftheir

historiansaretobeaccredited).*PersecutingOthers(atleastforcenturies).

17.Inthebeginning,alltheseestablishedChurchespersecutedoneanotheraswellaseveryoneelse,butatacouncilheldatAugsburgin1555,atreatyofpeaceknownasthePeaceofAugsburgwassignedbetweentheCatholicsontheonehand,andtheLutheransontheother,agreeingnottopersecuteeachother.You let us alone, andwewill let you alone. For Catholics to fight Lutherans

meant war with Germany, and for Lutherans to fight or persecute CatholicsmeantwarwithallthecountrieswhereCatholicismpredominated.

THETRAILOFBLOOD

18.Butpersecutiondidnotthencease.ThehatedAna-Baptists(called

Baptists today), inspiteofallpriorpersecutions,and inspiteof theawfulfactthatfiftymillionhadalreadydiedmartyrdeaths,stillexistedingreatnumbers.ItwasduringthisperiodthatalongonesingleEuropeanhighway,thirtymilesdistance,stakesweresetupeveryfewfeetalongthishighway,thetopsofthestakessharpened,andonthetopofeachstakewasplacedagory head of a martyred Ana-Baptist. Human imagination can hardlypictureascenesoawful.Andyetathingperpetrated,accordingtoreliablehistory, by a people calling themselves devout followers of the meek andlowlyJesusChrist.

19.LetitberememberedthattheCatholicsdonotregardtheBibleasthe

sole ruleandguideof faithand life.Theyclaim that it is indeedunerring,butthattherearetwootherthingsjustasmuchso,theWritingsoftheFathersandtheDecreesoftheChurch(CatholicChurch)orthedeclarationsoftheInfalliblePope.

Hence, there could never be a satisfactory debate between Catholic andProtestant,orbetweenCatholicandBaptist,as therecouldneverpossiblybeabasisoffinalagreement.TheBiblealonecanneversettleanythingsofarastheCatholicsareconcerned.

20.TakeasanexamplethequestionofBaptismandthefinalauthorityforthe act and for the mode. They claim that the Bible unquestionably teachesBaptismandthat it teaches immersionas theonlymode.But theyclaimat thesametimethat theirunerringChurchhadtheperfectright tochange themodefromimmersiontosprinkling,butthatnoothershavetherightorauthority,nonebuttheinfalliblepapalauthority.

21.Youwillnoteofcourse,andpossiblybesurprisedatit,thatIamdoingintheselecturesverylittlequoting.Iamearnestlytryingtodoaveryhardthing:givetothepeoplethemainsubstanceoftwothousandyearsofreligioushistoryinsixhoursoftime!

22.ItiswelljustheretocallattentiontofactsconcerningtheBibleduringtheseawfulcenturies.RemembertheBiblewasnottheninprintandtherewas

nopaperuponwhichtohaveprintedevenifprintinghadbeeninvented.Neitherwas there anypaper uponwhich towrite it. Parchment, dressedgoat or sheepskins,orpapyrus(somekindofwoodpulp),thiswasthestuffuseduponwhichtowrite.SoabookasbigastheBible,allwrittenbyhandandwithastylusofsomesort,notapenlikeweusetoday,wasanenormousthing,probablylargerthanonemancouldcarry.

TherewerenevermorethanaboutthirtycompleteBiblesinalltheworld.Manypartsorbooksof theBible likeMatthew,Mark,Luke,John,orActs,orsomeoneoftheEpistles,orRevelation,orsomeonebookoftheOldTestament.Oneofthemostoutstandingmiraclesinthewholeworld’shistory--accordingtomywayofthinking--isthenearnesswithwhichGod’speoplehavethoughtandbelievedtogetheronthemainandvitalpointsofChristianity.OfcourseGodistheonlysolution. It isnowamostgloriousfact thatwecanallandeach,nowhaveafullcopyofthewholeBibleandeachinourownnativetongue.

23. It is well also for us all to do some serious and special thinking onanothervitalfactconcerningtheBible.Ithasalreadybeenbrieflymentionedinthe lecture preceding this, but is so very vital that itwill probably bewise torefer to it again. It was the action taken by the Catholics at the Council ofToulouse,held in1229,when theydecided towithhold theBible, theWordofGod from thevastmajority of all their ownpeople, theLaymen. I am simplystatingherejustwhattheystatedintheirgreatCouncil.ButlatelyinprivateaCatholicsaidtome,“Ourpurposeinthatistopreventtheirprivateinterpretationof it.” Isn’t itmarvelous thatGodshouldwriteabookfor thepeopleand thenshouldbeunwillingforthepeopletoreadit.Andyet,accordingtothatbookthepeoplearetostandorfallinthedayofjudgmentontheteachingsofthatbook.Nowonderthedeclarationinthebook-“Searchthescriptures;forinthemyethinkyehaveeternallife;andtheyaretheywhichtestifyofme.”(John5:39)FearfultheresponsibilityassumedbytheCatholics!

FOURTHLECTURE17th,18th,19thCENTURIES

1. This lecture begins with the beginning of the Seventeenth Century

(A.D. 1601). We have passed very hurriedly over much important Christianhistory,butnecessityhascompelledthis.

2. This three century period begins with the rise of an entirely newdenomination. It is right to state that some historians give the date of thebeginningoftheCongregationalChurch(atfirstcalledIndependents)as1602.However,Schaff-Herzog,intheirEncyclopedia,placeitsbeginningfarbackinthesixteenthcentury,makingitcoevalwiththeLutheranandPresbyterian.

InthegreatreformationwavemanywhowentoutoftheCatholicChurchwerenotsatisfiedwith theextentof thereformationledbyLutherandCalvin.They decided to repudiate also the preacher rule and government idea of thechurches and return to the New Testament democratic idea as had been heldthrough the fifteen preceding centuries by those who had refused to enterConstantine’shierarchy.

3.The determined contention of this neworganization for this particularreformbroughtdownuponitsheadbitterpersecutionfromCatholic,Lutheran,Presbyterian, and Church of England adherents—all the established churches.However, it retainedmanyotherof theCatholic-madeerrors,suchfor instanceas infant baptism; pouring or sprinkling for baptism; and later, adopted andpracticedtoanextremedegree,thechurchandstateidea.And,afterrefugeeingtoAmerica,theythemselvesbecameverybitterpersecutors.

4.ThenameIndependents,orasnowcalledCongregationalists,isderivedfromtheirmodeofchurchgovernment.SomeofthedistinguishingprinciplesoftheEnglishCongregationalistsasgiveninSchaff-HerzoggEncyclopediaareasfollows:

*ThatJesusChrististheonlyheadofthechurchandthattheWordofGodisitsonlystatuebook. *ThatvisiblechurchesaredistinctassembliesofGodlymengatheredoutofthe world for purely religious purposes, and not to be confounded with theworld.*Thattheseseparatechurcheshavefullpowertochoosetheirownofficersandtomaintaindiscipline.*Thatinrespecttotheirinternalmanagementtheyareeachindependentofallotherchurchesandequallyindependentofstatecontrol.

5.Howmarkedlydifferent theseprinciplesarefromCatholicism,orevenLutheranism,orPresbyterianism,or theEpiscopacyof theChurchofEngland.Howmarkedlysimilar to theBaptistsof today,andofallpastages,andto theoriginalteachingsofChristandHisapostles.

6. In1611, theKingJamesEnglishVersionof theBibleappeared.NeverwastheBibleextensivelygiventothepeoplebefore.FromthebeginningofthegeneraldisseminationoftheWordofGodbegantherapiddeclineofthePapalpower, and the first beginnings for at least many centuries, of the idea ofreligiousliberty.

7. In 1648 came the Peace of Westphalia. Among other things whichresulted from that peace pact was the triple agreement between the greatdenominations—Catholic, Lutheran, and Presbyterian—no longer to persecuteone another. Persecutions among these denomination meant war withgovernments backing them.However, all otherChristians, especially theAna-Baptists,weretocontinuetoreceivefromthemthesameformerharshtreatment,andpersistentpersecution.

THETRAILOFBLOOD

8. During all the seventeenth century, persecutions forWaldenses, Ana-

Baptists, and Baptists (in some places the “Ana” was now being left off)continued to be desperately severe: in England by the Church of England, asJohnBunyan andmany others could testify; inGermany by theLutherans; inScotland by theChurch of Scotland (Presbyterian); in Italy, in France, and inevery other placewhere the papacywas in power, by theCatholics. There isnow no peace anywhere for those who are not in agreement with the statechurches,orsomeoneofthem.

9.ItisasignificantfactwellestablishedincrediblehistorythatevenasfarbackasthefourthcenturythoserefusingtogointotheHierarchy,andrefusingto accept the baptism or those baptized in infancy, and refusing to accept thedoctrineofBaptismalRegenerationanddemandingrebaptismforallthosewhocame to them from the Hierarchy, were calledAna-Baptists. No matter whatothernamestheythenbore,theywerealwaysreferredtoasAna-Baptists.

Nearthebeginningofthesixteenthcentury,theAnawasdropped,andthenameshortenedtosimplyBaptist,andgraduallyallothernamesweredropped.Evidently, if Bunyan had lived in an earlier period his followers would havebeencalledBunyanitesorAna-Baptists.Probably theywouldhavebeencalled

bybothnamesaswereothersprecedinghim.10. The name Baptist is a nickname, and was given to them by their

enemies (unless the name can be rightfully attributed to them as having beengiventothembytheSaviorHimself,whenHereferredtoJohnasTheBaptist).Tothisday,thenamehasneverbeenofficiallyadoptedbyanygroupofBaptists.The name, however, has become fixed and is willingly accepted and proudlyborne.Itsnuglyfits.ItwasthedistinguishingnameoftheforerunnerofChrist,thefirsttoteachthedoctrinetowhichtheBaptistsnowhold.

11. I quote a very significant statement from the Schaff- HerzoggEncyclopedia,under“HistoryofBaptistsinEurope,”Volume1,page210.“TheBaptistsappeared first inSwitzerlandabout1523,where theywerepersecutedby Zwingle and the Romanists. They are found in the following years, 1525-1530,with large churches fully organized, in SouthernGermany, Tyrol and inmiddleGermany.Inalltheseplaces,persecutionsmadetheirlivesbitter.”(Notethat all this is prior to the founding of the Protestant churches – Lutheran,Episcopal,orPresbyterian.)

Wecontinuethequotation:“Moraviapromisedahomeofgreaterfreedom,and thither many Baptists migrated, only to find their hopes deceived. After1534, they were numerous in Northern Germany, Holland, Belgium, and theWalloonprovinces.TheyincreasedevenduringAlva’srule,inthelowcountries,anddevelopedawonderfulmissionaryzeal.”(Note—MissionaryZeal.AndyetsomefolkssaythattheHardshellsareprimitiveBaptists.)

Where did these Baptists come from? They did not come out of theCatholics during the Reformation. They had large churches prior to theReformation.

12. As a matter of considerable interest, note the religious changes inEnglandas thecenturieshavegoneby.TheGospelwascarried toEnglandbytheApostlesanditremainedApostolicinitsreligionuntilaftertheorganizationoftheHierarchyinthebeginningofthefourthcentury,andreallyformorethananothercenturyafterthat.ItthencameunderthepoweroftheHierarchywhichwasrapidlydevelopingintotheCatholicChurch.ItthenremainedCatholic,thatwas the state religion, until the split in 1534-1535, during the reign ofHenryVIII.ItwasthencalledtheChurchofEngland.

Eighteenyearslater,1553-1558,duringthereignofQueenMary(BloodyMary)EnglandwascarriedbacktotheCatholics,andabloodyfive-yearsperiodwas this. Then Elizabeth, a half sister ofMary the daughter ofAnnaBoleyn,came to the throne,1558.TheCatholicswereagainoverthrown,andagain the

ChurchofEnglandcameintopower.And thus things remained for almost another century, when the

PresbyterianChurchcameforashortwhileintotheascendancy,andseemedforawhile as if itmight become the StateChurch of England aswell as that ofScotland. However, following the time of Oliver Cromwell, the Church ofEngland came back to her own and has remained the established Church ofEnglandeversince.

13.NotethegradualsofteningdownofreligiousmattersinEnglandfromthe hard and bitter persecutions of the established church for more than acentury.*Thefirsttolerationactcamein1688,onehundredandfifty-fouryearsafterthebeginningofthischurch.ThisactpermittedtheworshipofalldenominationsinEnglandexcepttwo—theCatholicsandtheUnitarians.*Thesecondtolerationactcamein1778,eighty-nineyearsstilllater.ThisactincludedinthetolerationtheCatholics,butstillexcludedtheUnitarians.*Thethirdtolerationactcamein1813,thirty-fiveyearslater.ThisincludedtheUnitarians.*In1828-1829camewhatisknownastheTestActwhichgavethedissenters(the religionists not in accord with the Church of England) access to publicofficeandeventoParliament. * In1836-37and1844came theRegistrationandMarriage acts. These twoactsmadelegalthebaptismsandmarriagesperformedbydissenters. *TheReformBill came in 1854.This bill opened thedoors of Oxford andCambridge Universities to dissenting students. Up to this time no child of adissentercouldenteroneofthesegreatinstitutions.

14. Thus has been the march of progress in England toward ReligiousLiberty.But it is probably correct to state that real religious liberty can nevercomeintoanycountrywherethereisandistoremainanestablishedchurch.Atbest,itcanonlybetoleration,whichiscertainlyalongwayfromrealreligiousliberty.Aslongasonedenominationamongseveralinanycountryissupportedbythegovernmenttotheexclusionofallothers,thisfavoritismandsupportofoneprecludesthepossibilityofabsolutereligiouslibertyandequality.

15.Very near the beginning of the eighteenth century theirwere born inEngland three boys who were destined to leave upon the world a deep andunfadingimpression.TheseboyswereJohnandCharlesWesley,andGeorgeWhitefield.

John and Charles Wesley were born at Epworth (and here comes a

suggestion for the nameEpworth League), the former June 28, 1703, and thelatterMarch29,1708.GeorgeWhitefieldwasborninGloucester,December27,1714.Thestoryofthelivesoftheseboyscannotbetoldhere,buttheyarewellworthbeingtold,andthenretold.

These threeboysbecame the fathersand foundersofMethodism.Theywere all three members of the Church of England, and all studying for theministryandyetatthattime,notoneofthemconverted(whichatthattimewasnotunusualamongtheEnglishclergy.Remember,however, thatinthosedays,theparentfrequently,ifnotusually,decidedontheprofessionorlineofthelifeto be followed by the boy.) But these boys were afterwards genuinely andwonderfullyconverted.

16. Thesemen seemed to have no desire to be the founders of a newdenomination. But they did seem to greatly desire and earnestly strive for arevival of pure religion and a genuine spiritual reformation in the Church ofEngland.ThistheytriedinbothEnglandandAmerica.Thedoorsoftheirownchurchesweresoonclosedagainstthem.Theirserviceswerefrequentlyheldoutintheopen,orinsomeprivatehouse,or,asespeciallyinthecaseofWhitefield,in the meeting houses of other denominations. Whitefield’s great eloquenceattractedmarkedlygreatattentioneverywherehewent.

17.ThedefinitedateofthefoundingoftheMethodistChurchishardtobedetermined.UnquestionablyMethodismisolderthantheMethodistChurch.Thethree young men were calledMethodists before they left college. Their firstorganizationswerecalledSocieties.TheirfirstannualconferenceinEnglandwasheld in 1744. The Methodist Episcopal Church was officially and definitelyorganized in America, in Baltimore in 1784. Their growth has really beenmarvelous.

But, when they came out of the Church of England, or the EpiscopalChurch, they brought with them a number of the errors of the mother andgrandmother churches. For instance, the Episcopacy, or preacher-churchgovernment.Onthispointtheyhavehadmanyinternalwarsanddivisions,andseemdestinedtohaveyetother.InfantBaptismandsprinklingforbaptism,etc.,butthereisonegreatthingwhichtheyhave,whichtheydidnotbringoutwiththem,agenuinecaseofspiritualreligion.

18.September12,1788,therewasborninAntrium,Ireland,achild,whowasdestinedintheyearstocome,tocreatequiteareligiousstirinsomepartsofthe world, and to become the founder of a new religious denomination. ThatchildwasAlexanderCampbell.HisfatherwasaPresbyterianminister.

The father, ThomasCampbell, came toAmerica in 1807.Alexander, hisson,whowasthenincollege,camelater.Becauseofchangedviews,theyleftthePresbyterians and organized an independent body, which they called TheChristianAssociation,knownasTheBrushRunChurch.

In1811,theyadoptedimmersionasbaptismandsucceededinpersuadingaBaptist preacher to baptize them, butwith the distinct understanding that theywere not to unitewith theBaptistChurch. The father,mother, andAlexanderwereallbaptized. In1813 their independentchurchunitedwith theRedStoneBaptistAssociation.

Tenyearslater,becauseofcontroversy,theyleftthatassociationandjoinedanother.Controversiescontinuedtoarise,andtheyleftthatassociation.Itisfairto say that they had never beenBaptists, nor had they so far as any records Ihaveseen,everclaimedtobe.

19. It could hardly be fair to Christian history, and especially to Baptisthistory,tosaynothingintheselecturesaboutJohnBunyan.Insomerespects,oneof themostcelebratedmen inEnglishhistoryandeven inworldhistory—John Bunyan, a Baptist preacher—John Bunyan, twelve years inBedford jail—John Bunyan the author, while confined in jail, of the mostcelebrated and most widely circulated book, next to the Bible, in the wholeworld, Pilgrim’s Progress—John Bunyan, one of the most notable of allexamplesofthebitternessofChristianpersecution.

AndthestoryofMaryBunyan,JohnBunyan’sblinddaughter,oughttobeineverySundaySchoollibrary.Formanyyearsitwasoutofprint.Ithinkitisnowinprintagain.Ialmostdefyanymanorwoman,boyorgirl,toreaditandkeepdryeyes.

20.Anotherthingaboutwhichatleastafewwordsshouldbesaidintheselectures isconcerningWalesand theWelchBaptists.Oneof themost thrillingstoriesinChristianhistoryisthestoryoftheWelchBaptists.TheBaptistsoftheUnited States owe far more to the Welch Baptists than the most of us areconscious. Some whole Baptist churches, fully organized, have migrated in abodyfromWalestotheUnitedStates.(Orchard,pg.21-23;Ford,chapter2)

21. The story of the beginning of Christian work inWales is strikinglyfascinating,andfromhistoryitseemstobetrue.ThathistorybeginsintheNewTestament(Acts28:30-31;2Timothy4:21).ThestoryofClaudiaandPudens—their visit to Rome, their conversion under Paul’s preaching, and carrying thegospel back toWales, their homeland—is thrillingly interesting. Paul did thispreachinginRomeasearlyasA.D.63.

Soon after thatClaudia, Pudens, and others, among them two preachers,carried the samegospel intoEnglandandespecially intoWales.HowmightilytheWelchBaptistshavehelpedtheBaptistsinAmericacanhardlybeestimated.

FIFTHLECTURERELIGIONINTHEUNITEDSTATES

1. Through the Spanish and others of the Latin races, the Catholics, as

religionists,cametobethefirstrepresentativesoftheChristianreligioninSouthandCentralAmerica.ButinNorthAmerica,exceptinMexico,theyhaveneverstronglypredominated.IntheterritoryofwhatisnowtheUnitedStates,exceptinthosesectionswhichwereoncepartsofMexico,theyhaveneverbeenstrongenough,evenintheColonialperiod,tohavetheirreligiousviewsestablishedbylaw.

2.BeginningwiththeColonialperiod,intheearlypartoftheseventeenthcentury,thefirstsettlementswereestablishedinVirginia,andalittlelaterinthatterritory now known as the New England States. Religious, ormore properlyspeaking,irreligiouspersecution,inEngland,andonthecontinentwere,atleast,among the prime causes which led to the first settlement of the first UnitedStatesColonies.

In someof thegroupsof immigrantswhich first came,not including theJamestown group (1607) and those known as the Pilgrims (1620), were twogroups,one,at least,calledPuritans—thesewereCongregationalists.GovernorEndicott was in control of their colony. The other group were Presbyterians.Among these two groups, however, were a number of Christians with otherviewsthantheirs,alsoseekingrelieffrompersecution.

THETRAILOFBLOODINAMERICA

3. These refugeeing Congregationalists and Presbyterians established

differentColoniesandimmediatelywithintheirrespectiveterritoriesestablishedbylawtheirownpeculiarreligiousviews.Inotherword,CongregationalismandPresbyterianismweremade the legal religiousviewsof their colonies.This tothe absolute conclusion of all other religious views. Themselves fleeing themother country, with the bloody marks of persecution still upon them andseekingahomeoffreedomandlibertyforthemselves,immediatelyuponbeingestablishedintheirowncolonies,inthenewlandandhavingtheauthority,theydenyreligiouslibertytoothers,andpracticeuponthemthesamecruelmethodsofpersecution.EspeciallydidtheysotreattheBaptists.

4. The Southern colonies in Virginia, North and South Carolina, weresettledmainlybytheadherentsoftheChurchofEngland.Thepeculiarviewsof

theChurchweremadetheestablishedreligionofthesecolonies.Thusinthenewland of America, where many other Congregationalists, Presbyterians andEpiscopalianshavecomeseekingtheprivilegeofworshippingGodaccordingtothedictatesof theirownconsciences, therewere soon setup threeestablishedchurches.Noreligious liberty foranyexcept for thosewhoheldgovernmentalauthority.TheChildrenofRomeare following in thebloodyfootstepsof theirmother.Theirownreformationisyetfarfromcomplete. 5.With the immigrants to America camemany scattering Baptists (bysome, still called Ana-Baptists). There were probably some in everyAmerican-bound vessel. They came, however, in comparatively smallgroups, never in large colonies. They would not have been permitted tocomeinthatway.Buttheykeptcoming.Beforethecoloniesarethoroughlyestablished, the Baptists are numerous and almost everywhere. But theysoon began to feel the heavy hands of the three State churches. For theterribleoffensesofpreachingtheGospelandrefusingtohavetheirchildrenbaptized,opposinginfantbaptism,andotherlikeconscientiousactsontheirpart, theywere arrested, imprisoned, fined,whipped, banished, and theirpropertyconfiscated, etc.All thathere inAmerica.Frommany sources, Igivebutafewillustrations.

6. Before theMassachusetts BayColony is twenty years old, with theCongregational as theStateChurch, theypassed laws against theBaptists andother.Thefollowingisasampleofthelaws:

“It is ordered and agreed, that if any person or persons, within thisjurisdiction,shalleitheropenlycondemnoropposethebaptizingof infants,orgoaboutsecretlytoseduceothersfromtheapprobationorusethereof,orshallpurposelydepartthecongregationattheministrationoftheordinance...afterdue time and means of conviction, every such person or persons shall besentencedtobanishment.”ThislawwasenactedespeciallyagainsttheBaptists.

7. By the authorities in this colony,RogerWilliams and others werebanished. Banishment in America in those days was something desperatelyserious. Itmeant togoand liveamong the Indians. In thiscase,WilliamswasreceivedkindlyandforquiteawhilelivedamongtheIndians,andinafterdaysproved a great blessing to the colonywhich had banished him. He saved thecolonyfromdestructionbythissametribeofIndians,byhisearnestentreatiesintheirbehalf.Inthiswayhereturnedgoodforevil.

8.RogerWilliams, later, togetherwith others, someofwhom, at least,hadalsobeenbanished from thatandotherof thecolonies,amongwhomwas

JohnClarke,aBaptistpreacher,decidedtoorganizeacolonyoftheirown.AsyettheyhadnolegalauthorityfromEnglandtodosuchathing,buttheythoughtthis step wiser under existing conditions than to attempt to live in existingcolonieswiththeawfulreligiousrestrictionsthenuponthem.Sofindingasmallsection of land as yet unclaimed by any existing colony, they proceeded toestablish themselveson that sectionof landnowknownasRhodeIsland.Thatwasintheyear1638,tenyearslaterthantheMassachusettsBayColony,butitwasabout25yearslater(1663)beforetheywereabletosecurealegalcharter.

9.Intheyear1651(?)RogerWilliamsandJohnClarkeweresentbythecolony to England to secure, if possible, legal permission to establish theircolony. When they reached England, Oliver Cromwell was in charge of thegovernment,butforsomereasonhefailedtogranttheirrequest.RogerWilliamsreturnedhometoAmerica.JohnClarkeremainedinEnglandtocontinuetopresshisplea.Yearafteryearwentby.Clarkecontinuedtoremain.FinallyCromwell losthispositionandCharlesIIsatuponthethroneofEngland.WhileCharlesisregardedinhistoryasoneofthebitterestofpersecutorsofChristians, he finally, in 1663, granted that charter.Clarke, after 12 longyears of waiting returned home with that charter. So in 1663 the RhodeIslandcolonybecamea real legal institution, and theBaptists couldwritetheirownconstitution.

10.ThatConstitutionwaswritten.Itattractedtheattentionofthewholewideworld. In thatConstitutionwas theworld’s first declaration ofReligiousLiberty.ThebattleforabsolutereligiouslibertyeveninAmericaaloneisagreathistorywithinitself.ForalongtimetheBaptistsseemtohavefoughtthatbattleentirelyalone,buttheydidnotfightitforthemselvesalone,butforallpeoplesofeveryreligiousfaith.

Rhode Island, the first Baptist colony, established by a small group ofBaptistsafter12yearsofearnestpleading forpermissionwas the first spotonearthwherereligiouslibertywasmadethelawoftheland.Thesettlementwasmadein1638;thecolonylegallyestablishedin1663.

11.InthiscolonytwoBaptistchurcheswereorganizedevenpriortothelegalestablishmentofthecolony.Astotheexactdateoftheorganizationofatleastoneof these twochurches, even theBaptists, according tohistory, are atdisagreement.AllseemtobeagreedastothedateoftheorganizationoftheoneatProvidence,byRogerWilliams,in1639.

As to thedateof theoneorganizedatNewportbyJohnClarke,all thelater testimonyseems togive thedateat1638.All theearlier seems togive it

later, some years later. The one organized by Roger Williams at Providenceseemstohavelivedbutafewmonths.TheotherbyJohnClarkeatNewport,isstill living.Myownopinionas to thedateoforganizationofNewportchurch,basedonallavailabledata,isthat1638isthecorrectdate.Personally,Iamsurethisdateiscorrect.

12.AstothepersecutionsinsomeoftheAmericancolonies,wegiveafewsamples. It is recorded thatononeoccasiononeofJohnClark’smemberswas sick.The family lived just across theMassachusettsBayColony line andjustinsidethatcolony.JohnClarke,himself,andavisitingpreacherbythenameofCrandallanda laymanby thenameofObediahHolmes—all threewent tovisitthatsickfamily.

While they were holding some kind of prayer service with that sickfamily,someofficerorofficersofthecolonycameuponthemandarrestedthemandlatercarriedthembeforethecourtfortrial.Itisalsostated,thatinordertoget a more definite charge against them, they were carried into a religiousmeetingoftheirchurch(Congregationalist),theirhandsbeingtied(sotherecordstates).Thechargeagainstthemwas“fornottakingofftheirhatsinareligiousservice.”Theywerealltriedandconvicted.

Gov.Endicottwaspresent. In a ragehe said toClarke, while the trialwas going on, “You have denied infants baptism.” (This was not the chargeagainst them.) “Youdeservedeath. Iwillnothave such trashbrought intomyjurisdiction.”Thepenaltyforallwasafine,orbewell-whipped.Crandall’sfine(a visitor) was five pounds ($25.00), Clarke’s fine (the pastor) was twentypounds($100.00).Holmes’fine(therecordssayhehadbeenaCongregationalistandhadjoinedtheBaptists)wasthirtypounds($150.00).

Clark’s and Crandall’s fines were paid by friends. Holmes refused toallowhis fine paid, saying he had done nowrong, sowaswellwhipped.Therecordstates thathewas“stripped to thewaist”and thenwhipped (withsomekindofaspecialwhip)untilthebloodrandownhisbodyandthenhislegsuntilhis shoes overflowed.The record goes on to state that his bodywas so badlygashed and cut that for twoweeks he could not lie down, so his body couldtouchthebed.Hissleepinghadtobedoneonhishandsorelbowsandknees.Ofthis whipping and other things connected with it, I read all records, evenHolmes’ statement. A thing could hardly have beenmore brutal. And here inAmerica!

13.Painter,anotherman,“refusedtohavehischildbaptized,”andgavehis opinion “that infant baptism was an anti-Christian ordinance.” For these

offenseshewastiedandwhipped.GovernorWinthroptellsusthatPainterwaswhipped“forreproachingtheLord’sordinance.”

14. In the colony where Presbyterianism was the established religion,dissenters(Baptistandothers)seemedtofarenobetterthanintheMassachusettsBay Colony where Congregationalism was the established religion. In thiscolonywasasettlementofBaptists.Inthewholesettlementwereonlyfiveotherfamilies.TheBaptistsrecognizedthelawstheywereunderandwere,accordingtotherecords,obedienttothem.Thisincidentoccurred:

It was decided by authorities of the colony to build a Presbyterianmeeting house in that Baptist settlement. The only way to do it seemed bytaxation.TheBaptistsrecognizedtheauthorityofthePresbyterianstolevythisnewandextratax,buttheymadethispleaagainstthetaxatthistime.“Wehavejust started our settlement. Our little cabins have just been built, and littlegardensandpatchesjustbeenopened.Ourfieldsnotcleared.Wehavejustbeentaxed to the limit to build a fort for protection against the Indians.Wecannotpossiblypayanothertaxnow.”Thisisonlythesubstanceoftheirplea.

Thetaxwaslevied.Itcouldnotpossiblybepaidatthattime.Anauctionwascalled.Salesweremade.Theircabinsandgardens,andpatches,andeventheir graveyardswere sold—not their unopened fields. Property valued at 363poundsand5shillingssoldfor35poundsand10shillings.Someofit,atleast,was said to have been bought by the preacher whowas to preach there. Thesettlementwassaidtohavebeenleftruined.

A large book could be filled with oppressive laws. Terrificallyburdensome acts of taxation, hard dealings of many sorts, directed mainlyagainstBaptists.Buttheselecturescannotenterintothesedetails.

15. In the Southern colonies, throughout the Carolinas and especiallyVirginia,where theChurchofEnglandheld sway,persecutionofBaptistswasseriousandcontinuous.Manytimestheirpreacherswerefinedandimprisoned.Fromthebeginningof thecolonialperiod to theopeningof theRevolutionaryWar,morethan100years,thesepersecutionsofBaptistswerepersistedin.

16.WegivesomeexamplesofthehardshipsoftheBaptistsinVirginia,andyetstrangeasitmaynowseem,VirginiawasthenextplaceonearthafterRhodeIslandtoadoptreligiousliberty.Butthatwasmorethanacenturyaway.But thehardships—asmanyas30preachersatdifferent timeswereput in jailwith the only charge against them, “For preaching the Gospel of the Son ofGod.”

James Ireland is a case in point. He was imprisoned. After

imprisonment,hisenemiestriedtoblowhimupwithgunpowder. Thathavingfailed, they next tried to smother him to death by burning sulfur under hiswindows at the jail. Failing also in this, they tried to arrangewith a doctor topoison him. All this failed. He continued to preach to his people from thewindowsofthejail.Awallwasthenbuiltaroundhisjailsothepeoplecouldnotsee in nor he see out, but even that difficulty was overcome. The peoplegathered, a handkerchiefwas tied to a long stick, and that stuckup above thewallssoIrelandcouldseewhentheywereready.Thepreachingcontinued!

17. Three Baptist preachers (Lewis and Joseph Craig and AaronBledsoe)werelaterarrestedonthesamecharge.(Oneofthem,atleast,wasablood relative of R. E. B. Baylor, and possibly of one or more other TexasBaptist preachers.) These preachers were arraigned for trial. Patrick Henry,hearing of it and though living many miles away and though a Church ofEnglandmanhimself,rodethosemileshorsebacktothetrialandvolunteeredhisservicesintheirdefense.Greatwashisdefense.Icannotenterintoadescriptionofithere.Itsweptthecourt.Thepreacherswerefreed.

18.Elsewhere thanRhode Island, religious liberty came slowly andbydegrees.Forexample:InVirginiaalawwaspassedpermittingone,butonlyone,Baptist preacher to a county. He was permitted to preach but once in twomonths. Later this law was modified, permitting him to preach once in eachmonth. But even then, in only one definite place in the county, and only onesermononthatdayandnevertopreachatnight.

Laws were passed not only in Virginia but in colonies elsewherepositively forbidding anyMissionwork. Thiswaswhy Judsonwas the firstforeignmissionary—thelawforbade.Ittookalongtimeandmanyhardbattles,intheVirginiaHouseofBurgesses,togreatlymodifytheselaws.

19. Evidently, one of the greatest obstructions to religious liberty inAmerica,andprobablyallover theworldas to that,was theconvictionwhichhadgrownintothepeoplethroughouttheprecedingcenturiesthatreligioncouldnotpossiblylivewithoutgovernmentalsupport.Thatnodenominationcouldprosper solely on voluntary offerings by its adherents. And this was the hardargument tomeetwhen the battlewas raging for the dis-establishment, of theChurchofEnglandinVirginia,andalsolaterinCongresswhenthequestionofreligiouslibertywasbeingdiscussedthere.Fora longtimetheBaptistsfoughtthebattlealmostalone.

20. Rhode Island began her colony in 1638, but it was not legallychartered until 1663. This was the first spot where Religious Liberty was

granted. The second place was Virginia in 1786. Congress declared the firstamendmenttotheConstitutiontobeinforceDecember15,1791,whichgrantedreligious liberty to all citizens. Baptists are creditedwith being the leaders inbringingthisblessingtothenation.

21.WeventuretogiveoneearlyCongressionalincident.Thequestionofwhether the United States should have an established church or severalestablishedchurches,orreligiousliberty,wasbeingdiscussed.Severaldifferentbills had been offered, one recommending the Church of England as theestablished church; and another theCongregationalistChurch, andyet anotherthe Presbyterian. The Baptists, many of them, though probably none of themmembersofCongress,wereearnestlycontending forabsolute religious liberty.JamesMadison(afterwardsPresident)seeminglywastheirmainsupporter.

PatrickHenryaroseandofferedasubstitutebill for themall:That fourchurches(ordenominations)insteadofonebeestablished—ChurchofEngland,or Episcopal; Congregationalist; Presbyterian; and the Baptist. Finally, wheneachof the others saw that IT could not bemade the sole established church,they each agreed to acceptHenry’s compromise. (This compromise bill statedthat each person taxedwould have the right to say towhich denomination ofthese fourhismoneyshouldgo.)TheBaptistscontinued to fightagainst itall,statingthatanycombinationofChurchandStatewasagainsttheirfundamentalprinciples,and that theycouldnotaccept it even ifvoted.Henrypleadedwiththem, said hewas trying to help them, that they couldnot livewithout it, buttheystillprotested.Thevotewastaken—itcarriednearlyunanimously.Butthemeasure had to be voted on three times. The Baptists, led by Madison andpossiblyothers,continuedtofight.

The second vote came. It also carried almost unanimously, swept byHenry’smasterfuleloquence.Butthethirdvotehadyettobetaken.NowGodseemingly intervened. Henry was made the Governor of Virginia and leftCongress.Whenthethirdvotecame,deprivedofHenry’sirresistibleeloquence,thevotewaslost.

ThustheBaptistscamenearbeinganestablisheddenominationovertheirownmostsolemnprotest.ThisisnottheonlyopportunitytheBaptistseverhadofbecomingestablishedbylaw,butisprobablythenearesttheyevercametoit.

22. Not long after this, the Church of England was entirely dis-establishedinAmerica.NoreligiousdenominationwassupportedbytheCentralGovernment(afewseparatedStategovernmentsstillhadestablishment).Churchand state, so far as theUnited Stateswas concerned,were entirely separated.

Thesetwo,ChurchandState,elsewhereatleast,hadfor1,500years(sinceAD313)beenlivinginunholywedlock.ReligiousLibertywas,at leasthereintheUnitedStates,resurrectedtodienomoreandnowgradually,butinmanyplacesslowly,itisspreadingthroughouttheworld.

23.ButevenintheUnitedStates,theChurchandStateideadiedhard.Itlingered on in several of the separate States, long after Religious Liberty hadbeenputintotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.

Massachusetts, where the Church and State idea first found a lodgingplace inAmerica, has, as already stated, finally given it up. It had lived thereovertwoandone-halfcenturies.UtahisthelastlingeringspotlefttodisfigurethefaceofthefirstandgreatestnationonearthtoadoptandcherishReligiousLiberty.Remember therecanbeno real andabsoluteReligiousLiberty inanynation where the Government gives its support to one special religiousdenomination.

24.SomeseriousquestionshavemanytimesbeenaskedconcerningtheBaptists:Wouldthey,asadenomination,haveacceptedfromanynationorstateanofferofestablishment if suchnationorstatehad freelymade themsuchanoffer?Andwould they, in case theyhad accepted such anoffer, havebecomepersecutorsofotherlikeCatholicsorEpiscopals,orLutheransorPresbyterians,or Congregationalists? Probably a little consideration of such questions nowwouldnotbeamiss.HavetheBaptists,asafact,everhadsuchanopportunity?

Is it not recorded in history, that on one occasion, the King of theNetherlands(theNetherlandsatthattimeembracingNorway,Sweden,Belgium,Holland,andDenmark)hadunderseriousconsiderationthequestionofhavinganestablishedreligion?Theirkingdomatthatperiodwassurroundedonalmostall sides by nations or governments with established religions—religionssupportedbytheCivilGovernment.

It is stated that theKingofHollandappointedacommittee toexamineinto theclaimsofallexistingchurchesordenominations to seewhichhad thebestclaimtobetheNewTestamentChurch.ThecommitteereportedbackthattheBaptistswerethebestrepresentativesoftheNewTestamentteachings.ThentheKingofferedtomaketheBaptisttheestablishedchurchordenominationofhiskingdom.TheBaptistskindly thankedhimbutdeclined,stating that iswascontrarytotheirfundamentalconvictionsandprinciples.

But this was not the only opportunity they ever had of having theirdenomination the established religion of a people. They certainly had thatopportunity when the Rhode Island Colony was founded. And to have

persecuted others—that would have been an impossibility if they were tocontinuebeingBaptists.TheyweretheoriginaladvocatesofReligiousLiberty.That really is one of the fundamental articles of their religious faith. Theybelievedintheabsoluteseparationofchurchandstate.

25.SostronghasbeentheBaptistconvictiononthequestionofChurchandStatecombination,thattheyhaveinvariablydeclinedalloffersofhelpfromtheState.Wegiveheretwoinstances.OneinTexasandtheotherinMexico.

Long years ago in the days of Baylor University’s babyhood, Texasoffered to help her. She declined the help though shewas in distressing need.The Texas Methodists had a baby school in Texas at the same time. TheyacceptedtheStatehelp;thatschoolfinallyfellintothehandsoftheState.

The case in Mexico occurred in this wise: W. D. Powell was ourmissionarytoMexico.ByhismissionaryworkhehadmadeagreatimpressionfortheBaptistsuponGovernorMaderooftheStateofCoahuila.MaderoofferedagreatgifttotheBaptistsfromtheState,iftheBaptistswouldestablishagoodschoolintheStateofCoahuila,Mexico.ThematterwassubmittedbyPowelltotheForeignBoard.Thegiftwasdeclinedbecause itwas tobe from theState.AfterwardsMadero gave a good large sumpersonally.Thatwas accepted andMaderoInstitutewasbuiltandestablished.

SOMEAFTERWORDS

1.Duringeveryperiodof theDarkAges, therewereinexistencemanyChristians andmany separate and independentChurches, someof themdatingbacktothetimesoftheApostles,whichwereneverinanywayconnectedwiththeCatholicChurch.TheyalwayswhollyrejectedandrepudiatedtheCatholicsandtheirdoctrines.Thisisafactclearlydemonstratedbycrediblehistory.

2. These Christians were the perpetual objects of bitter and relentlesspersecution.HistoryshowsthatduringtheperiodoftheDarkAges,abouttwelvecenturies, beginning with A.D. 426, there were about fifty million of theseChristians who died martyr deaths. Very many thousands of others, bothpreceding and succeeding the Dark Ages, died under the same hard hand ofpersecution.

3. These Christians, during these dark days of many centuries, werecalledbymanydifferentnames,allgiventothembytheirenemies.Thesenameswere sometimes given because of some specially prominent and heroic leader

and sometimes fromother causes.And sometimes, yea,many times, the samepeople, holding the same views, were called by different names in differentlocalities.

Butamidallthemanychangesofnames,therewasonespecialnameorratherdesignation,whichclungtoatleastsomeoftheseChristians,throughoutall the Dark Ages, that designation being Ana-Baptist. This compound wordapplied as a designation of some certain Christians was first found in historyduring the third century; and a suggestive fact soon after the origin of InfantBaptism,andamoresuggestivefactevenpriortotheuseofthenameCatholic.ThusthenameAna-Baptistsistheoldestdenominationalnameinhistory.

4.Astrikingpeculiarityof theseChristianswasandcontinued tobe insucceeding centuries: They rejected theman-made doctrine of Infant Baptismand demanded rebaptism, even though done by immersion, for all those whocame to them, having been baptized in infancy. For this peculiarity theywerecalledAna-Baptists.

5.ThisspecialdesignationwasappliedtomanyoftheseChristianswhobore other nicknames; especially is this true of the Donatists, Paulicians,AlbigensesandAncientWaldensesandothers.Inlatercenturiesthisdesignationcametobearegularname,appliedtoadistinctgroup.TheseweresimplycalledAna-Baptists and gradually all other names were dropped. Very early in thesixteenthcentury,evenpriortotheoriginoftheLutheranChurch,thefirstofallthe Protestant Churches, thewordAna was beginning to be left off, and theyweresimplycalledBaptists.

6.IntotheDarkAgeswentagroupofmanychurcheswhichwereneverinanywayidentifiedwiththeCatholics.OutoftheDarkAgescameagroupofmanychurches,whichhadneverbeeninanywayidentifiedwiththeCatholics.

Thefollowingaresomeofthefundamentaldoctrinestowhichtheyheldwhen theywent in; thesameare thefundamentaldoctrines towhich theyheldwhentheycameout;andthesamearethefundamentaldoctrinestowhichtheynowhold.

FUNDAMENTALDOCTRINES*ASpiritualChurch,Christitsfounder,itsonlyheadandlawgiver.*Itsordinances:onlytwo,BaptismandtheLord’sSupper.Theyaretypicalandmemorial,notsaving.*Itsofficer:onlytwo,bishopsorpastorsanddeacons.Theyaretheservantsofthechurch.*ItsGovernment:apureDemocracy,andthatexecutiveonly,neverlegislative.*Itslawsanddoctrines:theNewTestamentandthatonly.* Its members: Believers only, they saved by grace, not works, through theregeneratingpoweroftheHolySpirit.* Its requirements: Believers on entering the church to be baptized, that byimmersion,thenobedienceandloyaltytoallNewTestamentLaws.*Thevariouschurches:SeparateandindependentintheirexecutionoflawsanddisciplineandintheirresponsibilitiestoGod,butcooperativeinwork.*CompleteseparationofChurchandState.*AbsoluteReligiousLibertyforall.

PartiallistofbooksusedinpreparinglecturesonTHETRAILOFBLOOD

HistoryofBaptistsinVirginia–SempleBaptistSuccession–RayBaptistsinAlabama–HolcombHistoryoftheHuguenots–MartinFiftyYearsAmongtheBaptists–BenedictFox’sBookofMartyrsMyChurch–MoodyTheWorld’sDebttotheBaptists–PorterChurchManual–PendletonEvilsofInfantBaptism–HowellReminiscences,Sketches,andAddresses–HutchisonShortHistoryoftheBaptists–VedderTheStruggleforReligiousLibertyinVirginia–JamesTheGenesisofAmericanAnti-Missionism–CarrollTheTrueBaptist–A.NewtonTheBaptistinAmerica–CoxandHoleyAGuidetotheStudyofChurchHistory–McGlothlinBaptistPrinciplesReset–JeterVirginiaPresbyterianismandReligiousLibertyinColonialandRevolutionaryTimes–JohnsonPresbyterianism300YearsAgo–BreedHistoryofthePresbyterianChurchoftheWorld–ReedCatholicBelief–BrunoCampbellismExamined–JeterHistoryoftheBaptistsinNewEngland–BurrageHistoryofRedemption–EdwardsPrinciplesandPracticesofBaptistChurches–WaylandHistoryoftheLibertyBaptistAssociationofNorthCarolina–SheetsOnBaptism–CarsonHistoryandLiteratureoftheEarlyChurches–OrrHistoryoftheKentuckyBaptists–SpencerBaptistHistory–OrchardBaptistChurchPerpetuity–JarrellDisestablishment–HarwoodProgressofBaptistPrinciples–CurtisStoryoftheBaptists–CookRomanisminItsHome–EagerAmericanismAgainstCatholicism–GrantTheFaithofOurFathers–CardinalGibbonsTheFaithofOurFathersExamined–StearnsTheStoryofBaptistMissions–HerveyBaptism–ConantChristian“Baptism”–JudsonSeparationofChurchandStateinVirginia–EckenrodeTheProgressofReligiousLiberty–Schaff

DoctrinesandPrinciplesoftheM.E.ChurchTheChurchesofPiedmont–AlixTheHistoryoftheWaldenses–MustonTheHistoryoftheBaptists–BackusTheAncientWaldensesandAlbigenses–FaberTheHistoryoftheWaldensesofItaly–CombsHistoryoftheBaptists–BenedictBaptistBiography–GrahamEarlyEnglishBaptists–EvansHistoryoftheWelshBaptists–DavisBaptistHistory–CrampHistoryoftheBaptists–ChristianShortHistoryoftheBaptists–VedderAPleafortheCumberlandPresbyterianChurch–JonesReligionsoftheWorld–ManyWritersHistoryoftheReformationinGermany–RankeChurchHistory–KurtzConstitutionofthePresbyterianChurchintheU.S.A.DoctrinesandDisciplines,AfricanM.E.Church–EmoryChurchHistory–JonesHistoryoftheChristianReligionandChurch–NeaderEcclesiasticalHistory–MosheimHistoryoftheChristianChurch–GregoryHistoryoftheChurch–WaddingtonHandbookofChurchHistory–GreenManualofChurchHistory–NewmanHistoryofAnti-PedoBaptist–NewmanCatholicEncyclopedia(16Vols.)TheBaptistEncyclopedia–CathcartEncyclopediaofReligiousKnowledge–BrownEncyclopediaBrittanicaOriginofDisciples–WhittsittEncyclopediaofReligiousKnowledge–Schaff-HerzogBaptistHistory–Shackleford

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