Summary Of Baptism In The Sixteenth Century.

“They first came to Nickelsburg, on the frontier of Hungary, where they went to a priest and inquired after this people. He entered a carriage and rode with these three men to Pausrom, to those who are there called Huterites, and in the Netherlands, Moravians.

“Having well examined their life and conversation, they discussed with them, in the Latin language, in which they were well versed, all the articles of the faith, but found that in three principal articles they did not accord; namely, first in shunning, as this article was maintained by the Huterites; secondly, in the community of goods, which virtually consists with them more in dominion and servitude, than in equality; thirdly, that they withhold from those who fall away from their communion and leave them the property which they brought in, on account of which these three men parted from them with tears in their eyes, because they had performed such a difficult and laborious journey in vain.

“The same priest then brought them in same place (Pausrom), to the Schwitzer church, who derive their name from Hans Schwitzer, who, through one of their brethren, named John Peck (who, with Hans Fuhrman and twelve other persons, had lain in prison for nine years, in the castle Passau on the Danube, in Bavaria, for the testimony of the faith), discussed in Latin all the articles of their faith. They agreed well in all points, on account of which they being mutually filled with great joy, acknowledged each other as dear brethren, and in token thereof, commemorated together the Lord’s Supper, with great gladness, confessing themselves the true church of God. They stated further that the church of God at Thessalonica had remained unchanged in faith from the time of the apostles, and that they still preserved in good condition the letters which the apostle Paul wrote to them with his own hands.

“All this having taken place, they parted in peace, and having commended each other with tears and the kiss of love, into the keeping of the Lord, the brethren journeyed back to Thessalonica.

“One of them who was a tailor by trade, left his shears as a memento in the church at Pausrom.

“This history is not only known to me, but is generally known, not only in Moravia, but also in the upper Palatinate.”

The father of this Leonard Knar, who saw and related all this, was elder among the Anabaptists there who now consist of two principal divisions, namely the Huterites, here in the Netherlands called Moravians, and the Schwitzers here in the Netherlands called Germans, but who were then yet one people. This Elder Leonard Knar ministered to these people in baptism, the Supper and intercessions according to the doctrine of the apostles.

As Leonard was well acquainted with John Peck, the latter orally related to Leonard all that he had discussed with the brethren from Thessalonica.

We mentioned before, that Hans Fuhrman and John Peck, together with twelve other persons, lay imprisoned for nine years in the castle of Passau. From this long confinement they were released through bail furnished by a certain lord of Jamits, who traveled thirty-six leagues to release the prisoners by becoming bondsmen for them. He had in his town Jamits, a large society of these people living under his protection.

To the above account the following testimony is given, subscribed to in these words:

“By me, Jacob Meyster, resident at Amsterdam, fled from Moravia, to Poland, A. D. 1620; thence A. D. 1626, to Stettin, in Pomerania, and in the year 1627, to Amsterdam. I acknowledge that this account of Leonard Knar is as related.”

Of these things, Jacob Mehrning, of Holstein, gives this account: “Thus we have information, that even at the present day there are brethren and Christians at Thessalonica, who agree with the Mennists in all articles of religion, also in baptism, two of whom were yet in the time of our fathers, with the brethren in Moravia, and then also in the Netherlands, and communed with the brethren, who expressly declared that they still preserved in good condition, at Thessalonica, the originals of St. Paul’s two epistles to the Thessalonians. Likewise, that many of their brethren were still living, scattered here and there in Ethiopia, Greece and other oriental countries, as well as other Christians, who, like them, were preserved by God, and remained in the same doctrine, and the true practice of baptism, constantly from the beginning of the apostles to this time.” Bapt. Hist., p. 739.

D. Vicecomes, lib. 1, cap. 23, quotes from Nicephorus Callistus, that in Thessalia baptism was administered only at Easter; on which account many died without baptism.

This harmonizes quite well with the foregoing; namely, that the Thessalonian churches were not accustomed, or at least did not deem it necessary to baptize infants, seeing they waited with baptism a whole year; on the other hand, those who consider infant baptism necessary, frequently dare not postpone it one month, one week, yea, sometimes not one day, on account of the uncertainty of the infant’s life; so that they appoint no definite time for infant baptism, as also, if necessity requires it, no definite persons; so much that the papists as also the Lutherans allow not only priests or teachers, but also laymen, yea, women to baptize, so that no child may die unbaptized. Anthon. Jac. Babel der Kinderdoopers, printed A. D. 1626, p. 107, 8th chapter, quest. 5, from Bellarm de Baptism, col. 307.