BAPTIST CHURCH PERPETUITY, from the Time of Christ, until He Comes Again.

[Alan Gross]

BAPTIST CHURCH PERPETUITY (click link for full .pdf)

or THE CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE OF BAPTIST CHURCHES
FROM THE APOSTOLIC TO THE PRESENT DAY
DEMONSTRATED BY THE BIBLE AND BY HISTORY.
BY W.A. JARREL, D.D.

CONTENTS.

Chapter 1. — Definition And Explanation Of Church Perpetuity

Chapter 2. — Church Perpetuity A Fundamental Truth Of The Bible Literally, the word church always means local organization. — Figuratively, the term church means the church institution and the totality of New Testament churches. — Relation of the kingdom and the churches to each other. — “Branches of the church” anti-New Testament. — An “invisible” kingdom, or an invisible church, an absurdity and not taught in the New Testament. — The notion of an “invisible” kingdom, or of an “invisible” church the basis of ecclesiastical anarchy and ecclesiastical nihilism. — Only an organized local church during centuries one and two. — Church Perpetuity necessitated from Bible promises and the churches’ mission. — The perpetuity of the kingdom involves the perpetuity of the church. — Attempts to evade the proofs of Church Perpetuity. — Church apostacy an infidel doctrine. — Church apostacy the origin, the basis and the perpetuity of new sects and sectarianism.

Chapter 3. — Church Perpetuity A Baptist Position

Chapter 4. — Church Perpetuity Admits Of Variations And Irregularities In Baptist Faith And Practice — Statement of Professor O.B. True, D.D. — Statement of Dr. Armitage. — Dr. Armitage silent before the challenge. — Statement of a prominent Campbellite Professor of History. — Answers to why own Baptist churches which are in error as in the Perpetuity Line, and deny the same to Pedobaptist churches. — The only true test.

Chapter 5. — The Burden Of Proof On Opponents To Baptist Church Perpetuity. The Material On Which The Historian Must Depend. The Degree Of Proof Necessary. — Testimony of Greenleaf and Whately on the burden of proof. — Statement of J. Wheaton Smith, D.D., on history unnecessary to prove Baptist Church Perpetuity. — The material for proving Baptist Church Perpetuity. — Romish forgeries and perversions. — Baptist history destroyed. — Modern illustration of slanders on ancient Baptists.

Chapter 6. — The Negative Proof. Baptist Church Perpetuity Evident From Baptist Opponents Being Unable To Assign Or Agree On Any Human Founder And Post-Apostolic Origin Of Baptist Churches. — Statements of Roman Catholic scholars. — Statements of Protestant Pedobaptist scholars. — Statements of Campbellite scholars. —Why these scholars are puzzled and confounded. — Origin of the Romish church. — Only believer’s baptism administered by the apostolic churches. — Origin of the leading modern churches. — Why modern sects are so anxious to prove Church apostacy.

Chapter 7. — In The Perpetuity Of Baptist Principles From The Apostolic Age To The Present, Is Necessarily The Perpetuity Of Baptist Churches

Chapter 8. — The Montanists — Origin of the Montanists. — Great numbers of Montanists. — Montanists rejected baptismal regeneration. — Purity of Montanist churches. — Montanists believed in a visible church. — Montanists democratic in church government. —Montanists did not reject marriage of ministers. — Montanists and female teachers, —Montanists and time immersion, — Montanists and “visions” and “inspirations.” — Montanists characterized by purity of church membership, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 9. — The Novatians — Origin of the Novatians. —Great number of Novatians. — Believed in a spiritual church and in strict church discipline. — Novatian not prompted by vain ambition and jealousy. — Slanders on Novatian — Novatian’s pouring intended for immersion. — Novatians rejected baptismal regeneration. — Novatian church government Baptist. — Novatians did not deny there was forgiveness with God for fallen church members. — Novatian did not believe church membership a condition of salvation. — Novatian a prudent man. — Novatian churches Baptist churches.

Chapter 10. — The Donatists — Origin of the Donatists. —Their great numbers. — Adherents of church purity and church spirituality. —Donatists exonerated from the violence of the Circumcelliones. — Strictness of Donatist church discipline. — Donatists rejected infant baptism. — In church government Baptists. — Rejected baptismal regeneration. — Opposed union of church and State. — Opposed persecution. — Were immersionists. — The slander that Donatists believed in suicide.

Chapter 11. — The Paulicians — Origin of the Paulicians. — Were not Manichaeans. — They did not reject parts of the Bible. — Did not reject marriage. — Did not reject baptism and the Lord’s supper. — Rejected infant baptism. — Rejected baptismal regeneration. — How the charge that they rejected baptism and the Lord’s Supper originated. — Administered single immersion. — In church government were Baptists. — Were Baptists. —

Chapter 12. — The Albigenses — Origin of the Albigenses. — Were not Manichaeans. — Did not reject marriage. — Origin of the charge that they rejected marriage. — Rejected infant baptism. — Did not reject baptism and the Lord’s Supper. — Rejected baptismal regeneration. — Consideration of the charge that they refused to take oaths. — Were Baptists in church government. — Pure in their lives. — Their influence on Europe.

Chapter 13. — The Paterines — Origin of Paterines. — Their great numbers. — Did not oppose marriage. — Were law-abiding. — Examination of the Manichaean and Dualistic charges against them. — In church government Baptists. — Modern research exposing the slanders on them. — No infant Baptism or seventh dayism among them. — Followed only the Bible. — Believed in election and the Spirit’s power in conversion. — Believed that demons dwell in sinner’s hearts. — Pure in their morals. — Did not attend saloons and theatres. — Strict in church discipline. — Did not reject the Old Testament. — Continued to the Reformation. — Diligent employment of “spare hours.” —


con't

 

[Alan Gross]

Chapter 14. — The Petrobrussians And Henricians. — Their first appearance. — Their great numbers. — Their faith. — Rejected infant baptism, — Believed in the Trinity. — Had a confession of faith. — Received the whole Bible. — Rejected baptismal regeneration. — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper only symbols. — Believed in marriage. — Meaning of their opposition to church buildings. — Believed in regeneration by the Holy Spirit. — Believed in only a regenerated church. — Henricians were but the Petrobrussians perpetuated. — Immersionists. — Strict Bible followers. — Were Baptists.

Chapter 15. — The Arnoldists — Opposed the securalization of the church and union of church and State. — Rejected infant baptism — Rejected transubstantiation. — Inspiring idea of Arnold’s work was a spiritual church. — Arnold opposed to riotous conduct. — Arnold’s reforms all of a practical character. — Arnold’s character. — Modern estimate of Arnold. — Arnold a Petrobrussian. — Arnoldists were Baptists.

Chapter 16. — The Waldenses — Multitudes of Waldenses. — Different periods of Waldensian history. — Different kinds of Waldenses. — Connected with Hussites. — A spiritual people. — Believed in only a professedly regenerate church membership. — Were immersionists. — Rejected baptismal regeneration and believed in the symbolism of baptism. — Baptists as to confessions of faith. — Believed in the operation of the Spirit. — Believed in total depravity. — Did not believe in the necessity of weekly communion. — Believed in salvation by grace and justification by faith. — Believed in election. — Rejected infant baptism. — Were immersionists. — Restricted communionists. — Lollards were Waldenses. — Origin of infant baptism among modern Waldenses. — Were Baptists in church government. — Were Baptists. —

Chapter 17. — The Anabaptists — Anabaptist faith. — Believed in following the Bible. — Believed in only a professedly regenerate church. — Believed in spirituality of life. — Believed in salvation by faith. — Believed in church sovereignty. — Rejected union of church and State. — Rejected baptismal salvation. — Rejected communism. — Believed in financially supporting ministers. — True believers will not reject baptism. — No baptism, no church or ministry. — Believed in the symbolism of baptism. — Believed in liberty of conscience. — Believed the doctrine of inherited depravity. — Believed in the miraculous origin of faith. — Rejected the word alone theory of conversion. — Believed in election. — Purity of morals. — Strictness of church discipline. — Baptists in church government. — Were missionary Baptists. — Were restricted communionists. — Rejected infant damnation. — The only denomination believing in baptism which never was stained with belief in infant damnation. — They immersed. — Affusion among Anabaptists. — Were sound in doctrine. — Believed in repentance preceding faith. — Experience given before the church in order to baptism. — Contrast between the positions of the Anabaptists and of the Reformers. — Not chargable with the Munster disorders. — Baptist principles revolutionizing the world for liberty.

Chapter 18. — The Anabaptists And The Munster Disorders — Different classes of “Anabaptists.” — Munzer a believer in infant baptism and Baptist opponent. — Munsterites not Baptists, but Pedobaptists. — comp. with Munsterites to a great extent, also, Campbellites — Arminians in principle. — The noble Baptist struggle against the Munster disorders. — Contrast between the Anabaptists and the Reformers. — Real origin of the Munster disorders. — The Anabaptists opposed and slandered by Romanists and Protestants. — Anabaptists, by the losses of property, good name, liberty and life, have bequeathed the world its civil and religious liberty. —

Chapter 19. — Baptist Church Perpetuity Line Or Lines — “Succession” — From The Apostolic Age To The Paulicians, And Including Them — Connecting relation of Montanists, Novatians and Donatists. — Novatian not the founder of Novatians. — Montanists, Novatians and Donatists, perpetuated under the name Paulicians. —

Chapter 20. — Baptist Church Perpetuity Through The Paulicians To The Anabaptists — Cathari, Puritans, Patereni, Paulicians, Publicans, Gazari, Bulgari, Bugari, Albigenses, Waldenses, Henricians, Petrobrussians, Arnoldists, Bogomiles, etc., essentially one. — Examples of the Campbellite folly of identifying a church by its name or names.

Chapter 21. — The Waldenses Of Apostolic Origin — The date of the Noble Lesson. — Bible preserved outside of the Romish church. — Date of Waldensian MSS. — Refutation of Herzog and Dieckhoff. — Dieckhoff and Herzog borrow the infidel, so-called, “higher criticism” on the Bible with which to assault Waldensian antiquity. — Disagreements of Herzog, Dieckhoff, Gieseler, Neander, etc., date of a Waldensian MSS. Dieckhoff’s charges characterized by Montgomery as “sustained” “by proofs ridiculously slender.” — Examples of Dieckhoff’s reckless criticism. — Dr. A.H. Newman on Dieckhoff’s criticism. — Romish writers: Dieckhoff’s main witnesses. — Dieckhoff concedes his main witnesses “liable to suspicion.” — Romish testimony to Waldensian antiquity. — Testimony of the Vaudois dialect to Waldensian antiquity. — Testimony of the innere Kritik to Waldensian antiquity. — M. Schmidt’s fatal concession in favor of Waldensian antiquity. — Testimony of tradition. — Waldenses remained in the valleys from Apostolic to Reformation times. — Claude of Turin and the Waldenses. — Waldo found the Waldenses already existing. — How modern Waldenses became Pedobaptists. — Conclusion.

Chapter 22. — The Waldenses Perpetuated In The Anabaptists And Baptists — Connection of Waldenses and Hussites. — The Romanic and German Waldenses are “identical.” — Vedder concedes the Anabaptists and the Waldenses historically united. — Latimer concedes the Donatists perpetuated in the Anabaptists. — Anabaptists, at the Reformation, appeared wherever there were previously existing Waldenses. — Armitage concedes that the Anabaptists “evidently sprang from the Waldenses.” — Keller says the Baptists existed “centuries” before the Reformation. — Van Oesterzee says Baptists are “older than the Reformation.” — Luther said the same. —

con't

 

[Alan Gross]

Chapter 23. — Baptist Churches In England Long Before And Up To The Time Of John Smyth — First English Churches Baptist. — No record of Baptists having ceased to exist in England. — Waldenses “abounded” in England. — Lollards and Wickliffites identical. — Wickliff’s followers Baptists. — “More than half the people of England” Baptists long before the Reformation. — Early English Baptist martyrs. — “Thieves and vagabonds” preferred to Baptists. — The last martyr burnt in England a Baptist. — Oldest Baptist churches in England of which we have record — Spurgeon’s testimony. — Were organized into churches. — Persecution never rid England of Baptist churches. — Why Baptist churches of those times are so difficult to trace. — Helwise’s not the first Calvanistic Baptist Church of England after the Reformation.

Chapter 24. — John Smyth’s Baptism And The Origin Of English Baptists — Smyth’s alleged self-baptism not even done in England. — Smyth never connected with the Particular Baptists. — The story of Smyth’s self-baptism not unlikely a slander. — The fact as to Smyth’s baptism as revealed by the Church Record. — Where some English Baptists got their baptism. — The Smyth story a slander on Baptists.

Chapter 25. — Baptist Church Perpetuity Through The Welsh Baptists — Attempted evasions of facts. — Welsh Baptist Churches never ceased to exist.

Chapter 26. — American Baptist Churches Did Not Originate With Roger Williams — During the first one hundred and twenty years of the Providence Church it had no “regular records.” — The confusion attending the Williams claim. — The Williams claim is of “modern” origin. — The Williams Church dissolved soon after its origin. — Williams never a Baptist — Baptist churches in America before Williams originated his church. — Examination of Dr. Whitsitt’s attempt to “resurrect” the Williams claim. — When the existing first church in Providence was founded. — No Baptist church originated from the Williams Church. — How Benedict makes the Williams Church the mother of Baptist churches. — Even thus Benedict ridicules the Williams Church being the mother of American Baptist Churches. — Date of the origin of the First Newport Baptist Church. — Reply to Prof. Whitsitt on the origin of the First Newport Baptist Church. — The First Newport Baptist Church the prolific mother of Baptist Churches. —Baptist opponents ignoring the First Newport Baptist Church as a Baptist mother, while they parade the Williams Church as a Baptist mother, though it was utterly barren. — Origin of American Baptist Churches independently of the Williams affair. — Concessions of Baptist opponents.

Chapter 27. — The “Missionary Baptists “Are The “Regular,” The “Old,” The “Primitive” Baptists — The Only True Baptists — Claims of “Missionary Baptists” and claims of Anti-missionary Baptists. — The Bible requires that preachers be liberally supported. — “Salaried” preachers authorized by the Bible. — The statement that Rev. John Ryland said: “Young man, sit down; when God wishes to convert the heathen He will do it without your help or mine,” is utterly false. — Origin of Free Will and other so-called Baptists. — Open Communion modern.

Chapter 28. — Baptist Church Perpetuity Manifest In The Fruits Of Baptist Churches — Indebtedness of the world and of Christendom to Baptist principles for spiritual — for genuine Christianty. — Baptist preservation of sound doctrine. — The secret of Baptists remaining true to sound doctrine. — Wherever Protestant Pedobaptists have had the opportunity they have been as persecuting as Romish Pedobaptists. — Baptists have never persecuted, but have given the world its religious and civil liberty. — Despotic European thrones shaken by Baptist principles. — Attempt to present the Romish Church on the side of freedom of conscience. — No controversy on baptizo among scholars. — Only Baptists have dared organize to render the whole Bible into other tongues. — Sectarian treatment of Baptists by the American Bible Society. — Roman Catholic and Protestant Pedobaptist leaders purposely keep the people from reading the whole of God’s will as the Greek reader reads it. — Baptist increase. — God’s blessing on Baptist labors much greater than on labors of others. — Baptist statistics. — Bird’s-eye view of Baptists throughout the world. Summary of Baptist fruits. — “Baptists have solved the great problem.” — Dr. Philip Schaff’s praise of Baptists. — Baptists better than others. — The non-propagation of Baptist principles would be disastrous to the world and to Christians of other denominations. — Baptist opportunity and Baptist responsibility. —

Chapter 29. — St. Patrick A Baptist — St. Patrick’s birth and early history. — He taught the distinguishing Baptist principles and practices. —To call him a Roman Catholic a disgrace to his memory.