Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – The Waldenses – Pure Democracy – Baptist Peculiarity Five continued – Part 11 of the Series

Thomas E Kresal Admin · 5 hrs February 27, 2020

Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – The Waldenses – Pure Democracy – Baptist Peculiarity Five continued – Part 11 of the Series

As to the discipline of pastors, it is said: ‘Whenever any one of our pastors has fallen into any disgraceful sin, he is expelled from our society, and the office of preaching is taken from him’ As to their support, it is said: ‘Our food and clothing are supplied and given to us gratuitously, and in the way of alms, as much as is needed, by the good people whom we teach.’ The barbes, moreover, all applied themselves to some useful art, particularly medicine and surgery. No hierarchical distinction was established: the only difference that existed between the pastors was that arising from age, or services performed, and personal respect.” (History of the Vaudois, p.95)

In this quotation, it should be observed, that it was the servants of God, members of his church, who were to choose leaders or elders to the pastorship, and exclude them from the church if they proved unworthy ; and the only difference that existed between the pastors was that arising from age, services ‘performed, and personal respect’. The same author further remarks “We conceive that this entire submissiveness of the younger barbes (pastors) to the more aged and to the leaders, has led Roman Catholic authors into an error, and made them believe that the Vaudois had a clerical hierarchy, like themselves, of bishops, etc. But nothing in their history or writings authorizes us to believe in the existence of any other distinction among the barbes excepting that of age, experience, and personal qualities, which determined their choice of leaders as circumstances might require—as is still practiced, and, no doubt, was always practiced in this church.

It may be regarded as an established historic fact, that the ancient Waldenses possessed the Baptist peculiarity of religious equality in church membership. Dupin, the Catholic historian, admits that Keinerius Saccho, the Inquisitor, charged the Waldenses with holding, “that all the members of the church are equal; and “that the washing (baptizing) of infants is of no avail to them; that the sureties do not understand what they answer to the priest.” (Dupins Ch Hist., Vol. 2, p. 148)

Peculiarity Five on Friday, February 28

Presented by Thomas E. Kresal from: “Baptist Succession” by D.B. Ray, 1871 Edition, pg. 363-64