John3:16 wrote:
... The Church spread throughout the world, and even though the Roman Empire was vast, the Church spread beyond it, so when in the 4th century Constantine convened the first Council of Nicaea, there existed christian churches outside of the “ Ecumenical” church of Rome which were separated by terrain and borders, language, ect. they most likely would not have joined the RCC even if they were invited. The Ana Baptist (re-Baptizers,) branched out into several modern day denominations and can trace their origins back to the Apostolic era. along with the Anglican, and other denominations...
The idea that "The Ana Baptist... can trace their origins back to the Apostolic era," or that there were always Christians who believed as Evangelical Protestants do today is not supported by the historical record.
To think that such claims are true one must then ask: Did God abandon his Church until the 1600's? If not that, then have there always been Evangelical Protestants? Where was the Church before the Evangelical Protestants? Were there always "Bible Only Christians" who taught believers baptism is the only proper baptism, or that the Eucharist is only a symbolic memorial, and other low-church Protestant beliefs? If so, who were those groups and what else did they believe?
Most Evangelical Protestants simply assume it to be true that, in some form, their beliefs and practices can be traced back to the first century. When pressed they will refer to the Donatists, the Paulicians, the Cathari, the Waldensians, and other like groups to support their belief. (See "Landmarkism").
After reading James McGoldrick's book "A Crucial Question" it was clear to me that 1) in some cases we don’t have enough information to know WHAT these early non-Catholic groups believed about particular topics, and 2) in other cases what we do know about what they believed puts them well outside of Evangelical Protestant theology.
The Evangelical Protestantism known today did not exist in the first millennium, or for many centuries in the second millennium. Based on the available information, none of the non-Catholic groups that existed in the distant past can be considered 21st century Evangelical Protestants.
Reference:
Baptist Successionism: A Critical View by W. Morgan Patterson (Judson Press, 1969). In this book Patterson examines the rise of the successionist view; the successionist historians use of sources; logical fallacies and uncritical perspective; and factors contributing to Baptist successionism.
Patterson examines the work of early Baptist writers and finds that they were more apologists than historians. They cited sources that agreed with them and ignored those that did not support their position. They took statements out of context. They removed ellipsis. They argued "ad populum" to support their contentions. They cited secondary sources as if they were primary. They often did not cite the sources of their information (primary or secondary).
Baptist Successionism: A Crucial Question in Baptist History by James Edward McGoldrick (Scarecrow Press, 2000). Inspired by Patterson, in this book McGoldrick looks at what groups like Montanists, Novatians, Paulicians, Bogomils, Albigenses, Waldenses, and Anabaptists actually believed.
Heresies of the High Middle Ages translated and annotated by Walter Wakefield and Austin Evans (Columbia University Press, 1991). Original source material on the major sects - Waldenses, Albigensians, Bogomils and Cathars - are explored; as well as many minor movements including "Manichaeans" in Aquitaine and near Soissons; Heresy at Orleans, Peter of Bruys, Arnold of Brescia, and others. Additionally, Catholics who lived in this era and wrote about the heretics are included: Bernard of Clairvaux Against Heresy, The Summa of Rainerius Sacconi, and others.
