[HarleyD]

:::We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. ...Uh huh.

Well, you know those wacky Baptists. If the Orthodox can say they're the original Christians, and the Catholics, why not the Baptists? Shoot, there a whole slue of people lining up for that title-including some truly non-Christian groups.

Personally, I like to think of myself as more Orthodox Presbyterian with a few scruples. I'm the only original Harley-that's it! TA-DA! Sorry to disappoint.

We’re a little tainted, I’d say, whereas they are more pure. The current Vicar is attempting to clip off the tumours, as it were. Our perspective.

I would agree with that. I believe the Church of Rome has been drifting towards the eastern view for almost 1500 years. They are becoming far more synergisting in nature.

While I think the Reformation was fought over a number of issues, I think it was inevitable. There were still monergists in the western church but as the Church drifted eastward there was no reconcilation. The Reformers really didn't leave Rome. Rome left them.

[MarkBsnr]

The Anabaptist religion began in 1525 in Switzerland. The original Anabaptists held to three beliefs that set them apart: Believer’s Baptism, Pacifism and Community of Goods.
1- Believer’s Baptism The Anabaptists held that a person must first believe the gospel before he could be accepted into the Church with the sign of water baptism. This is in accordance with the teachings of their Lord Jesus who placed believing ahead of baptism (Mt 28:19 and Mk 16:16).
2- Pacifism The Anabaptists held that one could not obtain or protect his rights by the use of force. This is in accordance with the teachings of their Lord Jesus who commanded his followers not to resist an evil man (Mt 5:39 and Mt 18:36).
3- Community of Goods The Anabaptists held that one could not have private property but must share all his goods in common with Christ’s brothers and sisters. This is in accordance with the teachings of their Lord Jesus who said that no one could be his followers unless they gave up all of their possessions (Luke 14:33, also Mt 6:19-34, Mt 19:21, Luke 12:33, John 13:34-35, Acts 2:44-47 and Acts 4:32-5:11).

However, today most Anabaptists do not hold to item 3 above, community of goods, but it was part of the original Anabaptists belief.

“Anabaptists”, are many groups who adopted many of the beliefs of Zwingli, but later would fight him, and adopt many of the Calvin’s theories.
These Christians rejected infant baptism, choosing instead believer’s baptism.. Since many of them had been baptized in their infancy, they chose to be rebaptized as believing adults. So their enemies called them anabaptists — “re-baptizers.”

ANABAPTISTS, (after Zwingli), 1519.
- Brethren in Christ, German Switzerland.
- Hutterine Brethren.
- Mennonites, to Pennsylvania, in 1653.
- German Baptists, Dunkards, to USA, 1723.
- German Moravians, who became the “United Brethren Church”, in 1735.
- Separatists and Congregationalists, in England and Holland, came to America as the Pilgrim fathers on the “Mayflower” (repudiated the title of Anabaptists, as they did the “Baptists”).
- The Amish, to Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.
- The Baptists in USA (repudiated the title Anabaptists).

The history is a little spotty before 1525.

[MarkBsnr]

:::Personally, I like to think of myself as more Orthodox Presbyterian with a few scruples.:::

ROTFL.