Baptist History Three

A.D. 1555

  The Waldenses in Calabria about the same time were suffering severe persecutions.  At one time eighty persons had their throats cut, and afterwards their bodies were divided into four quaters.  Thirty miles were then planted with stakes, and a quarter of a human being was placed upon each of these stakes.  At one time a young man was carried to the top of a tower where he was commanded to confess himself to a priest, who was present.  This he refused to do, replying that he had already confessed himself to God.  He was then cast headlong from the tower.  The next day as the viceroy was walking at the foot of the tower he saw the young man still alive, but suffering from  having nearly all his bones broken.  The viceroy kicked him on the head, exclaiming, "Is the dog yet alive? Give him to the hogs." 

These are but samples of the brutal outrages carried on at this time against the Waldenses in Calabria.  This was done too, in the name of Christianity, and by the authority of "the church."  Was this a church of Christ?

This was all done in the name of catholicism.  May we as Baptist awake out of our sleep and fight the good fight of faith, while we still have light.  May we not get intangled with the things of this world, but serve our Savior with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  I post these stories, so that we may not forget what our brethren of old have sufered for the faith.  We may again someday face the wrath of Rome, may we be ready to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ!  Below is a quote from a Catholic Bishop that lived in the United States, please read what he wrote:

"We confess that the Roman Catholic church is intolerant, that is to say it uses all the means in its power for the extirpation* (the defination of extirpation is below) of error and sin; but this intolerance is the logical and necessary consequence of its infallibility.  She alone has the right to be intolerant, because she alone has the truth. The church tolerates heretics where she is obliged to do so, but she hates them mortally and employs all her force to secure their annihilation.  When the Catholics shall be here in possession of considerable majority, which will certainly be the case by-and-by, although the time may be long deferred, then religious liberty will have come to an end in the Republic of the United States.  Our enemies say this, and we believe them.  Our enemies know that we do not pretend to be better than our church, and in what concerns this, her history is open to the eyes of all.  They know, then, how the Roman church dealt with the heretics in the Middle Ages, and how she deals with them today everywhere she has the power.  We no more think of denying these historic facts thean we do of blaming the saints of God and the princes of the church for what they have done or approved in these matters." 

Written by the Bishop of St. Louis, MO, in December, 1883, through his official organ, "The Shepherd of the Valley."

*The definition of extirpation is as follows: 
EXTIRPA'TION, n. The act of rooting out; eradication; excision; total destruction; as the extirpation of weeds from land; the extirpation of evil principles from the heart; the extirpation of a race of men; the extirpation of heresy. 

The church of Rome would establich an inquisition in America today, with all its horrible instruments if she had the power. So her officials tell us and we should thank them for their candor.  Who can doubt that this church--this false church--is the woman arrayed in purple and scarlet, which is mentioned in Revelation and called "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATONS OF THE EARTH."

Everything in Italics is from the book: Compedium of Baptist History, showing the Origin and History of the Baptist, from the days of the Apostles to the present time, with an Original Chart, giving a comparative view of some of the Denominations of Christians with which they have come in contact. 

By J. A. Shackelford.

Louisvillle, Kentucky:

Press Baptist Book Concern

1892

Baptist History 2

Good Morning to all!  I hope and pray that you are having a good weekend.  Below is the story of another brother who was willing to give his life for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have been given another day from the Lord, let us be thankful and use if for his glory and honor!

Michael Wideman or Beck, A.D. 1538

About this time also Brother Michael Wideman or Beck was apprehended at Ricten in Allgau, together with some other persons, which other persons, however, were sent home, while this brother was put in prison for the faith.  Many things were resorted to with him, and he was admonished to renounce, but he had a good assurance of his faith in Christ, and said: "When I was living with the world in all unrighteousness, in sins and wickedness, no one admonished me to renounce, but I was considered a good Christian before the world.  But now that I have become converted, and amended my life, I am told to renounce; but I have become converted once, and have renounced all unrighteousness, and in the conversion I will persevere unto the end, and will not be turned from it, for that in which I stand is the true foundation."  After being imprisoned almost half a year, he was beheaded and burned.

This was from the book:  The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians

(Who Baptized Only Upon Confession of Faith, and Who Suffered and Died for the Testimony of Jesus, Their Savior, From the Time of Christ to the Year A.D. 1660)

Complied from Various Authentic Chronicles, Memorials, and Testimonies, by

Theileman J. van Braght

Translated from the Original Dutch or Holland Language from the Edition of 1660 by

Joseph F. Sohm



Baptist History

And others 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:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:36-40

I hope and pray everyone is doing well.  It has been on my heart lately, to try and post some of our Baptist History on this blog.  There seems to be so much that can be forgotten about our brothers and sisters in the faith, who have gone on before us.  I will try to put up little stories when I have the opportunity, of those who have suffered and ultimatley gave their lives for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Below you will find one such story.  Please take some time and read about those who fought the good fight to the end.

           A.D. 1229 Persecutions in the south of France drove the Waldenses into various countries early in the thirteenth century, and in 1229, they had spread themselves in great numbers throughout Italy.  Mr. Orchard tells us that in the year 1233, an innumerable multitude of Waldenses were burned alive in Germany.* 

            Persecutions, like a hot blasting wind, now swept over the entire Christian world, and all the Waldenses suffered a common fate, without regard to age, sex, or station.  I quote from Jones’ Church History as follows: “About the year 1400, a violent outrage was committed upon the Waldenses inhabiting the valley of Pragella, in Piedmont, by a Catholic party residing in the neighborhood.  The attack, which seems to have been of the most furious kind, was made towards the end of December, when the mountains were covered with snow, and thereby rendered so difficult of access, that the peaceable inhabitants of these valleys were wholly unapprised that any such attempt was meditated, and the persecutors were in actual possession of their caves ere the owners seem to have been apprized of any hostile design against them. In this pitable strait, they had resource to the only alternative which remained for saving their lives—they fled, though at that inauspicious season of the year, to one of the highest mountains of the Alps, with their wives and children; the unhappy mothers carrying the cradle in one hand, and in the other, leading such of the offspring as were able to walk. Their inhuman invaders pursued them in their flight, until darkness obscured the objects of their fury. Many were slain before they could reach the mountains. Overtaken by the shades of night, these afflicted outcasts wandered up and down the mountains covered with snow; destitute of the means of shelter from the inclemency of the weather, or of supporting themselves under it, by any of the comforts which Providence has destined for that purpose; benumbed with cold, some fell asleep, and became an easy prey to the severity of the climate; and when the night had passed away there were found in their cradles, or lying upon the snow, fourscore of their infants, deprived of life, many of the mothers also lying dead by their sides, and others just at the point of expiring.  During the night their enemies were busily employed plundering their houses of everything that was valuable, which they conveyed away to Susa. A poor woman belonging to the Waldenses, named Margaret Athode, was next morning found hanging to a tree.” *

*Orchards Baptist History

*Jones Church History

This was taken from the book: A Compendium of Baptist History by J. A. Shackelford