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INTRODUCTION: The Lord Jesus Christ guaranteed the continuance of His church forever when He said, "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt 28:20). Even without the testimony of history the Word of God alone proves that there has been a succession of like minded churches from the time of the Lord Jesus Christ till now. However, I hope to use both the Bible and the testimony of history to prove this fact. THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH: The Lord established His church during His earthly sojourn. That the church began at Pentecost is a common error that has been taught extensively for over 100 years. The Lord empowered His already established church to do His work on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:4-5, 8; Luke 24:46-49). The New Testament church is rather local and visible. Here is Scriptural proof that the New Testament church predates Pentecost:
1. The apostles were the first members of
Christ's church (1 Cor 12:28; Luke 6:12-16). CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT THE CHURCH IS: Even though it is true that believers of this Age, both living and dead, are seated "together in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 2:6) we will not physically assemble until the Rapture. A church that has never assembled is not a church yet. That is the church in prospect (Eph 1:21-23, 5:23-27; Col 1:18-22 ). Christ's future church in Heaven will be made up of all the saved of this Church Age (Rev 1:19, 4:1). However, there is no such thing as either a universal (catholic) visible or invisible church on this earth. New Testament Baptists Have Always Been The True Church: Most, even Baptists themselves, believe the Baptists are Protestants. However, Baptists predate both the Roman Catholic system and the Protestant groups. The Roman Catholic "Church" was started by the Roman Emperor Constantine almost 300 years to late to be Christ's church. This corrupt system teaches baptismal regeneration, idolatry, marries the church with the state, has a hierarchy, and persecutes true believers, etc., etc. Protestant groups seeing the corruption of Romanism began to separate from it in the 1530's. That's 1,500 years to late to be the Lord's Church. In spite of this separation they retained many of the traits of their mother church (Job 14:4). MARKS OF A NEW TESATAMENT CHURCH: Historically New Testament churches have always held these doctrines (Matt 28:20):
1. It's Head and Founder -- Christ. (Matt 16:18;
Eph 1:22, 4:15, 5:23) SECULAR HISTORY ON THE ANTIQUITY OF THE BAPTIST: The Baptists of the Reformation claimed that they had an ancient origin arid went so far as to suggest a "succession of churches". This claim was put forth by them at the very beginning of the Reformation A. D. 1521. An old letter is in existence founding. "Successio Ana-baptistica." The letter bears its own date as "that of the Swiss brethren, written to the Netherland Anabaptists, respecting their origin, a year before, Anno 1522" (Suptibus Bernardi Gaultheri. Coloniae, 1663 and 1612). The letter is particularly important since it shows that the Baptists as early as 1521 claimed a succession. (2) A notable proof of the antiquity of the Baptists of Moravia is here recorded. Johanna Schlecta Costelacius wrote a letter from Bohemia, October 10, 1519, to Erasmus, affirming that for one hundred years the Picards had been dipping believers, and that they rebaptized and were therefore Anabaptists. His words are: "Such as come over to their sect must every one be dipped in mere water (in aqua simplici repbaptizari)" (Pauli Colimesii, Opera Theologica, Critica et Historica No. XXX. 534, 535, Hamburg, 1469). (2) Both Catholic and Protestants testify to the fact that Baptists existed long before the Refermation: Roman Catholic Testimony: In 1524 the Roman Catholic Cardinal Hosius, who became the President of the Council of Trent (1560), admitted that Baptists dated back to the days of the Roman Emperor Constintine who was the first "Christian" Pontifix Maximus. Hosius said: "Were it not that the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife during the past twelve hundred years, they would swarm in greater number than all the Reformers." (Housius, Letters Apud Opera, pp. 112, 113) (3) Hosius further stated: "The Anabaptists are a pernicious sect of which kind the Waldensian brethren seem to have been although some of them lately, as they testify in their apology, declare that they will no longer re-baptize, as was their former custom; nevertheless, it is certain that many of them retain their custom, and have united with the Anabaptists." (Hosius, Works of the Heresatics of our Times, Bk. I. 431. Ed. 1584) (2) In a court of law Hosius would be considered a hostile witness for the Baptists. The testimony of a hostile witness is the most convincing kind. Protestant Testimony: Zwingli, the first Protestant Reformed theologian said: "The institution of Anabaptism is no novelty, but for three hundred years has caused great disturbance in the church, and has acquired such strength that the attempt in this age to contend with it appears futile for a time." (2) Mosheim, the Lutheran historian states: ". . . I believe the Mennonites are not altogether in the wrong, when they boast of a descent from these Waldenses, Petrobrusians, and others, who are usually styled witnesses for the truth before Luther. Prior to the age of Luther, there lay concealed in almost every country of Europe but especially in Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland and Germany, very many persons, in whose minds were deeply rooted that principle which the Waldenses, Wyclifites, and the Husites maintained, some more covertly and others more openly; namely, that the kingdom which Christ set up on the earth, or the visible church, is an assembly of holy persons; and ought therefore to he entirely free from not only ungodly persons and sinners, but from all institutions of human device against ungodliness. This principle lay at the foundation which was the source of all that was new and singular in the religion of the Mennonites; and the greatest part of their singular opinions, as is well attested, were approved some centuries before the time of Luther, by those who had such views of the Church of Christ (Mosheim, Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, III. 200). |