Helvidius I (AD 300-360)
from northern Italy was one of the earliest “protest-ants.” He spoke out
against Jerome, the man who was writing a Bible for the Roman Church.
Jerome’s Vulgate, the Latin Bible of the papacy, used corrupted
Alexandrian manuscripts. Helvidius also spoke out against some new
church teachings where Mary was called the “Blessed Virgin,” and it was
taught that she remained a virgin all her life. This is opposite to what
the Bible says in Matthew 1:24, 25. “Then Joseph... took unto him his
wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and
he called his name Jesus.”
Jovinian (AD 330-390) was also from northern Italy. He also protested
against Rome’s new teachings. The Roman Church had begun to teach that
truly religious women should not marry, but rather give their life to
work for the church. Jovinian insisted that it was as right for a woman
to marry as for her to remain a virgin. Jovinian taught that fasting and
eating with thanksgiving are equally pleasing to God, that a person
baptized with the Spirit and water cannot sin (see 1John 3:9), that all
sins are equal, and that all who are good will receive the same heavenly
reward (see Revelation 22:14).
Next, Vigilantius came forward in the battle for truth. Vigilantius has
been called ‘The Forerunner of the Reformation,’ and ‘One of the
earliest of our Protestant forefathers.’ He was the earliest prominent
Waldensian leader.
This strong defender of truth was born in southern France, near the
Pyrenees Mountains, where his father kept one of the inns where people
could rest, eat, and change horses while traveling the well-kept road
that connected the Roman Empire.
As a young man Vigilantius worked for one of the great historians of
that time, Sulpicious Severus. Vigilantius early learned to love his
employer. However, before long, life with his employer took a strange
twist.
Sulpicious went to visit Martin, bishop of Tours, and when he came back
he told stories of that pious man sleeping on the cold ground with only
ashes under him and sackcloth to cover him. The bishop did not wear warm
clothes, even in the winter or when sick, and ate only rotten food.
Sulpicious regarded this as evidence that Martin had a very deep
religious experience. He worried that if he did not follow this example,
maybe he wasn’t spiritual enough to be saved.
But Vigilantius was not so sure! He watched his beloved master turn from
obeying the Scriptures to following after visions and miracles instead.
He saw a well-respected gentleman, Paulinus of Nola, praying in front of
images. When Vigilantius traveled to Bethlehem to see Jerome, the man
who wrote the Latin Bible. He found him shrunken from long fasts
sleeping on hard, cold floors and whipping himself. Church leaders were
teaching that men should not marry but instead live in secluded places
likes caves or deserts.
Vigilantius was horrified! He felt that it was time to act. He could no
longer silently watch these heathen practices being adopted into the
church. He now decided he could have nothing to do with those that were
following the teachings coming from the college at Alexandria. Their
unbiblical teachings and pagan ceremonies made it impossible for him to
compromise with them to keep peace. Like Jesus he said, “I came not to
send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34.
Vigilantius declared:
- That those who reverenced relics
were idolaters, (Exodus 20:4, 5)
- That celibacy was wrong, as leading
to the worst scandals, (1Timothy 3:2-4)
- That lighting candles in churches,
during the day, in honor of the martyrs was wrong, because that was
a heathen rite.
- That Apostles and martyrs had no
presence at their tombs. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6)
- That it was useless to pray for the
dead. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6)
- That it was better to keep wealth
and practice habitual charity than to give away all one’s property
and become poor and needy.
The members of the Church in the
Wilderness determined that obedience to God was more important than
unity. That will again be a great test.
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