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and flourishing people, nor to incur the displeasure of a mighty queen, whose authority seemed to extend not only to her own dominions, but even to the United Provinces, which were placed in her neighbourhood, and, in some measure, under her protection. Nor did the apprehensions of a general schism in the reformed church contribute a little to render them meek, moderate, and pacific. It is one thing to punish and excommunicate a handful of weak and unsupported individuals, who attempt to disturb the tranquillity of the state by the introduction of opinions which, though neither highly absurd, nor of dangerous consequence, have yet the demerit of novelty; and another to irritate, or promote divisions in a flourishing church, which, though weakened more or less by intestine feuds, is yet both powerful and respectable in a high degree. Beside, the dispute between the church of England and the other reformed churches did not, as yet, turn upon points of doctrine, but only on the rites of external worship, and the form of ecclesiastical government. It is, however, to be observed, that in process of time, nay, soon after the period now under consideration, certain religious doctrines were introduced into the debate between the two churches that contributed much to widen the breach, and to cast the prospect of reconciliation at a distance.d

Many per

sons of emi

nent genius and learning

XLIV. That the reformed church abounded, during this century, with great and eminent men, justly celebrated for their illustrious talents and universal learning, is too well known to stand in need of any among the proof. Beside Calvin, Zuingle, and Beza, who reformed. exhibited to the republic of letters very striking instances of genius and erudition, we may place in the list of those who have gained an immortal name by their writings, Ecolampadius, Bullinger, Farel, Viret, Martyr, Bibliander, Musculus, Pellican, Lavater, Hospinian, Ursinus, Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, Szegedinus, and

I'd All the protestant divines of the reformed church, whether puritans or others, seemed indeed, hitherto, of one mind about the doctrines of faith, But toward the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign, there arose a party, which were first for softening, and then for overthrowing the received opinions concerning predestination, perseverance, freewill, effectual grace, and the extent of Christ's redemption. These are the doctrines to which Dr. Mosheim alludes in this passage. The clergy of the episcopal church began to lean toward the notions concerning these intricate points, which Arminius propagated some time after this; while, on the other hand, the puritans adhered rigorously to the system of Calvin. Several episcopal doctors remained attached to the same system, and all these abettors of Calvinism, whether episcopal or presbyterian, were called doctrinal puritans.

many others, whose names and merits are recorded by the writers of philological history, and particularly by Melchior Adam, Anthony Wood, and Daniel Neal, the learned and industrious author of the History of the Puritans.

CHAPTER III.

HISTORY OF THE ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES.

e

1. THE true origin of that sect which acquired the deThe origin nomination of Anabaptists, by their administering anew the rite of baptism to those who came over to their communion, and derived that of Mennonites,

of the Anabaptists ob

scure.

e The modern Mennonites reject the denomination of anabaptists, and also disavow the custom of repeating the ceremony of baptism, from whence this denomination is derived. They acknowledge, that the ancient anabaptists practised the repetition of baptism to those who joined them from other Christian churches; but they maintain, at the same time, that this custom is at present abolished by far the greatest part of their community. See Herm. Schyn, Historiæ Mennonitarum plenior Deductio, cap. ii. p. 32. But here, if I am not much mistaken, these good men forget that ingenuous candour and simplicity, of which, on other occasions, they make such ostentation, and have recourse to artifice in order to disguise the true cause and origin of the denomination in question. They pretend, for instance, that the anabaptists, their ancestors, were so called from their baptizing a second time all adult persons, who left other churches to enter into their communion. But it is certain, that the denomination in question was given them, not only on this account, but also, and indeed principally, from the following consideration: that they did not look upon those who had been baptized in a state of infancy, or at a tender age, as rendered, by the administration of this sacrament, true members of the Christian church; and therefore insisted upon their being rebaptized in order to their being received into the communion of the anabaptists. It is likewise certain, that all the churches of that communion, however they may vary in other respects, and differ from each other in their tenets and practices, agree nevertheless in this opinion, and, as yet, persevere obstinately in it. In a more especial manner are the ancient Flemish anabaptists entitled to this denomination. For they not only rebaptize the children that have been already baptized in other churches, but even observe the same method with respect to persons that are come to years of reason and discretion. Nay, what is still more remarkable, the different sects of anabaptists deal in the same manner one with another; each sect rebaptizes the person that enter into its communion, although they have already received that sacrament in another sect of the same denomination; and the reason of this conduct is, that each sect considers its baptism alone as pure and valid. It is indeed to be observed, that there is another class of anabaptists, called Waterlandians, who are more moderate in their principles, and wiser in all respects than those now mentioned, and who do not pretend to rebaptize adult persons, who have already been baptized in other Christian churches, or in other sects of their own denomination. This moderate class are however, with propriety, termed anabaptists, on account of their rebaptizing such as had received the baptismal rite in a state of infancy or childhood. The patrons of this sect seem indeed very studious to conceal a practice, which they cannot deny to take place among them: and their eagerness to conceal it, arises from an apprehension of reviving the hatred and severities which formerly persued them. They are afraid, lest by acknowledging the truth, the modern Mennonites should be considered as the descendants of those flagitious and fanatical anabaptists of Munster, whose enormities rendered their very name odious to all true Christians. All this appears evident from the following passage in Schyn's Historiæ Mennonitarum plenior" Deductio, tom. ii. p. 32, where that author pretends

from the famous man, to whom they owe the greatest part of their present felicity, is hid in the remote depths of antiquity, and is, of consequence, extremely difficult to be ascertained. This uncertainty will not appear surprising, when it is considered, that this sect started up, all of a sudden, in several countries, at the same point of time, under leaders of different talents and different intentions, and at the very period when the first contests of the reformers with the Roman pontiffs drew the attention of the world, and employed the pens of the learned, in such a manner, as to render all other objects and incidents almost matters

to prove, that his brethren are unjustly stigmatized with the odious denomination of anabaptists. His words are: Anabaptismus ille plane obsolevit et a multis retro annis neminem cujuscunque sectæ Christianæ fidei, juxta mandatum Christi baptizatum, dum ad nostras Ecclesias transire cupit, rebaptizaverunt," i. e. "That species of anabaptism, with which we are charged, exists no longer, nor has it happened, during the space of many years past, that any person professing Christianity, of whatever church or sect he may have been, and who had been previously baptized according to the commandment of Christ, has been rebaptized upon his entering into our communion." This passage would, at first sight, induce an inattentive reader to imagine, that there is no such thing among the modern Mennonites, as the custom of rebaptizing those who enter into their community. But the words which we have marked in italics, juxta mandatum Christi, i. e. according to the commandment of Christ, discovers sufficiently the artifice and fraud that lie hid in this apology; for the anabaptists maintain, that there is no commandment of Christ in favour of infant baptism. Moreover, we see the whole fallacy exposed by what the author adds to the sentence already quoted: "Sed illum etiam adultorum baptismum ut sufficientem agnoscunt." Nevertheless this author, as if he had perfectly proved his point, concludes with an air of triumph, that the odious name of anabaptists cannot be given, with any propriety, to the Mennonites at this day: "Quare," says he, "verissimum est, illud odiosum nomen Anabaptistarum illis non convenire."" In this however he is certainly mistaken; and the name in question is just as applicable to the modern Mennonites, as it was to the sect from which they descend, since the best and wisest of the Mennonites maintain, in conformity with the principles of the ancient anabaptists, that the baptism of infants is destitute of validity, and consequently are very careful in rebaptizing their proselytes, notwithstanding their having been baptized in their tender years, in other Christian churches. Many circumstances persuade me, that the declarations and representations of things given by the modern Mennonites are not always worthy of credit. Unhappily instructed by the miseries and calamities in which their ancestors were involved, they are anxiously careful to conceal entirely those tenets and laws that are the distinguishing characteristics of their sect; while they embellish what they cannot totally conceal, and disguise with the greatest art such of their institutions, as otherwise might appear of a pernicious tendency, and might expose them to

censure.

f The writers for and against the anabaptists are amply enumerated by Casper Sagittarius, in his Introductio ad Histor. Eccles. tom. i. p. 826, and Christ. M. Pfaffius, in his Introduct. in Histor. Literar. Theologiæ, part ii. p. 349. Add to these a modern writer, and a Mennonite preacher, Herman Schyn, who published at Amsterdam in 8vo. in the year 1729, his Historia Mennonitar. and, in 1729, his Plenior Deductio Histor. Mennonit. These two books, though they do not deserve the title of a History of the Mennonites, are nevertheless useful, in order to come at a thorough knowledge of the affairs of this sect; for this author is much more intent upon defending his brethren against the accusations and reproaches with which they have been loaded, than careful in tracing out the origin, progress, and revolutions of their sect. And indeed after all the Mennonites have not much reason to boast, either of the extraordinary learning or dexterity of this their patron; nay, it is even to be imagined, that they may easily find a more able defender. For an accurate account of the Mennonite historians, and their confessions of faith, see Jo. Koecheri Bibliotheca Theol. Symbolicæ, p. 461.

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of indifference. The modern Mennonites not only consider themselves as the descendants of the Waldenses, who were so grievously oppressed and persecuted by the despotic heads of the Roman church, but pretend, moreover, to be the purest offspring of these respectable sufferers, being equally averse to all principles of rebellion, on the one hand, and all suggestions of fanaticism on the other." Their adversaries, on the contrary, represent them as the descendants of those turbulent and furious Anabaptists, who, in the sixteenth century, involved Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and more especially the province of Westphalia, in such scenes of blood, perplexity, and distress; and allege, that, terrified by the dreadful fate of their associates, and also influenced by the moderate counsels and wise injunctions of Mennon, they abandoned the ferocity of their primitive enthusiasm, and were gradually brought to a better mind. After having examined these two different accounts of the origin of the Anabaptists with the utmost attention and impartiality, I have found that neither of them are exactly comformable to truth. и. It may be observed in the first place, that the Mennonites are not entirely mistaken when they boast bable account of of their descent from the Waldenses, PetrobruAnabaptists. sians, and other ancient sects, who are usually considered as witnesses of the truth, in the times of universal darkness and superstition. Before the rise of Luther and Calvin, there lay concealed, in almost all the countries of Europe, particularly in Bohemia, Moravia, Switzerland, and Germany, many persons who adhered tenaciously to the following doctrine, which the Waldenses, Wickliffites, and Hussites had maintained, some in a more disguised, and others in a more open and public manner, viz: "That the kingdom of Christ, or the visible church he had established upon earth, was an assembly of true and real saints, and ought therefore to be inaccessible to the wicked and unrighteous, and also exempt from all those institutions, which human prudence suggests, to oppose the progress of iniquity, or to correct and reform transgressors." This maxim is the true source of all the peculiarities that are to be found in the religious doctrine

The most pro

the origin of the

g See Herm. Schyn, Plenior Deductio Histor. Mennon. cap. i. p. 2, as also a Dutch work, entitled Galenus Abrahamzon, Verdediging der Christenem, die Doopsgezinde ge namd woorden, p. 29.

and discipline of the Mennonites; and it is most certain, that the greatest part of these peculiarities were approved of by many of those, who, before the dawn of the reformation, entertained the notion already mentioned, relating to the visible church of Christ." There were however different ways of thinking among the different members of this sect, with respect to the methods of attaining to such a perfect church establishment as they had in view. Some, who were of a fanatical complexion on the one hand, and were persuaded, on the other, that such a visible church, as they had modelled out in fancy, could not be realized by the power of man, entertained the pleasing hope, that God, in his own good time, would erect to himself a holy church exempt from every degree of blemish and impurity, and would set apart for the execution of this grand design, a certain number of chosen instruments, divinely assisted and prepared for this work, by the extraordinary succours of his Holy Spirit. Others, of a more prudent and rational turn of mind, entertained different views of this matter. They neither expected stupendous miracles nor extraordinary revelations; since they were persuaded, that it was possible, by human wisdom, industry, and vigilance, to purify the church from the contagion of the wicked, and to restore it to the simplicity of its original constitution, provided that the manners and spirit of the primitive Christians could but recover their lost dignity and lustre.

III. The drooping spirits of these people,who had been dispersed through many countries, and persecuted every where with the greatest severity, were revived when they were informed that Luther, seconded by several persons of eminent piety, had successfully attempted the reformation of the church. Then they spoke with openness and freedom, and the enthusiasm of the fanatical, as well as the prudence of the wise, discovered themselves in their natural colours. Some of them imagined, that the time was now come in which God himself was to dwell with his servants in an extraordinary manner, by celestial succours,

h See, for an account of the religious sentiments of the Waldenses, Limborch's excellent History of the Inquisition, translated into English by the learned Dr. Samuel Chandler, book i. chap. viii. It appears from undoubted testimonies, that the Wickliffites and Hussites did not differ extremely from the Waldenses, concerning the point under consideration. See also Lydii Waldensia, and Allix's Ancient Churches of Piedmont, ch. 22-26, p. 211-280. Ñ.

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