5. THE BLACK CIRCLES REPRESENT CHURCHES INTO WHICH ERROR CAME
AND ARE
THEREFORE CALLED -- IRREGULAR CHURCHES. The first error was in church
Government --
Pastors assumed authority not given them by Christ. Pastors of larger
churches claimed authority over
other and smaller churches. Thus in the 3rd Century the Roman Hierarchy
was established. The Emperor
Constantine issued a call in 313 inviting all churches
to send representatives to form a council. The red
churches -- that is Baptist Churches -- refused the invitation but the
irregular churches responded. The
Emperor was made the head and thus the group of churches known as irregular
churches became the State
Church. The Emperor continued to head the churches until Leo II claimed
authority as the successor of
Peter. Thus is seen how the error in church Government developed into
Popery. In the 16th Century the
Protestant Churches began to come out of the Roman Catholic Church.
They are called Protestants because
they protested against the errors of Catholicism.
6. It was in the year 251 that Baptist Churches declared
nonfellowship with the irregular churches.
They refused to accept Baptism administered in infancy
or for Salvation and thus came the oldest
nickname -- Ana-Baptists which means rebaptizers.
Copyrighted 1931 by Ashland Avenue Baptist Church,
Lexington, Ky.