SECT. III. naturally arose diversity of sentiments, debates, CENT. and contests of various kinds. These debates XVI. produced schisms and divisions, which are never PART II. more easily excited, nor more obstinately fomented and perpetuated, than where ignorance, the true source of bigotry, prevails. ment of the United XXI. The Mennonites, after having been long The first in an uncertain and precarious situation, obtained solid settlea fixed and unmolested settlement in the United MennonProvinces, under the shade of a legal toleration ites in the procured for them by William, prince of Orange, Provinces. the glorious founder of Belgic liberty. This illustrious chief, who acted from principle in allowing liberty of conscience and worship to Christians of different denominations, was moreover engaged, by gratitude, to favour the Mennonites, who had assisted him, in the year 1572, with a considerable sum of money, when his coffers were almost exhausted [e]. The fruits, however of this toleration, were not immediately enjoyed by all the Anabaptists that were dispersed through the different provinces of the rising republic; for, in several places, both the civil magistrates and the clergy made a long and obstinate opposition to the will of the prince in this matter; particularly in the province of Zealand and the city of Amsterdam, where the remembrance of the plots the Anabaptists had laid, and the tumults they had excited, was still fresh in the minds of the people [f]. This opposition, indeed, was in a great measure conquered before the conclusion of this century, partly by the resolution and influence of William the First, and his son Maurice, and partly by the exemplary conduct of the [e] See Brandt, Histoire der Reformatio in de Nederlande, vol. i. p. 525, 526.-Ceremonies et Coutumes de tous les Peuples du Monde, tom. iv. p. 201. [f] Brandt, loc. cit. book xi. p. 555, 586, 587, 609, 610. book xiv. p. 780. book xvi. p. 811. SECT. III. PART IL CENT. the Mennonites, who manifested their zealous atXVI. tachment to the republic on several occasions, and redoubled, instead of diminishing, the precautions that might remove all grounds of suspicion to their advantage, and take from their adversaries every pretext which could render their opposition justifiable. But it was not before the following century, that their liberty and tranquillity, were fixed upon solid foundations, when, by a Confession of Faith, published in the year 1626, they cleared themselves from the imputation of those pernicious and detestable errors that had been laid to their charge [g]. The English Anabaptists. XXII. The sect, in England, which rejects the custom of baptizing infants, are not distinguished by the title of Anabaptists, but by that of Baptists. It is however, probable, that they derive their origin from the German and Dutch Mennonites; and that, in former times, they adopted their doctrine in all its points. That, indeed, is by no means the case at present; for the English Baptists differ, in many things, both from the ancient and modern Mennonites. They are divided into two sects. One of which is distinguished by the denomination of General or Arminian Baptists, on account of their opposition to the doctrine of absolute and unconditional decrees; and the other by that of Particular or Calvinistical Baptists, from the striking resemblance of their religious system to that of the Presbyterians, who have Calvin for their chief [h]. The Baptists of this latter sect settled chiefly at London, and in the towns and villages adjacent; and they have departed so far from the tenets of their ancestors, that, at this day, [g] See Herm. Schyn, Plenior Deductio Histor. Mennonit. cap. iv. p. 79. [h] See Whiston's Memoires of his Life and Writings, vol. ii. p. 461. XVI. SECT. III. PART II. day, they retain no more of the peculiar doctrines CENT. and institutions of the Mennonites, than the administration of baptism by immersion, and the refusal of that sacrament to infants, and those of tender years. And consequently they have none of those scruples relating to oaths, wars, and the functions of magistracy, that still remain among even the most rational part of the modern Mennonites. They observe in their congregations the same rules of government, and the same method of worship, that are followed by the Presbyterians, and their community is under the direction of men eminent for their piety and learning [i]. From their Confession of Faith, that was published in the year 1643, it appears plainly, that their religious sentiments were the same then that they are at this day [k]. General baptists in XXIII. The General Baptists, or, as they are The opinicalled by some, the Antipodobaptists, are dispersed ons of the in great numbers through several counties of Eng- and Partiland, and are, for the most part, persons of mean cular Anacondition, and almost totally destitute of learning England. and knowledge. This latter circumstance will appear less surprising, when it is considered, that, like the ancient Mennonites, they profess a contempt of erudition and science. There is much latitude in their system of religious doctrine, which consists in such vague and general principles, as render their communion accessible to Christians of almost all denominations. And, accordingly, they tolerate, in fact, and receive among them, persons of every sect, even Socinians and Arians; nor do they reject any from their communion who profess themselves Christians, and receive the Holy Scriptures as the source of truth, [i] See a German work composed by Ant. William Bohm, under the title of the History of the Reformation in England, p. 151, 473, 536, 1152. [k] Bibliotheque Britannique, tom. vi. p. 2. SECT. III. CENT. truth, and the rule of faith [?]. They agree with XVI. the Particular Baptists in this circumstance, that PART II. they admit to baptism adult persons only, and administer that sacrament by dipping or total immersion; but they differ from them in another respect, even in their repeating the administration of baptism to those who had received it, either in a state of infancy, or by aspersion, instead of dipping; for if the common accounts may be believed, the Particular Baptists do not carry matters so far. The following sentiments, rites, and tenets, are also peculiar to the former: 1. After the manner of the ancient Mennonites, they look upon their sect as the only true Christian church, and consequently shun, with the most scrupulous caution, the communion of all other religious societies. 2. They dip only once, and not three times, as is practised elsewhere, the candidates for baptism, and consider it as a matter of indifference, whether that sacrament be administered in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, or in that of Christ alone. 3. They adopt the doctrine of Menno with respect to the Millenium, or thousand years reign of the [] This appears evidently from their Confession of Faith, which appeared first in the year 1660, was republished by Mr. Whiston, in the Memoirs of his Life, vol. ii. p. 561. and is drawn up with such latitude, that with the removal and alteration of a few points*, it may be adopted by Christians of all denominations t. Mr. Whiston, though an Arian, became a member of this Baptist community, which, as he thought came nearest to the simplicity of the primitive and apostolic age. The famous Mr. Emlyn, who was persecuted on account of his Socinian principles, joined himself also to this society, and died in their communion. Viz. Those relating to Universal Redemption, the Perseverance of the Saints, Election and Reprobation, which are illustrated entirely on Arminian principles, and consequently cannot be embraced by rigid Calvinists; not to mention the points relating to baptism, which are the distinctive marks of this sect. Our author does not certainly mean to include Roman Catholics in this large class, for then his assertion would not be true. SECT. III. the saints with Christ upon earth: And, 4. Many CENT. of them embrace his particular opinion concerning XVI. the origin of Christ's body [m]. 5. They look upon PART II. the precept of the apostles, prohibiting the use of blood, and things strangled [n], as a law that was designed to be in force in all ages and periods of the church. 6. They believe that the soul, from the moment that the body dies until its resurrection at the last day, remains in a state of perfect insensibility. 7. They use the ceremony of extreme unction. And, to omit matters of a more trifling nature. 8. Several of them observe the Jewish, as well as the Christian Sabbath [o]. These Baptists have three different classes of ecclesiastical governors, bishops, elders, and deacons ; the first of these, among whom there have been several learned men [p], they modestly call messengers [9], as St. John is known to have styled that Order, in the book of the Revelations. vid Geor XXIV. Before we conclude the History of the The DavidAnabaptists, it may not be improper to mention ist, or Daa very singular and ridiculous sect that was gians. founded by David George, a native of Delf, and a member of that community. This enthusiast after having laid the foundation of the sect of the Davidists, or David-Georgians, deserted the Anabaptists, and removed to Basil in Switzerland, in the year 1544, where he changed his name, and by the liberality and splendour that attended his opulence, VOL. IV. I i [m] To wit, that the body of Jesus was not derived from the substance of the blessed Virgin, but created in her womb by an omnipotent act of the Holy Spirit. [n] Acts xv. 9. [o] These accounts of the doctrine of the Baptists are taken from Wall's History of Infant Baptism; and from the second volume of Whiston's Memoirs of his Life, p. 465. &c. [p] See Whiston's Memoirs of his Life, tom. ii. p. 466. as also Crosby's History of the English Baptists, published in four volumes 8vo, in the year 1728. [9] St. John calls them the angels of the churches; the word angel (in Greek ❝yfeλos) signifies properly an envoy or messenger. |