Newspaper Page Text
*
i'. THE
Contributed
BAPTIST HI8TORY AS EXHIBITED IN
THEIR RECENT WRITINGS.
II.
Xie have seen how our Baptist friends,
when brought face to face with the
promise 01 . unrisi in mart. 10:1s ana
their own finding of the facts of history,
are forced to alter their conception of
the Church from that which is commonly
accepted and taught by them in
order to bridge a great period of time
when no Baptist Church existed. Now
we come to see how great is this period
and how very recent is the dating of
Baptist church history.
Dr. A. H. Newman writes: "Not until
we reach the twelfth century do we encounter
types of Christian life that we
can with any confidence recognize as
Baptist." Then he seeks to trace the beyinn
111 C nf ninHarn onfi.nnnnhonHam
0*<J ?<*?Q \/i. uivuviu uuu~|/vuuua|iuom
through 'the early "Waldenses (1178 onward),"
aud says, "Some of them, probably
a minority, became Antl-Pedobap
tiatB." He continues, "Peter Chelcicky,
the spiritual father of the Bohomian
Brethren ... of the fifteenth century
closely approached . . . the Anti-Pedobaptists
of the sixteenth century"; but
he must conclude, in treating of this
"spiritual father," "it is rather disappointing
to find him adding, '-if such have
children, baptism should be bestowed
upon their children in their conscience.'"
Further, he writes, "There is no decisive
evidence that any party in England rejected
infant baptism before the Reformation
time." The relation of the above
to modern Baptist Church history Is
ouujiucu up tit) lunuwB. i ut; AuauapuBt
movement of the sixteenth century had
its roots in the evangelical parties of the
middle ages." (Amer. Ch. Hist. Ser.,
Vol. II., pp. 13, IB, 16, 17.)
Over against this effort to trace the
beginnings of Baptist Church history
back to the "twelfth cedtury," Dr. W. H.
Whitsitt writes: "The connection between
brethren" (i. e., the Bohemian
Brethren") and older reforming parties
that existed before the Reformation has
been much diseussed. The leaders of the
movement in Switzerland-were aware of
no such connection; it was also the custom
of the advocates of adult baptism to
wyvun v/i vucoc icaucio ao kUC IUUUUCIO
of baptism' for more than a century after
their decease. Finally, however. In a
work published in 1647, the claim was
first advanced that the Waldensians
were their progenitors. That claim has
heen often repeated, but has never been
established." (Johnson's Univ. Ency.,
Tol. I. p. 169a). Dr. McGlothlin writes
in line with Dr. WhKsitt, controverting
- 4^ J t T\_ %T -
uic iucb aumuceu uy ur. itBwman ei Hi., .
tracing the beginnings of the Anabaptist
Church back to the twelfth century, under
the caption, "Anabaptism." "The
striking similarity between many of their
(the Anabaptists) doctrines and those of
some earlier sects has led to. an effort to
show seme historical connection. Rltsell
i
m i ? . .
; PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU1
has sought to trace their doctrines to
the Spiritual Franciscans; Ludwig Keller
and others have sought to show Borne
connection with the Waldenses, who a
little earlier were widely scattered over
Central Europe. The sijni'.srity in doctrines,
spirit and organization is so
marked as almost to compel belief in
some sort of historical succession; and
yet the effort to trace this connection
nas not so rar oeen successful. (1). The
Anabaptists themselves were not conscious
of such connection regarding
themselves as the spiritual children of a
renewed study of the Bible. (?). All
their, leaders, so far as their lives are
known, came out of the Catholic Church.
(3). They had little or no communion
with older sects after their rise. These
considerations render it probable that
they, like the sects of the middle ages,
are the offspring .of a renewed Bible
study, and that the similarity is the result
of independent Bible study under
similar circumstances and controlling
ideas." (Ency. Relig. and Eth., Vol. I,
p. 406). Here, then, it is quite clear,
from Drs. Whltsitt and McClothlin (even
Dr. Newman writing "probably" and,
with apology, adding, "it is disappointing,
etc."), that Baptist Church history
can not antedate the Anabaptists of the
sixteenth century, of which Dr. Whitsitt
writes: "The Anabaptist movement
originated at Zurich, Switzerland, between
January 18 and 25, 1525." (Johnson's
Univ. Ency., Vol. I, p. 168b). With
this last statement, Prof. McGlothltn is
in agreement and writes of these who
broke with ZwLngli: "Early in 1524 thoy
reached the conclusion that infant baptism
was without warrant in Scripture,
was au invention of the Pope, yea, of
Satan himself; ft was, therefore, invaJId.
was no baptism, and hence the duty of
beginning anew the baptism of believers
wa% felt to rest upon them. This they
Droceeded to do in December. 1524. or
January, 1525." (Ency. Relig. and Eth.,
Vol. I, p. 407a). So, al8?k Dr. A. H.
Newman. (New Schaff-Herzog, Vol. I,
p. 162a). So much for the date of the
beginning of the movement of the Anabaptists,
of whom Dr. McGlothlin says:'
"All the leading Reformers (Luther,
Zwingli, Bucer, Decolampadlus, Calvin,
Knox and many others) combated their
views in one or more publications and
disputations', their. doctrlies are condemned
explicitly or by implication in all
the leading creeds of the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries." "They were the
radical party of the Reformation period."
Of their mode of baptism he writes:
"The duty of beginning anew the baptism
of believers was felt to rest upon
them. This they proceeded to do in
December, 1524, or January, 1525, when,
in a private house, Grehel baptized
Blaurock, who in turn took a dipper
falmppl ATI ft hnntfioH aevorol nthora In
the name of the Trinity." (Ency. Rellg.
and Eth., Vol. I, pp. 406a, 407a). Of this
Dr. Newman says: "In a company composed
entirely of laymen, one poured
water, In the name of the Trinity, on
other members in ssccesslon, after they
*H. . July 14, 1909.
had expressed a desire to be baptized,
and so. as they claimed, they instituted
veritable Christian baptism. Like scenes
were enacted in other assemblies It is
noteworthy that these first believers'
baptisms were by pouring; immersion
was introduced later." (New SchattHerzog,
Vol. I, p. 162a). Dr. McGlothlin
now continues: "The mode of baptism
was never a matter of discussion. Most
of them (Anabaptists) practiced affusion.
the Torm then prevalent over the continent."
(Ency.. R. & E., Vol. I, p. 410b).
Dr. Whitsitt, treating of this, says: "The
form of baptism adopted when the movement
(of the Anabaptists) was instituted
appears to have been by sprlnkHug,
or pouring, and, with comparatively
few exceptions, that form was observed
wherever the party was established."
(J. Univ. Ency., Vol. I, p. 168b). The
earliest evidence of th^ practice of immersion
among the Polish Anabaptists is
found in the "Racovian Catechism of
1605," which, says Dr. McGlothlin, "pro
vides for immersion as the mode of baptism."
(Ency. R. & E., Vol. I, p. 409a). .
Among the Swiss he wrkes of the earliest
record of immersion as follows: "The
founder and leader was Wolfang Wolimann,
who was converted and baptized
(immersed naked) in the Rhine at
Schaffhausen in February, 1525. (Ency.
R. & E., Vol. I, p. 407b). Commenting
on the Anabaptist movement as a whole
and the mode of baptism, lie continues:
"The mode of baptism was never a matter
of discussion. Most of them practiced
affusion, the form then prevalent on the
continent; but some of the Swiss and
Polish Anabaptists insisted on immersion
as the only admrlssible form, thus anticipating
the modern Baptist position.'
tuncy. k. & n:.. vol. I, p. 410b). Dr.
Newman, commenting on '"the Antl-Pe.
dobaptist movements in the sixteenth
century," says-: ".Immersion was practiced
at St. Gall, Augsburg, Strassburg
and by the anti-trinitarian Anabaptists of
Poland. But the cpmmon practice among
the SvriBS, Austrian, Moravian and Dutch
parties was affusion. The Importance of
immersion as the act of baptism seems
to have beep appreciated by few." Commenting
on. the beginning of the Baptist
Church in England through John Smyth
(and Thomas Helwys), he writeg: "It is
almost certain that the rite was administered
by affusion and not by immersion.
His opponents make no reference
to the form or the rite, which they would
almost certainly have done if it had deviated
from current practice; and the
entire harmony of Smyth and his party
in tills matter with the Mennonites, who
at the time practiced affusion, would
seem decisive In favor of the supposition
that they conformed to the common
practice." He then traces the beginning
of the practice of immersion In England ,
through "Richard Blunt," who was "convinced
of baptism, that also it ought to
be by dipping the body Into the water,"
to the year "1641." .... "none having
then so practiced in England to professed
believers, and, hearing that some
in the Netherlands had so practiced, they
/
#