Free Republic

There has been reserved for this chapter an account of certain events which have been alleged against the Baptists, namely, the Peasant Wars and the tumult at Münster. Because of these the Baptists have been charged with the wildest vagaries and with instigating horrible tumults. The most searching investigation has failed to prove that Münzer, the leader of the riots in the Peasant Wars, was a Baptist, or that the Baptists were in anywise responsible for the uprisings. There had long been trouble between the peasants and the nobility. Many times and in different localities, during the preceding one hundred...

The Waldenses entered Holland in 1182 and by the year 1233 Flanders was full of them. Many of them were weavers, and Ten Cate says that at a later date all of the weaving was in the hands of the Baptists. Ypeij and Dermount say: "The Waldenses scattered in the Netherlands might be called their salt, so correct were their views and devout their lives. The Mennonites sprang from them. It is indubitable that they rejected infant baptism, and used only adult baptism" (Ypeij en Dermount, Geechieddenis der Netherlandische Hervormde Kirk, I. pp. 57, 141). The Reformation in the Netherlands...

A Baptist church was found in Augsburg, in 1525, where Hans Denck was pastor. In this city Denck was exceedingly popular, so that in a year or two the church numbered some eleven hundred members. Urbanus Rhegius, who was minister in that city at the time, says of the influence of Denck: "It increased like a canker, to the grievous injury of many souls," Augsburg became a great Baptist center. Associated with Denck at Augsburg were Balthasar Hübmaier, Ludwig Hätzer and Hans Hut. They all practiced immersion. Keller in his life of Denck says: The baptism was performed by dipping...

Reference has already been made, in former pages, to the fact that the Waldenses practiced dipping; that this was at first the custom: of the Reformers; and some reliable testimony has been introduced to show the practice of the Baptists. The point of controversy between the Baptists and the Reformers on baptism was not dipping, but the necessity of infant baptism. There is much more available material on the form of baptism among the Baptists. That subject is now pursued further. L’Abbe Fleury, the great Roman Catholic historian, under date of 1523, gives an account of the Baptist practice. He...

There was a constant conflict between the Reformers and the Baptists on the proper subjects of baptism. At first the Reformers were disposed to take the Baptist side of the controversy and to deny the necessity of infant baptism. "The strength of the Baptist reasoning in regard to infant baptism," says Planck, the great German Protestant historian, referring to Melanchthon, "made a strong impression on his convictions." Planck continues: "The Elector, wishing to quell the controversy, dissuaded the Wittenberg theologians from discussing the subject of infant baptism, saying he could not see what benefit could arise from it, as it...

It is amazing how many names were applied, in the period of the Reformation, to the Baptists. They called each other brethren and sisters, and spoke of each other in the simplest language of affection. Their enemies called them Anabaptists because they repeated baptism when converts came from other parties. This name Anabaptist is a caricature. It damns first by faint praise and then by distortion. "The opprobrious term ‘Anabaptist’ was and is a vile slander. It was invented to conceal thought. It shrouded in a fog the grand ideals of a people loving peace and truth. The term is...

The beginnings of the Anabaptist movement are firmly rooted in the earlier centuries. The Baptists have a spiritual posterity of many ages of liberty-loving Christians. The movement was as old as Christianity; the Reformation gave an occasion for a new and varied history. The statement of Mosheim who was a learned Lutheran historian, as to the origin of the Baptists, has never been successfully attacked. He says: The origin of the sect, who from their repetition of baptism received in other communities, are called Anabaptists, but who are also denominated Mennonites, from the celebrated man to whom they owe a...

It is a beautiful peculiarity of this little people that it should it occupy so prominent a place in the history of Europe. There had long been witnesses for the truth in the A1ps. Italy, as far as Rome, all Southern France, and even the far-off Netherlands contained many Christians who counted not their lives dear unto themselves. Especially was this true in the region of the Alps. These valleys and mountains were strongly fortified by nature on account of their difficult passes and bulwarks of rocks and mountains; and they impress one as if the all-wise Creator had, from...

It has already been indicated that the Paulicians came from Armenia, by the way of Thrace, settled in France and Italy, and traveled through, and made disciples in, nearly all of the countries of Europe. The descent of the Albigenses has been traced by some writers from the Paulicians (Encyclopedia Britannica, I. 454. 9th edition). Recent writers hold that the Albigenses had been in the valleys of France from the earliest ages of Christianity. Prof. Bury says that "it lingered on in Southern France," and was not a "mere Bogomilism, but an ancient local survival." Mr. Conybeare thinks that it...

It is to be regretted that most of the information concerning the Paulicians comes through their enemies. The sources are twofold. The first source is that of the Greek writers, Photius (Adv. recentiores Manichaeans. Hamburg 1772) and Petros Sikeliotes (Historia Manichaeorum qui Pauliciani. Ingolstadt, 1604), which has long been known and was used by Gibbon in the preparation of the brilliant fifty-fourth chapter of his history. Not much has been added from that source since. The accounts are deeply prejudiced, and although Gibbon suspected the malice and poison of these writers, and laid bare much of the malignity expressed by...

At first there was unity in fundamental doctrines and practices. Step by step some of the churches turned aside from the old paths and sought out many inventions. Discipline became lax and persons of influence were permitted to follow a course of life which would not have been tolerated under the old discipline. The times had changed and some of the churches changed with the times. There were those who had itching ears and they sought after novelties. The dogma of baptismal regeneration was early accepted by many, and men sought to have their sins washed away in water rather...

The period of the ancient churches (A. D. 100-325) is much obscured. Much of the material has been lost; much of it that remains has been interpolated by Mediaeval Popish writers and translators; and all of it has been involved in much controversy. Caution must, therefore, be observed m arriving at permanent conclusions. Hasty generalizations that all Christians and churches were involved in doctrinal error must be accepted with extreme caution. Strange and horrible charges began to be current against the Christians. The secrecy of their meetings for worship was ascribed, not to its true cause, the fear of persecution,...

After our Lord had finished his work on earth, and before he had ascended into glory, he gave to his disciples the following commission: "All authority is given to me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20). Under the terms of this commission Jesus gave to his churches the authority...

In attempting to write a history of the Baptists no one is more aware of the embarrassments surrounding the subject than the author. These embarrassments arise from many sources. We are far removed from many of the circumstances under survey; the representations of the Baptists were often made by enemies who did not scruple, when such a course suited their purpose, to blacken character; and hence the testimony from such sources must be received with discrimination and much allowance made for many statements; in some instances vigilant and sustained attempts were made to destroy every document relating to these people;...

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (ABP) -- Writings of Balthasar Hubmaier, one of the most well known and respected Anabaptist theologians of the Reformation, will soon be available for online research, thanks to a project of European Baptist scholars. The Institute of Baptist and Anabaptist Studies at International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, and the German Baptist Seminary in Berlin recently announced that photographic reproductions of all of Hubmaier's surviving works would be scanned into digital images and made available on the Internet. IBTS Rector Keith Jones called it a long-term project likely to take six months to a year...

Previous posts in this series: Introduction - Have We a Visible Succession of Baptist Churches Down from the Apostles?Chapter 1 - The Colonial Period: Pilgrims and PuritansChapter 2 - The Banishment of Roger WilliamsChapter 3 - The Settlement of Rhode IslandChapter 4 - The Providence and Newport ChurchesChapter 5 - Chaunce, Knolly, Miles and the Swansea ChurchChapter 6 - The Boston BaptistsChapter 7 - New Centers of Baptist Influence: South Carolina - Maine - Pennsylvania - New JerseyChapter 8 - The Baptists of VirginiaChapter 9 - Baptists of Connecticut and New YorkChapter 10 - The Baptists of North Carolina, Maryland,...

Previous posts in this series: Introduction - Have We a Visible Succession of Baptist Churches Down from the Apostles?Chapter 1 - The Colonial Period: Pilgrims and PuritansChapter 2 - The Banishment of Roger WilliamsChapter 3 - The Settlement of Rhode IslandChapter 4 - The Providence and Newport ChurchesChapter 5 - Chaunce, Knolly, Miles and the Swansea ChurchChapter 6 - The Boston BaptistsChapter 7 - New Centers of Baptist Influence: South Carolina - Maine - Pennsylvania - New JerseyChapter 8 - The Baptists of VirginiaChapter 9 - Baptists of Connecticut and New YorkChapter 10 - The Baptists of North Carolina, Maryland,...

Previous posts in this series: Introduction - Have We a Visible Succession of Baptist Churches Down from the Apostles?Chapter 1 - The Colonial Period: Pilgrims and PuritansChapter 2 - The Banishment of Roger WilliamsChapter 3 - The Settlement of Rhode IslandChapter 4 - The Providence and Newport ChurchesChapter 5 - Chaunce, Knolly, Miles and the Swansea ChurchChapter 6 - The Boston BaptistsChapter 7 - New Centers of Baptist Influence: South Carolina - Maine - Pennsylvania - New JerseyChapter 8 - The Baptists of VirginiaChapter 9 - Baptists of Connecticut and New YorkChapter 10 - The Baptists of North Carolina, Maryland,...

Previous posts in this series: Introduction - Have We a Visible Succession of Baptist Churches Down from the Apostles?Chapter 1 - The Colonial Period: Pilgrims and PuritansChapter 2 - The Banishment of Roger WilliamsChapter 3 - The Settlement of Rhode Island Chapter 4 - The Providence and Newport ChurchesChapter 5 - Chaunce, Knolly, Miles and the Swansea ChurchChapter 6 - The Boston BaptistsChapter 7 - New Centers of Baptist Influence: South Carolina - Maine - Pennsylvania - New JerseyChapter 8 - The Baptists of VirginiaChapter 9 - Baptists of Connecticut and New YorkChapter 10 - The Baptists of North Carolina,...

Previous posts in this series: Introduction - Have We a Visible Succession of Baptist Churches Down from the Apostles?Chapter 1 - The Colonial Period: Pilgrims and PuritansChapter 2 - The Banishment of Roger WilliamsChapter 3 - The Settlement of Rhode IslandChapter 4 - The Providence and Newport ChurchesChapter 5 - Chaunce, Knolly, Miles and the Swansea ChurchChapter 6 - The Boston BaptistsChapter 7 - New Centers of Baptist Influence: South Carolina - Maine - Pennsylvania - New JerseyChapter 8 - The Baptists of VirginiaChapter 9 - Baptists of Connecticut and New YorkChapter 10 - The Baptists of North Carolina, Maryland,...