[bornacatholic]

Really? Baptists have been around since Pentecost.

I guess that Church was not only invisible, it was silent, until the appearance of the very voluble John Smyth in the early 17th Century

BTW, we Catholics can cite Early Church Fathers discussing The Catholic Church.

Please ping me to any, oh, I dunno, evidence, of a Baptist Church, say, prior to, oh I dunno, the 16th Century

[D-fendr]

I'm wonderin how President Clinton's new Baptist Church will define "rapture"...

[blue-duncan]

"BTW, we Catholics can cite Early Church Fathers discussing The Catholic Church."

But not The Roman Catholic Church. That did not come until later. Ignatius began to use the term for the universal church around 107 A.D.. It did not apply to Rome as he was writing to the church at Smyrna. You guys are making me into a history buff and I'm getting off my sola scriptura game.

"That is oral tradition I just made-up"

But it's as good and as valuable as some of the other stuff I've seen on this thread.

[P-Marlowe]

Please ping me to any, oh, I dunno, evidence, of a Baptist Church, say, prior to, oh I dunno, the 16th Century

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:37-38 KJV)

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41 KJV)

In typical Baptist style these people were all baptized immediately after they went forward to accept Christ. Also note the correct Baptist ordus, Repent and THEN be baptized. The Roman Church fell into error on that one early on.