crowned with distinguished success; as well in correcting the internal discipline, and sentiments of the society, as in procuring for those sentiments a more extensive adoption. In the united provinces especially, their numbers were great, and their reputation high', notwithstanding their subdivisions, under vari

ous names.

Some writers have expressed their surprise at what they supposed a singular revolution in this society, from opinions productive of outrageous licentiousness, to the most inoffensive tenets, and exemplary virtues. Yet, is it not more probable that the baptists, as such, never adopted any principles hostile to morals, or the social order; but that prejudice and enmity availed themselves of the enormities committed by some who agreed with this society in certain points, to blast the reputation of the whole body?

While the sword of persecution pursued the baptists on the continent of Europe, some of them fled to England, where the opposition of Henry the eighth to the papal see, encouraged them to hope that they should enjoy the same liberty of religion which the monarch claimed for himself. In him, however, they found a secular pope; for in the year one thousand five hundred and thirty-five, fourteen Hollanders, accused of being anabaptists, were put to death, and ten others escaped the same fate,

P The principles on which the States of Holland tolerated this defamed sect, may be learned from a conversation, which the Dutch ambassador, Van Beuning, held with the celebrated M. de' Turrenne. "Why should you wish," said the ambassador," that we would not tolerate them? They are the best and most convenient people in the world. They never aspire to posts of honour, nor rival us in glory. One could wish that, every where, half the

only by recantation. As this sect was supposed to include all that was vile, the arbitrary, unfeeling tyrant indiscriminately branded with the name those whom he doomed to death, though some of the martyrs avowed at the stake their abhorrence of those tenets with which they were charged. Thirty persons were, at one time, in the year one thousand five hundred and thirty-nine, banished for opposing the baptism of infants. Fleeing to Delft, in Holland, which was then under the yoke of Charles the fifth, the men were beheaded, and the women drowned.

During the reign of Edward the sixth, among those who fled from Germany on account of the rustic war, there were some who went by the name of anabaptists. Of this a complaint was made to the council, which issued out a commission to several bishops and other persons" to try all anabaptists, heretics, and despisers of the common prayer." In tender compassion, they were first to attempt the conversion of the accused by force of argument; but if they failed here, they were to employ the flames of death. Cranmer, being at the head of this protestant inquisition, gave his enemies too much reason for saying, that his own cruel death was but just retaliation.

inhabitants would decline public offices, there would be more chance for the other half. We have no fear from a sect which maintains the unlawfulness of bearing arms. The Menonites pay their taxes, and with the money we levy troops, who do us more service than they would. They apply themselves to business, and enrich the state by their industry, without injuring it by the expense and contagion of their dissipations. But they refuse to take an oath! Terrible crime! They are as much bound by their word and promise as if they swore." Bayle.

4 Fox apud Crosby, vol. I. p. 40.

The fires of Smithfield, which, during the reign of Mary, consumed many of these commissioners, avenged the cause of the much injured baptists; though they were themselves equally exposed to the flames. On the accession of Elizabeth, baptists, as well as other dissenters, much increased; and notwithstanding Fuller's exultation, "that our countrymen were free from the infection;" it is highly probable that Englishmen, as well as foreigners, were found in their societies. On Easter day, one thousand five hundred and seventyfive, was discovered a congregation of Dutch anabaptists, at Aldgate, London. Many were imprisoned, and four of them, bearing faggots, made their recantation at Paul's Cross. Next month, eight Dutch women were banished; but two, for their peculiar obstinacy, were sentenced to be burned. The letter, which Fox wrote to Elizabeth on their behalf, we have already mentioned, to his honour, and her disgrace.

At length the baptists, banished from England by the proclamation of Elizabeth, fled to Holland. Here they were at first in communion with the brownist, or independent churches; but the difference of their sentiments having created dissensions, they separated and formed distinct churches. The learned Ainsworth had been some time pastor of the independent church at Amsterdam, when they were joined by Mr. John Smith, who had been a minister of the church of England, but left both his living and his native land from dislike to the principles of the hierarchy. Mr. Smith, having declared his objections to infant-baptism, wss opposed by Ainsworth, and by Robinson, pastor of the independents at Leyden. Many controversial pieces were published on both sides, which

betray the same irritation of mind as in modern times has been excited by this much disputed point.

As Mr. Smith thought there was no one at the time duly qualified to administer the ordinance, he baptized himself, for which he was called a se-baptist. He afterwards adopted the sentiments of the arminians, and became the father of the general baptists. This subdivision published, about the year one thousand six hundred and eleven, a confession of faith, which diverges much farther from calvinism than those who are now called arminians would approve.

The baptists are mentioned as a distinct sect in this country, as early as the year one thousand six hundred and eight; for Enoch Clapham, writing against those whom he calls sectaries, charges them with separating, not only from the established church, but from the brownists or other puritans, and retiring to worship in woods, and plant churches in foreign lands. Some, on meeting to form themselves into a baptist church, felt the same difficulty which had induced Mr. Smith to baptize himself: but they adopted a different method to extricate themselves from the embarrassment. They sent Mr. Richard Blount, who understood the Dutch language, to a baptist church in Holland. Having been baptized according to his own. views, he returned and administered the ordinance to Mr. Samuel Blacklock, a minister. By these two, all

r Crosby.

S

Many of their persuasion, however, condemn this as an unuecessary expedition, which was undertaken with the popish notion that the validity of sacraments depends on their regular transmission, in an unbroken succession, from the apostles. It is thought, that lost ordinances may be recovered by an unbaptized person baptizing

the rest of the society, about fifty persons, were baptized.'

It is supposed that the first treatise against the baptism of infants, which appeared in the English language, was the translation of a book written in Dutch, and presented to the British public in the year one thousand six hundred and eighteen. Previously to this, however, the baptists had defended their own sentiments from the press, and published to the world a confession of their faith. They presented also to king James, and his parliament, a humble supplication, in which they vindicate their sentiments concerning civil government, and sign themselves" those who are unjustly called anabaptists'."

The baptists now began to appear as a distinct member of the puritan body. The independent congregation, of which Mr. Henry Jacob was pastor, having become very numerous, was in the year one thousand six hundred and sixteen divided into several churches; and those of them, who adopted the principles of the baptists, chose Mr. John Spilsbury for their pastor." But this separation from the independent churches, in order to form a communion distinguished from them only by their peculiar views of baptism, naturally kindled the flames of controversy. Those, who at first condemned their departure from the establishment, had defended infant baptism with human traditions; but when the independents, who admitted that the Scriptures were the only rule of faith and

others. For who can prove that the apostles themselves were baptized, before they administered that ordinance to other believers ? Crosby, p. 100. • Crosby. u Crosby.