Genuine Church History is a very simple and extremely complex subject at the same time. 

 Nero's Version of a Roman Candle using live Christians

Era I

In a nutshell there was one group of churches from A.D. 44 to A.D. 250.  Believers began to use adjectives to describe themselves as differences arose. 

• Christians: Monatists, Brothers, Church of Christ, Churches of God, Universal Faith (in Latin - catholic) etc...

Era II  - From 250 to 1179

There was one main division and a development of 2 basic types of local assemblies:

• The Lapsii (the compromisers with pagans who later would join the government).  Between A.D. 350 to A.D. 600 this organization evolved into what is now the modern Catholic Church.

• The Cathari (who remained autonomous Bible Believing Churches).  These believers were persecuted by the Lapsii from A.D. 325 to the end of the era.  They are assigned names by their enemies based upon their locations, characteristics, or most famos leader.  Ana-baptist as a title for them is first used in the 3rd Century.   

Era III - From 1179 to the Present

  
The Lapsii of old: Basically the government churches known today as Catholics, Orthodox, and Nestorians.

• Key Tennants:

• Baptism of Infants, Sprinkling,

• Mary Worship/Image Worship,

• Hierarchy over all local assemblies,

• Father of Ecumenical Movement

• Absolute Authority of the Church & her leadership.

The Reformed Lapsii: They are better known as PROTESTANTS.  This is a merge between Cathari & Lapsii. Peter Waldo's Waldensians of N. Italy, South Carolina & Argentina, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, Mennonites, Amish.

• Key Tennant:

• Various modes of Baptism, some infants baptized, (sprinklers, baptize babies, women preachers).

• Heirarchy over local assemblies,

• Call themselves Protestants, Buy into Ecumenical Movement

• Combined Authority of Church & Bible.
  

The Cathari: Welsh Believers, Anabaptists, Valdese, Bogomols, Paulicians, Henricians, Petrobrussians, Culdee, Baptists, Waldensians, and any who hold to historic "Baptist" doctrines & Practices.

• Key Tennant:

• Baptism by immersion of professors only,

• Jesus is only authority over the churches autonomy of local church,

• Believe in individual local churches that answer to God uniquely.

• Rejection of Ecumenical Ideology

• absolute authority of Bible.  

 What was the relationship between the Cathari & Reformers?