Fifteenth Century
RUMANIA:
����������� In 1405, Nicodim translated the Four gospels into the language of the common people of Rumania.� They were located east of the Black Sea near Russia.
BOHEMIA / CZECHOSLOVAKIA:
����������� John of Husinec (Huss) in southern Bohemia entered the University of Prague 1390 and became dean of philosophy in 1401.� At this time, Bohemia was resisting overbearing influence by especially Germany.
����������� In 1402, he was in charge of the Bethlehem chapel in Prague founded by his teacher, Jan Milic.� In 1409, King Wenceslas IV gave tenure to Czec faculty, and foreign scholars complained to Rome.� Huss was elected rector of the university.
����������� In 1410, Archbishop Zbynek refused to promote Huss to doctor and Pope Alexander V proclaimed a bull ordering the burning of Wycliffe's works, forbidding further preaching at the Bethlehem chapel.� Huss appealed to the pope.� Zbynek retaliated by announced his excommunication and burning Wycliffe's books.� When he died, Rome took over prosecution of Huss.
����������� In 1412 the sale of indulgences was pushed and Huss objected.� Rome excommunicated Huss and the king ordered him to leave Prague.
����������� In 1414 the Council of Constance summoned Huss to defend himself.� Upon arrival he was imprisoned.� In 1415 he was burned at the stake.
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����������� As was common at this time, anyone who did not identify themselves with the Roman Church was named after the person who seemed to be their leader.� The followers of Huss were called Hussites.
����������� Vaclav Koranda became their leader after Huss' death.� Their basic beliefs were as follows:
1.�������� Open Lord's Supper, both bread and wine given to laity
2.�������� Freedom of preaching from the Scriptures
4.�������� Poverty of clergy and expropriation of church property
5.�������� Punishment of notorious sinners, especially prostitutes
����������� In this same area in Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) Peter Chelcicky led the Hussites until 1460 when he died.� Under him, they began to be known as Moravians after the part of Bohemia in which they lived.
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����������� In the same country, under the leadership of Jan (Johan) Zelivsky, were reformers who felt that even the Moravians had not returned enough to first-century Christianity.� His followers were called Bohemian Brethren, emphasizing the intent of the name "church," meaning "the called out ones" or "brethren."�
����������� He was executed in 1422.
����������� In 1434 these Christians became known as the Bohemian Brethren, and selected Jan (Johan) Rokycana their leader.� Then Brother Gregory took over in 1457.� They began in Prague, but moved to Kunwald.
����������� Their simple Christian teaching, exemplary moral life and industry attracted many.� New congregations sprang up needing a minister.� So in 1467 in Lhota they met to work out how the New Testament church did things in the days of the apostles.
����������� They knew of the Waldenses and believed they were apostolic and scriptural in their teachings, practices and way of life.� Therefore, they asked for leadership from them through Michael Bradacius.
����������� In 1501, they published the first Protestant hymnbook.� Bishop Luke introduced theological training in the early 1500s.�
����������� Around 1550, many members immigrated to Poland where they began a branch of the Brethren that lasted 200 years.
����������� With the Bible as the one rule of faith and life, no attempt was made to construct a creed until 1564 when one was required for negotiations for a union with Lutherans in Bohemia.� They remained insistent on genuine practical Christian life and strict church discipline that Martin Luther praised.
����������� In 1565, Jan (Johan) Blahoslav translated the New Testament in the Czech language.
����������� They displayed the priesthood of all believers.� They were led by presbyters whom they elected, also called the inner council.� Congregations were under the care of the elders.� Members were carefully tested as to their sincerity and their progress in the Christian life occasionally considered.
����������� They printed their first complete Bible in Czech in 1593, called the Kralice Bible, including Jan Blahoslav's New Testament.
����������� By 1600 half the Protestants in Bohemia and over half in adjoining Moravia were of their faith.� Many were also in Poland.
POLAND:
����������� Although the church in Poland remained stable, in 1618 the Thirty Years War broke out with the Catholics, and in 1627, leading nobles who had become Protestants were beheaded and Protestantism was banned.
����������� All the Brethren church buildings, Bibles and hymnbooks were destroyed, and it members forced to be Catholic or be forever exiled.� They no longer existed as a single body of individual congregations known to each other.
����������� But they did continue to exist, each in secret meetings in the forests.� Among them was Bishop Johann [Jan] Amos Comenius [Komensky] who lived in the northern countries and wrote, collected money for sufferers, publicly appealed for religious liberty which can only come about through common education of everyone.
����������� He moved easily among denominations, trying to bring them together, but this irritated many.� He was made bishop of the Moravians in 1648.
����������� He forever hoped that there might lie a "hidden seed" from which to renew a large body of Brethren.� It happened in Germany.
GERMANY:
����������� In 1722, Count Zinzendorf allowed the Moravian Brethren to move onto his estate at Herrnhut Saxony.� Several German Lutherans joined them.� The count came to live with them and organize it according to the original beliefs of the Brethren and the New Testament pattern of the New Testament Church.�
����������� In 1732, rather than develop a missionary board, they decided missions was everyone's responsibility.� Zinzendorf began visiting other churches, regardless of their beliefs, to arouse a pure devotion to Christ as Saviour, the real bond of unity between all denominations.
����������� Missionaries were sent to the Orthodox Church in Russia, the Copts in Egypt, and others in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and Scandinavia.� They called their missionary work "diaspora" after the dispersion mentioned in 1 Peter 1:1, brethren ministering among the "scattered" everywhere.
����������� Therefore, the importance of the Moravian Brethren must be measured most by their influence on other Christian bodies.
����������� In 1732 missionaries went to the Negro slaves in the West Indies, and also to Georgia in the United States in 1735, then on to Pennsylvania in 1740.
����������� In 1735, on their way to do missionary work to the American Indians, their future colony was awhile in Great Britain.� There John Wesley met them and was converted.� He and is associates requested that some of them stay there in England.
BRITAIN:
����������� The first congregation of Moravian Brethren/New Testament Church was established in London.� From there they branched out to Yorkshire, Wiltshire and Ireland.� John Cennick was their most powerful evangelist.
����������� In 1749, the English parliament officially recognized the Moravian Church "as an ancient Protestant episcopal Church" and gave these Christians colonization privileges.� The congregations always remained small because of their emphasis in dividing up and sending missionaries out from them.
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����������� In 1447 the Bible began to be printed with movable type.� By now there were thirty-three translations.� More help for people who only wanted the simplicity of the first-century New Testament Church.
ITALY:
����������� In 1471, Nixccolo Malermi translated the Bible into Italian from the Latin translation. �It was printed in Venice.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA:
����������� In 1475, the Bible was translated into the Czech language from the Latin, and printed with the new printing press.
FINLAND:
����������� M. Agricola translated the New Testament from the original Greek in the common language of his people, the Finns.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA:
����������� In 1499, Gennadius gathered together translations of various books of the Bible into one volume.� They had all been translated from the Hebrew, Greek and Latin.� It was called the Slavonic Translation of the Bible.
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����������� During this century, a general term of "Anabaptist" was applied to people who believed in adult baptism only.� However, believers were either so moderate or so extremist that they can hardly be grouped together except for the following beliefs:
1.�������� They refused to consider the baptism of children practiced first by the Catholics and continued by the classical Protestants.�
2.�������� Baptism involved repentance, a personal faith, and a responsible pledge to lead a Christian life.
3.�������� They disagreed with the Catholic and Protestant comparison of Jewish infant circumcision to be continued in Christian infant baptism.
4.�������� They also repudiated original sin and predestination.� Christ's atoning work wiped out the consequences of Adam's fall; therefore infants were not punishable for sin until awareness of good and evil emerged; then they were to exercise their own free will to accept Jesus, personally ask for forgiveness, and be baptized.�
5.�������� They separated the church (community of the redeemed) from the state.
����������� Thousands were martyred by fire and water, declaring no magistrate ~ whether Protestant or Catholic ~ had competence in the sphere of Christian regeneration, faith and conscience.� They opposed use of the sword for social order and war, and refused to swear civil oaths.
����������� The classical/main-line Protestants used the local government to implement their Reformation.� The Anabaptists were not aiming to reform the churched.� They were determined to restore it in the spirit of the primitive church.
����������� The Mennonites were one such Anabaptist group.� Another sprang up in Holland.� Fleeing from Poland in the 1600s, the Socinians introduced their practice of baptism by immersion in their new country.� It was adopted by the Arminian Collegiants.�
����������� At that time, the English General Baptists were living there, having been exiled from England and its Anglican Church.� The practice of immersion was taken over by these Baptists in their midst.
Sixteenth Century
SWITZERLAND:
����������� Huldreich Zwingli was born 1484 at Wildhaus, Switzerland.� His uncle was a priest and later dean of Weesen.� He graduated university in 1504 and was ordained 1506 at Glarus.� He served as chaplain to the Swiss forces, then transferred to Einsiedeln where he studied and preached at a convent.
����������� Rather than attack the Roman church, he was content to expound the Gospel passages.� In 1518, he became known as the people's priest at Grossmunster Cathedral at Zurich.� He gave many series of expositions of the New Testament enlivened by topical application.
����������� In 1520, he secured freedom from the city's governing council to preach the "true divine Scriptures" and his sermons stirred revolts against fasting, celibacy.�
����������� In 1521 he debated Franz Lambert declaring the supremacy of Scriptures.� In 1522 he published On Meats (referring to fasting) and The Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God.
����������� In 1523 he published Sixty-Seven Articles.� Reform of the local church began.� He successfully debated celibacy, the liturgy, and in 1524 images.� In 1525 all images were removed, organs suppressed, religious houses were dissoluted,, the Mass was replaced by a simple communion service, baptism was declared for adults only, Bible readings were introduced into the service, and preparation for a native version of the bible.�
����������� The "Zurcher Bible" appeared in 1529.
����������� The movement spread from the city of Zurich to nearby towns with the following beliefs:
1.�������� The church is born of the Word of God and has Christ alone as its head.
2.�������� Its laws are binding only insofar as they agree with Scripture.
3.�������� Christ alone is our righteousness.
4.�������� The Holy Scriptures do not teach Christ's corporeal presence in the bread and wine at the Lord's supper.
5.�������� Mass is a gross affront to the sacrifice and death of Christ.
6.�������� There is no biblical foundation for the mediation or intercession of the dead.
7.�������� There is no biblical foundation for purgatory.
8.�������� There is no biblical foundation for images and pictures.
9.�������� Marriage is lawful to all.
����������� In 1525, Zwingly wrote "On Baptism," emphasizing the significance of water baptism as a covenant sign.� In 1531 he wrote "Tricks of the Catabaptists."
����������� Zwingly and Luther disagreed on the Mass.� They agreed that transsubstantiation was wrong.� But Luther felt "This is my body" meant Jesus' presence was in and under the bread and wine.� Zwingli said it meant a memorial with his presence being among believers.� They agreed on everything else.� But Luther refused to compromise.
����������� In 1530, believers presented three different confessions.� In 1531, Zwingly was killed in battle.
����������� Like Luther, he accepted the supreme authority of Scripture, but applied it more rigorously and comprehensively to all doctrines and practices than did Luther.
FRANCE:
����������� In 1523, Jacques Lefevre translated the New Testament from Latin to French.� In 1530 he released the Old Testament.
BRITAIN:
����������� In 1522, William Tyndale began releasing his translation of the Bible from the original Greek rather than the Latin as his English predecessors had done.� He did all of the New Testament.� Part of the Old Testament he never finished.� He released the entire New Testament in 1526.
����������� It was during this time that the term "Puritan" began to be used, primarily in Great Britain; but it was found elsewhere in Europe regarding people who wanted to go beyond Reforming the Catholic Church; preferring to Restore the New Testament Church.
����������� In the early 1500s when various groups were trying to break away from the accepted worship established by the Romans, many thought they did not go far enough.� They were found later in the various reformation efforts of Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Anglicans, Episcopalians and others.�
����������� In general they condemned clerical vestments, the sign of the cross, sponsors at baptism, confirmation, observance of church festivals ~ all relics of the papacy.
SWITZERLAND:
����������� In 1525, Conrad Grebel, a Zwinglian in Switzerland, believed Zwingli was cooperating too much with the government.� His followers believed in:
1.�������� Separation of church and state
2.�������� Voluntarism in matters of faith
3.�������� Believer's baptism
4.�������� Pacifism
5.�������� Rejection of oaths
����������� They became known as SWISS BRETHREN.� They were persecuted, so fled to Alsace in south Germany and into Austria where the Hutterian Brethren had been meeting.
AUSTRIA:
����������� In 1528 in Austria, Jakob Hutter, a Tirolean, led his Hutterian Brethren in like beliefs of the New Testament Church, following the New Testament exclusively in its first-century pattern.� He was burned as a heretic in 1536.
NETHERLANDS:
����������� In 1534, simultaneously in the Netherlands Obbe Philips led people to believe the same.� In 1536, Philips baptized a Roman Catholic priest who just wanted to be a Christian like people were in New Testament days.
GERMANY:
����������� Martin Luther translated the New Testament from the original Greek into common German and published it in 1526.� In 1534 he translated the Old Testament from the original Hebrew.
DENMARK:
����������� In 1528, Christiern Pedersen translated the New Testament from two different Latin versions and Luther's German version into the language of his people, Danish.
NETHERLANDS:
����������� In 1532 Luther's German Bible was translated into Dutch.� That is all they needed to establish the New Testament Church after the simple New Testament pattern.
ITALY:
����������� That same year, Antonio Brucioli translated the Bible into the language of the common people of Italy, using Erasmus' Latin version for the New Testament, and Pagninus' Latin version for the Old Testament.
HUNGARY:
����������� In 1533, the Pauline Epistles were translated from the Latin into the language of the common people of Hungary.
GERMANY:
����������� In 1534 J. Dietenberger translated the Bible into the language of the German people from the Latin.� He also used Emser's New Testament and Luther's Old Testament.
FRANCE:
����������� In 1534, Olivetan translated the Bible into the language of the French from the Hebrew, Erasmus' Latin version, and Lefevre's New Testament.� More and more people were given the opportunity to become Christians in the simple way, the first-century New Testament way.
ITALY:
����������� Although the Waldenses had the New Testament and part of the Old printed in their language, they wanted the complete Bible.� They furnished a Swiss printer with the entire Old and New Testament who accommodated them.
FRANCE:
����������� In 1535, Olivetan translated the Bible into the language of his people from the Hebrew, Latin, and Lefevre's New Testament in French.
BRITAIN:
����������� That same year, Miles Coverdale translated the Bible into English.� Although German, he was hired by a German Lutheran merchant to do so because he did business in English.� Copies of it were installed in many churches in England, and Queen Anne Boleyn had one in her chamber.
����������� Two years later in 1537, this Bible authorized by English monarchy, was a translation of Munster's Latin version of 1535 in the Old Testament and Erasmus' Latin version in the New Testament, the Swiss-German Zurich Bible, Luther's German Bible, and Tyndale's English version.� Also much of it was lifted out of Coverdale's Bible.� It became the direct ancestor of the Authorized Version, also known as the King James Version.
����������� In 1539, The Great Bible was translated into English and later edited by Coverdale.� By royal injunction it was to be installed in every church.� It was printed in Paris and nearly finished when the French inquisition intervened.� Coverdale and his publisher fled with the types and printed sheets, and completed the printing in London in April 1539.
HUNGARY:
����������� In 1541, J. Erdosi translated the New Testament from the original Greek into the Hungarian language.� Yes, regardless of whether or not they were registered with a world headquarters in heaven, they had every opportunity to begin the New Testament Church the way the apostles set it up in the New Testament.
SPAIN:
����������� In 1543, Enzinas Dryander translated the New Testament from the original Greek in the common language of the Spanish.� What a movement of getting the Bible into the hands of the people so they could read for themselves!
HOLLAND:
����������� Around 1525, Menno Simons, a priest at Pingjum in Holland began studying Luther's tracts and to study the New Testament and to question infant baptism.� In 1531 when the tailor Sicke Freerks was executed who had been rebaptized as a believing adult.� He moved to Witmarsum and briefly identified with Munster's Anabaptists.� In 1536 he left the Roman church.� Within a year he became a minister for the Obbenites led by Obbe Philips.
����������� When Obbe Philips left the group, Menno took over as leader.� He repudiated the idea that he had formed a sect.� He said that any who had experienced the "new birth" were the true Christian church.� He did not take to the term Trinity since it was not in the Bible, and he believed the flesh of Christ had its origin from God rather than Mary.�
����������� He moved around starting congregations often.� He was in East Friesland until 1541; Amsterdam, North Holland until 1542; back to East Friesland until 1545; then Lubeck, South Holland until 1547; Wismar until 1554; Wustenfelde until he died in 1561.� From his name came the term Mennonite.
GERMANY:
����������� The Dutch Mennonites early in the century had spread into the Rhineland, across north Germany to the delta of the Vistula River in the Danzig area, and became more numerous than the Swiss and south German Anabaptists.
RUSSIA:
����������� In 1579 thousands of these Dutch Mennonites fled from Prussia to south Russia and settled in the Ukraine German-speaking colonies where they flourished.� The Swiss-German Mennonites settled in the Ukraine also.� These Dutch-Russian Mennonites and Swiss-German Mennonites then united in the Ukraine.
����������� The Mennonite worship originally involved what Christians did in the first century.
1.�������� Congregational singing with no musical instruments
2.�������� Ministers preach sermons based entirely on the Bible
3.�������� Worshipers knelt for prayer
4.�������� First prayer of service is silent with minister concluding with the Lord's Prayer.
����������� Later groups have introduced musical instruments, have omitted the silent prayer, and sit or stand for prayer.� More conservative groups also have foot washing and the holy kiss, and the women wear prayer veils.� However, wearing clothing different from other people is becoming a thing of the past.� Most Mennonites blend in with any crowd.
����������� Communion is two to four times a year, and baptism is by pouring.� However, the Mennonite Brethren baptize by immersion.
SWITZERLAND:
����������� In Zurich 1525 the Mennonites were under the leadership of Conrad Grebel, associate of Zwingli.� The first to be rebaptized was former priest Heorge Blaurock of Grisons.� The movement spread like a revival with itinerant evangelists across and into southern Germany.� There they converted Balthasar Hubmaier, the reformed of Waldshut.
����������� Its most distinctive convictions are the seven articles of the Confession of Schleitheim, 1527 under the leadership of Michael Sattler.
����������� Other groups came about in other countries ~ Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland ~ but either merged with the Mennonites or became extremists and ceased to be Christian bodies.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA:
����������� Around 1550 Jan Blahoslav translated the New Testament into the Czech language of his people.� It was the basis of the later Bible of Kralice published in 1579.
DENMARK:
����������� In 1550, J. Seklucyan published the New Testament in the Danish language from the original Greek.
POLAND:
����������� In 1553, J. Seklucyan translated the New Testament into the Polish from the original Greek.� It was the first one published with the new printing press.
HOLLAND:
����������� In 1554, the New Testament was translated into the language of the Dutch based on Erasmus' Greek text of the New Testament.
SWITZERLAND:
����������� This Bible was translated in 1560 into the language of Swiss, and published in Geneva.
����������� The Upper Engadine Translation of the Bible was made by J. Bifrun from the Vulgate into this Romanish Swiss dialect in 1560.
POLAND:
����������� The Cracow Bible was the first entire Bible published in Polish, and was translated from the Latin in 1561.
RUMANIA:
����������� Coresi translated the Acts of the Apostles from earlier manuscripts written during the Huss movement to the Rumanian language.
WALES:
����������� William Salesbury translated the New Testament from the original Greek into Welch in 1567.
BRITAIN:
����������� The Bishop's Bible was published in 1568 in English.
WALES:
����������� In 1588, the Bible was translated by William Morgan into the language of Welch.� In some ways it was an offshoot of the Salesbury N.T. translated thirty years earlier.� It is used today.
HUNGARY:
����������� In 1590, G. Karoli translated the Bible into the language of his people, Hungary, from the original Greek and Hebrew.
Seventeenth - Nineteenth Centuries
SCOTLAND:
����������� Because of space, no further tracing will be done except a brief account of Scotland, which seems to have emerged as leader to try to take Christianity farther back to its first-century roots than other protestants had done.�
����������� In the 17th century in Scotland, protestant John Dury was wholly consecrated to the ideal of the unity of the church.� He traveled tirelessly, attempting to influence leaders in all denominations to unite.� He preached, he wrote, he argued, he dedicated his life to this.
����������� Scotland had long been frustrated by monarchs coming out of England, especially those legislating their religion.� By the 18th century, there were divisions primarily in the Presbyterian church based on how much control the government should have over them.
����������� In 1728 John Glas became an Independent congregationalist, and his followers were called Glasites, who also adopted immersion of adult believers.� About 1755, Robert Sandeman took over leadership of this independent group.� (Keep in mind, independent religious groups were normally called by the name of their primary leader by outsiders.)
����������� In 1749, John Erskinbe published his Essay to Promote the More Frequent Dispensation of the Lord's Supper, eliminating all the extra days such as Lent, and celebrating it every Sunday.� Dr. John Mason agreed, and was sent as a missionary to America in 1761.� His son, Dr. John Mason, preached and wrote the same beliefs.
����������� In the mid-1760s, David Dale, father-in-law of the famous Robert Owen who first showed compassion on workers in factories, became independent and adopted weekly communion.� In 1769, they build a meeting house, appointed elders, and became an independent church.
����������� In 1773, a Dr. Johnson, decided Christianity should be based exclusively upon the Bible, and eventually went out to be a missionary of religious reform.
����������� In 1786, William Jones author of the History of the Waldenses, was immersed at Chester.� He then returned to London, England.
����������� Around 1793 in Rich Hill, the Haldane brothers began questioning church laws that were not borne out in Scripture.� They adopted the Wesleyan system of lay-preaching and field preaching since the officially recognized clergy were hostile to their teaching the people what was in the Bible.�
����������� In 1798 James Haldane and others organized the Society for Propagating the Gospel, but remained in the Church of Scotland.� They insisted on evidence from the Bible for all things; without evidence there can be no faith (Hebrews 11:1 KJV).� The following year they were excommunicated from the Church of Scotland.� They formed a congregational church.
����������� Under the leadership of a Mr. Ewing, they began keeping the Lord's Supper every Sunday.� Under the teaching of William Ballantine, they began having congregational elders as their only form of rule.� Under James Haldane, they ceased baptizing children; and shortly after began preaching immersion of believing adults.
����������� The Haldanes regarded preaching Christ crucified as the great essential, and wished all differences about church order and ordinances to be matters of forbearance.� Other ministers adopted these views ~ a Mr. Innes of Edinburgh, William Stevens of Edinburgh Seminary, a Dr. Carson, and Archibald McLean.���
����������� A Mr. Barclay founded a group called the Bereans, so called after the example of the church in Berea who "searched the scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11).
AMERICA:
����������� Further tracing of the New Testament Church ceases here, except to briefly tell what happened in America.� Again, this is a difficult task because people wishing to follow only the New Testament pattern were not organized beyond the congregational level.� God knew who they were, but we do not always.� It will be noted that many of the people in America who preached independence and following only the New Testament pattern were Scottish.
����������� In 1790, a popular Presbyterian minister, James McGready in North Carolina, began preaching that congregations should be independent and should have only the Bible as its creed.� �������
����������� In 1793 in North Carolina and Virginia, James O'Kelly and some other Methodist preachers pleaded for a congregational system and that the New Testament be the only creed and discipline.� Unable to convince their episcopate to abide by this, they seceded.� James O'Kelly's group left their denomination at Manakin Town, North Carolina, in December of that year.
����������� At first they took the name "Republican Methodists," but later resolved to be known as Christians only and to acknowledge no head but Christ, and have no creed or discipline but the Bible.
����������� Not long afterwards, unknown to the groups in North Carolina and Virginia, up in Vermont Abner Jones, a Baptist, became greatly dissatisfied with sectarian names and creeds.� He pleaded that these should be abolished.� In September 1800, Abner Jones of Hartland, Vermont, seceded from their denomination and began meeting at Lyndon, Vermont.� That group had 25 members.� In 1803, he helped another congregation form at Pierpont, New Hampshire, in 1803.
����������� About that same time, not knowing about the others, a Baptist preacher named Elias Smith of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, influenced his congregation to secede and become an independent congregation of believers.� Several other ministers, both from the Regular and the Freewill Baptists, soon after followed.� Then others rose up all over the New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada.� They, too, went only by the name "Christian."
����������� Another movement, unbeknownst to the others, began down in Kentucky under the influence of a Presbyterian preacher, Barton Warren Stone, who in earlier years had also been a Baptist and a Methodist.� In 1801 Stone went to Logan County, Kentucky, to hear James McGready, visiting there from North Carolina.
����������� Upon returning home to Cane Ridge, Kentucky, he preached the same thing.� In August he held an outdoor meeting where more than 20,000 people attended.� Methodist and Baptist preachers aided, several preaching in different parts at the same time.�
����������� Among other preachers led into the Bible-only movement were Presbyterians by the name of McNamar, Thompson, Dunlavy, Marshall, and David Purviance.� The Synod at Lexington then suspended them and declared their congregations vacant.
����������� At first, these independent congregations formed what they called the Springfield Presbytery, but later they decided it was unscriptural, so disbanded it, agreeing to take the name only of Christian.� If anyone wanted to call their congregations by a name, they insisted it be the "Christian Connection."
����������� In 1808, Thomas Campbell arrived in Pennsylvania from Scotland.� He had been a Presbyterian preacher all his life; his father and grandfather had been Roman Catholics.� Campbell was given a church to preside over in Pennsylvania.
����������� In 1809 he was denounced by the Associate Synod of North America for preferring to discard their rules in order to bring people of all faiths together.
����������� Thereupon, he reported to his congregation what happened, and they decided to cede with him.� He then admonished them to have only one rule:� "That rule, my highly respected hearers is this, that where the Scriptures speak, we speak; and where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent."
����������� He then went on to say that, "Whatever private opinions might be entertained upon matters not clearly revealed must be retained in silence, and no effort must be made to impose them upon others....Simply, reverentially, confidingly, all will speak of Bible things in Bible words, adding nothing thereto and omitting nothing given by inspiration."
����������� They named themselves "The Christian Association."� The Campbell biographer said "The idea that he should...be the means of creating a new party [denomination] was most abhorrent to the mind of Thomas Campbell."� Thomas continued to inspire others to exist in independent congregations, influencing thousands over the next 40 years.
����������� His son, Alexander, also became a minister of the simple Gospel, declaring the Bible the only possible creed of a Christian.� Although he was no more important than any other Christian, he was editor of a Christian periodical and publicly debated all religious leader, and even one famous atheist.
����������� He became personal friend to Presidents James Buchanan and William Harrison, as well as Henry Clay, Secretary of State under President John Adams.� He was the only minister ever to speak before both Houses of the U.S. Congress.� And whenever preaching in the Washington D.C. area, many congressmen went to hear him.� He and Barton W. Stone also influenced the beliefs of President Abraham Lincoln from Kentucky and Illinois.
����������� By 1860, it was estimated that there were some half million people in North America embracing the restoration movement of being simple New Testament Christians.
Conclusion
����������� What does it take to be the original New Testament Church?� Not a succession.� It happens by producing carbon copies, or as we say today, photocopies.� All we have to do to see if we're the original New Testament Church is hold up the Mirror, the New Testament.� Is it a perfect image?
����������� The "mainline" reformed denominations obtained status by being recognized by their national governments.� For example....
����������� Lutherans - National Religion of Scandinavia
����������� Episcopalians - National Religion of England
����������� Presbyterians - National Religion of Scotland
����������� Reformed Church - National Religion of Holland
����������� Such "mainline" denominations as these claim the largest numbers today.� However, when all the smaller groups with similar beliefs based on literal application of the scriptures (rather than calling things figurative that they did not wish to believe), their numbers are quite high.
����������� It is impossible to tell who all the groups are today who have these beliefs.� In talking with many people in many denominations, there is a wide number of people in them all who interpret the Scriptures more literally than they are taught in their congregation, but they do not know what other congregation believes as they do.� So they either stay put or quit going to church anywhere.
����������� However, some of those who do agree in most points are [using 1990 U.S. statistics] Churches of Christ, (1,800,000) Disciples of Christ (144,000), Christian Church (40,000), Brethren (206,000), and Mennonite (302,000) churches.� These total nearly 2,500,000 putting them in the top seven Protestant groups in the U.S.�� Add Christians giving either no denomination or Protestants giving no denomination and that is another 2,500,000, giving this group a possible 5,000,000.� And add to that Christians identifying themselves with mainline churches because they do not know where to go, that brings the potential number even higher.
����������� One person at a time.� One congregation at a time.� Who will be next?
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