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
In _Pædagog., lib. 1., chap. 6_, he writes thus: “This is also done
with us, whose example the Lord Christ has become. Being baptized, we
become enlightened; being enlightened, we are made children; having
been made children, we are brought to perfection; having been brought
to perfection, we are made immortal.” A little after that he says:
“Thus also, when we are baptized, we obtain a free, unobstructed, and
clear eye of the Holy Ghost, as an avengement of blindness; having
trodden underfoot the sins which hitherto obscured the divine Spirit.”
Also: “That which was grievously bound by ignorance, is unbound by
knowledge, and these bands are loosed through the faith of man and the
grace of God, the manifold sins being forgiven through reasonable[90]
baptism as a perfect remedy; thus we are washed from all sins, and
are henceforth evil no more; this is the grace of enlightenment, that
the manner of life is no longer the same that it was before we were
baptized.” Further: “Teaching or instruction precedes faith, but faith
conjointly with baptism is led and directed through the Holy Ghost.”
And: “Even so we who repent of our former sins separate ourselves from
them and are being cleansed through baptism, let us run to the eternal
light, as children to their father.” See further, concerning these
citations, _Jac. Mehrn., Bapt. Hist., 2d Part, pages 213, 214_. Also,
_H. Montan. Nietighz van den Kinder-doop, pages 26, 27_.
[90] The words, “reasonable baptism,” indicate that he speaks of such
a baptism as belongs to reasonable or intelligent persons.
What is there in this testimony of Clemens Alexandrinus, that can apply
to infant baptism? yea, on the contrary, what is there that does not
militate against it? He certainly says expressly: “These bands (namely,
of sin) are loosed through the faith of man, and the grace of God,
the manifold sins being forgiven through reasonable baptism.” This
certainly is a clear and obvious joining together of faith and baptism,
as things which, through the providence of God, belong together, for
the remission of sins. When he further says: “Teaching, or instruction,
precedes faith, but faith conjointly with baptism is led and directed
through the Holy Ghost,” there is expressed, without controversy, the
same thing that we have said just now; since here not only faith is
joined together with baptism, but also instruction, which precedes
faith, and the Holy Ghost, who follows and confirms faith.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account