is it true?

The word "protestant" today has a different meaning than it used to.

When referring to Protestants as those who broke from the Roman Catholic Church as a matter of protestation, then no, anabaptists are not considered protestants. However, when referring to protestants as being non-romanist churches, then yes, anabaptists fall into that category.

 

The Anabaptists were already present (and separate) from the Roman Catholic when Martin Luther attempted to 'reform' the Roman Catholic Church.

Bro. Dallas

 

Dear Joman,
Try these links:

I believe either are good sound works and may serve to provide some comparison of thought as well:

The History of the Church of God---Sylvester Hassell

and

Baptist History

And also try this one

Anabaptists: Neither Catholics nor Protestants

There are others and at least one more good one I use to have in my favorites but can't find it. If I do find it online I will post the link.


Some of the others may know it, can't remember the author's name, but it was a history of the churches in the Piedmont Valley.

Hope this helps,
May God Bless,
Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

Dear Brother RSR,
That is ok. Do you know the book I reference above?

It is about the experience of the churches of the Valley of Piedmont. Who wrote it, it is online, but I can't find it, only references to these churches in other histories.

Bro. Dallas

 

It may have been the Waldenses by J.Wylie?
or Protestant Valleys of Piedmont. I can't remember. Tyndale gave the links once, long ago and I can't find them for sure.

The author's name was odd, so Wylie I think was the correct work, but I was thinking the title was something another 'churches of the Piedmont'.

Oh well,
Thanks,
Bro. Dallas

 

The question as to weather anabaptists were protestants is an interesting question. In what little study I've done of the matter, the faith was a continuation of independant evangelical bible preaching and believing that can logicaly be traced back to the apostles... however the term itself implies a reformation. "anna" meaning re or again and "baptist" meaning one who is baptized. therefore "anabaptist" means one who is rebaptized. If I have read correctly they despised this term and the ones who held closest to this title refered to themselves simply as "baptists" or "baptized believers" which it is historicaly evident that the current baptists faiths were born out of.

 

The history, as I understand it, explain the Anabaptists as originally coming out of followers of Zwingli. Some followers of Zwingli disagreed with Zwingli and supported adult believers baptism, and had a public debate in Zurich in 1525. Anabaptits, as stated earlier, means "re-baptizers". The Anabaptists did not exist prior to this, nor did they exist prior to Luther.

Later, Menno Simons, of Amsterdam, witnessed how the Anabaptists were persecuted and killed, felt convicted, and became a leader. The Mennonites and Amish are decendants of this.

John Smyth, a pastor of a Separatist church in England -- one that had separated from the Anglican church of Henry VIII -- met some Anabaptists, and came to believe their teachings about adult baptism. Smyth baptized himself and his congregation. He later left the Seperatists and became an Anabaptist/Mennonite, leaving his church behind. The churches that Smyth left behind left the Seperatist movement and became the first Baptists.

So the first Baptists were from congregations that had Separated from Anglican, fell under the teachings of the Anabaptists, but were not directly decended from Anabaptist. The Anabaptists became the Mennonites and Amish.

See "The Radical Reformation" by Williams.

 

http://www.doctrine.org/history/ is a web site with 'The History of Protestantism" by J. A. Wylie.

Part of the contents of Volume 1 Book 1 is :-

Chapter 5 . . . MEDIAEVAL PROTESTANT WITNESSES.
Ambrose of Milan — His Diocese — His Theology — Rufinus, Presbyter of Aquileia — Laurentius of Milan — The Bishops of the Grisons — Churches of Lombardy in Seventh and Eighth Centuries — Claude in the Ninth Century — His Labors — Outline of his Theology — His Doctrine of the Eucharist — His Battle against Images — His Views on the Roman Primacy — Proof thence arising — Councils in France approve his Views — Question of the Services of the Roman Church to the Western Nations.
Chapter 6 . . . THE WALDENSES — THEIR VALLEYS
Submission of the Churches of Lombardy to Rome — The Old Faith maintained in the Mountains — The Waldensian Churches — Question of their Antiquity — Approach to their Mountains — Arrangement of their Valleys — Picture of blended Beauty and Grandeur.
Chapter 7 . . . THE WALDENSES — THEIR MISSIONS AND MARTYRDOMS
Their Synod and College — Their Theological Tenets — Romaunt Version of the New Testament — The Constitution of their Church — Their Missionary Labors — Wide Diffusion of their Tenets — The Stone Smiting the Image.
Chapter 8 . . . THE PAULICIANS
The Paulicians the Protesters against the Eastern, as the Waldenses against the Western Apostasy — Their Rise in A.D. 653 — Constantine of Samosata-Their Tenets Scriptural — Constantine Stoned to Death — Simeon Succeeds — Is put to Death — Sergius — His Missionary Travels — Terrible Persecutions-The Paulicians Rise in Arms — Civil War — The Government Triumphs — Dispersion of the Paulicians over the West — They Blend with the Waldenses — Movement in the South of Europe — The Troubadour, the Barbe, and the Bible, the Three Missionaries — Innocent III. — The Crusades.
Chapter 9 . . . CRUSADES AGAINST THE ALBIGENSES
Rome founded on the Dogma of Persecution — Begins to act upon it — Territory of the Albigenses — Innocent III. — Persecuting Edicts of Councils — Crusade preached by the Monks of Citeaux — First Crusade launched — Paradise — Simon de Montfort — Raymond of Toulouse — His Territories Overrun and Devastated — Crusade against Raymond Roger of Beziers — Burning of his Towns — Massacre of their Inhabitants — Destruction of the Albigenses.


This may have some of the information you are looking for.
Regards
Bob