Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

Moller:
“Condemned in Rome, Montanism found a new home in North Africa and its
most prominent representative Tertullian.” f538
Naturally the Baptists, who were persecuted under the stigma of Montanists,
found refuge in North Africa with their brethren who were stigmatized
Donatists. The Montanists were so strong that Tertullian tells us the corrupt
party felt inclined to recognize their claims in order for peace.” f539
Says Adolph Harnack:
“According to Philostorgius, Novatian was a native of Phrygia. Probably,
however, this notion arose from the circumstance that he found many
adherents in Phrygia; or, perhaps it was purposely manufactured in order to
insinuate a connection between him and the Montanists.” f540
Admit Novatian was a native of Phrygia, and we see in the admission his early
Montanist education manifest after his conversion. Deny he was Phrygian, and
we have in the denial the explanation of the cause of the extraordinary
prosperity of Novatian on Phrygian soil, in that Montanism had educated the
people there into Novatian belief and practice. Deny both, and we have the
story as proving that Baptist enemies recognized Montanists and Novatians as
really or essentially the same people. Harnack farther says of the Novatians:
“The schism gradually assumed very dangerous proportions, in the East, the
views of Novatian finding many adherents in Egypt, Armenia, Pontus,
Bithynia, Cappadocia, Syria, and Mesopotamia.” f541
Hase says: Montanism was “an excitement which originated in Phrygia, and
extended over all the churches of Asia Minor.” f542
Of the locality where the Donatists controversy originated, in giving account
of its rise, Guericke says:
“In Northern Africa the fanatical spirit of Montanism had propagated itself
here and there.” f543
Prof. Geo. P. Fisher, says:
“The controversy concerning church discipline, which had been maintained in
the former period by the Novatians, was revived again by the Donatists.” f544
Rase says of the Novatians:
“They withdrew all fellowship from the Catholic church and rebaptized all
who came from it to them. … In other countries also a similar uncertainty
with respect to the true idea of a church and strict discipline produced similar
divisions.” f545