The Pilgrim Church by E.H. Broadbent
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THE PILGRIM CHURCH BEING SOME ACCOUNT OF THE CONTINUANCE THROUGH SUCCEEDING CENTURIES OF CHURCHES PRACTISING THE PRINCIPLES TAUGHT AND EXEMPLIFIED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT E. H. BROADBENT LONDON PICKERING & INGLIS LTD. PICKERING & INGLIS LTD. 29 LUDGATE HILL, LONDON E.G.4 229 BOTHWELL STREET, GLASGOW, C. 2 Fleming H. Revell Company, 316 Third Avenue, New Jersey Home Evangel, 418 Church Street, Toronto First Impression ...1931 Second ...1935 Third ...1946 Fourth ...1950 Fifth ...1955 Made and Printed in Great Britain The Pilgrim Church by E. H. Broadbent Table of Contents Preface ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter I - Beginnings .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter II - Christianity in Christendom .................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter III - Paulicians and Bogomils ....................................................................................................................... 26 Chapter IV - The East ........................................................................................................................................................ 39 Chapter V - Waldensians and Albigensians ........................................................................................................... 48 Chapter VI - Churches at the Close of the Middle Ages .................................................................................. 57 Chapter VII - Lollards, Hussites, The United Brethren ...................................................................................... 64 Chapter VIII - The Reformation ..................................................................................................................................... 76 Chapter IX - The Anabaptists ........................................................................................................................................ 82 Chapter X - France and Switzerland ....................................................................................................................... 110 Chapter XI - English Nonconformists ...................................................................................................................... 124 Chapter XII - Labadie, the Pietists, Zinzendorf, Philadelphia ..................................................................... 134 Chapter XIII - Methodist and Missionary Movements ..................................................................................... 150 Chapter XIV - The West ................................................................................................................................................ 160 Chapter XV - Russia ........................................................................................................................................................ 166 Chapter XVI - Groves, Müller, Chapman .............................................................................................................. 181 Chapter XVII - Questions of Fellowship and of Inspiration .......................................................................... 194 Chapter XVIII - Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 205 List of Books ........................................................................................................................................................................ 208 The Pilgrim Church 3 Preface God which, at different times and in various places, have endeavored in their meetings, There is one history, which, though it contains order, and testimony to make the Scriptures the darkest tragedy, yet by common consent is their guide and to act upon them as the Word of called "The Good News", "The Glad Tidings", or God, counting them as sufficient for all their by a name which it has captured and made its needs in all their circumstances. own: "The Gospel". There have always been such churches; the Its four historians are uniquely known as "The records of most have disappeared, but what Four Evangelists", or tellers forth of the Good remain are of such volume that only a selection News. This history tells how, by a miraculous can be given. birth, God entered into a relationship to man which even creation had not established, and General history is left out of account, except by a sacrificial death and mighty resurrection where the course of some of these churches vanquished death, put away sin its cause, and requires reference to current events. Neither is to His glory as Creator added that of Redeemer. any account given of what is usually understood by "ecclesiastical" history, except in The foundations of this history, the preparation its relation to the churches or congregations of for it, indeed the actual foretelling of it and believers carrying out the teachings of evidences of its truth precede it in the Scripture, which are the subject of this Scriptures of the Old Testament. Interwoven narrative. with these, inseparable from them, is the History of Israel, which is therefore itself one of Some spiritual movements are considered universal value. which only partially accepted the principle of taking the Scriptures as sufficient guide, The History of the Church or company of those because in their measure these too throw who by faith have received Christ and become valuable light on the possibility of such a His followers, is still in the making, not yet course. complete. On this account and because of its immense extent, although it is of supreme In addition to the works mentioned below, and importance, parts only of it can be written and others also, advantage has been taken of the from time to time. First one, then another, must help so richly provided and placed within the relate what he has seen or has learned from reach of most by such works as the trustworthy records, and this must be taken up "Encyclopedia Britannica" and Hastings' and added to as stage after stage of the long "Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics". pilgrimage is traversed. A beginner may look up the subject in one of The following pages are a contribution to the these standard works of reference, where he unfolding story. Much that others have will be directed to some of the literature searched out and related has been made use of, considered as authoritative. In reading a repeated, woven in, so that this book is a selection of this he will be referred to the compilation, to which is added the writer's original authorities and also (as these are not individual share in the growing narrative. It is always available) to their most trustworthy hoped and expected that the frequent expositors. In the present volume the books quotations from and references to the works of used and referred to are mostly well known several authors will lead the readers of this and accessible; sometimes a popular work has volume to turn to the books from which so been chosen in preference to one more erudite, much has been derived, and thus come to share so that anyone interested may get fuller more fully in the fruits of the patient labors and information more easily. Where books written able expositions of their authors. An attempt is in languages other than English are made use made in this book to introduce those who have of, translations are referred to if they are to be not much time for reading or research, into had, but sometimes there are none, and then some of the experiences of certain churches of The Pilgrim Church 4 the original works are named for the benefit of antiquarian, later Sir Arthur Evans. "Essays on those who can read them. the Latin Orient" by William Miller, has also In the beginning of the History, "The Ante- been made use of. The chapter on the Eastern Nicene Christian Library" provides a store of Churches, especially the Nestorian, owes very information from which much has been drawn. much to "Le Christianisme dans l'Empire Perse When the time of Marcion is reached, "Marcion sous la Dynastie Sassanide" by J. Labourt; to Das Evangelium vom Fremden Gott" by Ad. v. "The Syrian Churches" by J. W. Etheridge; and Harnack is used, and for matters connected to "Early Christianity Outside the Roman with the Roman Empire, "East and West Empire" by F. C. Burkitt M. A. The account of Through Fifteen Centuries" by Br.-Genl. G. F. the Synod of Seleucia is taken chiefly from "Das Young C. B. For Augustine "A Select Library of Buch des Synhados" by Oscar Braun, while the Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers of the "Nestorius and his Teachings" by J. Bethune- Christian Church" translated and annotated by Baker, has supplied most of what is given about J. C. Pilkington, M. A. edited by Philip Schaff, is a Nestorius, and "The Bazaar of Heraclides of guide. "Latin Christianity" by Dean Milman, Damascus" by the same author, has especially helps in several periods. We are indebted to been quoted; these give a vivid picture of Georg Schepps for the true history of Priscillian Nestorius and should be read in full if possible. and his teaching. His book, "Priscillian ein For the description of the spread of the Neuaufgefundener Lat. Schriftsteller des 4 Nestorians into China, "Cathay and the Way