The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-15
WHERE THE BAPT|STS' COME FROM; WHAT.
 THEY HAVE DONE.
Baptist History and Prin- ciples Theme of Sermon By Dr. billiard At the
 SOuthside Church


 Before a congregation that filled the spacious Southside Baptist Church to it's capacity Dr. James E. Dillard, the pastor. preached a sermon of more than usual interest on the history of khe Baptist Church. Dr. billiard said. in part:
 we need to know and appreciate Baptist history and achievements. Not to boast, but in order to be humble, grateful and faithful to trust
 We must distinguish between Bap- tist churches and Baptist principles. Baptist churches have always been in- dependent bodies; they have been wide ly separated; have often suffered per- secutions. and their records are mostly lost. We have to get their history from the records of other people, and usually these other people were hostile to the Bapttsts, considering them heritics and disturbers. Consequently the recotds need, oftime, to be discounted in order to get the true status of things.
 By Baptist principles we mean those distinctive teachings for which Baptists have contended. Sometimes they con tended for these principles by them selves, and principles for which they contended in one period they did not necessarily have - contend for in cer- tain other periods, inasmuch as they were recognized by other religious bodies.
 Among these principles we may mention the Lordship of Christ as re- vealed in the New Testament, the in dependence of the individual chur>h, the equality of believers, the inviolabil- itv of conscience. the spirituality of the church, believers in baptism. and the separation of church and state.
 NAME BAPTIST
 .'WeSdo not claim that Christ founded a Baptist church with all the depart ments of church work and activities as we find them today, but we do claim that the fundamental principles for which we stand were taught by Christ. We also claim that no one can point to an earthly founder this side of Christ. The Lutherans originated with Martin Luther; the Presbyterians with John Calvin: the Methodists with John Wesley; the Episcopalians with Henry the Eighth; the Disciples" with Alex ander Campbell, but no man this side of Christ can claim the honor of having started the Baptist churches.
 eve dso not claim that the name A"Baptist" was applied. to all of these people who held these peculiar views in all periods of church history, but we do claim that in every century and almost every epoch we find people under vari- ous names holding some, and in many eases all of these doctrines that have distinguished us. Among these peoples may be mentioned the Nontavists, who within a century after the death of the apostles. were protesting against the corruptions of Rome and holding many of the doctrines that we stress today The same thing may be said or the Novatians of the third century, wnc arose in the fourth century; the Pauii- clans who were numerous from the eighth to the eleventh centuries. who protested against image worship. infant baptism, religious prosecutions, corrupt morals etc.
 '.In the twelfth century we find in the Netherlands, under the leadership of Tanchelyn many followers with the slogan, No guide but the Bible, no Mas ter but Christ, no mass, no infant bap- tism, no prayers for the dead and a re- generated church. The followers of Peter WtldS eaught many principles for which we stand. They were greatly per secuted History accounts the burning of $500 as heretics and the inflictior of penalties on 9o,000 more.
 These people translated the Bible into the language of the common peo- ple; their pastors committed the New Testament to memory and they stressed the sole Lordship of Christ and the rights of the individual. Everybody knows the story of the Ana Baptists in the reformation days. From 1883 1T England, and from 1889 in America, we have an unbroken chain of Baptist churches. contendinE for the fundamen. tai principles for which we still stand.
 DOCTRINAL ERROR
 ssWe do not claim that Baptists have been free from doctrina1 errors, or that they are free from such now, but we df claim that their fundamental principles are scriptural, and that they have beer faithful in proclaiming these principles even at the cost of their liberN, and oftines, life itself.
 Many of the principles for which Baptists once contended aolne have now become very generally accepted, and we believe if we are faithful to our trust that we shall yet see the other prin- ciples accepted by Christdom, not be. cause Baptists hold them. but because they are true, scriptura] and good Thus therA will be laid a basis for tht final union of Christian people whicf l. |.