affair of Munster. And if the Pelagians, Donatifts, and Luciferians, fo called from Lucifer Calaritanus, a very orthodox man, and a great opposer of the Arians, were against infant-baptifm, as feveral Pædobaptift writers affirm; this carries the oppofition to it ftill higher; and indeed it may seem strange, that fince it had not its eftablishment till the times of Austin, that there should be none to fet themselves against it: And if there were none, how comes it to pass that such a canon fhould be made in the Milevitan council, under pope Innocent the first, according to Carranza°; and in the year 402, as fay the Magdeburgenfian centuriators P; or be it in the council at Carthage, in the year 418, as fays Dr Wall, which runs thus, "Alfo, it is our pleasure, that whoever "denies that new-born infants are to be baptized; or fays, they are indeed to "be baptized for the remiffion of fins; and yet they derive no original fin "from Adam to be expiated by the washing of regeneration; (from whence it follows, that the form of baptifin for the forgiveness of fins in them, cannot "be understood to be true, but falfe) let him be anathema :" But if there were none, that oppofed the baptifm of new-born infants, why fhould the first part of this canon be made, and an anathema annexed to it? To fay, that it refpected a notion of a single perfon in Cyprian's time, 150 years before this, that infants were not to be baptized, until eight days old; and that it seems there were fome people ftill of this opinion, wants proof. But however certain it is, that Tertullian', in the beginning of the third century, opposed the baptifm of infants, and diffuaded from it, who is the firft writer that makes mention of it: So it appears, that as foon as ever it was fet on foot, it became matter of debate; and fooner than this, it could not be: And this was thirteen hundred years before the madmen of Munfter appeared in the world. But, IV. Let us next confider the practice of the ancient Waldenfes, with respect to adult-baptifm, which this author affirms to be a chimerical imagination, and groundless figment. It should be observed, that the people called Waldenfes, or the Vaudois, inhabiting the valleys of Piedmont, have gone under different names, taken from their principal leaders and teachers; and fo this of the Waldenfes, from Peter Waldo, one of their barbs, or paftors; though fome think, this name is only a corruption of Vallenfes, the inhabitants of the valleys: And certain it is, there was a people there before the times of Waldo, and even from the apostles time, that held the pure evangelic truths, and bore a teftimony to them in all ages, and throughout the dark times of popery, as many learned • Summa Concil. p. 122, 123. History, &c. Part II. p. 275, 276. P Cent. V. c. 9. p. 468. De Baptifmo, c. 18. men • Dr Allix's Remarks on the ancient churches of Piedmont, p. 188, 207, 210, 286. Morland's History of the evangelical Churches of the valleys of Piedmont, book I. c. 3. p. 8, &c. Et Beza Icones apud ibid. In reduction to the hiftory, p. 7. men have obferved; and the fense of these people concerning baptifm may be best understood, 1. By what their ancient barbs or paftors taught concerning it. Peter Bruis, and Henry his fucceffor, were both, as Morland affirms', their ancient barbs and pastors; and from them these people were called Petrobruffians and Henricians; and we have feen already, that these two men were Antipædobaptifts, denied infant-baptism, and pleaded for adult-baptifm. Arnoldus of Brixia, or Brefcia, was another of their barbs, and is the first mentioned by Morland, from whom these people were called Arnoldifts. Of this man Dr Allix fays", that befides being charged with fome ill opinions, it was faid of him, that he was not found in his fentiments concerning the facraments of the altar and the baptifm of infants; and Dr Wall allows ", that the Lateran council, under Innocent the fecond, in 1139, did condemn Peter Bruis, and Arnold of Brescia, who feems to have been a follower of Bruis, for rejecting infant-baptifm. Lollardo was another of their barbs, who, as Morland fays, was in great reputation with them, for having conveyed the knowledge of their doctrine into England, where h's difciples were known by the name of Lollards; who were charged with holding, that the facrament of baptifm ufed in the church by water, is but a light matter, and of small effect; that chriftian people be fufficiently baptized in the blood of Chrift, and need no water; and that infants be fufficiently baptized, if their parents be baptized before them: All which feem to arife from their denying of infant-baptifm, and the efficacy of it to take away fin. 2. By their ancient confeffions of faith, and other writings which have been published. In one of thefe, bearing date A. D. 1120, the 12th and 13th articles run thus: "We do believe that the facraments are figns of the holy "thing, or visible forms of the invifible grace; accounting it good that the "faithful fometimes ufe the faid figns, or vifible forms, if it may be done. "However we believe and hold, that the abovefaid faithful may be faved with"out receiving the figns aforefaid, in cafe they have no place, nor any means. "to use them. We acknowledge no other facrament but baptifin and the "Lord's-Supper." And in another ancient confeffion, without a date, the 7th article is "We believe that in the facrament of baptifm, water is the vifible " and external fign, which represents unto us that which (by the invisible vir"tue of God operating) is within us; namely, the renovation of the Spirit, "and the mortification of our members in Jefus Chrift; by which alfo we are. "received into the holy congregation of the people of God, there protesting and declaring Hiftory, book I. ch. 8. p. 184. Hift. of Infant-Baptifm, part II. p. 179. ▾ Morland's Hiftory, &c, book I. ch. 4. p. 34. Remarks, &c. p. 171, 172. * Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. I. p.868.. Ibid. p. 38. "claring openly our faith and amendment of life." In a tract, written in the language of the ancient inhabitants of the valleys, in the year 1100, called The Noble Leffon, are these words; fpeaking of the apoftles, it is observed of them, "they spoke without fear of the doctrine of Chrift; they preached to Jews and "Greeks, working many miracles, and thofe that believed they baptized in the "name of Jefus Chrift." And in a treatise concerning Antichrift, which contains many fermons of the barbs, collected in the year 1120, and so speaks the fenfe of their ancient paftors before this time, ftands the following paffage": The third work of antichrift confifts in this, that he attributes the regenera"tion of the holy Spirit, unto the dead outward work (or faith) baptizing chil"dren in that faith, and teaching, that thereby baptifin and regeneration must "be had, and therein he confers and bestows orders and other facraments, and "groundeth therein all his chriftianity, which is against the holy Spirit." There are indeed two confeffions of theirs, which are faid to fpeak of infantbaptifm; but these are of a late date, both of them in the fixteenth century; and the earliest is not a confeffion of the IValdenfes or Vaudois in the valleys of Piedmont, but of the Bohemians, faid to be presented to Ladislaus king of Bohemia, A. D. 1508, and afterwards amplified and explained, and prefented to Ferdinand king of Bohemia, A. D. 1535; and it fhould be observed, that those people fay, that they were falfly called Waldenfes ; whereas it is certain there were a people in Bohemia that came out of the valleys, and fprung from the old Waldenfes, and were truly fo, who denied infant-baptifm, as that fort of them called Pyghards, or Picards; who, near a hundred years before the reformation, as we have seen by the letter fent to Erafmus out of Bohemia, rebaptized perfons that joined in communion with them; and Scultetus, in his annals on the year 128, fays, that the united brethren in Bohemia, and other godly perfons of that time, were rebaptized; not that they patronized the errors of the Anabaptists, (meaning fuch that they were charged with which had no relation to baptifm) but because they could not fee how they could otherwise separate themselves from an unclean world. The other confeffion is indeed made by the minifters and heads of the churches in the valleys, affembled in Angrogne, September 12, 1532. Now it should be known, that this was made after that Peter Masson "and George Morell were sent into Germany in the year 1530, as Morland 'fays, "to treat with the chief ministers of Germany, namely, Oecolampadius, Bucer, "and others, touching the reformation of their churches; but Peter Majon "was taken prifoner at Dijon." However, as Fox fays, "Morell escaped, a Morland's History, &c. ch. 6. p. 99, 112. b Ibid. ch. 7. p. 142, 148. "and d Apud Hoornbeck. Summa Controverf. 1. 5. p. 387. f Ibid. ch.8. p. 185. & Acts & Monuments, vol. II. p. 186. "and returned alone to Merindol, with the books and letters he brought with "him from the churches of Germany; and declared to his brethren all the points of his commiffion; and opened unto them how many and great errors "they were in; into the which their old minifters, whom they called Barbs, "that is to fay Uncles, had brought them, leading them from the right way of "true religion." After which, this confeffion was drawn up, figned, and fwore to: From hence we learn, where they might get this notion, which was now become matter of great debate in Switzerland and Germany; and yet, after all this, I am inclined to think, that the words of the article in the faid confeffion, are to be fo understood, as not to relate to infant-baptifm: They are thefe; "We have but two facramental figns left us by Jefus Chrift; the one is Baptifm; the other is the Eucharift, which we receive, to fhew that our "perfeverance in the faith, is fuch, as we promised, when we were baptized, "being little children." This phrase, being little children, as I think, means, their being little children in knowledge and experience, when they were baptized; fince they speak of their receiving the Eucharift, to fhew their perfeverance in the faith, they then had promised to perfevere in: Befides, if this is to be understood of them, as infants in a literal fenfe; what promife were they capable of making, when fuch? Should it be faid, that "they promised by "their fureties;" it fhould be obferved, that the Waldenfes did not admit of godfathers and godmothers in baptifm; this is one of the abuses their ancient Barbs complained of in baptifm, as administered by the Papifts. Befides, in a brief confeffion of faith, published by the reformed churches of Piedmont, fo late as A. D. 1655, they have thefe words in favour of adult-baptifm*; "that "God does not only inftruct and teach us by his word, but has alfo ordained "certain facraments to be joined with it, as a means to unite us unto Christ, and to make us partakers of bis benefits. And there are only two of them belonging "in common to all the members of the church under the New Teftament; to wit, Baptifm and the Lord's-Suppper; that God has ordained the facrament of baptifm to be a teftimony of our adoption, and of our being cleansed from "our fins by the blood of Jesus Christ, and renewed in holiness of life:" Nor is there one word in it of infant-baptifm. Upon the whole, it will be easily feen, what little reafon the writer of the dialogue under confideration had to fay, that the ancient Waldenfes, being in the conftant practice of adult-baptifm, is a chimerical imagination, and a groundless fiction; fince there is nothing appears to the contrary, but that they were in the practice of it until the fixteenth century; for what is urged against it, n Morland, ibid. c. 4, p. 41. * Ibid. c. 4. p. 61, 67. 1 Morland, ibid. c. 7. p. 173. 1 66 claring openly our faith and amendment of life." In a tract language of the ancient inhabitants of the valleys, in the yea Noble Leffon, are thefe words; fpeaking of the apostles, it i they spoke without fear of the doctrine of Chrift; they r Greeks, working many miracles, and thofe that believed "name of Jefus Chrift." And in a treatise concerning tains many fermons of the barbs, collected in the year 1 fenfe of their ancient paftors before this time, ftands · "The third work of antichrift confifts in this, that h "tion of the holy Spirit, unto the dead outward wo: "dren in that faith, and teaching, that thereby bap "be had, and therein he confers and bestows order "groundeth therein all his chriftianity, which There are indeed two confeffions of theirs, which baptifm; but these are of a late date, both of t and the earlieft is not a confeffion of the IValde Piedmont, but of the Bohemians, faid to be prefe A. D. 1508, and afterwards amplified and e nand king of Bohemia, A.D. 1535; and it sh fay, that they were falfly called Waldenfes · people in Bohemia that came out of the val denjes, and were truly fo, who denied infa Pyghards, or Picards; who, near a hun we have seen by the letter fent to Erafm that joined in communion with them; 1528, fays, that the united brethren i time, were rebaptized; not that the (meaning fuch that they were char but because they could not fee h from an unclean world. The oth and heads of the churches in the 1532. Now it fhould be know "and George Morell were fent i "to treat with the chief mir "and others, touching the "was taken prisoner at D a Morland's History, &c. ch. • Morland's Hiftory, ch.4. F e Morland, ibid.ch.4. P-39 of ng a plain d" confider with all his feed, xprefs command to fcripture instance for ..m to Gen. xvii. 2, 4, 7, 10, that it was made grace; ws and Gentiles; that circumitution, which requires circumbaptifm to be alfo administered to 18. Wherefore, ether the covenant made with Abraham, Srace; that is, the pure covenant of grace, in cus morem veterem magna ex parte adhuc confervari, Comment. m History of Infant-Baptifm, part II. c. 2. p. 12. |