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The Pilgrim Church

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I really treasure books that share history as it really happened. I know that there is no such thing as an unbiased account, but there's unbiased and then there's plain misleading. Much of the history that we read on the church is, sadly, flawed. EH Broadbent sought to tell it the way that it really happened.

Broadbent spent much of his lifetime traveling throughout Europe, Asia Minor and Northern Africa researching the real history. According to Broadbent, many of the greatest heroes of the faith were persecuted by the established church because their outright dependence on Christ and the Word of God, and their belief in the priesthood of all believers, was a threat to it.

As a result they were falsely accused of heresy, tortured, imprisoned, exiled and murdered.

This book is dangerous. You will hear very different stories about many whom you've heard spoken of in high regard. You will also hear amazing stories about those who've been wrongfully shamed in the annals of church history. While Broadbent is careful not to generalize, and acknowledges the work of those in the established church who stood up for truth and righteousness, yet the overall picture is too clear. Two historical churches: one founded on the ambitions of men and voraciously persecuting the other church, a very humble and organic movement of men and women who were willing to lay down their lives, even unto death, in submission to the headship of Christ.

According to Broadbent, while many would agree that the Bible is our sufficient authority on matters of salvation, they would also believe that we are free to develop church as we feel is appropriate, so long as people get saved. This line of reasoning was made popular by DL Moody.

Broadbent's premise is that salvation and the church are inseparable (not that salvation comes through the church as the Roman Catholic's suppose, but that you are saved into the church) and therefore the Bible must be our sufficient authority, not just on salvation, but on church pracise as well.

On this Basis Broadbent seeks to show that there have always been large followings of believers, since the close of the New Testament, who have either left or maintained separation from the institutional church as a matter of conscience. Though many of these groups later became institutionalised themselves, they showed that the concept of emergent church or new testament based church is not something new and radical, but something common, biblical, and historical.

This book is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered why the church is so fractured, or if they have legitimacy in leaving the institutional church to join into a simple church congregation. It is a courageous triumph of truth.

It has been said history is written by the conquerors. That is as true in the church as it is in the world. However a difference is that the Word of God distinguishes between spiritual and temporal conquerors. A man may gain the whole world and yet lose his soul. He may conquer in this world, yet he is not "a conqueror in Christ."

On the other hand, in the church, the true spiritual conquerors are frequently losers in this world. They lose all worldly things, even their lives, for the sake of Christ. We must distinguish between the true church and the professing church, here. The true church is invisible, comprised solely of spiritual conquerors, or overcomers, in Christ. By contrast the professing church is institutional, a mixture of the true church and the world, with the consequence that much of the persecution suffered by Christ's saints in history has been inflicted by or under the auspices of the established, institutional church wielding the state's sword.

The Pilgrim Church by E.H. Broadbent is a chronicle of separation from, dissent against, and aspirations to reformation of the institutional, sectarian churches. Many of the saints chronicled in these pages "loved not their lives unto death." They were burnt, they were boiled, they were torn asunder, all branded heretics by the ecclesiastical or civil authorities, or both. The book reads something like Fox's Book of Martyrs set in a context of dissenting-church history.

Apostasy, a falling away from revealed truth, has been a problem in the church through the ages. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, "The mystery of iniquity doth already work." The apostolic letters were written in part to address doctrinal problems existing even in the earliest days of the church, cf. 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, and 1 John. Paul warned the Ephesian elders that wolves would enter the church, even rising up within the eldership "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Recurrence to the Word was the remedy.

However after the demise of the apostles doctrinal problems in the church began to be addressed, not by simple recurrence to the Word in the churches but by ecclesiastical or episcopal powers in consultation. This was in evidence even in the second century A.D. The doctrinal controversies were real, but as Broadbent writes, "The means adopted to counter these (heretical doctrines) and to preserve the unity of doctrine affected the Church even more than the heresies themselves, for it was largely due to them that the episcopal power and control grew up along with the clerical system which began so soon and so seriously to modify the character of the churches." By the time of the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. these forces had been at work in the church for over two centuries.

The first official council in church history after the Council at Jerusalem (Acts 15), the Council of Nicea, along with those that followed in subsequent centuries, has ratified in the eyes of many in the church a necessity for clergy and episcopal powers. Episcopal authority of course provides a ready list of dignitaries for said church councils. However against this it should be noted that, first, the Council at Jerusalem took place before the completion of the NT canon and was thus part of the inspired process which ended in canonization of the Scriptures, and, second, the Council at Jerusalem was attended solely by apostles and elders in the church, cf. Acts 15:2,6. There were no "episcopal powers" here. Therefore the Council at Jerusalem provides no warrant for post-apostolic councils, much less for "ecclesiastical powers."

Broadbent notes a crucial difference between the New Testament scriptures and those not included in the canon is that the former gave no indication of a clergy/laity dichotomy in the church, whereas the latter gave credence to it. He wrote in respect of these non-canonical writings, "The inferiority of (them) is unmistakable even when the good in them is readily appreciated. While expounding the Scriptures, defending the truth, refuting errors, exhorting the disciples, they also manifest the increasing departure from the divine principles of the New Testament which had already begun in apostolic days and was rapidly accentuated afterwards." (I would note here that Paul's defense of his ministry against the false apostles, cf. 2 Corinthians, puts God's seal to Mr. Broadbent's assertion.) Thus we learn that the process of canonization of the Scriptures, while it was supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit, was a fairly straightforward, objective, and non-mystical process. We are to understand that insinuations of clericalism--a professional pastorate in the churches with its attendant subjugation of "the laity"--was a litmus test by which the church definitively ruled out certain writings for inclusion in the NT canon.

The problems attending clericalism are manifold. The priesthood of believers is effectively overruled. (The Reformation, as The Pilgrim Church chronicles, did not--for most--restore the priesthood of believers but rather modified the Catholic priesthood.) Liberty of ministry in the churches is thwarted. The spiritual gifts in the saints are not perfected, with the result that growth in the body of Christ is thwarted. Christian men are emasculated by a "voluntary humility" in the form of subjugation to authority unwarranted in the New Testament. (That is not to disparage warranted authority in the NT.) Emasculated men cannot, of course, acquit themselves as men, either in the church or in the family. They cannot contend for the faith. Clericalism begets declension in the church. But the foremost reason clericalism is wrong is not found in its consequences but in its personal affront to the Headship of Christ over the church and to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the churches.

A recurring theme in The Pilgrim Church is a desire of saints through the ages to return to the simple arrangement of the apostolic churches, cf. Acts 2:42. While there is no New Testament command that the churches should imitate the primitive churches, these saints understood the Biblical example for NT churches as documented in the book of Acts to be normative, i.e., an example that wisdom alone requires the saints to imitate. Not only so, they understood the primitive arrangement for the churches as absolutely indispensable for preserving and contending for the faith. Doctrinal controversies were inevitable, whatever the design of the churches. The best possible defense against these was the simple, unadorned church rightly handling the word of truth, preaching the Word in an unvarnished way.

What was this primitive arrangement of the churches? Where two or three gathered in Christ's name, this was a church. The saints met on the Lord's day for teaching and fellowship, the latter principally consisting of taking the Lord's table and prayer. The saints usually met in houses. There was liberty of ministry--one man would speak and then another, cf. 1 Cor.14. There was much reading of the Word; exposition of the Word was considerably simpler and more concise. (This is required in the 1 Cor.14 arrangement.) Where there were elders in a church, they were to take responsibility for shepherding the flock, cf. 1 Peter 5. Originally elders were appointed in cities, cf. Titus 1:5, with the implication that the churches meeting in various places in a city were spiritually united and merely physically divided, therefore the elders ministered irrespective of the physical but non-sectarian divisions of the churches. Evangelists, supported by the churches, preached the gospel where it had not been preached, thereby planting new churches. They also traveled amongst their supporting churches and taught on occasion in them. (I take it that the 1 Cor.14 arrangement was suspended--either entirely or in part--on a day when an itinerant teacher taught.)

Thus there were elders (pastors, presbyters, overseers) and evangelists (preachers and teachers) in these churches. But no assembly of believers required any of these in order to meet, given that the Head of the church had promised where two or three gathered in His name, He was in their midst, thus supplying the one thing needful for a church. Of course the reading and speaking of the Word--this is what Paul meant when he said, covet to prophesy--would be preeminent in these assemblies.

Against the primitive church model is counterposed the "developmental church" model. In this latter model traditions have accrued to the church which have enabled it to improve upon and even transcend the original model. But our Lord taught, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. In this He prophesied the progressive doctrinal corruption of the church in the world. Can there be any doubt that much of this corruption is specifically tradition-based, particularly as it pertains to things ecclesiastical? The Pilgrim Church is nothing if not a history of the rejectors of corrupt church traditions.

Some of the dissenters recorded in this history were heretics and clearly unbelievers, e.g., Marcion. However these were the exceptions that proved the rule, which rule was that the dissenters had godly and scriptural motivations. Just as it is possible that one might dissent with the established, institutional churches out of heretical opinion, it must be allowed that others might dissent with the established, institutional churches out of conviction of the truth of God's Word. This puts the lie to Cyprian's assertion that there was no salvation outside "the Catholic Church." And--in that Cyprian was bishop of Carthage--it points to the truism that most of the heresies in church history have been preached from within the established, institutional churches.

As recounted in The Pilgrim Church, there was not uniform agreement among the dissenters and reformers through the ages over what constituted the apostolic, primitive church model. But there was far more agreement than disagreement because the dissenters held in common a veneration for the Word over and against church traditions. Thus they looked to the same Source and largely arrived at the same model. This was a basis for true unity (not the political, ecumenical, inter-sectarian kind) among the saints and their churches. They thus displayed the unities declared in Ephesians 4:4-6, There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Indeed these saints exhibited a liberal forbearance in arguable matters that puts theological liberals--who, while they argue that grace has superseded law, display gross intolerance for those who contend that mere professors and unbelievers are still under the law--to shame.

While many dissenters separated from the institutional churches, others sought to reform the church from within. Men such as Jean de Labadie did much laudable work in the church of Rome, though he eventually separated from it. The efforts of these "reformers-from-within" deserve recognition. Also the author Broadbent is very careful to document laudable Christian unity and cooperation across sectarian lines. There are of course saints in the sectarian churches. As A.N. Groves said of two brethren from the Church of England who greatly aided two separatist brethren in their evangelistic work, "Their system may be sectarian, but they are not so; and it is ten times better to have to do with those who are catholic in a sectarian system, than those who are sectarian with no system."

The Pilgrim Church, originally published in 1931, is a book that moved my heart. My brethren are in it! The Waldenses. The Anabaptists. Priscillian. The Huguenots. The Paulicians. The Bogomils. Tyndale, Huss, Wycliffe. Zinzendorf. The Stundists. Muller and Groves. And on and on. (Warning: many extant theological treatises still brand various of these saints as heretics and, as far as I can tell, misrepresent their doctrines.) In the Word of God we have a cloud of witnesses for our example and encouragement. But in The Pilgrim Church I find a virtual continuation of the book of Acts up into the twentieth century. I have always known in my heart that like-minded brethren lived in this world, scattered about. Here, they are scattered through the pages of history.

I praise God for brother Broadbent's labors in this monumental work.

I read this book to learn more about the 'other side' of church history...where the heretics weren't really heretics at all--just labeled that way by those who did not agree with them. Similar to how the media works today. I got that history plus a lot more.
It was so interesting to see how so many ideas that seem new today have been lived out over and over through the centuries. Issues in christianity that are controversial today are nothing new. The nice part is that by reading the history one can see how choices worked out repeatedly and consistently through the centuries. As you would pray about what the Lord would have you to do read the book and maybe save yourself some effort and heartache--see how it worked out for others first!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Church History. This is one of the foremost authority in Church History along with Phillip Schaf's work. The book looks at church history from the viewpoint of the "underground" Church throughout the last 2000 years up to the early 1920's (Thus it doesn't include Watchman Nee's local churches in China which arose in the early 1920's and 1930's.) This in contrast to the history of the organised Church (ie the Catholic Church, Church of England etc..)
It is well worth having on your bookshelf (after reading it of course).

A "must read" for anyone interested in the history of authentic Christianity from its earliest days. A history book that will inspire you!

I really enjoyed this history of the Christian church. We very seldom hear about the fact that there was a unique church before the Roman Catholic church. For that matter, we almost never hear that there were churches completely outside of the Roman Catholic church throughout most of the world in the first few hundred years of the church. Finally, it's not common knowledge that the independent Bible believing churches of the west were persecuted by both the Roman Catholics AND the Reformers in modern history. I'd consider this a "must read" for anyone interested in church history.

E.H. Broadbent does a thorough review of independent Believer's fellowships down through the centuries, beginning with the New Testament Church. He chronicles the passage of church order and doctrine as it was passed from Origen and Augustine down through the centuries to Mueller and other 19th century men of faith. In the process he also describes the struggles of various groups of believers, from the early Paulicans to the Waldensians and on down through the ages. While the Catholic Church is mentioned in respect to time and events, this is not a history of that church, but of believers who took the Word of God literally, taught salvation by faith, Believer's Baptism and separation of church and government.
It is a very thorough, detailed work, and contains an impressive list of citations. While it is not a fast read, the index provides quick access to specific names and events for those who wish to use the book just for reference.

Why is this book not more well known? Why is the 3rd side of the story not told? Well, now it is. Seeing the brethren's faith during persecution, suffering, misunderstanding, and trials is truly an inspiration to love our Lord much more. beautiful, worth the price

This book is awesome! For anyone interested in church history, this is a must-read because it focuses in on groups of people who tried their best to stick to the New Testament teaching in the midst of rampant degradation in the church. It's inspiring and sobering to read about the lives of ones who were so absolute for the practice of the pure Word of God. One can really see that no matter how dark the situation of Christianity is at any time in history, the Lord always has a remnant who will come out of the degradation and stand for His testimony in a pure way. Praise the Lord for His faithful recovering of the truths in the New Testament. May more light and truth break forth from His Word!

I had a pastor friend tell me seven years ago this out of print book changed his life and the manner in which he understood the church. After one year of searching, a book seller in England found me a used copy. I devoured it. Then, Dave Hunt republished it and made it available once again. It is an absolute must to the Christian and much light for a person that is searching for truth. Other than the Bible, I cannot recommend another book higher.