Baptist successionism
Groups often included in the succession line are Montanists, Novationists, Donatists, Paulicians, Pataria, Cathars, Waldenses, Petrobrusians, Arnoldists, Henricians, and Anabaptists.
Despite rejecting their affiliations with Gnosticism, he still denied the inclusion of groups such as the Cathars, Paulicians and Bogomils as proto-Baptists, instead arguing that they were closer to modern Quakerism.
Thomas Armitage also drew parallers between Montanism and Baptists, such as by the principles of regenerate church membership, although still stating that there are significant differences.
The Novatians were among the first groups included by James Milton Carroll in his "Trail of Blood", whom he argued to represent an ancient form of Baptist theology.
[15] Berlin Hisel, argued that the Novatians practiced believer's baptism and emphasized church discipline similarly to modern Baptist groups.
[13] However, the evidence for the Novatians being credobaptists has been called "weak" by some historians, as Augustine’s accounts and other sources do not explicitly support this view in a robust manner.
As with Montanism, Baptist successionists dispute charges made against the Paulicians and Bogomils, including claims that they rejected the writings of Peter the Apostle and the Old Testament.
Hisel Berlin argued that the Paulicians upheld an orthodox view of the Trinity and contended that many of the charges against them were unreliable, as the primary sources were written by their opponents.
He claimed that the two groups shared a common origin with similar doctrinal beliefs, including the rejection of paedobaptism and a focus on personal faith.
[23] Claiming the Cathars as pockets of true teaching in the middle ages has also been done by some Reformed writers, such as Jean Duvernoy and John Foxe.
Protestant historians such as Jacques Basnage, Mosheim and Shroeck have insisted that the charges of dualism and docetism were not authentic, only hostile claims,[27][28] with such arguments being criticized by Charles Schmidt.
[29] Although Lollardy was not included in the Trail of Blood,[15] Charles Spurgeon (an advocate of successionism) claimed that John Wycliffe and some of the Lollard movement was opposed to the practice infant baptism.
Mosheim wrote: “The true origin of that sect which acquired the denomination of Anabaptists by their administering anew the rite of baptism to those who came over to their communion, and derived that of Mennonites from the famous man to whom they owe the greatest part of their present felicity, is hidden in the depths of antiquity, and is, of consequence, extremely difficult to be ascertained.” Hisel interpreted this statement as giving credit to the idea that the Anabaptists were connected to earlier similar groups, such as the Waldensians, forming a continuous tradition of believer’s baptism and opposition to paedobaptism.
Gourley writes that among some contemporary Baptist scholars who emphasize the faith of the community over soul liberty, the Anabaptist influence theory is making a comeback.
[44] The concept attempts to parallel the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican doctrine of apostolic succession and stands in contrast to the restorationist views of Latter Day Saints and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement.
Dwight Longenecker writing for Catholic Answers has argued that Baptist successionism is unprovable, being primarily based on theological assertion rather than historical evidence.
