Post by benshelpmeet on Jun 21, 2005 15:30:45 GMT -5
TEN AFFIRMATIONS CONCERNING OUR BAPTIST HERITAGE
by James R. Beller
1. Baptists are ancient, and our ancestry can be traced through the vital principles established and set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples in New Testament churches.
2. Baptists are not "Protestants," as our testimony extends much further in history than that of Martin Luther or John Calvin.
3. Baptists are not "Reformed" in theology or practice, for our view of the church could never allow the marriage of church and state.
4. Baptists are not "Calvinists," for the doctrines of grace were believed and preached long before John Calvin preached in Geneva.
5. Baptists are not "Arminian" in theology, for our forefathers preached the Gospel with fervor long before the time of Jacob Arminius, and believed they were enabled by God to persevere.
6. Immersion was in common use among Baptists before 1641. We reject the 1641 theory of William Whitsitt and oppose the conclusions of Henry Veddar about baptism. We view as suspect the modern histories of Robert Baker, Leon McBeth, Walter Shurden, Robert G. Torbet, and James Edward McGoldrick as they submit to the thoroughly disproved theory of William Whitsitt.
7. Baptist heritage is far older than "Fundamentalism,"* or the era of the city-wide revival campaigns, or the time of the old Evangelical Alliance.
8. Because Baptists have suffered at the hands of Papists and Pedobaptistic Protestants alike, we ought to venerate and remember our historic testimony far above the testimony of our persecuting enemies. That is, we ought to revere the testimony of the Paulicians, Peter de Bruys, Henry of Clugny, Balthasar Hubmaier, Henry D’anvers, John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, Valentine Wightman, Isaac Backus, Shubal Stearns, Samuel Harris, John Leland, John Taylor, Isaac McCoy, et. al. These names should be more commonly known among Baptists than those of D. L. Moody, Ira Sankey, R. A. Torrey, Sam Jones, Gipsy Smith, John Wilbur Chapman or Billy Sunday.
9. Infant baptism is the badge of antichrist, and flirtation with that badge is akin to treason against God’s Word.
10. Ignorance of Baptist heritage, which is so infectious in our pulpits and pews today, is dangerous and must be over come with a renewed teaching of our Baptist heritage and heroes of past generations.
*Interdenominational Fundamentalism of the turn of the 20th century.
September 2004
by James R. Beller
1. Baptists are ancient, and our ancestry can be traced through the vital principles established and set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples in New Testament churches.
2. Baptists are not "Protestants," as our testimony extends much further in history than that of Martin Luther or John Calvin.
3. Baptists are not "Reformed" in theology or practice, for our view of the church could never allow the marriage of church and state.
4. Baptists are not "Calvinists," for the doctrines of grace were believed and preached long before John Calvin preached in Geneva.
5. Baptists are not "Arminian" in theology, for our forefathers preached the Gospel with fervor long before the time of Jacob Arminius, and believed they were enabled by God to persevere.
6. Immersion was in common use among Baptists before 1641. We reject the 1641 theory of William Whitsitt and oppose the conclusions of Henry Veddar about baptism. We view as suspect the modern histories of Robert Baker, Leon McBeth, Walter Shurden, Robert G. Torbet, and James Edward McGoldrick as they submit to the thoroughly disproved theory of William Whitsitt.
7. Baptist heritage is far older than "Fundamentalism,"* or the era of the city-wide revival campaigns, or the time of the old Evangelical Alliance.
8. Because Baptists have suffered at the hands of Papists and Pedobaptistic Protestants alike, we ought to venerate and remember our historic testimony far above the testimony of our persecuting enemies. That is, we ought to revere the testimony of the Paulicians, Peter de Bruys, Henry of Clugny, Balthasar Hubmaier, Henry D’anvers, John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, Valentine Wightman, Isaac Backus, Shubal Stearns, Samuel Harris, John Leland, John Taylor, Isaac McCoy, et. al. These names should be more commonly known among Baptists than those of D. L. Moody, Ira Sankey, R. A. Torrey, Sam Jones, Gipsy Smith, John Wilbur Chapman or Billy Sunday.
9. Infant baptism is the badge of antichrist, and flirtation with that badge is akin to treason against God’s Word.
10. Ignorance of Baptist heritage, which is so infectious in our pulpits and pews today, is dangerous and must be over come with a renewed teaching of our Baptist heritage and heroes of past generations.
*Interdenominational Fundamentalism of the turn of the 20th century.
September 2004
Wow..... I was so excited to see that. I can't wait to show my son.... he'll flip. Just had to share my excitement God Bless, Alane
