SECTION II :
PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS CONTINUED.
"Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."—Phil. 2:3.
1. THE death of Domitian, in 97, introduced Nerva, a tolerant
emperor to the throne. In 98, Trajan became possessed of the sceptre, whose
prejudices were very strong against the followers of the Lamb. Persecuting
edicts were issued, and the commencement of the century was 100 the beginning of fresh trials to
the professors of the gospel. Pliny, the governor of Pontus and Bythinia, 107 inquired of Trajan what policy he
should pursue towards Christians, as he felt convinced their destruction would
nearly annihilate the inhabitants of those provinces under his governance. †
Trajan replied, they should not be sought for as heretofore; but if any were
known openly to profess Christianity, "let them be punished." Under this
emperor many Christians suffered death, and…
† Lib. 10, Epis. 97.
…numbers, even of the female sex, were racked, to occasion their
criminating each other. Adrian rather improved 117 the condition of Christians. Titus Antonius Pious, succeeded, and proved
himself a mild 138 prince; but when Marcus Aurelius Antonius ascended the throne, he
issued his cruel measures, 162 and Polycarp, with many in Asia
and France, 180 were called to martyrdom. In 180, Commodus became head of the
government, and the condition of Christians became tolerable; but on Severus
succeeding, 198 the aspect was changed towards the
churches: Asia, Gaul, Egypt, and other provinces, were dyed with Christians'
blood.
2. All historians speak of the Christian church sustaining, to an
eminent degree, the character of a pure virgin, for above one hundred years.
The severity of the times would check insincere persons taking a profession;
the examples of the apostles and their successors were still kept in view;
besides, the churches were composed of obscure persons in the estimation of the
world; nor did learning adorn her ministers, so as to awaken any fears of
rivalship among the philosophers or literati of the day. Yet their obscurity,
with their "excess of virtue,"* was no guard to their lives or
property. It was a maxim with the Romans, to tolerate the religions of those
nations they conquered: but this indulgence they extended not to the professors
of the gospel. Various reasons and motives combined to occasion an alteration
in their wonted policy, though the true grounds are assigned by Paul Rom. viii.
7. Gal. iv. 29.
The first Christians were poor; and their benevolence…
* Gibbon's Hist. c. 15.
…towards each other was calculated to keep them free of worldly
incumbrances, yet it is equally evident they were numerous, and the success of
the gospel enraged the pagan priests, who reported to the governor the vilest
accusations against them.* Those vile reports were ably refuted by apologists,
whose works were presented to the emperor. † The insinuations of the enemy were
but too credulously regarded, and often regulated the policy of the presiding
governor. The priests lived by the altars. In the public games, merchants,
tradesmen, mechanics, servants, and the rustic who sold the sacrifices, were
all interested in maintaining the pagan worship. Hence that popular ridicule,
contempt, and persecution, which governments sometimes durst not, or could not,
control. Whenever religion influenced the heart, whether of parent or child, it
proved a kind of restless leaven, which attempted, by every silent and lawful
means, to impregnate the whole body with which it stood connected, so that,
Christianity was often accused of disturbing the previous harmony of families,
and of infusing sectarian principles into the inhabitants of towns and
provinces. Nor did Christianity feel in her proper station, in standing at a
distance, and surveying the region of misery with philosophic apathy; but its
advocates boldly advanced into the very centre of infection, and endeavored to
apply the only remedy provided for its cure; yet such was the nature and
desperate state of the disease, that it urged the infected to aim the
destruction of every benefactor. "Beside, all other people professed a
national religion, and the multitude looked on each other's idols…
* Some causes assigned for these calumnies by Mr.
Robert Turner, are supported neither by reason nor evidence, particularly on
Christians eating their own offspring, c. 4.
† W. Reeve's Apologies of the Fathers.
…with indifference; but Christianity formed a sect of distinct and
separate character."* "It did not confine itself to the denial or
rejection of every other system: it carried on its forehead all the offensive
character of a monopoly, which, when understood, spread an alarm over the Roman
empire for the security of its establishments."† Every awakening
providence, as earthquake, famine, drought, plague, &c., was by pagans
attributed to the anger of their gods against the followers of the Cross; this
view of things being impressed on the minds of the multitude, often occasioned
the rabble to demand the blood and lives of valuable men.
Christianity was observed to give dignity, composure, serenity,
and confidence, to its possessor, which was supposed by heathens to be
confirmed obstinacy—which many consequently resolved to subdue. The religion of
the Cross has, in all ages, formed a bond of union among its disciples, to
which no heathen superstition made pretensions. The enemies of the Lamb, being
totally unacquainted with the genius and spirit of Christianity, and the
objects of its followers in uniting together in social worship, misconstrued
their motives, attributed to them revolting crimes, and their love and unity
led to associations of a political character formed against the government.
It was also seen that Christianity ever maintained an
uncompromising character; it forbade its friends "to partake of other
men's sins," or to pour out libations, or throw a grain of incense on the
pagan altars: and this unsociable, uncommunicable temper, in matters of
religion, could be regarded, by the best of the heathens, in no other light,
than arising from an aversion to mankind. ‡ From these…
* Gibbon's Hist. c. 15
† Chalmers's Evid. Christianity, c. 4, p. 105.
‡ Jones's
Ecc. Lect. v. L, p. 195.
…circumstances, the pagans would never be destitute of materials
for misconstruction. As Christians would not themselves bow to pagan rites, so
they were alike careful to prevent any character, however exalted, realizing
the privileges of their communion, without a strict conformity, in spirit and
conduct, to the requirements of divine revelation. They, consequently, at
times, became the objects of the most unrelenting fury, for maintaining, in
their ecclesiastical community, purity of principle, and purity of practice.
3. The Christian societies, instituted in the cities of the Roman
empire, were united only by the ties of faith and charity. Independency and equality
formed the basis of their internal constitution;* and they were in every way
corresponding to churches of the Baptist denomination at the present day, in
the admission of members, discussing affairs, dismissing, brethren, or
excluding offenders.† Though the churches sustained a primitive character for
more than one hundred years, yet, during this century, and particularly towards
its close, the scriptural simplicity of the institution became obscured, from
the introduction of various rites borrowed from the Old Testament; and baptism
was now supposed to convey some peculiar advantages to the receiver.‡ There
being persons of narrow capacities, the teachers of religion thought it
advisable or expedient to instruct such in the essential truths of the gospel,
by placing those truths, as it were, before their eyes, under visible objects
or images. S
By these and other expedients, the purity of the original institutions
became sophisticated;…
* Gibbon's Hist.
c. 15.
† Mosh. Hist. C.
2, p. 2, c. 2, S 4. Robin. Res. p. 123. Campbell's Ecc. Lect. p. 122. Jones's
Ecc. Lect. v. i., p. 299. ‡See Wall and
Bingham.
S
Mosh. Hist. C. 2, p. 2, c. 4, S
6.
…and when once the ministers of religion had departed from the ancient
simplicity of the gospel, and sullied the native purity of divine truth by a
motley mixture of human inventions, it was difficult to set bounds to this
growing corruption.*
4. We shall now refer to the writers of this century on the 150 subject of Baptism; and the first
we notice is JUSTIN MARTYR, who was born of pagan parents, but became a
proselyte to the Jewish religion. Dissatisfied with his profession, he embraced
Christianity. His character is obscured by his mixture of systems, and his figurative
style was calculated to lead astray. He taught, through natural objects, to
view Spiritual things, viz., "The cross according to the prophet (Moses),
was the great characteristic of his power and government; almost every thing we
see resembles a cross;" the yards of a ship, the head of a plough, the
handle of a spade, &c.—"nay, man erect with his arms extended, forms
the cross." † He retained the leading features of Christianity, and wrote
ably in its defence.
In giving an account to the emperor, Justin says, "I shall
now lay before you the manner of dedicating ourselves to God, through Christ,
upon our conversion; for should I omit this, I might not seem to deal sincerely
in this account of our religion. As many as are persuaded and believe that those
things which are taught by us are true, and do promise to live according to
them, are directed first to pray, and ask God, with fasting, the forgiveness of
their sins: and we also pray and fast together with them. Then…
* Mosh. Hist. C.
6, p. 2, c. 3, S
1.
† Justin's Apol.
S
72. Reeve's trans. v. i., p. 96.
…we bring them to some place where there is water; and they are
regenerated by the same way of regeneration by which we were regenerated: for
they are washed in the name of the Father, &c. After he is baptized, and
becomes one of us, we lead him to the congregation of the brethren, where with
great fervency, we pour out our souls together in prayer, both for ourselves
and for the person baptized, and for all other Christians throughout the world.
Prayer being ended, we salute each other with a kiss. Bread, and a cup of wine
and water, are then brought to the president or bishop, who offers up prayer
and thanksgiving in the name of the Lord Jesus, the people concluding with a
loud amen. The deacons distribute the elements to those who are present, and
carry them afterwards to the absent members.* This food we call the eucharist,
of which none are allowed to be partakers, but such only as are true believers,
and have been baptized in the layer of regeneration for the remission of sins,
and live according to Christ's precepts." † On this statement Dr. Wall
observes, this is the most ancient account of the way of baptizing, next the
Scriptures, and shows the plain and simple manner of administering it. The
Christians of these…
* Wall's Hist. of Inf. Bap. p. 1, c. 1, S 3.
† Justin's Apol. S 79, 85, 86, Reeve's trans. Justin's Apology to the emperor describes the dedication of believers in religion, but not of infants! In S 36, he deplores the way the heathens trained their children; and S 18, alludes to believers discipeling their offspring to Christ. He does not refute the charge of infanticide, by asserting that Christians dedicated their children to Christ by baptism, though so favorable an opportunity offered; at the same time, he evinces an anxiety not to omit to his imperial maiesty any circumstance or practice that would lessen the force of prejudices against Christians. Justin has committed an unpardonable fault in omitting the infant rite; unless, as was the case, paedobaptism was unknown.
…times had lived, many of them at least, in the days of the
apostles:*
Justin's use of the term regeneration, instead of baptism, with
other figurative language, led the simple and unlettered to conclude, that the
import of the word was conveyed in the ordinance. Too much dependence was, at
this period, placed on the eucharist; as is evident, in its being carried to
absent members after it had been prayed over. So the simplicity of the supper
was departing, by the mixture of water with the wine: though the church still
retained, in its members and discipline, all the essentials of its original
constitution.
180 IRENAEUS , pastor of a church at Lyons.
He was a Greek by birth, and liberally educated. Before he accepted the
pastorate of Lyons, he lived at Smyrna, under the religious instruction of
Polycarp, one of John's disciples. During his residence at Lyons, the
Christians were called to realise death in every form. A creed is still extant
bearing his name, and much of early simplicity. † The following passage from
his writings is supposed by some to allude to the ordinance: "Christ
passed through all ages of man, that he might SAVE all by himself: all, I say,
who by him are regenerated to God—infants, and little ones, and children, and
youths, and persons advanced in years:"‡ but these words refer to
salvation, not baptism. The word regeneration cannot, in this passage, be
understood to signify baptism, without attaching too much importance to that
ordinance. The same pious father regrets the conduct of some "who thought
it…
* Wall's Hist.
ubi sup.
† Le Clerc's
Ecc. Hist. and Jortin's Rcm. On Ecc. Hist. v. ii., b. 2, p. 2, p. 25.
‡ Facts opposed
to Fiction, p. 17.
…needless to bring the person to the water at all; but mixing oil
and water together, they pour it on the candidate's head."* How deeply
would Irenaeus grieve, did he live now!
190 CLEMENT, the schoolmaster and
innovator, presided over a school at Alexandria, to whom we shall again refer.
He observes, on the ordinance, "The baptized ought to be children in
malice, but not in understanding; even such children who, as the children of
God, have put off the old man with the garments of wickedness, and have put on
the new man."†
5. Although unwarrantable customs and
ceremonies began to prevail at the conclusion of this century in some churches,
yet the ordinances of religion were not diverted or altered from their
scriptural subject, which is supported by the best historians, as, "It
does not appear by any approved authors, that there was any mutation or
variation in baptism from the former century.”‡
"During this century, the sacrament of baptism was administered
publicly twice a year, at the festivals of Easter and Whitsuntide. The persons
to be baptized, after they had repeated the creed, confessed, and renounced
their sins, particularly the devil and his pompous allurements, were immersed
under water, and received into Christ's kingdom, by a solemn invocation."
After baptism, various ceremonies ensued. S Immersion universally prevailed, since all the ancients thought
that…
* Wall's Hist.
part 1, p. 406.
† Epis. III. in
Bap. Mag. v. i., p. 166
‡ Mag. Cent. c.
2, in Danver's, p. 59.
S
Mosh. Hist. c. 2, p. 2, c.4, S 13.
…burying under water did more lively represent the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ.* The absence of infant baptism, during the two
first centuries, is fully acknowledged by so many of the most learned among the
Paedobaptists, that it is quite unnecessary to copy their assertions. † Justin
Martyr, Athenagoras, Theophilus of Antioch, Tatian, Minucius Felix, Irenaeus,
and Clement of Alexandria, constitute the Christian writers of this second
century; who so far from directly speaking of infant baptism, never once utter
a syllable upon the subject.‡
* Bingham's
Antiq. of the Christian church, b. 11, c. 11, S 1.
† Booth's Pedo.
Exa., C. 4, p. 78; and c. 9, p. 194.
‡ Dr. F. A. Cox on Bap. p. 156.