# Summary Of Baptism In The Seventh Century.

7th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: SUMMARY OF BAPTISM IN THE SEVENTH CENTURY.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

[Adrian is mentioned as the first one who, in this
century, declared himself, not so much in words as
in deed, against infant baptism; as to the manner,
however, in which the Romanists proceeded against
him, shall be more fully spoken of elsewhere.

The Bracerensian papists, to prevent the decline
of infant baptism, confirm it in a certain council.

The pious adhere to the true ordinance of the baptism
of Christ, notwithstanding the power of the
Pope and the decree of the aforementioned council.

In the mean time there were baptized (that is, in
adult age), Anastasius, the Persian; Theodorus or
Theodus; many hundred Jews; some in Upper and
Lower Saxony; some in England.

Probation or examination in the faith, was at this
time practiced by the orthodox, as did, among others,
Amandus, Birinus, another teacher.

Those of the Jewish nation now became members
of the Christian church; some of whom, after confessing
the faith, asked for baptism.

How Zeno of Verona was wont to address the
candidates; explanation of his address.

The example of the Egyptian divines, who
preached the doctrine of faith, before baptism, to
the candidates, is followed by others at this time.

The time for baptism, which was fixed on Easter
and Whitsuntide, is ordained to every day, on account
of infant baptism. The Pope also decrees that
during the mass the kiss of peace be offered to the
people, in order that the mass, which, it appears,
was esteemed but little by many, might be regarded
the more highly.

The believers were not turned away from their
faith, by said papal decree; nay, it appears that even
some of the Roman church declared themselves
against the papal superstitions; as, 1. Isidorus,
2. Cesarius, 3. Adelheymius, 4. Agatho, 5. Julian
Pomorius. In the mean time, mention is also made
of Isidorus of Spain, and what he has written on
baptism, namely of the applicants for baptism, and
fellow-prayers.

The Christian parents, Lutgerus and Libuga, left
their son Lutgerus unbaptized, till he, having accepted
the faith in France, was baptized thereupon.

Finally, the difference between those of the Roman
church and those who administered baptism
upon faith.

Conclusion of the account for this century.]

Notwithstanding in this century the seat of anti-Christ
was exalted to its highest altitude, inasmuch
as the Emperor Phocas, A. D. 606, conferred upon
the Roman Bishop the title of Papa, that is, Pope
or Supreme Father, which name was first assumed
by Boniface III., writing, in the decrees emitted by
him to enjoin obedience: “We will, we ordain, we
decree, we command, etc.; thus I will, thus I ordain,
thus I decree, thus I command;” whereby
many superstitions and human inventions were presented
to the people as the word of God; such as
image worship, salutation of the sacrament, observance
of infant baptism as necessary to salvation, etc.;
yet many pious people not only refused to obey all
these things which the Pope prescribed, but some
even flatly opposed it, daring to censure, reject, and
contume, some in this and some in that respect, the
papal and Roman superstitions, as among other
points, was done with regard to infant baptism and
all that pertains to it, with which not only some of
the common people, but also some eminent and
learned men were dissatisfied, so that they abandoned
it altogether, yea, indicated by words and
actions, that they were opposed to it; which became
manifest even in Rome, as will be shown in the
proper place.127

A. D. 606.—In this very year, in which the Pope
was accepted, by Phocas, as the head of the general
Latin church, the celebrated teacher and Bishop
Adrian publicly opposed infant baptism, wishing
neither to baptize the children himself, nor to have
them baptized, but utterly refusing them baptism; on
account of which he was accused by Gregory the
Great, Bishop of Rome, to John, Bishop of Larissa,
as appears from a certain letter sent by Gregory to
John, in which, among other things, the following is
contained: “The second article of the accusation
against Bishop Adrian is this: that he refused baptism
to infants, thus letting them die.” Centur. Magd.,
Cent. 9, cap. 4, page 141, according to the account
in Bapt. Hist., page 496, and H. Mont. Nietigh.,
page 80.

It appears, indeed, that this said Adrian was criminally
punished for his views against infant baptism,
and because he let the infants die unbaptized, as is
stated by the ancients, and shall appear more fully
in our account of the martyrs.128

A. D. 610.—Infant baptism, it appears, being at
this time, held in very little esteem by many,
whether in consequence of the teaching of the above
mentioned Adrian, or for some other reason, so that
it was considered useless and not necessary to salvation,
those of the Roman church publicly opposed
this sentiment, in order either to eradicate it, or, at
least, to excommunicate it by the anathema of the
Pope; wherefore, A. D. 610, in the second Bracerensian
Council, among other articles, it was established,
decreed, and published: “That infants must
be baptized, as necessary to their salvation.” Seb.
Franck, Chron., Rom., Kett., fol. 74, col. 2.
P. J. Twisck, Chron., 7th book, page 213, col. 2.

But how the true Christians, who rightly observed
Christ’s ordinance of baptism, conducted themselves
with reference to this matter, and whether
they suffered any persecution on account of it, is not
clearly expressed, but, if necessary, shall be explained
more fully in its proper place.

207

About A. D. 620.—Although, through the
authority of the Roman Pope, who had been chosen
the supreme head of the church, and through the
decree of said Bracerensian council, infant baptism
was now so firmly established, that no one who
wished to remain a member of the Roman church,
dared utter a word against it; yet, among those who
loved Christ more than the Pope, and esteemed the
Gospel more highly than the decrees of popes and
councils, the true faith and the true ordinances of
Christ, especially the article of baptism, were nevertheless
maintained aright; concerning which very
much might be stated, had not the books and writings
of the pious been so lamentably and tyrannously
destroyed by those of the Roman church. However,
we are in possession of as much testimony from
authentic writers, as is necessary to establish said
matter.

As regards this, that baptism was at that time administered
to adult persons, by those who were
opposed to the decree of the Roman church in the
matter of infant baptism, appears from three circumstances:
1. from the time of baptizing; 2. from the
place of baptizing; 3. from the persons baptized.

As to the time of baptizing, Easter was expressly
specified in the Anti-idiorensian council, where it
was established, in opposition to those who baptized
new-born infants every day: That no one should be
baptized at any other time than Easter, except in
case of imminent death. In Decr. Antis.; until
which time instruction in the faith was usually given
to the candidates, as is sufficiently shown above.

As regards the place of baptizing, it was not in a
font or basin, but in the wilderness, here and there
at the rivers, whither, as every one can easily judge,
new-born infants cannot go; neither can they observe
the manner then customary at baptism, namely,
to kneel during baptism, and go in or under
the water; of which there were many instances at
this time in warm countries. Among others, Bede
(lib. 2, cap. 16), writes: “That Paulianus baptized
many persons at noon, close by the city of Trovulsinga,
in the river Trehenda.”

This manner of baptizing, by the ancients called
immersion or submersion, has long been observed,
even up to the present time, especially by the eastern
and southern nations, who understood the Greek
word baptisma (baptism), or baptizo (to baptize), to
signify a total immersion or submersion in water;
however, it is found that, according to the idiom of
the Greek language, said words do not only signify
an immersion or submersion in, but also a washing
or sprinkling with, water. For instance, baptisma,
baptismos, is translated sprinkling, washing, dipping,
etc. See Dictionar. Tetraglott., in quo voces Latine
omnes cum Græca, Gallica and Belgica interpretatione.
Amsterodami ex Typographia Ravesteniana,
A. D. 1634.

However, we leave the above mode of baptism to
its own merits; it suffices us to have shown that it
could not be administered to infants, and that those
who were baptized after this manner, must have
been adult and intelligent persons.

As to the third point, namely, what persons were
then baptized, has been made sufficiently clear from
the two preceding circumstances of time and place;
but over and above this, we will mention some persons.
At this time there was baptized at Jerusalem,
Anastasius the Persian; at Constantinople, the celebrated
Persian woman, Cæsarea, with her husband
and many of her followers were baptized; in Bavaria,
Theodorus, also called Theodo or Theodus,
with much people received baptism; in Spain, many
hundreds of Jews were baptized upon faith, the number
of which are reckoned by some writers to have
been several thousands, which number, however, in
order not to overstep the bounds of truth, we have
not dared to give or follow; the same occurred in
Upper and Lower Saxony, in England, and other
countries, where at this time, it is stated, countless
numbers attained to the faith, and were baptized
upon it. This is stated in Bapt. Hist., page 491,
from John Magnus, Paul Diaconus, Bede, Hist.
Gath, etc., which should be compared together.

About A. D. 632.—At this time, probation and
examination in the faith were practiced by the orthodox
teachers. Those who presented themselves for
baptism, whether of Jewish, heathen, or Christian
parentage, were first proved and examined in the
faith, which examination generally took place six or
seven times in the week before Easter or Whitsuntide;
to the end, that the candidates, having made a
good confession, and having been confirmed in the
faith, might be baptized at the approaching holiday.
This custom is noticed by many writers; we will,
however, present only this brief extract from Bapt.
Hist., page 492: “The Bishop or teacher Amandus
made the son of Dagobert a catechumen, before he
baptized him.” Regina, lib. 1. In Lower Saxony,
Birinus observed it as a rule not to baptize people
before he had catechized, that is, instructed, them.
Bede, lib. 4, cap. 16. Another teacher, according
to Metaphrastes, instructed a certain Jewish virgin,
before he baptized her. Vincent states of Arnulph,
that he baptized (that is, after previous instruction),
a sick person, who shortly afterwards got well.
Lib. 23, cap. 76, by which we would not indicate
that baptism possesses any virtue to heal the body,
but that it is administered to intelligent persons, and
that upon faith, according to the ordinance of the
Lord, Mark 16:15,16.

About A. D. 646.—As the doctrine of faith in
Jesus Christ was now greatly spreading, and the believers
increased in many places, so that the church,
which at times, on account of persecution, had been
wont to hide in dens and caverns, began to arise
here and there, as herbs spring up from the earth in
spring-time, her growth was seen to proceed not
only from those who, born of Christian parents,
accepted the faith, nor only from heathen who became
converted to the faith, but principally from the
Jews, who had previously been very bitter against
the Christians, but who now came in multitudes, as
occurred not long since, to be baptized in the name
of Christ, upon faith; an example of which is given
by Gregory of Turon (lib. 5, Chron. Franc.,
cap. 11). Some Jews who desired baptism, said with
one accord to the teacher: “We believe that Jesus
is the Son of the living God, promised unto us for a
Prophet and Messiah; therefore we pray to be
208
washed by baptism, that we may not abide in our
sins.” The teacher rejoiced at this confession, and,
in the night before Whitsuntide, when it was customary
to watch and to pray, he went to the place
of baptism, situated without the city walls; where
the whole multitude fell down before him and prayed
to be baptized. Bapt. Hist., page 499.

About A. D. 658.—D. Joseph Vicecomes quotes
from Zeno of Verona, a certain address which the
latter was accustomed to direct to the candidates,
saying, when they were about to be baptized: “Rejoice
(beloved friends); it is true, in baptism you are
divested of your clothes, but adorned in the heavenly
robe, you shall soon ascend again, white as snow;
whosoever will not defile it, shall inherit the kingdom
of heaven.” Bap. Hist., page 501, from Vicecom.,
lib. 4, cap. 10, from Zeno’s second homily on
baptism.

All these are certainly expressions that relate to
intelligent persons, and are not in the least applicable
to infants; for, when, in the first place, it is said
here: “Rejoice,” this is the opposite of sorrow,
which sorrow the candidates previously were wont
to feel on account of their manifold sins, over which
they wept and mourned; but now, being washed in
baptism, through faith and the blood of Christ, they
had reason to rejoice, even as the jailer, who, having
been baptized, rejoiced with all his house, Acts 16;
and as the Ethiopian, who, after baptism, went on
his way rejoicing, Acts 8:39.

The putting off of the bodily clothes before baptism,
and the putting on of the snow-white robe of
righteousness in baptism, as well as the solicitude
not to defile it with sin after baptism, referred to in
the above address to the candidates, is no work for
infants, but only for adult persons; hence, the baptism
spoken of there, is not infant baptism, but a
baptism peculiar solely to the adult and those of
reasonable minds.

About A. D. 670.—At this time, the holy baptismal
ordinance of Christ was still rightly observed in
Egypt; namely, the doctrines of the faith were
preached to the candidates before baptism; yea, this
practice was so highly regarded there, that some in
other countries, separating from the Roman church
in this article resolved to restore the Christian religion
according to the example of the Egyptian Christians;
hence they were styled beginners in the
Christian religion. In allusion to this, quotation of
Vicecomes (lib. 2, cap. 3), from Jacob Pamelius’
book on Tertullian, is no doubt made, saying that
the beginners in the Christian religion (that is,
those who, separating from the Roman church,
established the Christian religion upon the original
apostolical foundation), adopted the practice of catechization
(that is, teaching the doctrines of the
faith), before baptism from the Egyptian divines.
Bap. Hist., page 501.

About A. D. 682.—As the believers who strictly
observed the baptismal ordinance of Jesus Christ,
increased in no small degree, as can be inferred, in
many countries, yea, even in the Roman church, so
that, in regard to the time when baptism should be
administered, they had, here and there, settled on a
fixed time; namely, that it should take place on one
of the two feasts, Easter or Whitsuntide, and that to
this end, the catechumens should previously be notified
and, in the weeks preceding said feasts, instructed
in the faith; those of the Roman church, as
may easily be judged, were not well satisfied with this,
seeing it was a means to completely set aside infant
baptism; and not only this, but to abolish entirely
all other superstitions and human inventions, which,
with so great labor and costs, by councils and otherwise,
had been introduced into the Roman church,
ostensibly for the best. It was therefore—in order to
prevent this, it seems—deemed expedient to renew
and republish the import of what had previously,
A. D. 610, been decreed in the second Bracerensian
council, namely: “That infants should be baptized,
as necessary to their salvation,” that is, on pain of
damnation. But what was really done in this matter,
is not expressed in all its particulars; however, it has
not been passed by unnoticed, seeing Pope Leo II.,
according to the Roman notation, the 82d, who then
occupied the chair, ordained: That during mass
the kiss of peace should be offered to the people,
and that baptism might be administered any day.
P. J. Twisck, Chron., page 233, col. 1, from Hist.
Georg., lib. 4. Chron., S. F., fol. 19.

From this it can be seen that the Pope’s principal
concern was, not to lose the mass and infant baptism,
both of which were chief points upon which rested
the Roman church, as the temple of Dagon upon
two pillars, which were threatened, now by this
Sampson and now by another, by the arms of the
Spirit and the word of God, yea, were in danger of
being utterly pulled out and broken. Now, what
does the Pope to prevent this? As regards the mass,
he ordains that during mass the kiss of peace should
be offered to the people. But how could he more
insinuatingly and affably bind the common people
to the superstition of the mass, than by offering to
them the kiss of peace? But when the lion’s skin
will not reach, that of the fox is brought into requisition.

As to infant baptism, what does he ordain to preserve
it? This: that baptism might be administered
any day. But some one may think: This does not
concern infant baptism; consequently the latter is
not confirmed by this decree. We answer, that the
pope certainly sought to establish it thereby; for,
inasmuch as infant baptism was weakened in no
small degree by the practice of the believers who
baptized their candidates only on Easter and Whitsuntide,
as already stated, there was hardly another
remedy to maintain infant baptism, than to ordain
all times and days for baptism, for thus it could be
administered to new born infants, who are born not
only on Easter and Whitsuntide, but throughout
the whole year, and who, according to his view,
must then also be baptized.

A. D. 699.—The decree of Pope Leo II., for the
confirmation of infant baptism and the mass, as
mentioned for the year 682, did not have the effect
of causing the believers who had separated from the
Roman church, and maintained the baptism upon
faith, to swerve in the least from their faith and the
practice of the same; on the contrary, it appears
that still more, yea, even learned men, separated
209
from the Roman church in this said article and
joined the little flock of Christ, so that some of them
who formerly had maintained infant baptism, the
mass, the traditions, the meritoriousness of good
works, and the seven sacraments, now taught differently,
and opposed the Pope in these points. Of
these, five persons are mentioned in the Chronicles,
whom P. J. Twisck, in his seventh book, for the
year 699, notes, saying: “Isidorus, Cesarius, Adelheymius,
Agatho, and Julian Pomorius taught in
opposition to the Pope concerning the holy Scriptures,
justification, good works, that there are but
two sacraments, and concerning the name of the
church, which was not built upon Peter, but on
Christ.” Page 238, col. 1, from Joh. Munst., fol. 121.

But preeminently is mentioned by other writers,
Isidorus of Spain, who, having at one time been a
strenuous advocate of infant baptism, now taught
and wrote such things as could, with reason and
judgment, in no wise be applied thereto. For, commenting
on John’s baptism, which even our opponents
admit to have been administered only to adult,
penitent sinners, he compares it to the baptism of
his own time, saying: “I hold that all who were
baptized by John unto repentance, were patterns of
the catechumens.” Bapt. Hist., page 498, from
Vicecom., lib. 2, cap. 4, from Isidorus of Spain, in
lib. de Div. Officiis.

What kind of persons these catechumens were,
and how they were instructed before baptism in
the doctrine of the faith, called the catechism, has
already been sufficiently explained, and it is not
necessary to repeat it here: yet, over and above
this, we will adduce the man’s own words, as I
have found them translated in Bapt. Hist., page
499. “After the catechumens,” he says, “there is
the second grade—the applicants for baptism or
fellow-prayers, that is, those who are striving for
the doctrine of the faith, and sobriety of life, in
order to receive the grace of Christ in baptism, and,
hence, are called fellow-prayers, that is, such as
pray for the grace of Christ.” Lib. 2, de Div.
Officiis, cap. 21.

What took place ultimately with these applicants
for baptism, in his time, he indicates with these
words: “On Palm Sunday (that is, the Sunday
before Easter), the Symbolium (that is, the twelve
articles of faith) is delivered to the applicants for
baptism, on account of the approaching glorious
Easter feast, in order that they, as striving to receive
the grace of God (that is, baptism) should first learn
the faith which we confess.” Bap. Hist., page 499,
from Isid., lib. 2, de Div. Off., cap. 27.

These words, compared with the preceding ones,
clearly show, what custom as regards baptism, prevailed
at that time in the church of which he speaks;
namely, that the catechumens, or, at least, the novices,
were first instructed in the catechism, that is,
in the doctrine of the faith, until they were meet to
be baptized; and that from that time on, they were
called applicants for baptism, and fellow-prayers,
because they desired baptism and prayed for it.
This could certainly not be done by newborn infants.

As regards that which is noted elsewhere from
Isidorus (ex lib. de summo bono), with reference to
other views on baptism which he is said to have
entertained, we do not accept it as having been
written by him, and this for good reasons, which,
however, it would require too much time to relate;
unless it be said that he wrote it before he was converted,
and had obtained light on the matter; and
here we would let the matter rest.

A. D. 700.—We come now to the last year of
this century, in which we perceive that at that time
not only those of Jewish or heathen parentage, but
also those born of Christian parents, were instructed
in the faith before they were admitted to baptism;
so that the Christians who sought the salvation of
their children, left them unbaptized, till they were
able themselves to confess their sins, profess the
faith, and thereupon desire baptism as a sign of the
same. Among these, the two pious Christians,
Lutgerus and his wife Libuga, are not considered
of the least. It is stated of them, that they left their
son Lutgerus unbaptized, till he, having learned
and accepted the faith in Jesus Christ, in France,
was baptized thereupon, A. D. 700. P. J. Twisck,
Chron., 7th book, page 239, col. 1, from Grondig.
Bewijs., letter B.

We now leave this account of baptism in the
seventh century; in which, on the one side, the oppressed
believers practiced the true ordinance of the
baptism of Christ upon faith; while, on the other
side, the oppressing Roman church deviated the
longer the more from it, so that they not only forsook,
but also opposed the command of Christ to
baptize only upon faith.

On the other hand, infant baptism and many
other superstitions were so firmly established, that
almost no one except those who did not fear the
anathema of the Pope, and death, dared oppose these
things. It is truly astonishing, what P. J. Twisck
writes, and truthfully, concerning this, in his conclusion
to the seventh century, with which we will
also conclude this: “The Pope of Rome, having
been declared head of all the churches by the Emperor
Phocas, gradually established the boundaries
of his power, authority and jurisdiction, not only in,
but also beyond, Italy, yea, beyond Europe, and
this with exceeding haughtiness. The pomp and
greatness became unendurable; yea, the avarice of
the clergy generally was so great that they obtained
ecclesiastical offices through presents, in order to
derive temporal gain therefrom, and would scarcely
baptize an infant, unless money was given them
for it.”

Herewith enough has been said regarding this
matter, and we will therefore turn to the martyrs
who suffered at this time for the truth of Christ their
Savior.





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