Baptist History Notebook
By Berlin Hisel
Note from the Editor
This work is presented as composed from the lecture notes of Bro. Berlin Hisel. They are, for the most part, presented just as they were constructed by the author. The only additions are the index to the chapters and spelling and grammatical changes for which the editor takes responsibility and, in advance, asks for forgiveness for any discrepancies and errors that may appear. Donnie Burford, 2005.
Forward Unfortunately, to many this work will only be an intellectual exercise in Biblical and historical facts. Sadly, the one thing that can not be communicated in this work is the passion of heart the author had for these truths concerning the Lord's church.
Although Bro. Hisel's insight into this most blessed of subjects had been heard for many years both in lecture and through preaching, it was not until this editor was privileged to sit under his personal instruction in the class room of Lexington Baptist College that his heart-felt conviction and love was witnessed.
It is remembered on one special occasion. It was as though in the midst of his great technical and intellectual renderings of these truths that his heart was revealed as he began to weep over the fact that, by the grace of God, he had been privileged not only to be placed in one of his Lord's churches but, wonder of wonders, had been counted worthy to be a pastor over that which Christ Himself loved and loves so dearly. Bro. Hisel's great concern, even knowing the sovereign purpose of God in the perpetuity of His kind of churches, was that many were letting these truths of the Lord's churches fall in the streets.
It is with this reality in mind, knowing that those who let the truth fall are those who once were in possession of it, and seeing many today who once professed these truths deny them either in part or in whole, that this work is set to print by the editor.
It is a shared hope of the editor, with the author, that men will see the truth, hold to the truth, and propagate the truth of that which their Lord built and purposed to continue until the end of the age; that being His ecclesia; the local, visible, called out assembly of baptized believers, each being recognized as His church. For this is the only revealed truth of God concerning His kind of ecclesia in His Holy Word.May God bless this humble effort, and may He use it to bring glory unto Himself. Ephesians 3:21; 5:25-27
Donnie Burford Editor Pastor, Purity Baptist Church Maysville, KY August, 2005
Introduction to the 2nd Edition It is with great joy that we present this second printing of The Baptist History Notebook. It is a partial fulfillment of our hope that some would take an interest in their heritage as Baptists and that others would possibly come to a new or greater understanding of the truth concerning the Lord's churches.
We thank those who have personally promoted this work, both by obtaining it themselves and recommending it to others. We have seen Christian high schools and colleges use it for their curriculums as well as many churches buying them for their members. This has been the only method we have used to promote this work, and by it we now of necessity put another 500 copies into print.
Since the first printing of this book, the Lord, in His providence, has brought the editor to become the Pastor of the South Irvine Baptist Church, the home of Kentucky Mountains Missions. If that sounds familiar, it probably is, for it was one of the churches that the author, Brother Hisel, pastored and it is the church to which we determined all the proceeds of this book would go to help the mission outreach of Kentucky Mountain Missions.
We again pray that God would be pleased to use this work for His honor and Glory and that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ might not only be better understood, but loved and appreciated in a fuller sense.
Again, any and all proceeds gained from this work will wholly go to the propagating of the Gospel with the hope of seeing souls saved by Grace and seeing New Testament Baptist churches started through the work of the South Irvine Baptist Church known as Kentucky Mountain Missions.
Bro Donnie Burford 1 Peter 4:7-11 February, 2010
About the Author Bro. Berlin Hisel was born August 25, 1936 in Jackson County, Kentucky. He moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1941 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1953-1957. In 1958, he married Dora B. Martin and they had 3 children.
He was born again into the kingdom of God in 1950. He served as deacon, teacher, and Supt. of Missions at Bentley Memorial Baptist Church [now known as Richmond Road Baptist Church] in Lexington, KY. In 1963, he received his A.B. degree from Lexington Baptist College, and in 1975 he received his Th. B. degree from Cincinnati Baptist College. He served as Bible Instructor at Cincinnati Baptist College from 1967-1975, and at Lexington Baptist College from 1975-1990. He pastored the South Irvine Baptist Church from 1964-1967. He then accepted the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of Harrison, Ohio where he ministered from 1967-1982. He returned to again pastor the South Irvine Baptist Church in 1982 until his death on July 13, 1990.
Special Thanks To Sister Dora Hisel, who graciously gave permission for the publication of this work in memory of her late husband, and for her original efforts in the compiling of this work.
I would also like to thank Christina Thomas who helped greatly in re-typing and research in verifying some of the given quotes as foot-noted in this book.
And to my wife, Karen, for both her personal encouragement to complete this work, as well as her technical skills in grammar and proof-reading which made this present rendering a reality. [Donnie Burford]
Index Chapter 1 Tracing of Baptist History 1 An Invisible War 2 What is Meant by Kingdom 2 O.T. Trail of Blood 3 N.T. Trail of Blood 4 Victims of this War 4Chapter 2 Jesus Establishes His Church 7 Christ's Church Built 7 Identifying Doctrine 7 Church Government Changed 9 Big Preachers - Big Churches 10 Episcopal Corruptions in Government 12 Preacher Power Corruption 14 Salvation Changes, Baptismal Regeneration 15 Infant Baptism 17 Many Remain True 18
Chapter 3 Persecution by The Roman Empire 20 Reasons for the Persecution 20 Different Emperors 22 How True Churches Fared 22 Nero, 54-68 B.C. 23 Trajan, 98-117 B.C. 25 Septimus Severus 193-211 26 Decius Trajan, 249-251 28 Diocletian, 284-316 30 Terrible Days (Many Martyrs' Crowns) 33 Days of Strength (Strength through Adversity) 33
Chapter 4 The Montanists 35 A Word of Caution, (not all who are called Baptist are Baptist) 35
False charges against them, (most of their history written by their enemies) 35 Eusebius, Historical Renderings 36 Montanists, Origin and Beliefs 38 Other Historians' accounts: D. Benedict 39 J. T. Christian 40 H. C. Vedder 41 T. Armitage 42 W. A. Jarrel 43 Final Notes on the Montanists 43Chapter 5 The Novatianists 45 Novatian Rupture 46 Historical Renderings: Kurtz 46 C. L. Gieseler 47 Origin of Novatianism 48 Historical Renderings: Robert Robinson 48 J. M. Cramp 50 Their Doctrines 51 Their Persecutions 52 Historical Renderings: W. M. Nevins 52 van Braght 53 C. H. Spurgeon 54
Chapter 6 Constantine The Great 55 Leo I and Boniface III 55 Flavius Valerius Constantinus, A.D. 306-337 56 His Early Life 57 His Supposed Conversion 57 Religion United to the State 59 Edict of Milan 60 Changes in the False Churches 63 Money from the State 63 Privileges and Immunities of Clergy 64
Unity Among all Churches 65 Constantino's Life 68 Constantine's Baptism 68 Conclusion 69Chapter 7 The Donatists 71 Quote by J. M. Cramp 72 Identified with Novatians 73 The Church, Its Structure 73 Separation of Church and State 74 Baptism 75 Donatist Persecution 76 The Donatists on Persecution 79 Conclusion 79
Chapter 8 Paterins, Puritans, Cathari 81 Paterins, (Patarenes) 81 Etymology of the Name 84 Paterines were Baptists 85 Puritans 86 Cathari 86 Name Widely Applied 87 The Catharist Doctrine 88 The Cathari were Baptists 89
Chapter 9 The Paulicians 91 Photius (witness of) 91 Siculus (witness of) 92 Origin, Doctrine, Persecution 93 Paulicians were Baptists 97 Persecuted 98
Chapter 10 Development in the Hierarchy, (Roman Catholic)100 The Sign of the Cross 100 Wax Candles 101 Mother of God 102
Purgatory 103 Origin of Purgatory 104Chapter 11 Further Development in the Hierarchy, (Roman Catholic) 106 List of Heresies (45 Listed) 106 Extreme Unction 109 Baptism of Bells 109 Transubstantiation 110 A Roman Miracle? 110 Catholic Church Councils Listed 112 Roman Catholic & Greek Orthodox 114
Chapter 12 Petrobrusians 116 Peter de Bruys 116 Their Doctrine 117 Augustus Neander, (Quoted) 117 Peter de Bruys was a Baptist 118 Information Source 119 Persecution 120
Chapter 13 The Henricians 121 Description of Henry 121 Henry in Mans 122 St. Bernard's Account of Henry's Influence 123 Henry was a Baptist 124 Historians say Henricians were Baptists 126 Persecution 126
Chapter 14 The Arnoldists 128 Orchard's Sketch of Arnold of Brescia 128 Was Arnold a Baptist? 130 Persecuted, Arnold's Martyrdom and Doctrine 131
Chapter 15 The Waldenses 134 Their Name 134
Their Antiquity 134 Historical Testimony 136 Waldenses by Various Names 137 Another Word on their Origin 138 Conclusion 140Chapter 16 The Waldenses Continued 142 Waldenses Not Protestants 142 Their View on "Antichrist" 143 A Confession of Their Faith, (14 Articles) 144 What the Historians Say 148
Chapter 17 The Waldenses Concluded 150 Milton's Poem 150 Loss of Houses and Goods 151 Everywhere Persecuted 151 Persecuted by the Crusaders 152
Chapter 18 The Albigenses 157 Origin 157 Their Doctrine 157 Their Persecutions 160 A Bright Light in Dark Times 162
Chapter 19 The Ana-Baptists 166 Mosheim's Account 166 Depths of Their Antiquity 168 Ana-Baptist Ancestors 169 Waldenses were Ana-Baptists 170 Ana-Baptist Beliefs 171
Chapter 20 The Bogomils 173 Their Locations 173 Agreed with the Cathari 174
Antiquity of the Bogomils 175 Charges Against Them 176 Quote from J. T. Christian 177 Their Persecution 178Chapter 21 The Lollards 179 Origin of the Lollards 179 Walter Lollard 180 Spurgeon in Connection with the Lollards 181 Their Doctrines 183 Their Persecutions 184
Chapter 22 The Bohemian & Moravian Brethren 188 Description of the Land 188 The Gospel in Bohemia 188 Peter Waldo 189 Called "Waldensians" 190 John Huss 190 Robert Robinson 192 Two Classes of Brethren 192 Their Persecution 192
Chapter 23 The Picards & Beghards 195 Picards or Pickard 195 Bohemia 196 Maximillian II 196 Doctrine of the Picards 196 The Beghards 198 The Name 199 Conclusion 199
Chapter 24 Ana-Baptists and the Reformation 201 God's Overruling Providence 202 The Good Doesn't Last 202 Illustrations of Reform Doctrine 203 Ana-Baptist Doctrine, Its Antiquity 204
Church Truth 205 Conclusion 206Chapter 25 Ana-Baptists and the Reformation Continued 209 Christianity not a Culture 209 Constantine 210 The Reformation Continues 210 Same Problems 210 Religious Force 211 Luther's Choice 212 Church Requirements 212 Salvation by Faith Alone 213 Non-Public Worship 214
Chapter 26 Ana-Baptists and the Reformation Concluded 216 The Peace between Catholics and Reformers 216 The Peace of Augsburg (1555) 216 The Peace of Westphalia (1648) 217 Lutheran Persecution 217 Luther, A Persecutor 218 Death Warrants 219 John Calvin, A Persecutor 220 The Reformers all Alike 221 Conclusion 222
Chapter 27 The Ana-Baptists of Munster 223 W. A. Jarrel, Quote of their Diversity 223 The Munster Disorders 224 Common Sense, (not Ana-Baptists of the Ordinary Sort) 226 Ana-Baptists Denial 226 Martyr's Testimony, (Condemnation of the Acts Committed at Munster) 227 Non-Baptist Vindication 228 Conclusion 229
Chapter 28 The Welsh Baptists 231 The Gospel of Wales 231 Concerning Paul 231 Claudia, (Princess of Wales, Convert of Paul?)232 Baptists Alone 233 Were Ancient World Christians Baptist? 235 David Benedict's Quote concerning 236 Conclusion 237
Bibliography 239
Waldensian Confessions of Faith Confession of 1120 247
====== [From Berlin Hisel, Baptist History Notebook. Used with permission; scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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