Footnotes:

199 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. Matt. 4:16.

200 Or Penance imposed by the priest.—Translator.

201 They desire, that not a limb or bone be broken, nor a drop of blood be shed, of the accused. Yea, command that he be dealt with in all mercy; who themselves did not hesitate to condemn him to the fire. O most unholy wiles of the so-called holy tribunal of the inquisition!

202 Homer’s account of the Trojan war, or the capture of the city of Ilium.

203 God visited me with a half year’s, and almost fatal, sickness; during which time I nevertheless wrote much of the first book.

204 Rev. 1:5.

205 I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. Rev. 9:9.

206 This is adduced, from Thuanus and Cesar Heisterb., by D. B. Lydius, speaking of the Waldensian martyr Arnold, whom we have noticed for the year 1163, and some of his fellow-martyrs. He says: “This Arnold was burnt, together with nine of his disciples, among whom were two women, on the fifth of August, at the Jewish cemetery, at Cologne. Before his death (or before he was dead), he laid his hand upon the heads of his then half-burnt fellow-brethren, saying: ‘Adhere steadfastly to your faith; this day you shall be with the holy martyr, Laurence.’ ”

One of the women, he writes, who, from mercy, had been drawn out of the fire, with the promise that she should be married, or, if she were inclined this way, placed in a convent, asked where Arnold lay, who had been burnt, with his fellow-believers, as a heretic. And when his body, which by this time was mostly burnt, was pointed out to her, she escaped the hands of those who led her, and threw herself upon Arnold’s body, in order thus also to obtain the crown of martyrdom. D. Bal. Lyd. Tract. Where the Church was, etc., page 59, col. 1, from Thuan., lib. 6, Hist. Also, Cesar Heisterb. dist. 5, cap. 19.

207 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. Acts 8:37.

208 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3:27.

209 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col. 3:3.

210 From this our opponents, nevertheless, form an argument, which they, though without foundation, bring against us.

211 Nicodemus, though ignorant in the matter itself, understood well enough, that this did not have reference to children; hence he asked: How can a man be born, when he is old?

212 From the words: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh,” Thomas concludes that this relates only to the adult; since no newborn infants, but only the adult can live after the flesh, and, consequently, must be born again.

213 The descent of every one is known by his peculiar nature; for like produces like. Hence, if infants are truly regenerated of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the latter must be evident in them from the workings of their nature. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. Gal. 5:22.

214 Understand, those which were the most important in his time; for afterwards many others were, to the detriment of truth, imagined in addition to them.

215 He adduces the prophecy of Joel for the purpose of showing, that the latter speaks of the prophesying of sons and daughters, and not of infants. Chap. 2, verse 28.

216 Since God knows everything, believers can call upon him with a firm confidence; for he hears their cry and knows their wants.

217 These things are very difficult to understand, and above human reason; hence they are not to be comprehended by reason, but must reverently be embraced in faith.

218 The original says obey, which evidently is an error.—Trans.

219 Understand, taking each time for a great year, there are as many years as there are days in three years and a half; which is about 1260 years. Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:5.

220 Invented in the kingdom of antichrist, says the writer.

221 This is an expression of the belief of the papists, who attach forgiveness of sins and salvation to the external water of baptism.

222 But not the office of authority, then says the writer.

223 This fourth article the writers enumerate as the third.

224 In the following a few words are changed, without altering the sense, however.

225 A. D. 1527, the printer had set it; but it is an error.

226 He was also one of the Waldensian brethren, as Jacob Mehrning writes. Bapt. Hist., 2d. part, page 748.