About the close of the _tenth_ century appeared the Paterines; substantially the same people, no doubt as had previously existed under other names. They too rejected infant baptism, and protested against the corruptions of the Romish Church; in consequence of which they suffered long and severe persecution. In the _eleventh_ century, and the ages following, were the Waldenses, Albigenses, Vaudois, Cathari, and Poor Men of Lyons. These were new names, and names usually given by their enemies. They increased, even under their persecutions, to a wonderful extent, and attracted the notice, if not the sympathy, of all Europe. It is not pretended that these ancient sects were known by the name as Baptists; but in general they held the more prominent and distinctive principles which have always characterized the Baptists; thus: 1. They declared and defended the rights of faith and conscience and the freedom of worship. 2. They denied the authority of popes and the right of kings and States to interfere with the people in matters of religion. 3. They rejected infant baptism. 4. They baptized by dipping. 5. They held the Bible to be the only rule and authority in concerns of religious faith and practice. 6. They admitted to the churches none except such as professed to be regenerated and godly persons. Now it is conceded by all historians of note that such churches and communities did exist, separate from and persecuted by, the prevailing State churches and civil authorities during all the ages from the Apostles to the Reformation. When the Reformation under Luther and his coadjutors broke out, these sects to a great extent fraternized with, and were lost in, the multitude of the reformers. Such as continued their separate existence, as the Waldenses of Piedmont, yielding to the influence of the reformers, did from sympathy what the persecutions of the Papists had never been able to compel them to do--abandon dipping for sprinkling in baptism, adopted infant baptism, and took the general forms of religious life, into which Pedobaptist Protestantism grew. THE WELSH BAPTISTS Few denominations have a better claim to antiquity than the Welsh Baptists. They trace their descent directly from the Apostles and urge in favor of their claim arguments which have never been confuted.