History: The Heritage of Our Baptist Faith

civil powers and the exclusive right of teaching. The Lutherans believe in the subordination of the church and the school to the state. In the lands where the state church is Lutheran, the church buildings are the property of the state. Pastors are civil servants. The church is thus an agency of the state. Infants baptized as members of the church are subjects of the state. The CalviniStic position'is one of separation of church and state, but they also teach that they have the same ultimate purpose: that is, to realize the will of God on earth. The church'alone can interpret God's will and has the right to determine the moral standard and,duty of the state. The church and state are separate organs, but together, they are a combined organism. The Anabaptists and the Baptists which followed them have believed and taught that the church and state must be entirely separate. The matter of religion is no business of the state. In his book, "The Development of Modern Education", Eby (page 140) says, "These peoples (Anabaptists) advanced the cause of re­ ligious freedom and later played an important part in bringing about the complete separation of church and state in America.” It is commonly believed, by many that New England was colonized by those who believed in religious freedom. It should be pointed out that the Puritans believed in religious freedom for themselves, but no one else. This is why Roger Williams was banished from the colony. This is why many other Baptists were persecuted by the state church of Massachusetts. These lew Englanders believed that religion could not stand without the support of the state, and also that the states could not be built without the aid of'religion. One's citizenship in the state was determined by his baptism in the church. Because the New England Baptists could not accept membership in the state church, they were denied, consequently, the privilege of citizenship. They were not per­ mitted to vote, nor could they have a voice of any kind in the government, but at the same time they were taxed to support the government. Some one has said that the leaders of the American Revolution could stoutly affirm that "Taxation without representation is tyranny", but they did not believe that this applied to the Baptists. In Massachusetts, on November 13, 1644, a law was passed which sentenced Baptists to banishment if they would believe and practice what they understood the Bible to teach on baptism. 11 -