59 – February – 28 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

 

 

An aged man stands true

1644 – On this day William Witter of Lynn, Massachusetts was arraigned before the Salem Court for “entertaining that the baptism of infants was sinful.”  Later, on Dec. 18, 1645, he was charged with saying that, “they who stayed whiles a child is baptized do worship the devil.”  On June 24, 1651, he was accused of “absenting himself from the public ordinances nine months or more and for being re-baptized.”  In time he united with the Baptist church in Newport, R.I. where Dr. John Clarke was pastor.  However, because of his age and the fact that he was blind, it was impossible to travel that far for services, so on June 19, 1651 Pastor Clarke, Obadiah Holmes, and John Crandall, as representatives of the Baptist church in Newport, upon the request of Bro. Witter, arrived at his home after walking the eighty miles in two days.  Spies informed the authorities of the Mass. Bay Colony that services were conducted on Sunday morning at the Witter home without the authority of the Congregational Church, which caused the three men to be arrested and hauled away to a tavern.  Then to cleanse their souls they were taken to an afternoon worship service at an established church service, and then they were imprisoned, and a great miscarriage of justice followed which ended in the brutal beating of Holmes.  Witter was not arrested, no doubt because of his advanced age.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon, from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins Thompson /, pp. 82.

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Hebrew – Law (2)

 

Tôrāh

 

While tôrāh (H8451) speaks of God’s Word in general, it is also used to refer specifically to the Law God gave to Israel at Sinai—the Mosaic Law, with all its ceremonies, sacrifices, and ordinances. Through Moses, and in the minutest detail, God gave Israel 613 commands that covered every area of life—moral, civil, and ceremonial.

 

First, there was the Ten Commandments, the Moral Law, the Decalogue, “ten words” (Exo_20:1-17), followed by the judgments, directing the social and civil life of Israel (Exo_21:1 to Exo_24:11), and concluding with the ordinances (Exo_24:12 to Exo_31:18), dictating the religious life of Israel. What is also significant is that it was necessary that they keep all that Law. To “keep the whole law,” in fact, “and yet offend in one point” meant they were guilty of breaking all 613 laws (Jas_2:10, from Deu_27:26).

 

We will return to the latter two aspects of the Law tomorrow, but we note today that this Moral Law was written in the hearts of men everywhere (Rom_2:15). This demonstrates that men know in their heart (i.e., by their mind and conscience) not to lie, steal, murder, or violate the other moral commands. Again, such moral law is found in legal codes of nations throughout history.

 

These moral laws (except for keeping the Sabbath, which was replaced by the Lord’s Day, March 20–21) are also found restated several times in the NT: having no other gods (Exo_20:3; Deu_5:7; Act_5:29); making no idols or images (Exo_20:4-6; Deu_5:8-10; Act_17:29-31; 1Co_8:4-6; 1Co_10:14; Col_3:5; 1Jn_5:21); not profaning God’s name (Exo_20:7; Deu_5:11; Jas_5:12); honoring one’s father and mother (Exo_20:12; Deu_5:16; Eph_6:1-3; Col_3:20); not murdering (Exo_20:13; Deu_5:17; Rom_13:9-10; Jas_2:11); not committing adultery (Exo_20:14; Deu_5:19; Rom_13:9-10; 1Co_6:9; Heb_13:4; Jas_2:11); not stealing (Exo_20:15; Deu_5:19; Rom_13:9-10; Eph_4:28); not lying (Exo_20:16; Deu_5:20; Eph_4:25; Eph_4:31; Col_3:9; Tit_3:2); not coveting (Exo_20:17; Deu_5:21; Rom_7:7; Rom_13:9; Eph_5:3-5; Heb_13:5Jas_4:1-3).

 

Let us rejoice in and obey God’s Law.

 

Scriptures for Study: Read the many verses listed in today’s study and apply them to your own living.

 

 

 

161 — June 10 – This Day in Baptist History Past

 

Targets of Persecution

 

Annekin Hendriks – Anabaptist

 

“On the 10th of June, 1535, a furious edict was published at Brussels. Death by fire was the punishment on all Baptists who should be detected and should refuse to abjure. If they recanted they were still to die, but not by fire; the men were to be put to death by the sword, ‘the women in a sunken pit.’ Those who resisted the operation of the edict by failing to deliver up Baptists [Anabaptists] to the authorities, were to suffer the same punishment as accomplices.”What a troublesome time in which to live! Religious freedom was unknown to Anabaptists, and they were forced to worship covertly, everywhere because informers were promised one-third of the confiscated estates of the dreaded Anabaptists!

 

Perhaps the actual wording of a portion of the edict might prove enlightening as to the pressures that our forefathers experienced.

 

“In order to provide against and remedy the errors and seductions which many sectaries and authors of mischief, with their followers, have dared to sow and spread in our possessions, in opposition to our holy Christian faith, the sacraments and commands of the holy church our mother; we have at various times decreed…many mandates containing statutes, edicts, ordinances, together with punishments that transgressors should suffer; in order that by such means the common and simple people might guard themselves against the aforesaid errors and abuses, and that their chief promoters might be punished and corrected as an example to all.

 

And it, having come to our knowledge, that…many and various sectaries, even some who are denominated Anabaptist or rebaptizers, have promoted…their said abuses and errors, in order to mislead the same…to the great scandal and contempt of the sacrament of holy baptism, and of our edicts, statutes, and ordinances:

 

Therefore, being desirous to provide against and remedy the same, we summon and command, that, from this time…you make proclamation in all the parts of limits of your jurisdiction, that all who are, or shall be found to be, infected by the cursed sect of Anabaptists, or rebaptizers, of what state or condition they may be, abettors, followers, and accomplices, shall suffer the forfeiture of life and estate, and shall without delay, be brought to the severest punishment.”

 

There are several other paragraphs of the edict, but this example is typical of the many edicts issued by the Roman Catholic and even Protestant leaders who harmonized only at the point of persecuting the re-baptizers. Catholics and some reformers believed that “re-baptism” was a repudiation of the baptism by the state church, which they considered salvation. Anabaptists did not accept “sacramental grace” and “infant sprinkling.” They denied that they were re-baptizers at all! Thank God for grace in Christ and the privilege of obeying His ordinance as a testimony! Praise the Lord for our glorious freedom of religion and liberty of conscience to serve Him without man’s dictates!

 

Dr. Dale R. Hart:: Adapted from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I. (Thompson/ Cummins) pp. 239 -240.