Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Part FIVE of FIVE – Patrick Henry & Defense of Three Baptist Pastors

Thomas E Kresal – (5) Facebook

  · January 24, 2024 Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Part FIVE of FIVE

Patrick Henry & Defense of Three Baptist PastorsAfter another pause, in tones of thunder he inquired: ‘What law have they violated? ‘Then, for the third time, in a slow, dignified manner, he lifted his eyes to heaven, and waved the indictment around his head. The court and the audience were now wrought up to the most intense pitch of excitement. The face of the prosecuting attorney was pale and ghastly, and he appeared unconscious that his whole frame was agitated with alarm ; and the judge, in a tremulous voice, put an end to the scene, now becoming extremely painful, by the authoritative command: “Sheriff discharge those men!” We have not mentioned a tithe of the persecutions waged against modern Baptists. I must express the deliberate opinion, that if the men who denounce and misrepresent us to the extent of their ability, only had the power, they would apply fines and imprisonments as did the Episcopalians in the time of Patrick Henry. Other authorities might be introduced to exhibit the bitterness of the opposition waged against Baptists from the modern pulpit and press. We have found that the Bible characteristic that the kingdom of Jesus Christ is peculiarly persecuted and every-where spoken against, is fully identified in the modern history of the Baptists. They have been persecuted as no others have been, with peculiar hate and unrelenting bitterness. We now come to the close of the investigation which settles, beyond successful contradiction, the fact that the seven leading Baptist peculiarities are in reality the Bible peculiarities possessed by the apostolic churches. We find the same characteristic features at both ends of the chain of church succession. And as these leading marks are proved to be essential features of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in its divine organization, and the prophetic word of God is pledged for the perpetuity of His church or kingdom, therefore we may expect to find these marks of identity possessed by the same kingdom in every age down to the present time. Though all these marks may not be visible at the same time to the eye of the historian, yet a sufficient number of them may be discovered to indicate the line of succession of that church against which the gates of hell were never to prevail.Presented by: Thomas E. Kresal from: Baptist Succession by D.B. Ray, pg. 350