Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

of God. … We must allow that the way in which Arnold stood forth against
the corruptions of the church, and especially his inclination to make the
objective in the instituted order, and in the transactions of the church, to
depend on the subjective character of the men, might easily lead to still
greater aberations.” f332
Modern historians rightly conclude that Luther’s Reformation was only the
outburst of principles and doctrines agitated by the “heretics” long before and
up to his time; to the Baptist agitation which had prepared the people for the
great uprising against the old: “mother of harlots.” Without that preparation
Luther’s work would have been impossible. Only by keeping in mind the
previous Baptist agitation, can we rightly appreciate the origin of Arnold’s
work. Their agitation of the great principles on which Arnold did his work had
made hundreds of thousands of converts and honey-combed the old Romish
fortress with gospel shot. Hence the people so readily gathered around Arnold
as their God-sent leader. Ivimey says: “Arnold of Brescia seems to have been a
follower of Bruis.” f335 Peter de Bruys having been, probably, a pupil of the
famous Abelard of Paris, f333 of whom Arnold had been a pupil f334 the latter
would naturally fall into line with the Petrobrussians, especially as their cause
was identical, and as they both took only the Bible for their guide. No great
movement, believing, as did Arnold’s, in a spiritual church, in the baptism of
only believers — regenerate persons — and the separation of church and State,
has been other than Baptist. Hence, with Dr. Ford, we may safely say, the
Arnoldists were: “Baptists.” f336 Or, in the language of Vedder, an opponent of
Church Perpetuity: Arnold “may fairly be claimed by Baptists as belonging to
them.” f337 Or with the Watchman, a leading Baptist paper, of Boston:
“As to Arnold, of Brescia, from what we read of him, we are not ashamed to
call him brother, or to join his goodly fellowship.”