Creed only they blaspheme the Church of God and hold it in contempt and therein they are easily believed of the People And again Jacob de Riberia Secretary to the King of France in his Collections of Tholouse hath these words viz. The Waldenses or Lugdenses have continued a long time the first place they lived in was in Narbone in France and in the Diocess of Albie c. who disputed of Religion more subtilly than all others were after admitted by the Priests to Teach publickly not for that they approved their Opinion but because they were not comparable to them in Wit In so great honour was the Sect of these men that they were both exempted from all Charges and Impositions and obtained more benefit by the Wills and Testaments of the Dead than the Priests A man would not hurt his enemy if he should meet him upon the way accompanied with one of these Hereticks in so much that the safety of all men seemed to consist in their protection Du Plessis Myst Iniquit p. 331. Amongst the Rules and Directions Reinerius gives to discover these Hereticks by as he calls them these are written by him as you will find them in the Bib. Pat. printed at Paris 1624. Reinerius Hereticks saith he are known by Words and Manners They are in Manners composed and modest no pride in Apparel because they are therein neither costly nor sordid They transact their affairs without lying fraud and swearing being most upon Handicrafts Trades Yea their Doctors or Teachers are Weavers and Shoomakers who do not multiply Riches but content themselves with necessary things These Lyonists are very chaste and temperate both in Meats and Drinks who neither haunt Taverns or Stews They â—o much curb their Passians they are alwaies either working teaching or learning c. very frequent in their Assemblies and Worships c. They are very modest and precise in their words avoiding Scurrility Detraction Levity and Falshood Neither will they say so much as Verily Truly nor such like as bordering too much upon Swearing as they conceive but they usually say Yea and Nay Claudius Claudius Archbishop of Turin in his Treatise against the Waldenses gives this Testimony of them That as touching their Lives and Manners they have been alwaies sound and unreproveable without reproach or scandal amongst men giving themselves to their power to the observation of the Commandments of God Perins Hâ—st p 40. The Cardinal Baronius Baronius attributeth to the Waldenses of Tholouse the Title of good men and that they were a peaceable People Baron Tom. 12. An. 1176. 835. However he elsewhere saith Perin imputeth unto them sundry Crimes and that very falsly The Lord Hailon Bernard de Girard Lord of Haillon saith in his Histor of France Lib. 10. The Waldenses have been charged with wicked things they are not guilty of because saith he they stirred the Popes and great Men of the World to hate them for the Liberty of their Speech which they used in condemning the Vices and dissolute Behaviour of Princes and Ecclesiastical persons Viret Viret Lib. 4. c. 13. p. 249. speaks of the Waldenses as followeth The Papists saith he have imposed great Crimes and that very wrongfully upon those Antient Faithful People commonly called Waldenses or the poor People of Lyons whose Doctrine makes appear That the Pope is Antichrist and that his Doctrine is nothing else but Humane Traditions contrary to the Doctrine of Christ Jesus For which cause they have dealt against them as the Antient Panims did against the Christians accusing them that they killed their own Children in their Assemblies Many more Evidences might be brought from their Enemies who have been enforced by the force of Truth it self to give most honourable reports of them But let this suffice The next thing we shall acquaint you with The Progress of the Gospel amongst them is the great Progress and Success of their Doctrine Bullinger tells us That not only throughout France but Italy Germany Poland Bohemia and other Countries and Kingdoms of the World the Waldenses have made profession of the Gospel of Christ Jesus Bullin in the Preface to his Sermons Rainerius Rainerius saith That another thing that makes this Sect more considerable than all others is because it is more general For there is not any Countrey almost whereinto this Sect hath not crept Math. Paris M. Paris saith in his History of the Life of Henry the 3d in the year 1223. That the Waldenses had goodly Churches in Bulgaria Croatia Dalmatia and Hungaria George Mrel in his Memorials p. 54. asserts That notwithstanding al the bloody Persecutions that attended the Waldenses That in the Year 1160. There was in those days above eight hundred thousand Persons that made profession of the Faith of the Waldenses The Sea of Histories Sea of History tells us That in the Year 1315. there was in the County of Passau and about Bohemia to the number of fourscore Thousand Persons that made Profession of the Faith of the Waldenses Le Sieur de Popeliniere Popleniere hath set down in his History That the Religion of thâ— Waldenses hath spread it self almost in all parts of Europe even amongst the Polonians c. And that after the Year 1100 they have alwaies sowed their Doctrine little differing from that of the Modern Protestant and maugre all the Powers and Potentates that have opposed tâ—emselves against them they have defended it to this day Rainer Rainerius saith That in his time there were Churches of them in Constantinople Philadelphia Sclavonia Bulgaria and Digonicia and in Albania Lombardy Milain and in Romagnia Venice Florence c. Vignier Vignieâ— saith That after the Persecution of Picardy that they were dispersed abroad in Livonia and Sâ—rmatia Trithemius Trithâ—m recounts That they confessed in those times that the number of the Waldenses was so great that they could go from Cologne to Milan and lodg themselves with Hosts of their own Profession and that they had Signs upon their Houses and Gates whereby they might know them In the Year 1200. they were in such a manner multiplied that they possest at home the Cities of Tholouse Apamies Montauban Villâ—mur St. Antoin Puech Laurence Castres Lambes Carcasonen Beziers Narbonne Beaucaire Avignion Tarascon the Count Venicin in Dauphine Crest Arnaud and Monteil Amar. And had many great Lords who took part with them as Eaâ—l Raimiand of Tholouse and the Earle of Foix the Vicount Beziers Gaston Lord of Berne Earl of Carmaine and Earl of Brigor The Kings also of Arragon and England too dâ—d many times defend their Cause by reason of their Alliance with Earl Raâ—miand Hologary in the History of Foix. The means they used to propagate the Gospel The means by which Truth came to be so propagated by them were principally these First By the diligent care they had to instruct their Youth in the knowledg of the Scriptures and
A Treatise of Baptism WHEREIN That of Believers and that of Infants is examined by the Scriptures WITH The History of both out of Antiquity making it appear that Infants Baptism was not practised for Three Hundred Years nor enjoyn'd as necessary till by the Popes Canons here at large Four Hundred Years after Christ with the fabulous Traditions and erroneous Grounds upon which it was with Gossips Chrysme Exorcisme Consignation Baptising of Churches and Bells and other Popish Rites founded And that the famous Waldensian and old British Churches and Christians witnessed against it With the Examination of the Stories about Thomas Munzer and John a Leyden As also The History of Christianity amongst the Ancient Britains and Waldenses And A brief Answer to Mr. Bunyan about Communion with Persons Unbaptized That Persons Baptised in Infancy are to be Baptised after they Believe which is not to be esteemed Rebaptisation but Right Baptisme Pet. Bruis the great Waldensian Martyr Osiander Cent. 12. L. 3. P. 262. By H. D. Ephes 4.5 One Lord one Faith one Baptism Act. 17.28 As certain also of your own Poets have said London Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1673. The Preface AMongst all those Ordinances and Institutions of Christ that the Man of Sin hath so miserably mangled metamorphised and changed none hath been more horribly abused than that of Baptism which as to Matter and Form Subject and Circumstance hath suffered such apparent Alteration and Subversion that nothing but the very name of the thing remains and yet that also very improperly too if duly considered Which the better to Demonstrate you have here not only a Platform of the Primitive Institution in Christ's Commissâ—on the Apostles Precepts and Practice and the Spiritual Ends thereof plainly laid down from the Scriptures and confirmed by the Learned But the change it self of Believers into Infants Baptism traced out and detected with all the Foppish Ridiculous Superstitions and Fooleries made essential to it and concomitant with it and that according to Apostolical Tradition as their impious Forgeries would impose upon us Than which as nothing did ever more tend to defile and ruine the true Church and reproach the Wisdom and Authority of Christ their Head So nothing could rationally more establish and confirm the false or more apparently promote the Soveraignty aâ—d Dignity of Antichrist their Head which is so plain that he that runs may read For if the very Act of Sprinkling or pouring a little Water on the Childs Head or Face with the Charms attending it must give Grace Regenerate take away Sin save the Soul adde to the Church and give right to all the Ordinances as Mr. Pope hath been pleased sitting in the Temple of God as God to Ordain and Decree and that with Anathema's too against every one that shall not so receive it How naturally must it needs follow First That Christ's Conversion and the powerful Preaching of the Gospel his means to effect it must be slighted and despised Ignorance and Prophaness the true Interest of this State necessarily brought in Christ's Baptisme with all the Spiritual Ends and Vses outed and contemned the Jewish Antichristian Rites of a National Church and High Priest-hood with all the Apurtenances introduced But Secondly That as the Nations should accept this New Project of being made Christians and Church-Members by the Popes Christening they necessarily oblige themselves by receiving his Law to embrace also his Government and to be Ruled in chief by himself as the greatest part called Christendome have done accordingly who can deny it To the erecting a Throne for the Beast and to give that vile Person who blasphemously they call his Holiness cause to say looking over his goodly Fabrick with his Father of old Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my Power for the honour of my Majesty And so hath it become the Corner and â—oundation-Stone of the Antichristian Church and State For as they who take as far as they can judg living Stones called the Spiritual Seed Saints by Calling or Believers to build Christ a House or Church Orderly joyning them together by Dipping Do yield Obedience to Christs Command conform to the Primitive Patern of the New Testament-Churches ascribe honour and glory to the Lord Christ the Institutor So they who take the Carnal Seed viz. Ignorant and Vnconverted ones to make up the National or any particular Church joyning them together by Sprinkling do thereby yeeld Obedience to the Popes Canons conform to the Jewish and Antichristian Pattern and reflect Honour and Dignity to their Soveraign Lord the Pope the Contriver and Imposer thereof And is not this very observable that Pope Innocentius the first that Abaddon and Apollyon that had so many marks of Antichrist as you 'l find in the account here given of him was the first Confirmer and Imposer hereof But that which is most to be lamented is That the Protestant Reformers who detected and cast away so many Antichristian Abominations should yet hold fast such a Principal Foundation-Stone of their Building though it is granted with the rejecting of many of its Superstitions and also upon other pretended Grounds For when the Rotteness of the Popish Grounds aforesaid did appear for Infants-Sprinkling it had certainly faln to the Ground but for some new Contrivances to support it though therein they have not been so happy to agree amongst themselves in their Conclusions For some are for Baptizing all Children whose Parents are never so wicked others only the Children of Professors whilst others are for the Baptising the Children of such Professors only whose Parents are Inchurched viz. Belonging to some particular Congregation Some are for Baptising Children upon their own particular Faith which with much confidence 't is affirmed they have Others deny that with great Vehemency affirming they ought only to be Baptised upon an Imputative Faith viz. upon the Faith of others though herein as you 'l find they vastly differ some saying it must be by the Imputative Faith of the Church others of the Gossip others of the Parent or Proparent in Covenant upon the account of Federal Right So that some are for Baptising upon an Ecclesiastical Faith some an Imputative some a Seminal some an Habitual some a Dogmatical some upon a Justifying Faith Upon which Variety of Differences you have Mr. Baxter himself in the beginning of his Book of the Sacraments say That it may seem strange that after 1600 Years use of Christian Baptism the Ministers of the Gospel should be so unresolved to whom it doth belong Yet so it is saith he and I observe it is a Question that they are now very sollicitous about and I cannot blame them it being not only about a matter of Divine appointment but a practical of such concernment to the Church And it is no wonder that such Contradictions should proceed from such contrary Principles
own Books are witness from whence they are faithfully quoted especially that which he calls The Second Disputation of the Right to Sacraments From whence it is that Mr. Tombes fetches the twenty Arguments he wrote against Mr. Blake and improves them all against himself discovering Contradiction to his former Principles in every one of them in his Book which he calls Felo de se or The Self-Destroyer to which Mr. Baxter hath never made the least Reply that I have heard of though in the end of Mr. Tombe's said Book he provoked him to a Reply by these words viz. By the reading of this Book all Intelligent Persons may perceive Mr. Baxter's deceitfulness or heedlesness and if he persist in defending Infants Baptism his unreasonable pertinacy in his own Conceit and if he do not declare his forsaking his Doctrine in his Book of Baptism his Impenitency and unrighteous dealing with the Church of God which he hath injured Therefore how much is he concerned to give some account how such Assertions can be reconciled to his former Writings which in the apprehensions of such ignorant Creatures as we are seem to be as contrary to each other as Light to Darkness Though I doubt not but that through the Prosoundness of his Speculation and Subtilty of his Distinction having therein so much out-done Thomas Aquinas himself in his late Writings he will as soon Reconcile these seeming Contradictions as many of his former wherein he hath so much abounded none more that I know of being as you 'l find sometime a great Opposer then a great Defender of Episcopacy sometime for Non-Conformity in whose Tents he hath seemed to shelter himself in the Storm and with their Indulgence to come forth of his hole and yet at length so highly to disgrace the same Sometimes a friend to Calvin and then a greater to Arminius sometime a great Defender of the Parliament and their Cause then none more to renounce them or to betraitor them for their paines sometimes a great Opposer of Tradition and anon a great Defender thereof sometimes a violent Impugner of Popery and yet at last who hath spoke more in favour of it witness those very strange Passages in his late Book called the Christian Directory so much the talk of the Town which coming just to my hand upon the writing hereof I shall presume for the novelty of them to make a little Digression to give you an Account of some of them Popish Christenings lawful and which you may please to take as followeth viz. That it is lawful to offer ones Child to be baptised in a Popish Countrey in their way of Baptizing viz. with Eâ—orcisme Chrysme Milk Honey and White Garments rather than not have it baptized Those Ceremonies of Milk Honey White Garments and Chrysm being as he tells us so Ancient that their Original is not known called by Epiphanius and others the Tradition and Custome of the Universal Church p. 826. That Temples Fonts Utensils Church Reverence due to holy Places and things Lands much more Ministers are holy and Reverence due to them For to say as some do that they are indeed Consecrated and Separated but not holy is to be ridiculously wise by self-contradiction And that to be uncovered in the Church c. doth tend to preserve due Reverence to God and to his Worship 1. Cor. 16.20 P. 915. That the unjust Alienation of Temples Alienating holy Places Things Utensils Lands Days c. which were separated by God himself and consecrated by Man are sacrilegious P. 916. That the name Priests Sacrifices Altars may be used instead of Christs Ministers Popish Names of Priests Altars Sacrifice justified Worship Holy Temple And that sober Christians should allow each other the liberty of such Phrases without Censoriousness or breach of Charity or Peace p. 882. That the Communion-Table may be turned Altar wise and Railed in to keep Dogs and Boys from it Railing the Altar and that it is lawful to come up to the Rails and to communicate Kneeling as being indeed things that Christians ought not to censure or condemn each other for P. 882. compared with 859. That it is lawful Keeping Holy-Daies or Saints-Daies to keep Anniversary Festivals in Commemoration of Saints Departed if it be lawful to keep the fifth of November P. 762. Sect. 24. And to keep Humane Holy Days and Lent also if Abstinence be enjoyned not in imitation but Commemoration of Christs fourty days East P. 866. That Church-Musick is profitable being a Natural help to the minds alacrity And it is a Duty Church-Musick not a Sin to use the Helps of Nature and lawful Art though to institute Sacraments of our own And that as it is lawful to use the comfortable help of Spectacles in reading the Bible so is it of Musick to exhilarate the Soul towards God Jesus Christ joyned with the Jews that used it no Scripture forbiddeth it nothing can be against it that I know of And whereas some say they find it doth them harm as wise men say they find it doth them good And why should the Experience of some prejudiced self-conceited Person or of an half-man that knoweth not what Melody is be set against the Experience of all others and deprive them of all such Helps and Mercies as these People say they find no benefit by It is a great wrong that some do to ignorant Christians by putting such Whimsies and Scruples into their heads c. P. 885. That it is lawful to make Vows of Chastity Vows of Chastity and that such Vows though amongst the Papists ought not to be broke P. 488. To use Crucifixes That a Crucifix or Historical Image of Christ is lawful to excite and stir up in us Worshipping Affections And that a Crucifix well befits the imagination and mind of a Believer P. 876. That the Romish Clergy may be reputed true Ministers of Christ by vertue of their Ordination P. 775. That their erroneous saying of Mass or Preaching their erroneous Doctrines Popish Clergy Christ's Ministers doth not nullisy their office to the Church no though they derive from Antichrist the Head thereof who sits not in the Temple of God as Antichrist but as God and so not an open but a secret Deceiver p. 776. And that neither the Ordinatiâ—â— â—n Baptism that they confer are to be esteemed Nullities Page 777. That it is not necessary to believe that the Pope is Antichrist ibid. To read Apocrypha and Homelies c. That it is lawful to read the Apocrypha Homilies or any good book in the Church besides the Scriptures p. 901. to read a Prayer p. 848. That there is a Praying to Saints or Angels Praying to Saints which is Superstitions but not Idolatrous Rev. 22.8 Col. 1.18 That it is lawful to bow at the name of Jesus p. 858. To stand up at the Gospel p. 858. Romish Rites To kneel at the reading the
to train them up in the Nurtriture Fear and Admonition of the Lord as the Nurseries Seminaries and Seed-plots of Grace and Truth Secondly The industrious Care and Pains they took not only to beget Ministerial Abilities but the due improvement made thereof by those engaged therein in all parts and places whither they were sent And Thirdly By the violent Persecutions of them whereby they came to be dispersed into most parts of the World that old way That Knowledg and Truth was propagated in the Primitive Times 1. By diligently instructing the Youth The First means blest for the encrease of Knowledge was the Care and Pains they took in the Catechising of their Youth instructing them in the Knowledg of the Scriptures P. Perrin Perrin in his Second Book p. 16. And in this it was saith he P. Perrin that they have been blest of God above all Christian People throughout Europe insomuch that their Infants were hardly weaned from their Mothers Breasts but their Parents took a singular Care and Diligence to instruct them in the Christian Faith and Doctrine until they were able to confound the Antient and the Learned And of which you have a very pregnant Instance out of Vessember Vessember in his Oration touching the Waldenses who tells us The Bishop of Cavaillon in the time of the great Persecution against the Waldenses of Merindal in Provence first sent a Monck among them to convert them who returned so convinced himself that he confessed he had not so much profited in his whole life in the Scriptures as he had done in those few days of Conference with them The Bishop not being satisfied with this trial sent a Company of young Doctors that came lately from Sorbonne to confound them by the Subtilty of their Question But one there was among the rest that said at his return with a loud voice That he had learned more touching the Doctrine necessary to Salvation in attending to the Answers of the little Children of the Waldenses in their Catechisings than in all the Disputations of Divinity which he had ever heard in Paris Then the Bishop sent for the Children themselves and caused them in the face of a great Assembly to be interrogated and to Question one with another and which was done with that Grace and Gravity and Vnderstanding that it was marvelous to hear to the confounding the Doctors and Learned Men then present The Story whereof you may read at large in Fox Martyrol 2 Book p. 194. And thus it was that every Family was as it were a Colledge to instruct into the true Learning that maketh wise to Salvation and furnisheth to every good Word and Work and which was the Seed-plot to their Ministry Rainarius Rainarius tells us That they had the Old and New-Testament in the Vulgar Tongue and that they Teach and Learn it so well That he had seen and heard he said a Country Clown recount all Job word for word and divers others that could perfectly deliver all the New Testament And that Men and Women little and great day and night cease not to Learn and to Teach Secondly 2. By improving their Ministry As to the way of their Ministry That special means appointed by God to beget Faith and encrease Knowledge you have it briefly set forth by P. Perrin as he had extracted it out of their antient Manuscripts viz. All those who are to be received as Pastors amongst us while they remain with their Brethren are to entreat our People to receive them into the Ministry as likewise that they would please to pray to God for them that they may be made worthy of so great a Charge and this they are to do to give a Proof or Evidence of their Humility We also appoint them their Lectures and set them their Tasks that they may get by heart not only all the New Testament but a great part of the Old viz. The Writings of Solomon David and the Prophets And afterwards having a good Testimonial and being well approved of they are received with Imposition or laying on of Hands and Preaching He that is received the last ought to do nothing without the permission of him that was received before him and in like sort the former ought to do nothing without the consent of his Associate Our daily Food and that Raiment wherewith we are covered we have ministred and given to us freely sufficient for us by the good people whom we Teach and Instruct Their Ministers were called Barbes or Unkles as Fox 186. Or as some suppose because bearded Men Elders or Fathers Vignier Of these some were married to manifest thereby their approbation of the state of Matrimony others kept themselves single for conveniences sake forasmuch as they were oftâ—times obliged to remove and shift their Habitations and Abodes and as occasion required to undertake long and tedious Voyages for the propagating of the Gospel in remote and far Countries with whom they had a particular and constant Correspondence namely into Bohemia Germany Calabria and Lumbardy whither the abovesaid Barbes went by turns as Iteneraries to visit their Brethren there and to preach the Gospel of Christ amongst them having not only Houses of their own to entertain their Barbes but Schools also in divers Countries Vign Mem. p. 15. Morland Those Barbes who remained at home in the Valleys besides their officiating and labouring in the work of the Ministry took upon them the disciplining and instructing of the Youth especially those who were appointed for the Ministry in Grammar Logick Moral Philosophy and Divinity Moreover the greatest part of them gave themselves to the study of Physick and Chirurgery and herein they excelled as their Histories tell us to admiration thereby rendering themselves most able and skilful Physitians both of Soul and Body Others of them deale in divers Mechanick Arts in imitating of Paul who was a Tent-maker and Christ himself who was a Carpenter Once in the Year they use to have a general Meeting in the Month of September to treat of their affairs Taken out of an Antient Italian Manuscript as you have it Morlands Hist 1 Book 8. c. p. 183. Bucer Bucer p. 159. saith Besides Ministers of the Word and Sacraments they have a certain Colledg of Men excelling in Prudence and Gravity of Spirit whose office it is to admonish and correct offending Brethren to compose such as disagreed and judge in their Causes And again in Morlands Morland Hist p. 179. Their Ministry were through Gods grace endued with excellent Spirits and were for the most part a Generation of humble holy and harmless Men of meek peaceable and quiet Tempers exceeding painful in their Calling and carefully watching over their Flock committed to their charge Labouring faithfully in the Lords Vineyard and imploying their whole Time and Talents for turning Souls unto Righteousness which they did with much Labour Watchings and Fastings by suffering many Buffetings Stripes and