unable, says Neal, to trace them, as embodied in the formation of distinct churches under that denomination. A testimony or two more, from writers whose opinions must have weight, as to the doctrines and practices of the Waldenses. The learned Limborch, comparing them with the Christians of his own time, says: "To speak candidly what I think of all the modern sects of Christians, the Dutch Baptists most resemble both the Albigenses and the Waldenses."* Dr. Mosheim reiterates the same sentiments:-"Before the rise of Luther and Calvin, there lay concealed in almost all the countries of Europe, persons who adhered tenaciously to the principles of the modern Dutch Baptists."+ Dr. Hurd, in the History of all Religions, says, "It is pretty clear from the writings of many learned men, that Dr. John Wyckliffe, the first English reformer, either considered Infant Baptism unlawful, or, at least, not necessary." The author of a History of Religion, published in London in 1764 (in 4 vols. octavo,) says, "It is clear, from MANY AUTHORS, that Wyckliffe REJECTED INFANT BAPTISM, AND THAT IN THIS DOCTRINE HIS FOLLOWERS AGREED WITH THE MODERN BAPTISTS." The reign of Henry VIII. is referred to as the period when the Reformation was promoted; comment is not offered as to the causes or motives which led to its advancement; the facts are recorded in history. This monarch was a bitter persecutor of those who maintained views Limborch's History of the Inquisition, vol. 1, chap. viii. An interesting volume has issued from the Hansard Knolly's Society, entitled, “A Martyrology of the Church of Christ, commonly called Baptists, during the era of the Reformation;" translated from the Dutch, and edited by Mr. E. B. Underhill. In the introduction it is remarked: "The following pages will discover the true character of those reproached, despised, hated, and persecuted people. The deep interest of the various narratives lies in the proof they exhibit, that, although branded by Rome as heretics, and by Protestants as rebels, the Anabaptists possessed a lively, glowing piety; an ardent attachment to the doctrines of the gospel; a firm and abiding trust in God; and a simple reliance on the Christ crucified. The affecting story of their sufferings, conflicts, and death, brings these Baptists before us in all the simplicity of truth. The inward spring of their action is laid bare, and its power displayed, in circumstances that test to the uttermost the honesty and purity of purpose of the men who are encompassed by them. They fought the good fight of faith, and grasped with a firm hand everlasting LIFE; not counting their own lives dear unto them." "A note upon one of the means employed for its advancement by the tyrannical Henry, will show his summary mode of proceeding. He had, from Pope Leo X. received the title of "Defender of the Faith." It will be seen how his title and his acts harmonized. Henry VIII. having suppressed, or, it may be said, confiscated 376 of the lesser monasteries, their estates, lands, &c., he would have the sanction of parliament for the possession and control of the ecclesiastical property. In 1536 a bill was brought other than those of the established religion. Anabaptists were the objects of his especial dislike and displeasure. In what is termed King Henry's Creed, issued in 1536, Baptism is thus referred to (from which the agreement of that creed with Papistical views will be most apparent) : : "ITEM, that infants must needs be christened, because they be born in original sin, which sin must needs be remitted, which cannot be done but by the Sacrament of Baptism, whereby they receive the Holy Ghost; which exerciseth his grace and efficacy in them, and cleanseth and purifieth them from sin by his most secret virtue and operations." "ITEM, that children or men once baptized, cannot, nor ought to be, baptized again." "ITEM, that they ought to refute, and take all the Anabaptists' opinions contrary to the premises, and every other man's opinions in this behalf, for detestable heresies, and to be utterly condemned ;”—further, the second articles run thus: "That Baptism was a sacrament, instituted by Christ; that it was necessary to salvation, and that infants were to be baptized for the pardon of original sin." It is needless to dwell upon the extent of reformation from Popery, upon this subject, by the Protestant Henry; the reader will have no difficulty in observing the kindred affinities. It is evident that it was a high crime to be a Baptist in sentiment. Such was the hostility of Henry against the Baptists, that in 1537 a proclamation was issued against heresies and heretics. It recites: "That of late many strangers, born out of this land, are arrived and come in this realm, which, albeit they were baptised in their infancy, or childhood, according to the universal church of Christ, yet, notwith in by which "their houses of religion, their churches, lands, and all other goods, were to be given to the king, his heirs, and successors, with all other houses, which a year before the making of the act had been dissolved and suppressed."* The act did not pass through the legislature hastily enough for Henry. It is said by a Protestant historian, "The bill stuck so long in the lower house, and could get no passage, when the king commanded the Commons to attend him in the forenoon, in his gallery, where he let them wait until the afternoon, and then, coming out of his chamber, walking a time or two amongst them, and looking angrily at them, first on one side, and then on the other, at last, "I hear," saith he, "that my bill will not pass; but I will have it pass, OR I WILL HAVE SOME OF YOUR HEADS; and without any more rhetoric he returned to his chamber.† It was well known that with Henry it was "a word and a blow." The axe and the block were not agreeable prospects. The tardy and hesitating "Commons" were obedient. The act passed, and Henry obtained all that he desired. Not long after, a further advance was made in the work of "Reformation," by Henry taking possession of the larger monasteries. * Parliamentary History. Drake and others. 3 vol. p. 117. † Spotman's History of Sacrilege. standing, in contempt of the holy sacrament of Baptism, so given or received, they have, of their own presumption, lately re-baptized themselves."* It is evident, that notwithstanding Baptists were thus denounced by the royal proclamation, there were many who "were baptized upon a profession of their faith," and were consequently opposed to Infant Baptism. The religious zeal of King Henry would, however, allow the Baptists norest-either their conformity to a belief of the doctrines upon baptism as by law established, or their extirpation was determined upon; and, in the next year, 1538, "a commission was sent to Cranmer, Wakesly, Sampson, and others, to inquire after Anabaptists; to proceed against them; to restore the penitents; to burn their books; and to deliver the obstinate to the secular arm." But Burnett says, "I have not seen what proceedings there were upon this.† It evinced, however, the persecuting spirit of the times, and drove many from the country." Brandt, in his History of the Reformation, declares THAT BAPTISTS WERE OBLIGED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY; he says, "in the year 1539 there were put to death, at Delf, one-and-thirty ANABAPTISTS that fled from England; the men were beheaded, and the women crowned." In the same year, according to Fox, his Protestant Majesty put forth a proclamation, wherein he condemned all the books of ANABAPTISTS. It runs thus-"That those who are in any errors, as Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, or any others that sell books, shall be declared immediately to the king's majesty, or one of his privy council, to the intent, to have them punished without favour, EVEN WITH THE EXTREMITY OF THE LAW.”‡ In December of that year, the religious zeal of the king against that sect was further manifested by his sending a letter to the justices in England; in which, after many other things, they are commanded to take care that all the injunctions, laws, and proclamations against Sacramentarians and ANABAPTISTS, BE DULY EXECUTED. In the act of grace, passed the same year, "Anabaptists" were excluded from its benefits! Bishop Latimer, in a sermon preached before king Edward VI., alluding to the events of the reign of Henry VIII, says "The Anabaptists that were burnt here in divers parts of England, as I heard of credible men (I saw them not myself,) went to their death even intrepid, as ye will say, without any fear in the world, cheerfully. * History of Religion, vol. 2, p. 469. + Burnett's History of the Reformation, vol. 8, page 159. Also, I should have told you here of a certain sect of heretics, that speak against this order and doctrine (the king's supremacy); they will have no magistrates, no judges on earth. Then I have to tell you what I heard of late, by the relation of a credible person and worshipful man of a town of this realm of England, that hath above five hundred heretics of this erroneous opinion in it, as he said."* Ivimey observes upon the foregoing, "I cannot but think that these Anabaptists were Wyckliffites; and when it is considered how zealous this good bishop was in supporting the supremacy of the king, as the head of the church, is there not reason to suspect that they were accused of objecting to magistrates and judges, merely because they asserted what all dissenters now assert? That the civil magistrates ought not to interfere in matters of conscience; and that while it is our duty to render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's,' it is equally our duty to give unto God the things that are God's."" It was in this reign that the demon of persecution drove from his native land the distinguished Tyndale. He claims here a special notice. William Tyndale was born in 1500, and received his education at both the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge; and, bearing an excellent character for morals and diligence, he was admitted a canon of Wolsey's new college, at Christ Church, from which, however, upon his opinions becoming known, he was ejected. Being obnoxious to the ecclesiastics he retired to London, where he accepted a retreat, and there employed himself in preparing an English version of the New Testament. Driven from his native country, Tyndale, with Roye, a friar, and John Fry, completed his work at Antwerp, which was printed in that city in 1526. The first edition was bought up by Sir Thomas Moore and Bishop Tonstill; undesignedly they were most excellent friends for the promotion of A SECOND EDITION, as they provided the resources for a republication in 1530. This edition contained some reflections on the English bishops and clergy, and they commanded that it should be purchased and burnt. In 1532, Tyndale and his associates translated and printed THE WHOLE BIBLE, doubtless, by the means supplied by their most inveterate enemies. At the time that Tyndale was preparing a second edition of his translation of the Scriptures, the reforming Henry VIII. sent his emissary to betray him to the Emperor's procurator. He was brought to trial upon the Emperor's decree; was tried, and condemned * Crosby, vol. 1, p. 4 B to the stake; at which he was first strangled, and then burnt. His last prayer was for his persecuting prince, "Lord open the king of England's eyes!" Thus was the useful and precious life of this devoted man cut short at Augsburg, in 1536. The sentiments of William Tyndale, as to the subject of Baptism, and the manner of its administration may be gathered from one of his works "The wasshynge wythout the word helpeth not; but thorow the word it purifyeth and clenseth us, as thou readest, Eph. 5. How Christ clenseth the congregation in the founteine of water thorow the word; the word is the promise which God hath made. Now as a preacher, in preaching the word of God saveth the hearers that beleve so doeth the wasshinge in that it preacheth and representeth to us the promise that God hath made unto us in Christe, THE WASSHYNE PREACHETH UNTO US THAT WE AR CLENSED WYTH CHRISTE'S BLOUDE SHEDYNGE WHICH WAS AN OFFERING AND A SATISFACTION FOR THE SYNNE OF AL THAT REPENT AND BELEVE, CONSENTYNGE AND SUBMYTTYNE THEMSELVES UNTO THE WYL OF GOD. THE PLUNGYNGE INTO THE WATER sygnyfyeth that we die and are buried with Chryst as cocerning ye old life of synne which is Ada. And THE PULLING OUT AGAYN, sygnyfyeth that we ryse again with Christe IN A NEW LYFE FUL OF THE HOLYE GOOSTE WHICH SHAL TEACH US, AND GYDE US, AND WORK THE WYLL OF GOD IN US; AS THOU SEEST, ROM. 6."* Sentiments, it will be seen, which are thoroughly Baptistical. Ivimey thus comments upon the foregoing views. "Whether Tyndale baptized persons on a profession of faith or not, it is certain that his sentiments would naturally lead him to the practice; as what is said of the subject of this ordinance in this quotation, can in no sense apply to infants; who cannot be said to "repent and believe, consenting and submitting themselves unto the will of God." As it relates to the manner in which Baptism was at that time administered, his statement is so plain that it requires no further remark. Sufficient is recorded to shew the feelings which were displayed against those avowing Baptistical sentiments in the reign of Henry VIII. He died after a despotic rule of upwards of 37 years, January 25, 1547. That excellent prince, Edward VI., succeeded his father Henry VIIL At this period, "the majority of the bishops and inferior clergy were on the side of popery, but THE GOVERNMENT was in the hands of the *The obedience of all degrees, proved by God's worde. Imprinted by Wyllyam Copland, at London, 1561. |