Parallel for “the Trail of Blood by J.M Carroll…
Summary: In Chapter 2 of The Trail of Blood, Carroll continues to build his argument about the continuity of Baptist beliefs from the time of the apostles through the early centuries of the church. This chapter is crucial in explaining the early history of the church and its foundational doctrines, which Carroll claims were consistent with modern Baptist beliefs. He argues that the Apostolic Church maintained a pure and unaltered doctrine that was later corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church.
Carroll examines the practices of the early church, focusing particularly on its distinctive view of baptism, church government, and the Lord’s Supper. He asserts that these practices were in direct opposition to the developments that took place within the Catholic Church, particularly after the Constantinian shift, which saw the church gain imperial favor and alter its original teachings.
Key Points:
- The Apostolic Faith – Carroll emphasizes that the early Christians, particularly the apostles, held to a clear and pure doctrine that reflected a New Testament understanding of the church, its ordinances, and its practices. He contrasts this with the later developments within the Catholic Church, which he believes strayed from these apostolic teachings.
- Baptism by Immersion – A central theme of Carroll’s argument is that baptism, as practiced by the early Christians, was by immersion and for believers only. He insists that this mode of baptism was not only an essential doctrine of the early church but one that has been passed down to modern-day Baptists. According to Carroll, the Catholic Church’s introduction of infant baptism marked a departure from apostolic teaching.
- Church Government – Carroll argues that the early church was governed by a congregational system of independent churches, a belief system that contrasts with the hierarchical and centralized authority structure of the Roman Catholic Church. He highlights that the church in the New Testament was organized in a manner that gave autonomy to local congregations under the leadership of elders or pastors.
- The Lord’s Supper – The early church’s observance of the Lord’s Supper, according to Carroll, was symbolic and memorial, not a literal transformation of the elements. He rejects the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, asserting that this doctrine was a later invention that departed from the original teachings of Christ and the apostles.
- Persecution and Purity of Faith – Just as in the first chapter, Carroll stresses the persecution that these early Christians faced for adhering to what he calls “the original faith.” He explains that the rise of Catholicism led to the suppression of any group that held to the apostolic faith, resulting in centuries of martyrdom for those who refused to conform to Catholic doctrines.
Direct Quote: Carroll writes, “The early church was never identified with Rome. In fact, it was a persecuted church. It was a church that was born in the blood of martyrs, and it was a church that suffered for its testimony to the truth.” (Carroll, The Trail of Blood).
Analysis: In this chapter, Carroll continues to argue that the modern Baptist movement is a direct descendant of the Apostolic Church. His examination of the early church’s beliefs is meant to establish a historical connection between those early Christians and the Baptist tradition. Carroll’s insistence on baptism by immersion for believers and his rejection of infant baptism is key to his understanding of the apostolic faith and what he believes is the proper interpretation of the New Testament.
Carroll is also making a broader historical and theological point: that the development of the Catholic Church, especially after its union with the state under Emperor Constantine, led to a corruption of the original Christian teachings. For Carroll, the Baptists, as the descendants of these early believers, have maintained the pure doctrine of the early church, especially in their emphasis on believer’s baptism, congregational autonomy, and the symbolic nature of the Lord’s Supper.