It's common to assume the history of Christian churches going back to the apostles is with the NT churches.. then the RCC ...then later the reformation... With churches now coming out of those two lines.
The truth is there is a separate line from both. Independent Christian churches that were largely faithful to the bible before the RCC and didn't need to reform.
Cardinal Hosieus speaks of them . Among others. They were grievously cut off with knife...and would have been in much larger numbers were it not for their persecution.
They helped the reformers.. but weren't reforming their own faith .
Waldenses, Paulicians, Donatists among others are names given them for their leaders/ teaching.
They would baptise only believers, rebaptise those baptised wrongly. asserted independence from the state and kept the Lord's Supper and tithing as church ordinances.
History calls them heretics. But it was written by the persecutors.
The truth is there is a separate line from both. Independent Christian churches that were largely faithful to the bible before the RCC and didn't need to reform.
Cardinal Hosieus speaks of them . Among others. They were grievously cut off with knife...and would have been in much larger numbers were it not for their persecution.
They helped the reformers.. but weren't reforming their own faith .
Waldenses, Paulicians, Donatists among others are names given them for their leaders/ teaching.
They would baptise only believers, rebaptise those baptised wrongly. asserted independence from the state and kept the Lord's Supper and tithing as church ordinances.
History calls them heretics. But it was written by the persecutors.