aura crû et aura été baptizé sera sauvé, mais qui n'aura point crû sera condamné.' En quoi ils ont suivi Tertullien, qui est de cet avis que le baptême soit differé pour le regard des enfans jusques à ce qu'ils soyent plus grands, et ayent sens et intelligence: Item: de St. Cyprien, et de Gregoire Nazianz. qui ont été d'avis, s'il n'y avoit aucun danger qui pressât le baptême des petits enfans, qu'il fût différé jusqu'à la troizieme année, ou plus outre."* Whilst probable, however, that some of the Albigenses of France, &c. did object to infantbaptism, it appears that in many instances their objection to the various superstitious ceremonies blended with that simple rite, induced some adversaries to suppose that they objected to the rite itself. It is also evident that not only mistakes and mis-statements, but hatred and calumny also, contributed to implicate the Albigenses on that head; as is farther proved by the following remarks and extracts : (1.) "We find the Berengarians exposed to the calumnies, which were afterwards imputed to the Patarines and Waldenses. This is evident from the discourse of Guimondus, bishop of Leger, pp. 332, 3. the bap Aversa, (lib. 1. contra Bereng.) where he accuseth them of overthrowing, . . . . tism of infants.' ...... (2.) At the conference of Alby, held A. D. 1176, it appears from Roger Hoveden's Annals, (cited by Dr. Allix,) that the Albigenses, when accused of being heretics for their opinions on infant baptism, as well as many other topics, considered those accusations as calumny, for they uttered a confession in exact unison with the apostles' creed, and which, on the subject of baptism contained these words, we believe also, that none can be saved but those that are baptized, and that little children are saved by baptism."t 66 (3.) Whilst it appears that a variety of opinions prevailed on the subject of baptism amongst the Albigenses, (or sects included by Roman catholics under that denomination,) from the work of Alanus Magnus, (referred to by Dr. Allix,)"Contra Albigenses et Waldenses, Paganos et Judæos," -since in "the 39th chapter he owns that some of those hereticks, whom he opposeth in general, absolutely rejected baptism; these were Manichees; that others denied the efficacy of it to infants, denying original sin; that others again believed it unprofitable to children, and only useful for those of riper years,"-Allix suspects, that Alanus and other polemics engaged in such controversies in consequence of the misrepresentations of others; for William Catel, counsellor of the parliament of Thoulouse, says, that when two heretical preachers, Raymond and Bennet, were accused before the pope's legate of maintaining "that baptism is not necessary to infants, and many other heresies," they disavowed the imputation, and said the witnesses that appeared against them were false witnesses. It remains to be proved, Secondly, That the genuine Waldenses of Piedmont, &c. always practised the rite of infant-baptism. The following documents authenticate this opinion. 1. The historian Leger cites the following words from the Almanack Spirituel, written in the ancient Waldensian dialect, "Baptism is administered in the full congregation of the faithful, in order that he who is received may be considered by all as a brother and a christian, and that all may pray for him that he may be a christian in heart, as he is outwardly esteemed to be a christian. And it is for this reason that infants are presented at baptism; which ought to be done by those to whom the infants are most nearly related, as parents," &c. 2. Those called Waldenses (or Picards) who were the more immediate followers of Peter Waldo, coincided on this point with the Waldenses of Piedmont; for having emigrated from Picardy to Bohemia, they presented a confession of faith to Ladislaus king of Bohemia in 1508, which was afterwards amplified and presented to Ferdinand king of Bohemia in 1535, in which this language occurs, "Likewise they teach that children are to be baptized unto salvation, and to be consecrated to Christ, according to his word, Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."" 3. That the practice of infant-baptism prevailed amongst the Waldenses of Piedmont, is farther evinced by a brief confession of faith, made with general consent by the ministers and heads of families of the churches of the valleys of Piedmont, assembled in Angrogne the 12th of September, 1532. Art. 17. is as follows, "Concerning the matter of the sacraments, it hath been determined by the Holy Scripture, that we have but two sacramental signs left us by Jesus Christ, the one is baptism, the other is the eucharist, which we receive, to shew that our perseverance in the faith is such as we promised when we were baptized, being little children, and moreover in remembrance of that great benefit given to us by Jesus Christ, when he died for our redemption and washed us with his precious blood." 4. A confession presented in 1556 to the parliament of Turin contains these words, "Those also greatly err who keep off little children from holy baptism."* 5. The modern Waldenses of Piedmont, who inherit the names of their martyred forefathers, uniformly practise infant-baptism, and there is every reason to think that they have preserved in this instance the ancient custom of the Waldenses. The Editor hopes that these quotations satisfactorily prove, that the rite of infant-baptism is sanctioned by the ancient church of the Vaudois of Piedmont,-the only church in the western Roman empire that can lay any claim to having inherited without interruption the doctrines of the primitive church: all the churches of christendom, in the west, * Leger observes, that, till the year 1630, (when the plague carried off most of their ancient Barbes, who were succeeded by French protestant pastors,) the Waldenses practised Trine aspersion, viz.-they sprinkled the child's forehead three times, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. |