I believe, if you will study carefully
this chart, you will better understand the history, and it will
greatly aid your memory in retaining what you hear and see.
Remember this chart is supposed to cover a period of two
thousand years of religious history.
Notice at both top and bottom of the chart some figures, the
same figures at both top and bottom - 100, 200, 300, and so on
to 2,000.
They represent the twenty centuries of time--the vertical lines
separating the different centuries.
Now notice on the chart, near the bottom; other straight lines,
this line running left to right, the long way of the chart.
The lines are about the same distance apart as the vertical
lines. But you can't see them all the way. They are covered by a
very dark spot, representing in history what is known as the
"dark ages." It will be explained later. Between the two lowest
lines are the names of countries . . . Italy, Wales, England,
Spain, France, and so forth, ending with America. These are
names of countries in which much history is made during the
period covered by the names themselves. Of course not all the
history, some history is made in some of the countries in every
period. But some special history is made in these special
countries, at these special periods.
Now notice again, near the bottom of the chart, other lines a
little higher. They, too, covered in part by the "dark ages,"
they also are full of names, but not names of countries. They
are all "nick-names." Names given to those people by their
enemies. "Christians"--that is the first: "The disciples were
called Christians first at Antioch" (Acts 11:26). This occurred
about A.D. 43. Either the pagans or Jews gave them that name in
derision. All the other names in that column were given in the
same manner--Montanists, Novationists, Donatists, Paulicians,
Albigenses, Waldenses, etc., and Ana-Baptists. All of these will
again and again be referred to as the lectures progress.
But look again at the chart. See the red circles. They are
scattered nearly all over the chart. They represent churches.
Single individual churches in Asia, in Africa, in Europe, in
mountains and valleys, and so forth. Their being blood red
indicates martyr blood. Christ their founder died on the Cross.
All the Apostles save two, John and Judas, suffered martyr
deaths. Judas betrayed his Lord and died in a suicide. The
Apostle John, according to history, was boiled in a great
cauldron of oil.
You will note some circles that are solidly black. They
represent churches also. But erring churches. Churches that had
gone wrong in life or doctrine. There were numbers of these even
before the death of Peter, Paul and John.
Having now about concluded with a general introduction and some
very necessary and even vital preliminaries, I come to the
regular history-- |