The Way of Blood... a history of the martyrs

The Way of Blood,

or Baptist Martyrs in Every Century Since Christ

    Baptist history can be traced in blood through the dark centuries of the past. Men and women have given up their lives for the doctrines and practices of Baptists. The way of Baptists has been a way of blood.
   
First Century

    John the Baptist was the first Baptist martyr. For faithfully preaching the truth this first Baptist preacher became the first Christian martyr. In Mat_15:1-12, we read that he was beheaded by order of King Herod.
    Christ the founder of the churches was crucified on a cross for preaching the kingdom of God.

    Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the doctrines held by Baptists. Act_7:59-60, we read that while dying he prayed for his cruel persecutors.
    The Apostles all died as martyr, except John, and he was banished to a lonely island, where he wrote the Book of Revelation.

Second Century

    Orchard, Vol. 1, page 163 (old edition), says:
“The City of Lyons were again visited with the vengeance of the emperor. Severns treated the Christians of this city with great cruelty. Such was the excess of barbarity, that the rivers were colored
with human blood, and the public places of the city were filled with the dead bodies of professors.”
    Many other instances of cruel persecution could be given, but it is the purpose of this chapter to give only brief specimens of the way our fathers suffered in each century.

Third Century
    Jones’ History, page 145:

“After Perpetua had entered the theater among the wild beasts, singing praises to God, her execution is thus reported: Perpetua and Felicitus were first inclosed in a net and then exposed to a wild cow.
    How many Baptist women are there today who would thus suffer and die for their principles? No doubt, there are many.

Fourth Century

    Baptist Martyrs, page 14:
“When Constantine and Licinian first came into power (A.D.312) they gave equal religious toleration to all their subjects. But the attempt to settle the controversy in North Africa, between the Catholics and Donatists, by imperial intervention (A.D. 316), was a departure from this impartial protection and equality before the law; and from that fatal moment persecution began under the Christian name.”

Orchard, Vol. 1, page 187 (old edition):
“The disputes between the Donatists and the Catholics were at their height when Constantine became fully invested with imperial power, A.D. 314. The Catholic party solicited the services of the Emperor, who, in answer, appointed commissions to hear both sides; but this measure not giving satisfaction, he even condescended to hear the parties himself, but his best exertions could not effect a reconciliation. The interested part that Constantine took in the dispute led the Donatists to inquire, What has the Emperor to do with the church? What have Christians to do with kings? Or what have bishops to do at court? Constantine, finding himself his authority questioned, and even set at naught by these Baptists, listened to the advice of the bishops and court, and deprived the Donatists of their churches. This persecution was the first which realized the support of a Christian. Emperor Constantine went so far as to put some of the Donatists to death.”

    Note the Donatists were what are now called Missionary Baptists. They were dubbed “Donatists” by their enemies, but they believed and practiced what Baptists believe and practice.
    The Roman Catholic Church was, in the years 251-600 A.D., in its formative period. It was not born full grown. What the Catholic Church now is was the result of a growth, a tendency, beginning A.D. 251, when they first began to centralize power in the hands of a few, and continuing till A.D. 610, when Boniface III was made Universal Bishop, or Pope. From the time the Catholics split off from the Baptists persecution by them began.

Fifth Century

Orchard, Vol. 1, page 61:
“The Catholic party, now accumulating power, saw in other churches’ rebaptizing a virtual renunciation of the baptism they had conferred upon those who went over to the other party *** consequently a spirit of persecution was raised against all those who rebaptized Catholics. In the fourth Lateran councils, canons were made to banish them as heretics and these canons were supported by an edict in 413 issued by the emperors, Theodosius and Honorius, declaring that all persons rebaptized, and the rebaptizers, should be both punished with death. Accordingly Albanus, a zealous minister, with others, was punished with death “for rebaptizing.”

    What if it were punishable with death now for Baptists to baptize those who had been baptized by others? One thing is certain, alien immersionists, who are willing to take anybody’s baptism, would not suffer; and another thing is equally certain, thse alien immersionists have departed from a practice which ancient Baptists were willing to die for.

Sixth Century
Orchard, Vol.1, page 101 (old edition) says:
“The Pope wrote to two African bishops, requiring them to exert themselves in every possible way to suppress the Donatist.”
    Under this instruction Baptists suffered terribly, but no concrete example is on record worthy of reproduction here.

Seventh Century

    Orchard, Vol. 1, page 134:
“ A Greek officer named Simmeon, armed with legal and military authority, appeared at Coronia to strike the shepherd, Sylvanus, and to reclaim, if possible, the lost sheep. By refinement of cruelty, this minister of justice placed the unfortunate Sylvanus before a line of his disciples, who were commanded, as the price of their pardon and as a proof of their penitence, to stone to death their spiritual father. The affectionate flock turned aside from the impious office, the stones dropped from their filial hands, and of the whole number only one executioner could be found. This apostate, Justus, after putting Sylvanus to death, gained, by some means, admittance into communion, and again deceived and betrayed his unsuspecting brethren, and as many as were treacherously ascertained and could be collected, were massed together in an immense pile, and by order of the emperor, were consumed to ashes.”

Eighth Century
    Orchard, page 135:
“From the blood and ashes of the first Paulician (Baptist) victims, a succession of teachers and congregations repeatedly arose. The Greeks, to subdue them, made use of both argument and arms, with all the terror of penal laws, without, affecting their object. The great instrument of this people’s multiplication was alone the use of the New Testament.”
    The Baptists of the eighth century took the New Testament as their only rule of faith and practice and suffered for it.

Ninth Century

    Orchard, page 137:
“The severest persecution experienced by them was encouraged by the Empress Theodora, A.D. 845. Her decrees were severe, but the cruelty with which they were put in execution by her officers was horrible beyond expression. Mountains and hills were covered with inhabitants. Her sanguinary inquisitors explored the cities and mountains in Lesser Asia. After confiscating the goods and property of one hundred thousand of these people, the owners to that number were put to death in the most barbarous manner, and made to expire slowly under a variety of the most exquisite tortures.”
    The Baptists must have been numerous in the ninth century for a hundred thousand of them to be put to death under the reign of one wicked empress.

Tenth Century
    Orchard, Vol. 1, page 298 (old edition):
“During the kingdom of the Goths and Lombards the Baptists, or as they were called by the Catholics, Ana-Baptists, had their share of churches and baptisteries in these provinces, though they had no communion with Rome, Milan, Aquilia, Ravenna, or any other hierarchy. But the laws of the emperors deprived them of their edifices, and transferred them to the Catholic party.”

Eleventh Century

    Orchard, page 147:
“After the ruin of these kingdom (the Goths and Lambards), laws were issued by the emperor, to deprive them of their baptismal churches and to secure them to the Catholic clergy. Consequently the brethren worshipped in private houses, under different names.”
    Note: After being driven out of their meeting houses they worshipped in “private houses under different names.” This gives occasion to remark that Baptists have never had a uniform name. Baptist today, believing and practicing substantially the same thing are called by various names. There are the Landmark Baptists, Regular Baptists, Missionary Baptists, Gospel Mission Baptists, United Baptists, etc. Yet they are all one and the same sort of Baptists. So in the past they were called Waldenses, Novationists, Petro-Brusians, Paulicians, Ana-Baptists, etc.; called by various names but none the less they were one and the same people. What we shall be called next nobody knows.

Twelfth Century
    Baptists Martyrs, page 40:
“About the year 1137, a reformer appeared in Italy, who proved himself a powerful opponent to the Church of Rome, and who, in fortitude and zeal, was inferior to no one bearing that name, while in talent and learning he excelled most. This was Arnold of Brescia, a man remarkable for force of piety and austerity of manners. *** The Romish church took alarm at his bold attack, and in a council condemned him to perpetual silence. *** At length the Pope laid an interdict on the city. As the sword was no weapon in Arnold’s panoply, the noble champion retired to Tuscany. There he was seized, brought back to Rome, crucified and burnt. His ashes were thrown in the river Tiber.”
    On account of the prominence of this great man,  the Baptists, among whom he labored, were dubbed “Arnoldists.” But called them what you may they were Baptists still.

Thirteenth Century
    Jones’ History (quoted by Ray, page 373):
“The penalty for giving food, or showing any other favor to the hated Waldenses, was death, as for high treason. It was considered a crime worthy of death for even a Catholic to favor one of them with shelter from a storm, a piece of bread or a cup of cold water.*** These scenes of slaughter and devastation which had been carried on against the Albegenses in the southern provinces of France for more than twenty years during the former part of the thirteeth century.*** During the said twenty years it has been computed that one million persons bearing that name were put to death.”

Fourteenth Century
    Jones’ History:
“They fled to one of the highest mountains of the Alps with their wives and children *** Their inhuman invaders, whose feet were swift to shed blood, pursued them in their flight until night came on, and slew great numbers of them before they could reach the mountains. ***Four score of their infants deprived of life, many of their mothers also lying dead by their sides,” etc.
    Thus the Baptists of the middle ages suffered and died for their principles.

Fifteenth Century

    Jerome of Prague and John Huss were put to death, being burned at the stake. On account of the prominence of Huss the Baptists were called “Hussites” by their enemies. While the flames leaped up about his body he sang a hymn and prayed for his persecutors.

Sixteenth Century
    Baptist Succession, page 376:

“In the early part of the sixteenth century the most cruel persecution continued to be urged against the Waldenses in the South of France; and in 1585 John Wiener led the Catholic forces against the Waldenses in Provence, France, and among other horrible cruelties, this inhuman wretch shut up about forty women in a barn full of hay and straw, and then set it on fire; and after that, the poor creatures, having attempted in vain to smother the fire with their clothes, which for that end they had pulled off, betook themselves to the great window, at which hay is commonly pitched into the barn, with an intention to leap out from thence, but were kept in with pikes and spears, so that all of them perished in the flames.”

Seventeenth Century
Mosheim, page 105:
“There were certain sects and doctors (teachers), against whom the zeal, vigilance and severity of Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists were united, an in opposing whose settlement and progress these three communions, forgetting their dissensions, joined their most vigorous counsels and endeavors. The object of their common aversion were the Ana-Baptists.”

Eighteenth Century
    Belcher’s History Religious Denominations, pages 161-165, tells of Baptists being persecuted on American soil:
“Three Baptist preachers were brought to trial for preaching. The indictment brought against them was:’For preaching the Gospel of the Son of God,’ contrary to the statute.”
    Bloody persecutions were endured by the Baptist in the colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia. Baptists, smarting under the persecutions, organized the General Association of Virginia for the sole purpose of making a united effort to get a constitution and statutes in the United States guaranteeing religious liberty. They were successful and the clause in the constitution of the United States giving religious liberty to all was the work of Baptists. The American people owe their liberty of conscience to the much despised and terribly persecuted Baptists.
    Cardinal Hosious said:
“If the truth of religion were to be judged of by the readiness and cheerfulness which a man or any sect shows in suffering, then the opinion and persuasion of no sect can be truer than that of the Ana-Baptists, since there has been none for these twelve hundred years past that have been more generally punished or that have more cheerfully and steadfastly undergone and even offered themselves to the most cruel kind of punishment than these people.”
    Note two things: Cardinal Hosious, a Roman Catholic, testifies that the people called Ana-Baptists had endured cruel persecution, and that they had suffered twelve hundred years, almost the exact number of years that the prophetic woman, the symbol of  the church, should stay in the wilderness. (See Revelation 12:6-14.)
    No other people have had a wilderness history. No other people have been compelled to hide from their  persecutors for hundred years, hence no other denomination meets the conditions surrounding the woman of Revelation, who was to fly into the wilderness from the face of the serpent and there be sustained for twelve hundred and sixty years – “a time, time, and half a time.”
    Baptists have a goodly heritage. Their cause was planted by Jesus Christ, and it has been fertilized by martyrs’ blood. Shall we, like dogs, lick the hands that smote our fathers? Nay, verily, Baptists must remain a separate people.

But this struck the spectators with horror, as the former was a delicate woman, and the breast of the latter were streaming with milk after her delivery. They were therefore recalled and exposed in a common loose dress. Perpetua was first tossed by the beast and being thrown down, she had the

presence of mind to compose her dress as she lay on the ground. Then rising and seeing Felicitus much more torn than herself, she gave her hand, and assisted her to rise; and for some time they both stood together near the gate of the ampitheater. Thither Perpetua sent for her brother, and exhorted him to continue firm in the faith, to love his fellow Christians, and not to be discouraged by her suffering. Being in a mangled condition, they were now taken to the usual place of execution, to be dispatched with a sword, but the populace requesting that they should be removed to another place, where the execution might be seen to more advantage, they got up of their own accord to go thither; then having given each other the kiss of charity, they quietly resigned themselves to their fate.”