The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians: who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660Braght, Thieleman J. van (Thieleman Janszoon)
History
The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians: who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660
Braght, Thieleman J. van (Thieleman Janszoon)
Anabaptists -- Europe -- Biography; Christian martyrs -- Biography; Persecution
Then follows a certain testimony, from Walafridus Strabo, proving that
in those early times it was not customary to baptize otherwise than in
running water, and that only such persons were baptized, who were able
to know and understand the benefits to be obtained in baptism.
The conclusion is taken from the 7th chapter of _De Ratione
Gubernationes Ecclesiæ_, in which we read, that now there were baptized
those who had previously been instructed in the principal articles of
faith. With this we have concluded this century.
NOTE.--Since we have not come across any particular authors as regards
the matter of baptism, with the first years of this century, we are
compelled to begin with the year 126, and to proceed thence on; which
method we shall also pursue in some of the other centuries.
_About the year 126._--The first place in our account of baptism in the
second century, we shall accord to Dionysius Alexandrinus,[87] of whom
it is stated (from his 5th book on Baptism) that he wrote to Sixtus,
the bishop at Rome, as follows: There was with us a brother who had
been a believer a long time, before ever I or my predecessor Heraclas
was ordained bishop. Being present among those who were baptized,
and hearing the questions put to them, and their replies, he came to
me weeping, fell down at my feet, and began to confess that he had
received baptism from the heretics in an entirely different manner,
which baptism, since he saw that we administered baptism differently,
he did not consider baptism at all. He therefore entreated to be
cleansed and purified with the baptism of the Christian church, that
he might receive the grace of the Holy Ghost.
[87] As regards the time of this Dionysius, we follow the date given
by P. J. Twisk, A. D. 126; to distinguish between him and the martyr
Dionysius Alexandrinus, who suffered under Valerianus and Gallienus,
about A. D. 260.
Finally he writes these words: He (namely, the man mentioned above, who
wished to be re-baptized) ceased not to sigh and to weep, and dared not
to come to the Lord’s table, and, admonished and constrained by us,
would scarce venture to be present at common prayer.
In regard to this, Eusebius Pamphilius of Cesarea, who has annotated
this, writes thus: These and many other such questions concerning
re-baptizing are noted by Dionysius throughout his books. _Euseb., lib.
7, cap. 8, from Dionysius._
NOTE.--P. J. Twisck discriminates this Dionysius Alexandrinus from
another Dionysius, who, about A. D. 231, after Origen, was a teacher of
the scholars of the faith, at Alexandria. See _Chron. 3d Book for the
year 231, page 61, col. 1_. Also, _for the year 253, page 71, col. 1_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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