Why Baptists are not protestants by Vernon C. Lyons
In our country, people are put in one of three religious groups. If
you are not a Jew or a Roman Catholic, then automatically you are a
Protestant. Consequently, Baptists are usually called "Protestants."
However, this does not match the facts. Baptists never have been
Protestants.
The Protestant Reformation is usually dated from October 31, 1517
when Martin Luther nailed his 95 THESES to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenburg, Germany. However, this was only one of a series
of acts that led to the open rupture with Rome.
An event of utmost importance but often unnoticed is the Second Diet
(or Council) of Speier, April 25, 1529. This was a Roman Catholic
Council for the purpose of taking action against the Turks and checking
the progress of Lutherans and others who were not cooperating with the
Pope. Certain Lutheran princes appeared before this Roman Catholic Diet
with a formal written protest against those matters in which the Diet
went contrary to the Christian faith as they understood it. This
protest was signed by Elector John of Saxony, Margrave George of
Brandenburg, Dukes Ernest and Francis of Braunschweig-Luneburg,
Landgrave Philip of Hesse, Prince Wolfgang of Anhalt and the
representatives of fourteen imperial cities. The protest was designed
to protect them from the decisions of this Council. It was a defensive
measure. The celebratedf church historian, Philip Schaaf, makes the
noteworthy statement "From this protest and appeal, the Lutherans were
called Protestants." (History of the Christian Church, Volume VII, p.
692). The same facts are stated in the Catholic Encyclopedia (Volume
XII, p. 495).
These Lutheran leaders, and a few Reformed, who made this appeal and
protest at the famous Diet of Speier were speaking for themselves and
not for Baptists, of whom they themselves said in their written
statement, "All Anabaptists and rebaptized persons, male or female, of
mature age, shall be judged and brought from natural life to death, by
fire, or sword, or otherwise, as many befit the persons, without
preceding trial by spiritual judges." The Baptists then did not share
in this protest and consequently cannot bear the name "Protestant."
Here are three reasons why Baptists are not Protestants.
HISTORICALLY BAPTISTS ARE NOT PROTESTANTS
Protestants date from the sixteenth century. They are the Lutherans,
the Reformed and others who were once Roman Catholics and left the
Roman Catholic faith to start denominations of their own. The Baptists
never left the Roman Catholic church as did Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.
They never left because they were never in. They did not begin their
existence at the time of the Reformation but hundreds of years prior to
the Reformation.
Baptists make no effort to trace a historical succession back to the
age of the Apostles. Their only claim is that at every age in church
history there have been groups that have held to the same doctrines
that Baptists hold today. These groups may or may not have been
connected and they have been known by various names. There were the
Montanists (150 A.D.), the Novatians (240 A.D.), Donatists (305 A.D.),
Paulicians (650 A.D.), Albigenses (1022 A.D.), Waldensians (1170 A.D.)
and the name Anabaptists came into prominence just before the time of
the Protestant Reformation. Full historical data immediately refutes
the view that there was only one religious group--the Roman Catholic
church--until the time of Martin Luther. Anyone who claims this simply
has not done his homework.
I wish to purposely introduce non-Baptist testimony to the great
antiquity of Baptist people. Cardinal Hosius (1504- 1579) was a Roman
Catholic prelate who had as his life work the investigation and
suppression of non-Catholic groups. By Pope Paul IV he was designated
one of the three papal presidents of the famous Council of Trent.
Hosius carried on vigorously the work of the counter-reformation. If
anyone in post-reformation times knew the doctrines and history of non-
Catholic groups, it was Hosius. Cardinal Hosius says, "Were it not that
the Baptists have been grievously tormented and cut off with the knife
during the past 1,200 years, they would swarm in greater number than
all the Reformers" (Letters Apud Opera, pp. 112, 113). Note carefully
that this knowledgeable Catholic scholar has spoken of the vicious
persecution Baptists have endured, that he clearly distinguishes them
from the Reformers and that he dates them 1,200 years before the
Protestant Reformation.
It is also evident that the Baptists were not Protestants because
they were fiercely persecuted by the Protestant Reformers and their
followers. Uncounted thousands of them lost their goods, their lands
and their lives in these persecutions. Konrad Grebel died in prison in
1526. Felix Manz was drowned by the authorities at Zurich 1527. Noted
Baptist leader Balthauser Hubmaier was burned alive at the stake in
Vienna March 10, 1528. Three days later his wife was drowned by being
thrown over the Danube bridge with a stone tied to her neck. The facts
abundantly attest that historically Baptists are not Protestants.
DOCTRINALLY BAPTISTS ARE NOT PROTESTANTS
The viewpoint that Baptists share common doctrinal ground with
Protestant groups is not an accurate reporting of the facts. There are
six striking differences.
(1) Baptists believe with all their hearts that God's Word alone is
sufficient for faith and practice. We read, "All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine..." (II Timothy
3:16). Various Protestant denominations have creeds, catechisms and
assorted doctrinal standards. Baptists hold to the Bible alone.
(2) Baptists believe that Christ and only Christ is the head of the
Church even as the Scripture says, "Christ is the Head of the Church"
(Ephesians 5:23). There is no man who has the oversight of Baptist
churches. Baptists have no denomination in the sense of an organization
that controls local congregations. Each local church is autonomous and
accountable only to Christ, who is its Head. A Baptist church, while
fellowshipping with congregations of like faith and practice, has no
headquarters in St. Louis, Nashville or New York City. Its headquarters
is in Heaven.
(3) Baptists believe from their hearts in a free church in a free
state. Christ plainly taught that the state and the church each had its
own realm when he said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which
are Caesar's; and unto God the things which are God's" (Matthew 22:21).
Baptists are vigorously opposed to union of state and church and
believe that a state controlled church is a wretched excuse for
Christianity and a plain departure from Scripture. All of the
Protestant Reformers fastened state churches upon their followers!
Today Americans enjoy separation of church and state because of the
vigor and vigilance of Baptists in the early days of our national
history.
(4) Baptists believe strongly in individual accountability to God
because the Scriptures clearly teach that "everyone of us shall give
account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). A priest cannot answer for
you, a church cannot answer for you to God. God-parents cannot answer
for you. No one is saved because of what his parents believe. No one is
saved because of his identification with any religion. He will account
for himself to God. Protestants generally do not hold this Scriptural
doctrine.
(5) Baptist people furthermore have always held to believers'
baptism. None of the Protestant Reformers held this Bible teaching. In
the Scriptures faith and repentance always preceded baptism. On the day
of Pentecost Peter plainly told the people "Repent and be baptized"
(Acts 2:38). This obviously means that there is no infant baptism since
infants are incapable of repenting. No unbelievers are to be baptized.
The Reformers followed Rome in their teaching on baptism. Baptists have
held stedfastly to the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles on this
point.
(6) Baptists on the basis of Scripture have always held to a
regenerate church membership, that is a membership that is made up only
of people who give a credible profession of faith in Christ. In the
Apostolic church only those who became believers, those who received
the Word of God and who had repented of their sins, were baptized and
received as church members (Acts 2:41). There was no automatic or
formalistic membership in apostolic churches nor in Baptist churches
today.
From the review of these simple points it is more than clear that
doctrinally Baptists are not Protestants.
PRACTICALLY BAPTISTS ARE NOT PROTESTANTS
A few simple observations indicate that the Baptists differ
radically from Protestants on a number of points. The Protestant groups
look to some human being as their founder, often even taking their name
from a man. The Lutherans hark back to Luther. The Reformed look to
John Calvin. The Presbyterians were founded by John Knox. The
Methodists openly acknowledge John Wesley as their founder. Who founded
the Baptist churches? Here is a historical question worthy of serious
investigation. It is impossible to find any one man who gave rise to
Baptist churches. Rather if we would name human founders, we must look
back to Peter, Paul, James and John.
We differ from Protestants in our birthplace. Lutherans come from
Germany, the Reformed from Switzerland and the Netherlands, the
Presbyterians from Scotland, Episcopalians from England but Baptists
would have to give Palestine as their place of origin.
Furthermore the creed of Baptists is not the Augsburg Confession,
the Canons of Dort or the Westminster Confession but the simple Word of
God. So it is impossible to identify Baptists as Protestants.
Baptists have never been linked with Protestants and have never been
identified with the Roman Catholic church. Through the years before and
after the Reformation, they have maintained their identity and been
faithful to the Scriptures. Real Baptists hold to the plain teaching of
Christ and the Apostles. For these God-given doctrines they have been
willing to die. Hanz Denk, a sixteenth century Baptist said, "Faith
means obedience to the Word of God, whether it be unto life or unto
death." For many it was death.
In Rottenburg in Reformation times there were 900 executions of
Baptists in less than ten years. These deaths were often vicious and
cruel. The sentence for one Baptist believer, Michael Sateler, read,
"Michael Sateler shall be delivered to the hangmen, who shall take him
to the place of execution and cut out his tongue; he shall then throw
him on a cart and twice tare his flesh with hot tongs; then he shall
bring him to the city gate and there torture his flesh in the same
manner." This was the way Sateler died in Rottenburg on May 21, 1527.
His wife and other women were drowned and a number of the men were
beheaded.
Baptists are not Protestants but hold tenaciously to the original
precepts and practices of Christ and the Apostles. Baptists believe the
pure Word of God to be sufficient authority in all matters. Baptists
reject all human religious traditions and practices that have
originated since the time of the Apostles. ../ |