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
Such a procedure, namely, thus precipitately to elect any one bishop or
teacher, as is stated here concerning Ambrose, we do not commend; but
we notice here, that Christians at that time had not generally adopted
infant baptism; nay, that some, notwithstanding the papal power,
purposely did not have their children baptized; causing them, when they
had reached maturer years, to be instructed first, and then baptized,
upon their own confession.
Ambrose (_Serm. 61_) makes the statement: “It was customary for all
people to be baptized at Easter.” In _Lib. de Jejunio, cap. 10_,
he says: “Now comes the day of the resurrection; now the elect are
baptized.” Yet on 1 Tim. 4, he says that the sick were baptized on any
day. _Jac. Mehrn., Bapt. Hist., 2d part, page 334._
These words of Ambrose confirm our preceding assertion; for when
he says that at Easter it was customary to baptize all people, he
sufficiently declares that at that time infant baptism was not a
custom. For not only at Easter, but throughout the whole year, children
are born, the baptism of which, because of the danger that they might
die, could never have been postponed until Easter, had infant baptism
been deemed necessary for salvation. But Ambrose removes all doubt
when he says what persons were baptized then, namely, _all people_; for
by the word _people_ there are generally understood adult or rational
persons, and not infants in the cradle.
Moreover, when he writes that the sick were baptized on any day, he
proves thereby, that infant baptism was not practiced in the church
of which he speaks. For, if it had been customary there, to baptize
infants, it would not have been necessary to baptize the sick on any
day, since they would have been baptized already in their infancy;
or our opponents must show that the sick, who were baptized any day,
were also baptized in their infancy; which they dare not maintain,
seeing these churches would then have to be regarded anabaptistic.
Nevertheless, one of two things must follow: Either that the sick who
were baptized in their infancy were rebaptized, or that the adults
baptized had not been baptized in their infancy. If the former is true,
then the Anabaptists, as they are called, flourished already in those
early times. But if the latter is true, then there were at that time
whole churches who rejected infant baptism, or, at least, suffered
their children to remain unbaptized. This is so clear that it cannot be
refuted.
OF SEVERAL OTHER ARTICLES OF FAITH TAUGHT BY AMBROSE, ACCORDING TO THE
ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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