The first recorded instance of Baptist preachers imprisoned for their faith in Virginia was in the county of Spotsylvania. John Waller, Lewis Craig, James Childs, and others, were seized...
Pastor and author James Beller has created a new site dedicated to the reestablishment of first principles as believed and taught by earlier Baptists. He states in his introduction: "The Baptists of America are in mortal danger. Our churches face extinction and our principles extermination. Our enemies deem our principles dangerous. The day is coming when the antichrist himself will not tolerate our theology and practice. I am advocating we declare a war--a war over first principles. This war is about antichrist, and the New World Order. It is about the foundations of American government and the direction of our country. It is about Baptist principles and the foundation of liberty." I recommend you give the site a visit and consider the material there.
Joshua Thomas (1719-1797) served as the pastor of the Baptist church at Leominster in Wales for almost 45 years. His history of the Baptists in Wales was published in the Welsh language in 1778. He published an English edition of his history in 1795. His history was considered a well-researched edition of Baptist history. Acccording to Hywel M. Davies in "Transatlantic Brethren" (p.142), Joshua Thomas insisted that the Welsh Baptists "were the direct inheritors of the legacy of pure, primitive British Christianity--the spiritual and ethnic descendants of the pre-Augustinian Celtic Christians, historically free from the taints of popery." This would take this strain of Christianity back to the time when the Roman Empire ruled Britannia; back before Augustine of Canterbury brought Catholicism to the Germanic Anglo-Saxon tribes that conquered England after the Romans had retreated. There was always a remnant of true believers even throughout the darkest of the Dark Ages. Some of those believers were in Wales.
The following is a quote from p42 of Winsome Christianity by Henry Durbanville:
The Book of Numbers is a great book when looking for devotional material. In chapters 1-10 the people seem to be wholly following the commandments of the Lord. However, chapter 11 is the beginning of woes. The very first phrase is "And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord". In chapter 12, we find the murmuring moving up the ranks into the leadership and infecting Miriam and Aaron as they murmur against Moses. In chapter 13, ten of the twelve spies come back with an evil report concerning the land of promise. In chapter 14, we find the people wanting to make a captain to return to Egypt and then wanting to stone Joshua and Caleb for their report of faith. This chapter includes the decision of the Israelites not to go into the land of promise, and then their decision to go into the land of promise after the Lord told them they could no longer go in. The Israelites decide to go against the commandments of the Lord and try to take the land of Canaan on their own, only to be smitten by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Psalm 107 is an amazing Psalm with an amazing end. The last verse of this Psalm says, "Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD." On the surface, you would expect this Psalm to deal with the sweet times of blessings and gifts from God, but the opposite is true. The chapter gives five examples of troubles or trials in the lives of people. Some experience troubles because of sin and some because the Lord led them into troubles and some just because of everyday life. Two verses are repeated four times each. One of these verses is repeated in verses 6, 13, 19 and 28 and it says, "Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses." The other verse is repeated in verses 8, 15, 21, and 31 and it says, "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" These verses demonstrate not only a purpose for trials in the lives of men and women, but it also builds on the idea of the lovingkindness of the LORD. The lovingkindness of the Lord seems to be connected to His dealings as a Father. He allows or causes trials and troubles in our lives to bring us to a point where we cry out to Him and then He delivers us. When He delivers us, He desires praises from our lips. Through these trials we are drawn closer to Him and are strengthened in faith. This truly is the lovingkindness of the Lord.
On the 31st day of August in the year 1688, John Bunyan, well known author of "The Pilgrim's Progress", went home to be with...
