The Ohio Independent Baptist, April 1957

THE OI-IIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST ----------- April 1957 ARE BAP'l'ISTS PROTEST OR CATHOLIC? 1~, l\ 11, \ .... I,I~.. T .. "l~~'l 11 11 . (1() )I , l)n . io1· Ic1 li. 011 ( C1011fi111tecl fro111 "illarc/1 , 1 e11ue Ba1)ti . t h11reh, I ater on, . J. 1l T ~ 'l' t) l~ 1(, ,.\ l 1 l ) ll ()( };' 111 111att C't'~ of tl1is l{ill(l it i. H 1 \Y cl~~s i 1111101·– t cl 11 t t () o· i \" t:-, l)l'()Of fro111 bi~tc.)1·~·. Ri11 c·C' ,,.. li,·e i11 a tlc1~· ,,·l1e11 l~1111)l1,1 ·i~ lll)011 tl1 I ell t i~1 11,1111 c111c.l l1e1--ita~:e i. Ere– (llll'llt l~· to11~t r11ecl as l1C' i11g t111... pi1·– i t l l ct 11,· ~et ta 1• i a 11 l) J· 11 o t ,1 f e,,.. , it . ._ i~ ,,·ell to lle al1le to acl,,. a11 ·e 11roof fo1-- 0111· ro11te11tio11 tl1at in. i t ence t1po11 st1cl1 ,111 e1111)l1a. i. i i111por– ta11 t. ,\Te ,,·ill tl1eref01·e q11ote l1i. - t o1·ia11.·, 111a11,... of ,,-110111 a 1·e 11ot • B,111ti. t " tl1e111:·el,· . . ( 1 ) ·· ,\Te l1a , Te 110,v . ee11 tl1at tl1e I3apti. t . , wl10 " ·er e for111er ly r alleel ... ~ 11a l)a 11ti. t. , a11cl i11 late1-– ti111e.. :\Ie1111011ite. , ,rer e the orig·– i11al W alcl e11 e. , a11 l ,,. ho lo11g i11 tl1e l1i to1·,'" of the e11111-- h r ecei,red ._ the 1101101· of that origi11. n thi ae ·ot111t the Ba1)ti:t n1a3'" 1Je co11- . ic.le1·ecl a the 0111,,. , hri tia11 coin- ._ lll l111it\'" ,,hich l1a toocl . ince the ., da~· · of the .... po. tle a11d a a 1 l11·i. tia11 o~iet3... ,,-hi ·J1 l1a pre– e1--,1ed pltl"e tl1e cloct1,i11e of t l1e g·o JJel th1--ol1gh all aire. . ( Fron1 a Hi~tor--,· of the D l1t ·11 R efor·1ne l '- 1 h ll r cl1 b,· Dr. J . ..J. D er111ol1t a11 l • D1·. Y l)eij pt1bli he l i11 1 19) ( 2 ) · Ba1)ti. t clai111 a hig·her a11- ti lllitJ'" tha11 tl1e e, 1 e11tft1l e1·a of the R eforn1atio11. The}T offer 1)roof i11 tl1at tl1eir ,,.ie,, of the ·hl1reh a11cl tl1e orcli11a11ce: 111a,· l)e tra ·e 1 ._ tl11--011!!.l1 tl1e 1~aterine. a11cl \\T al- tle11 e · t l1e Do11ati:t tl1e :-Jo,/a– tio11. the :\I 011ta11 i:t · of tl1 ee;o11tl a11 l tl1e r lo:i110' JJa1·t of th e fi1-.. ·t ce11t111·)'" to tl1e apo.-tl e. a11cl the tht11·c·l1e. the-'.. fol111clecl. Th ir clain1 ._ to tl1i: l1igl1 a11ti CJ t1it3T it ,,..0111 (1 "ee111 i · ,,ell fo1111clecl for l1i. ·to1--– ia11. . n ot B,1})ti.·t.-, a11cl ,, 1 ho co11l l ha,,.e 110 1uoti,,e exceJ)t fi clelity to fact , eo11cecled it. ( F1·0111 R - li~io11.· of tl1e ,,To1·lcl ' ) l ;~ ) • · Tl1e 111oc1er11 Ba1)ti.,t: for- 111c-11--l~.. eallecl ""\na1Japti t: a1·e the 0111}'" J) eop l e tl1a t 11 e, ·e1-- :s .. 111 bolizecl ,\ith the 1)a1>ac)~. ' ' ( ~ 1 ir I : aae; Kc,,._ to11 ) (4 ) · I .· l1ol1lcl 11ot 1·eac1ily acl– n1it that tl1 e1·e ,,·a.· a Bapti. t 1 ht11·ch a fa1-. back a: A.D. 1 0 tho11g:l1 ,,~itl1 Otl t clol1l)t tl1 e1·e ,, 1 e1.-- e l3aJ)ti. t . the11 a · all (J l11·i ·tia11 ,,rer'e tl1e11 Ba1Jti8t. . ( D1·. ~J oh11 1 la1·l{ Ricl1)atl1 a 1'Ietl1ocli.·t. Au– tho1· of ' ' lii:to1-.,,. of th e "\\T orl cl ' ) ( 5 ) · · \ \ T p rt, it 11 o t t l 1 ,1 t t l 1 r l a 1 - t i:;;t s l1ct, · l1cc11 g·1·ic , 'ot1. 1 ,.. tor- 111 11t ec.l a111 etlt off ,,rith the l<11ife c. l111·i11g t l1 l ast 1200 y ear , t l1 Jr ,,.(>tll tl .,,,·c1r111 i 11 g·1·eatc>r 11l1111 l)er s tl1c111 al l tl1e Refor111e1· . , (By ar– cli11a l 1I . it1 , 1)re. i le11t of the ot111 il of Tre11t. l:::polre1i i1i 1524) ( ) ·It 1n ll t ha ,Te already oc– ct1rred to 0111-- 1-- ader that the Bap– ti. t: are th . an1e . e t of hr·i, - tia11." tl1a t ,s·e1-- e f 01--1ne1--ly cl e cribe 1 a. 11alJa11ti t . 111 l eed thi een1 to hav b ee11 tl1ei1· lea cli110· p1,111- ·ipl e £1·0111 the ti1ne of T er tl1llian to tl1e l)re e11t ti1ne. (From the Ec1i11burgh 1 y loJ>edia Pre byter– ia11. X ote tl1at T ert1,1llian " ra born ; 0 1rea1-- afte1.. the death of the ._ po t le .J oh11 ) (7 ) Bapti t. lo not a do mo t l 1--ote ta11t deno1ni11atio11 date tl1ei1· 01·igi11 fr·om the R eformation of 1520. . . The~y· did not ho\,– e,1er orig·i11ate ,·vith the R eforma– t io11 for l o11g befor·e Lt1the1 .. lived 11a,-- lo11g lJe fo1·e t l1e R oman 'ath– olie; 1 hl1r ·h h e1-- lf ,va k110\\Tn I3a1)ti . t a11cl Bapti t ih1,11--cl1e e · - i tecl a11 l flouri. hed in Et1rope i11 ..:\ ia a11d i11 frica. (Profe 01-– '\\ illia111 1 e ·il Dt111 1 an ) '\Vl1ile fu1--the r c1l1otatio11 may be ad l t1cecl f 1·0111 hi:toria 11 to cl.en1011- . trate the ,rali lit,~ of th l ai1u o:f Ba J)ti. t to hig·h antic1uitJr a11d e~.1e11 to ·01111ectio11 ,,,ith the fi r t ce11- t11r)"', it i. · l1n11e e.,.· a1--3.. to ad,,.an e ft11·ther l)I'oof at thi. poi11t. Tl1e ,Talt1 of ,'ll ·11 hi. tol')" 11111 t be con– .'icl e1·etl. ,,t e ,·vho co1 t 11d for t l1e ll.'e of the 11a111e I3a pti.·t a1--e lo– i11 o· .·o t l1ro11gh 110 n1 r e e ·ta1--ia11 lJias or cle.· i1--e to I e1--pet11ate a le- 1101ni11atio11al 11am . I11a:1n11 ·h a l11Hto1·J.. cle111011. t1--a t . l)oth th 01--- .. ig·in a11cl mea11i11O' of t l1e te1·1n an l Hi11ce hi. ·to1·) 1 fl11·the1-- . ho,,T tl1e i1u– po1·ta11 ·e of i le11tifi ·atio11 ,vith the p eo1 le of ({o l 011 the l)a. i. of 11·i11- ·i1)l e, a11cl b eea11 e the na1ne Bap– ti. t l1a ro111e to l)e u11cle1-- tood 1111i,re1• •all)T a, ' 1•ep1•e. e11ti11cr ie1•tai11 13il)li ·al to11vi ·t i o11. · ,ve h old it to be 110 n101-- 01· l e . tha11 ho11e ·t to aclmit 011r 1J1·oper cle."ignatio11. 111 fatt it i., cla11g·erol1 , a , al. o dem- 011 t1·a tecl lJ:tT l1i:to1--y, 110 to do o. B11t 1no1·e of t l1i · a11011. Tl,e Bctpfi t a11cl t l1 e Refor111ation That t l1e Bapti t or nabap- ti. ·t , ,ve1--e i11 exi ·tence ,, 1 h e11 t l1e R efor1natio11 began 111ay b e 1--eadily i. ·szte ) sre11 f r o111 t h e ,,Triti11g. of the R e– for111er ' tl1e111.·el ve. ·. 1~ 01-- i11 . ta11ce, l\Iar--ti11 Ll1ther in hi comn1e11tar y 011 t l1 e J"alatia11 Epi. tle ay in tl1e p1·efa ·e 'For th11 · do the Ana– l1apti t . teach t hat Bapti m i, 11othin~: except the p er 011 clo be– lieve ... Who eeth 11ot here, in the 11abapti t men not po e ed w itl1 cle·vil but e, 1 e11 devil them– . elve po e ed wit h wor e d ev- il ? ... Tot a very tol era11t attitude to be ce1-- tai11 b l1t at l ea t the hi - torical i11forn1ation i there. Zwing– li came very near being an Ana– ba I ti. t him elf but when he be– gan to ee where t h e principle " -ot1ld lead h e chanO'ed hi col1r e and becam e oppo ed to t h e move– ment. Vedder ay of thi ' H e had but to cro on con i te11tly in thi way to have made the Zwing– lia11 R ef01--mation a n nabapti t movement. But hav ino· pl1t hi hand to the plol1o·h h e l1ffer ed him el:f to l ook back. H e wa in bondage to the idea of a tate hu1--ch a R ef- 01·matio11 that hot1ld have back of it the l)ower of the civil magi - trate i11 tead of beincr a pirit.l1al mo,,.ement imp ly. ' ' I t i not diffi ult to ee that tl1e R efor1ner came to loolr upon the xi te11t Bapti t mo,rement ,vith di favor a11d eve11t11ally thi di - favo1· tl11--11ed to enmi ty a the pre - . 1,11--e of political uph ea, ,al began to a er t it elf. The i c1ea of a tate ·hlll" h inl1e1"ent i11 the whole R ef- 01--111atio11 y tern ancl depe11dent lllJOn infa11t Bapti m a a ba ic te11et 1nade the Prote taut mo, 7 e- 111e11t a11d t l1e Bapti t movement in- ;01npatil)le. Bapti t in i t upon a reO'e11e1--ate n1ember hip a bap– t izecl n1e111ber hip a11 l tl1e ab oll1te . e1)a1·ation of cht1rch and tate. Tl1i ,, 1 ol1l l appear to be uicidal to tl1e R efo1--1ner " ·110 depenc1ed o 11111 h l1po11 civil a i tance or who e11,ri ionecl a theo ra y 11ch a al– vi11 et llp at 1 e11e,·a. .c\ a con e 1ue11ce the Bapti ts, ,vho had al1--eady l1ffered p er – . ec11tio11 at the ha11cl of R on1e for 1 e11tt1rie 110, ..v began to experience 11ot onl "' t h e a11i1110 ity, bl1t al o the per. e t1tio11 of tl1e R eforn1er . The Bapti t i11 ma11y i11 tance ga , 1 e great a i tance to the R ef01·– matio11 becat1 e it at fir t appeared t o them that thei1· o,vn bitte1-. lot might be ea ed by the r e ult of the mo, 1 em ent. la they w e1--e doon1ed to bitter di appointment~