(Heb. 11:32-38) "Of whom the world was not worthy..."

VI. The "Dark Ages" (A. D. 500 - 700) .

A. With the sixth century begins the period in church history known as the Dark Ages.

1. Obedience to the gospel had been exchanged in the Catholic church by forms and ceremonies borrowed from Judaism and Paganism.

> The worship of Mary, and saints, and relics, had been introduced.

> The belief in the saving efficacy of human works had superseded faith in the Christ the Savior.

2. Heathen idolaters were being converted to Catholicism.

> The only requirement made of them being a transfer of their worship from their gods to the images of Christ and the saints.

> Church and state having been united under the reign of Constantine in the fourth century, the Christian religion had become very popular.

B. In this century under the reign of Justinian an effort was made to enforce religious uniformity.

1. Severe penalties were enacted against all who would not conform to the corruptions of the church of Rome.

> Persecutions waged against the people of God, for their refusal to unite with the corrupt church.

2. Fleeing persecution they fled for refuge to the mountainous districts of northern Italy, northern Spain, and southern France.

> They were still known by the names, Novatianists, and Donatists, and Montanists.

3. They were occasionally called Ana-Baptists or re-baptizers, because they refused to recognize the validity of Catholic baptism.

> Instead they re-baptized all that were saved out of the catholic church.

 

C. It is IMPORTANT to note that these spiritual churches never followed the catholic church into apostasy.

1. A remnant was always found that opposed unscriptural practices.

> And men would always be raised by God who would come forth as a messenger to plead for the truth.

2. Though some great men came out of the catholic church of Rome, there had always been a group who never went in.

> "They had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

> "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

> "(Of whom the world was not worthy:)"

 

D. Chronological Overview of the Dark Ages.

1. SIXTH CENTURY:

> Catholics call Baptist or Christian churches Ana-Baptists for the first time (Hassell, p. 407-409).

2. SEVENTH CENTURY:

> True Christian churches in Armenia. The Catholics call them Paulicians (Hassell, p. 417; Smith).

3. EIGHTH CENTURY:

> True Christian churches still called Ana-Baptists, Donatists.

> The Catholics originate the doctrine of transubstantiation in 780 A. D.

> In the first part of this century, Pope Stephen II instituted pouring as a legal ordinance for baptism in the Catholic church.

4. NINTH CENTURY:

> Ana-Baptists move to Bulgaria.

> In this century the Greek Catholics and the Roman Catholics became separate bodies.

5. TENTH CENTURY:

> Baptists in Wales, Italy, and France, and called Paulicians and Ana-baptists in different countries (Smith, p. 359-360).

6. ELEVENTH CENTURY:

> Baptists were in Italy and France under the name of Paulicians and Paterines (Smith, p. 358, 360, 363).

7. TWELFTH CENTURY:

> Baptists were called Paterines, Henricians, Arnoldists and Petrobrussians (Hassell, p. 436, 438; Smith, 219).

8. THIRTEENTH CENTURY:

> Baptists were found in Italy, France, and Germany, and were called Waldenses or Vaudois, Ana-baptists, and Albigenses (Smith, page 570 to 585).

9. FOURTEENTH CENTURY:

> Baptist churches were in Germany, England, and Poland.

> They were called Lollards in England, Waldenses and Ana-baptists in the rest of Europe (Crosby, Vol. 2; Orchard's English Baptists, p. 118; Smith).

10. FIFTEENTH CENTURY:

> Baptist churches in England and Valleys of Piedmont.

> In this century John Huss, a reformer, was burned at the stake (1415), but he was not a Baptist.

> In this century Martin Luther was born (Nov. 10, 1433), but let it be understood that his reformation had no connection with the Baptists.

> (He still practiced infant-baptism).

> In this century thousands of women and children of the Waldenses were put to death by persecution (Crosby, Vol. 1, p. 18).

11. SIXTEENTH CENTURY:

> Baptists were found in France and Germany under the name of Waldenses.

> The Lutheran church came out of Rome as a distinct body in about 1552.

> The Episcopal church came out of Rome in 1534, and the Presbyterian in 1527.

12. SEVENTEENTH CENTURY:

> Baptist Churches were called Waldenses, Baptist, and Ana-Baptist.

> The first Baptist church in America was organized at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638 by Dr. John Clarke and eleven others.

13. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY:

> New School Baptist movement was started in England by William Carey and Andrew Fuller.

> The Methodists became a distinct body from the Episcopal church in 1785.

14. NINETEENTH CENTURY:

> The New School movement spread to America.

> Campbellites became a distinct sect in 1827.

15. WHY ARE THESE DATES IMPORTANT???

> Because they show that all through the centuries there has always been a remnant who held to New Testament truth.

> Baptists did NOT come out of the catholic church.

> Baptist have always had congregations opposing false doctrine, and upholding the truth.

 

VII. Early Church Leaders.

A. Montanus.

1. Born in Phrygia in Asia Minor, and made his first appearance before the public about 160 A. D., in the village of Ardabar.

> Gnosticism and other forms of false philosophy had so infested the church with heresy that Montanus with burning enthusiasm raised his voice against it.

2. He considered those only to be true and perfect Christians who possessed the inward dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

> In other words the philosophy of men can never bring about salvation.

> Men must be saved by the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

3. Montanus led a group who zealously advocated the true gospel principles:

> Spiritual regeneration by faith FIRST.

> Baptism and church membership NEXT.

> These were directly opposed to the state religion.

4. They were called "Montanists" by their enemies.

> No doubt because of the Leader Montanus.

B. Tertullian.

1. Tertullian was one of the earliest writers who used the Latin language in written composition.

> He was brought up as a heathen, and said in his own writings, that he was licentious in his conduct, and fond of the public shows.

2. Like Montanus, he withdrew from the corruptions of many of the churches under the power of Rome.

> This minority continued there, as similar churches did in other places, till the rise of Novatus, and finally, of the Donatists.

> Tertullian and Montanus stood together in pleading for the purity of the church, and the rejection of all unregenerate persons.

3. Tertullian denied to the churches, the right to claim to be true churches of Christ.

> He asserted that "as they do not rightly administer the ordinance, their baptism is the same as none."

> He believed if you didn't get baptized Scripturally, you didn't get baptized at all.

C. Novatian.

1. There appears to have been great objections made to the manner of his baptism at that time.

> Being seized with sudden illness which was supposed to be fatal, he received what was called clinical baptism, that is, baptism on the sick bed, water being poured upon him and his bed.

2. This was not scriptural baptism, which was clearly indicated by the opposition made at that early day to its validity.

> Whether or not Novatian was afterwards properly baptized is not known, but the reasonable supposition is that he was.

> NOTICE how important being Scripturally baptized was to the early church.

3. Novatian took a strong stand against the readmission of such as had thus violated their baptismal vows.

> He earnestly contended for church purity, maintaining that one of the essential marks of a true church is holiness of character on the part of its members.

4. Novatian's stance on purity gained for his followers the name of "The Puritans".

> He argued that any church which neglected the right exercise of church discipline, and tolerated in its bosom those guilty of gross sins, ceased, by that very act, to be a true church of Christ.

5. All over the empire the example of this devoted man of God was followed, and Puritan churches, called Novatianists, existed all over Europe.

> These Puritan churches were called by their enemies Novatianists, under which name they may be traced to the end of the sixth century.

> They were found in direct line with the Tertullianists and Montanists, who were their successors.

6. These churches contended for the simplicity of the gospel and purity of membership, and since THEY BAPTIZED those who were admitted to their fellowship from the Catholic party...

> THEY ARE THE DIRECT ANCESTORS OF OUR BAPTIST CHURCHES.

D. Donatus.

1. So strong was the influence of this noted preacher, that the churches of northern Africa that stood together in opposition to the Catholic party, soon came to be known as Donatists.

> It is said that by 330 A. D., the Donatist Pastors of this region numbered 172.

2. The Donatists, like the Novatianists, went upon the principle that the essence of the true church consisted in the purity and holiness of its membership.

> They excommunicated all gross offenders, and held that the baptism and the Lord's supper depended upon the worthiness of the recipient.

> In other words, if you got out of line with the church, you were forbidden to take the Lord's supper.

> THIS WAS A BIG DEAL TO OUR CHURCH FATHERS.

3. They protested hereditary church membership.

> This was the belief that those born into the church were automatically members.

> They proclaimed that none but those who were born-again had any right to the ordinances, or admission into the church.

> A child of a church member COULD NOT take the Lord's table until he was Saved, Baptized, & Received into membership.

E. The Waldenses.

1. The papists accused the protestants of being a new sect; whose principles had no existence until the days of Luther.

> They declared that all churches came out of the catholic church as protestants.

> The real problem for this teaching was the Waldenses.

2. In order to teach the false history that all churches came out of Rome, there was no alternative but to find a by-path through the history of the Waldenses.

> This caused many scholars to investigate the history of this people, with more care and attention than it is any way likely they would otherwise have done.

3. These researches have furnished us with important evidence, and it now appears plain:

> QUOTE: "that of all parties, the Baptists, have the best claim to the ancient Waldenses as their predecessors..."

> Luther, in 1533, published the confessions of the Waldenses, to which he wrote a preface. In this preface, he candidly acknowledges that:

"In the days of his popery, he hated the Waldenses, as persons who were consigned over to perdition. But having understood from their confessions and writings, the piety of their faith, he perceived that these good men had been greatly wronged..."

> Theodore Beza wrote in 1570 A.D., "as for the Waldenses, I may be permitted to call them the very seed of the primitive and purer church. Time out of mind, they have opposed the abuses of the church of Rome... As to their religion, they NEVER adhered to papal superstitions, for which reason they have been continually harassed by bishops & inquisitors, so that their continuance is evidently miraculous."

> In 1530 Bullinger wrote as follows: "what shall we say, that for four hundred years and more in France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Bohemia and other countries throughout the world, the Waldenses, have sustained their profession of the gospel of Christ. In several of their writings as well as by continual preaching, they have accused the pope as the real Anti-Christ foretold by the Apostle John. They have constantly and openly given testimony to their faith by glorious martyrdoms, and still do so even to this day."

> Mosheim, speaking of Peter de Bruis, a celebrated Waldensian itinerant preacher, says: "It is certain, that one of his tenets was, that no persons whatever were to be baptized before they were come to the full use of their reason."

> Dr. Wall, speaking of the Petrobrussians, whom he calls a sect of the Waldenses, says: "They did reckon infant baptism one of the corruptions of the church of Rome; and accordingly renounced it, and practiced only adult baptism."

4. They were given the name of anabaptist, because they administered anew the rite of baptism to those who came over to their communion.

> They derived the name of Mennonites from the famous man to whom they owe the greatest part of their present felicity.

> BEFORE the rise of Luther and Calvin, there lay concealed in almost all the countries of Europe, persons who had adhered tenaciously to the principles of the modern Dutch Baptists."

> "To speak candidly, what I think," says Limborch, "of all the modern sects of Christians, the Dutch Baptists, MOST resemble both the Albigenses and the Waldenses."

> Dr. Charles Buck says: "There were Baptists among the Albigenses, Waldenses and the followers of Wickliffe." (Note: Wickliffe was born in Yorkshire, England, 1324. The reformation commenced by Luther, at Wittemburg, Saxony, in 1517.)

> A history of the Dutch Baptists was published at Breda, in 1819, by Dr. Ypeij (professor of Theology at Gronigen) and Rev. J. J. Dermot, (Chaplain to the King of the Netherlands), in which they say:

> "We have now seen that the Baptists, who were formerly called anabaptists, and in later times Mennonites, were the original Waldenses, and who long in the history of the church, have received the honor of that origin. On this account, the Baptists may be considered the only Christian community that has stood since the days of the apostles; and as a Christian society, which has preserved pure, the doctrine of the gospel through all the ages. At the same time it goes to confute the erroneous notion of the catholics, that their communion is the most ancient."

5. The papists declared that all churches came out of the catholic church as protestants. The real problem for this teaching was the Waldenses.

> In order to teach the false history that all churches came out of Rome, there was no alternative but to find a by-path through the history of the Waldenses.