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Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives \u2013 Patrick was a Baptist – Church in Rome United with the Empire in A.D. 313 – PART SIX of EIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But surely alongside the theft of Peter stands this brazen act of Catholicism — that of enrolling the great missionary preacher of Ireland among her saints. He is pictured for us as a croziered and mitered Roman prelate, whereas his own words show us he was far removed from such pretensions. This is the way Patrick speaks: “I knew not the true God . . . The Lord opened the understanding of my unbelief . . . I was not worthy . . . Love of God and fear of Him increased more and more . . . By the help of God so it came to pass . . . Because of His indwelling Spirit who hath worked in me until this day . . . Let who will laugh and insult . . . Though I be rude in all things . . . I baptize so many thousands of men . . . the Lord ordained clergy everywhere by means of my mediocrity . . . The Lord is mighty to grant to me afterward to be myself spent for your souls.”<\/em>How humble, how deeply spiritual was Patrick. And though we as Baptists may not agree with every method he used, we do know he cherished all the leading principles that we accept.Whereas the Roman Church dates its beginnings from the day when Jesus Christ said: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” we know that the hierarchy was not set up until many years later when the Emperor Constantine looked with favor upon Christianity.For four centuries after the resurrection of Jesus the fire of God had spread. It was a period of glory and conquest. The preaching of the Cross was overcoming the world. There was bitter persecution but the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church. But then Constantine and Theodosius wedded the Roman Empire to Christianity and made it the state religion. That was one of Satan’s greatest triumphs and one of the worst calamities that has ever befallen the Church of the Living God. That was the beginning of the Roman Catholic hierarchy.Now, when did Baptists begin? No exact date can be set and we are proud of that. Some say we came into being with John Smyth in the year 1611. It is true that the title “Baptist” was not affixed to our churches until about that time; however, all of us know that there were many Democrats before Thomas Jefferson was ever born, but the Democratic Party began with that great exponent of democracy.In order to consummate the adulterous union between the Roman Empire and the Christian Church, Constantine, in the year 313 A.D., invited the churches to send their representatives to a council. Although many groups accepted, thank God there were some churches that did not respond. The people called “Baptist,” that is, those who remained faithful to Christ and spurned the Emperor’s proposal, never entered that unholy wedlock.We as Baptists claim that the principles of our church date back to that day when the “heavens were opened”<\/em> and a “voice from heaven”<\/em> said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”<\/em> As someone has well said: “Baptists have no founder but Jesus and were born the day He stood with John the Baptist in the Jordan River. They recognize no human authority, no human creed. Their faith was functioning before the Pope came to Rome. They were Protestant before the Reformation or Luther was born.”Presented by Thomas E. Kresal excerpts from a tract titled:St. Patrick was a Baptist by John Summerfield Wimbish, D.D. <\/p>\n\n\n\n