The Baptists have held fast to God’s Word throughout the ages. They defied the Catholic beliefs and practices of infant baptism, infant communion, transubstantiation, the union of church and state, image worship, saint worship, Mariolatry (worship of Mary, Jesus’ mother), the selling of indulgences, Purgatory, etc., etc., etc. Because Baptists made the Bible their sole authority for living, they were brutally persecuted.
An excerpt from the book:
Page 3 -- Froude, the English historian, says of these Ana-Baptist [another name for the Baptists] martyrs--
“The details are all gone, their names are gone. Scarcely the facts seem worth mentioning. For them no Europe was agitated, no court was ordered in mourning, no papal hearts trembled with indignation. At their death the world looked on complacent, indifferent or exulting. Yet here, out of 25 poor men and women were found 14, who, by no terror of stake or torture, could be tempted to say they believed what they did not believe. History has for them no word of praise, yet they, too, were not giving their blood in vain. Their lives might have been as useless as the lives of most of us. In their death they assisted to pay the purchase of English freedom.”
Some fifty millions of Baptists were mercilessly slaughtered at the hands of the Catholics, Lutherans, and Presbyterians, yet, as their persecutors fell on them with still crueler methods of torture and death, the Baptist faith grew and spread like wildfire until it could not be stopped. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Praise God! I have never been so proud to be a Baptist as I am at this moment.
Another excerpt:
Page 46:16 -- “As many as 30 preachers at different times were put in jail with the only charge against them -- “for preaching the Gospel of the Son of God.” James Ireland is a case in point. He was imprisoned. After imprisonment, his enemies tried to blow him up with gunpowder. That having failed, they next tried to smother him to death by burning sulphur under his windows at the jail. Failing this also, they tried to arrange with a doctor to poison him. All this failed. He [Ireland] continued to preach to his people from the windows. A wall was then built around his jail so the people could not see in nor he see out, but even that difficulty was overcome. The people gathered, a handkerchief was tied to a long stick, and that stuck up above the wall so Ireland could see when they were ready. The preaching continued.”
It’s a shame Baptists aren’t that determined to hear the preaching of the Word of God today. At times you would think going to church is like getting teeth pulled. Sad to say, the persecution of the Baptists kept them spiritually alive and fighting. Satan realized that attempting to exterminate them would not rid the world of their beliefs. Now he lets us alone, realizing that our own laziness will destroy us. All he has to do is watch while we fall asleep and become spiritually dead.
I wish Christians would get on fire for the Lord. Baptists need to know their amazing heritage. God said in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” There is no way that we can stay spiritually nonchalant once we start searching the Scriptures and begin reading about the agony our predecessors suffered. Our Baptist forefathers left a trail of blood that we might hold God’s precious Word in our hands today and enjoy the religious freedom we now take for granted. Hebrews 12:1 speaks of the great cloud of witnesses, the ones who have gone on before us, who encompass and watch us as we run the race. Have they found us to be faithful? Will God say, “Well done, though good and faithful servant” to us as He has to them? I hope and pray we will be found worthy.
FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINES
- A spiritual Church, Christ its founder, its only head and law giver.
- Its ordinances, only two, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. They are typical and memorial, not saving.
- Its officers, only two, bishops or pastors and deacons; they are servants of the church.
- Its Government, a pure Democracy, and that executive only, never legislative.
- Its laws and doctrines: The Bible and that only.
- Its members. Believers only, they are saved by grace, not works, through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.
- Its requirements. Believers on entering the church to be baptized, that by immersion, then obedience and loyalty to all Biblical laws.
- The various churches--separate and independent in their execution of laws and discipline and in their responsibilities to God--but cooperative in work.
- Complete separation of Church and State.
- Absolute Religious Liberty for all.