A

SHORT HISTORY

OF THE

BAPTISTS

Henry C. Vedder

Henry C. Vedder was the professor of church history at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, From 1894 to 1927. American Baptist Convention author,  he wrote the book, "A Short History of the Baptists" in 1907. Vedder inexplicably has  problems with pinpointing Baptism by immersion in history which is probably the reason why he is ignored by Cathcart.

   The Great Commission. The ingathering at Pentecost Conversion of Saul. The gospel preached to Gentiles. Antioch and the beginning of Christian missions. The empire evangelized.  

   Founded on believers' baptism. Baptism of infants unknown. Ordinances and officers. Worship.  

   Christians and the Roman law. Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas. Toleration granted. Attacks of heathen philosophers. The Christian apologists. Defeat in victory.  

   Signs of degeneracy. Exaggerated ideas about unity. Sacramental grace. Clinic baptism. Baptism of infants. The catechumenate. Sacerdotalism. Growth of the episcopate. Asceticism.

Chapter 5 - The Struggle for a Pure Church

   Montanism. Novatians. Donatists. Arianism. Athanasius and the triumph of orthodoxy.  

Chapter 6 - The Eclipse of Evangelical Christianity

   Patrick and the gospel in Ireland. Evangelical Christianity in the East. The Bogomils.  

   Arnold of Brescia. Savonarola. Wiclif. Hus. The Moravians. 

   Origin of persecution. Its theory. Effect of the medieval heresies. The fourth Lateran Council The Albigensian crusade. Rise of the Inquisition. Its Methods. The lesson 

   Protestants before Protestantism. The Petrobrusians. Henry of Lausanne. Waldo and the Waldensians. Waldensian teachings

   Their origin. Zwingli and the beginning of reform in Zurich. Anabaptism introduced. Persecution of the leaders. Zwingli' s responsibility. Anabaptists in Bern. The Schleitheim Confession 

   Unhistorical treatment of the party. The Zwickau "prophets."  Balthasar Hubmaier. John Denck. Their views of civil government. Persecution by all governments.  

   Condition of German peasants. Decay of feudalism and the social revolution. Thomas M�nzer and the peasant uprising. Luther's tracts against the peasants. Hofmann and his teachings. The Munster uproar. Savage persecution of the Anabaptists.

   Menno' s life and labors. Toleration in the Netherlands, Baptism among the Mennonites. Their controversies and divisions. Mennonites in England. Their martyrs: Joan Boucher, Hendrik Terwoort, Edward Wightman.

   John Smyth and his church at Amsterdam. His baptism. Church removes to London. Growth of General Baptists. Spurious claims of antiquity. Origin of Particular Baptists. Introduction of immersion in 1641. Survival of affusion till 1653. Controversy with Separatists. Confession of 1644. William Kiffen. Hanserd Knollys.  

   The Long Parliament and civil war. Presbyterian intolerance. Baptists during the Protectorate. Opposed to monarchy. Fifth Monarchy movement. The Restoration. General Thomas Harrison. John James. Act of Uniformity and persecutions. John Bunyan. Baptists under James II. Act of Toleration. Baptist customs of the seventeenth century.

   The next fifty years. Confession of 1688. Decline of General Baptists. First Associations. Hypercalvinism. John Gill. General declension of religion. John Wesley and his work. Results on Church of England. Dan Taylor. Andrew Fuller. William Carey and the missionary revival. 

   Growth of churches. New missionary organizations. Bible Translation Society. Robert Hall. Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Open communion in England. Education. Six-principle Baptists. Seventh-day Baptists.  

   Baptists in Wales : John Myles, Vavasor Powell. Recent history. Baptists in Scotland: Archibald McLean, the Haldanes. Baptists in Ireland: Alexander Carson. Baptists in Canada. Baptists in Australasia.

   Three periods of American Baptist history. Roger Williams and the first Baptist church. John Clarke and the Newport church. Henry Dunster. Whipping of Obadjah Holmes. First church in Boston. William Screven and the Charlestown church. Beginnings in the Middle States. The Philadelphia Association. Baptist churches in the South

   Worldliness invades. The Great Awakening. Hezekiah Smith. The Revolution. Morgan Edwards. Progress of the churches. Religious liberty attained. The Westward movement The pioneer preacher. John M. Peck and the Home Mission Society. The Judsons and their work. Luther Rice and the Triennial  

   Unitarianism in New England. The American Bible Society and the controversy about versions. Formation of the American Bible Union. A long controversy. The Saratoga Convention. The anti-Masonic excitement Alexander Campbell and the Disciples. The anti-slavery controversy and the division of Baptists. 

   Periods of revivals. State and local work Development of educational institutions. James Manning and Brown University. Newton Theological Institution. The institutions at Hamilton. Other colleges and seminaries. The American Baptist Publication Society.  

   Baptist churches in 1850. Numerical growth of fifty years. Progress in education. Growth of foreign missions. Increase of home missions. Work of the Publication Society. Comparative denominational wealth. Counter currents.

   Six-principle Baptists. Original Freewill Baptists. Free Baptists. Separate Baptists. United Baptists. General Baptists. Primitive Baptists. Two-seed-in-the-Spirit Baptists. Baptist Church of Christ. Seventh-day Baptists. Winebrennerians. River Brethren. Adventists. Christadelphians. Christian Connection. Social Brethren.  

   France. Germany. Sweden. Norway. Denmark. Russia. Greece. Spain. Italy.

   The nature of the church. The baptismal controversy ended. The communion question. Separation of Church and State. Theological changes. The guarantee of the future.