# Various Testimonies That The Waldenses Rejected Infant Baptism. · Page 2 of 3 [Previous page: VARIOUS TESTIMONIES THAT THE WALDENSES REJECTED INFANT BAPTISM.](/en/stories/mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: VARIOUS TESTIMONIES THAT THE WALDENSES REJECTED INFANT BAPTISM.](/en/stories/mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism/part-3/) In the third chapter of the first book of the History of the Waldenses, various things of which the papists accused the Waldenses are related, some of which were true, and some false. Among them, mention is made of their views against infant baptism, which is expressed in these words: “The fourth calumny was, that they rejected infant baptism.” Lib. 1, part 1. Hist. Waldenses, cap. 3, page 6, col. 1, from St. Bernh., Hom. 66 on Cant. These things, B. Lydius (page 10) endeavors to refute, as though the Waldenses deferred the baptism of their children, not in consequence of their belief, but from necessity through want of teachers; in which he agrees with his colleague, Abraham Mellinus, preacher of the Calvinists, in St. Anthony’s Polder; who, remarking that various writers testify that the Waldenses left their children unbaptized, says (Hist. Mart. 435, col. 3): “That the children of the Waldenses often got to be rather old, before they could receive baptism, was not a voluntary matter on their part, but was owing to the lack of teachers; for the harvest among them was great, but the laborers few, who could administer the sacraments, especially baptism, which they held in great esteem. Hence, as their ministers were frequently scattered far and wide, through the violence of persecution, or had gone into other countries to preach, they were often compelled to postpone the baptism of their children, and thus it happened that their children not seldom got to be almost of age, before they could obtain baptism.” Thus far, A. Mellinus. But who does not see, that this is only a fabrication, yea, an artifice, by which not only Lydius, but also Mellinus, both strong Calvinists, seek to force it upon the Waldenses that they omitted infant baptism not as a matter of faith, but of necessity. For, that they needed not to omit it from necessity, or through want of teachers who administered baptism, if, otherwise they had held infant baptism to be right, appears from various authors; for they had their churches, which could not well be without teachers, not only in kingdoms, principalities, earldoms, and provinces, but even in nearly every city, as we shall show more fully in the proper place. Who, then, can believe, that they from necessity, through want of teachers, left their children unbaptized, yea, suffered them to grow up until they became of age, without baptism? It is evident, therefore, that they did not leave their children unbaptized from necessity or through want of teachers, but because of their belief; as holding that baptism without faith could not conduce to salvation, as is manifest from the confessions which they professed in those times already. Thus both B. Lydius and A. Mellinus have committed no small blunder, in endeavoring to force infant baptism upon the Waldenses, of which they apparently never thought in such a light, and to deprive them of baptism upon faith, which they had confessed so many times. But, as the compass, though its point be turned East, West, or South, ultimately returns to North; so it is also with the truth: though she be forced from her proper place, she will eventually return to it. This is the case here; for, said translator, who first intended to prove, that the Waldenses administered baptism not only upon faith, but also without faith, to infants, states in another place, that it was always administered with faith and repentance. For, what else is indicated by the words, that they received the sacraments (that is, not only the Supper, but also baptism) with faith and repentance, and this invariably? as is stated in the first book of the third part of the History of the Waldenses, cap. 9, page 138, col. 1, art. 8. If, then, not only the second, but also the first sacrament, as it is called, namely baptism, is received with faith and repentance, it cannot be said that it was administered to infants, seeing these have neither knowledge nor ability either to believe, or to manifest repentance, and, hence, lack the whole foundation upon which baptism was administered by the Waldenses. In the tract of the Waldenses, as to which are the works of antichrist, several reproaches against the Pope of Rome and the Roman church are treated of; among other things, it is said, after the second article has been treated: “The third work of antichrist consists in this, that he ascribes the renewing of the Holy Ghost to the external, dead faith 270 (namely, to the creed which the sponsors used to recite at baptism, as from the mouth of the children), and that he baptizes the children in that faith, pretending that by it baptism and regeneration must be obtained.” History of the Waldenses, 3d book, 3d part. Tract against Antichrist, Art. 3, page 162, col. 1, page 163, col. 2. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_270) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: VARIOUS TESTIMONIES THAT THE WALDENSES REJECTED INFANT BAPTISM.](/en/stories/mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: VARIOUS TESTIMONIES THAT THE WALDENSES REJECTED INFANT BAPTISM.](/en/stories/mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism/part-3/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism/part-2/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Various+Testimonies+That+The+Waldenses+Rejected+Infant+Baptism.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+3&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AVarious+Testimonies+That+The+Waldenses+Rejected+Infant+Baptism.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+3%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism%2Fpart-2%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-various-testimonies-that-the-waldenses-rejected-infant-baptism--b00027-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+12th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)