•MS.r - **C -i'»r-.'.-.»i«W»>M««tWw ■^-■r' FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY inox DMrioa Section [bookseller] ZW-- BYE-PAT IN BAPTIST HISTORY: A COLLECTION OF INTERESTING, INSTRUCTIVE, AND CURIOUS INFORMATION NOT GENERALLY KNOWN, Conarnwg % §aj3trsi denomination. BY THE [/ REV. J. JACKSON GOADBY, AUTHOR OF "TIMELY WORDS. NEW YORK: BIBLE AND PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 76, EAST NINTH. . PREFACE. nnHE footpaths of any country may be expected to yield -*- some glimpses, both of the land and the people, not obtainable along the dusty and well-beaten highway. It is sincerely hoped that this may prove equally true of these Bye-paths in Baptist History. That they occasionally cross the main roads, and now and then run parallel with them, is no more than other " Bye-paths " have done before them ; but care has been taken throughout to preserve, as much as pos- sible, their distinctive character. In the sketches thus given of the Early English Baptists, no attempt has been made to diminish their excellencies or to gloss over their defects. Their early and persistent advocacy of the broadest religious freedom (an honour of which none will now seek to rob them) ; their zealous regard for Scriptural precedents ; and their willingness to sacrifice all things in the maintenance of what they deemed to be the truth, commend them to the warmest sympathies and loving regard of their descendants. Nor should their disputatious and angular character ; their literal observance of customs now fallen into desuetude, and their vigorous and inquisitorial discipline, be PREFACE. judged apart from the ferment of the age in which they lived, their natural reaction against the commandments of men, and their steadfast desire that those who associated with them should live unblamahlc and unreprovable before God. The author tenders his hearty thanks to the gentlemen who have kindly rendered him help in the preparation of this volume. He desires especially to mention Rev. W. Robinson, of Cambridge, who very cheerfully examined for him the Baker MSS. in the University Library of Cambridge ; Rev. J. C. Means, London, who permitted him the free use of the MS. Proceedings of the General Baptist Assemblies : Rev. R. Wallace, Tottenham, for the earliest extant Minute Book of the Particular Baptist Board ; and Dr. Underbill, London ; Dr. Underwood, Chilwell College ; Revs. W. Urwick, Hatherlow ; J. Jenkyn Brown, Birmingham ; R. Harris, Esq., Leicester ; J. Barlow, Esq., Accrington; T. Bayley, Esq., Lenton Abbey, Nottingham ; and many other friends, for their generous loan of rare and valuable books. CONTENTS. CHAPTEK I. Early Traces of Baptists in Britain. PACK Inference from Tertullian and Mosheim 1, 2 Austin and the Monks of Bangor 2—7 The Law of Ina 7, 3 Lanfranc's Opposition to the English Waldenses 8 Gerard and his Companions 8, 9 The Lollards 12 Wycliffe's opinion on Baptism 12 — 14 The Bible-men 14 The Chesterton Separatists 14 — 20 CHAPTER II. Ancient Baptist Churches in England. Hill Cliff e, near Warrington 21—2)5 Eythome, Kent 23—20 Booking and Braintree, Essex 26 — 28 CHAPTER IH. Origin of the Baptist Denomination. Smyth and the General Baptists 29 — 34 Spilsbnry and the Particular Baptists 34 — 37 The Six-Principle Baptists 37, 38 The Seventh-day Baptists 38—42 The Scotch Baptists 42—46 The New Connexion of General Baptists 46—52 COXTENTS. CHAPTER IV. The Baptists and Liberty of Conscience. PAOE Honourable Position of Baptists in the History of Religious Freedom 52 Religious Peace ; or, a Plea for Liberty of Conscience. By Leonard Busher 54 — 61 Persecution for Religion judged and condemned 61 — 63 A Most Humble Supplication 63 — 67 The Necessity of Toleration in matters of Religion 67 — 71 CHAPTER V. Persecution of Baptists in England. Baptists persecuted by every Dominant Party 72 Henry the Eighth (1509— 1547) 72—74 Edward the Sixth (1547—1553) 74, 75 Mary (1553—1558) 75—78 Elizabeth (1558—1603) 78, 79 James the First (1603—1625) 70—81 Charles the First (1625—1642) 81, 82 The Civil War (1642—1649) 82— S9 The Commonwealth (1649—1660) 89—91 Charles the Second (1660—1685) 91—99 James the Second (1685—1688) 99—103 CHAPTER VI. Baptist Confessions of Faith. Confessions were Expositions, or Apologies 104—106 Smyth's Confession 106—110 The London Confession (' ; Faith of the Seven Churches ") . 110 — 117 Grantham's Confession 117 — 121 The Orthodox Creed 121-129 The Confession of the Assembly (of Particular Baptists] . . 129 — 133 The Somerset Confession 133 — 136 Articles of Religion (General Baptist, New Connexion) . . . 136 — 13S CHAPTER VH. Public Disputations on Baptism. Why they arose 139, 140 Dr. Daniel Featley, in Southwark 140—153 Baxter and Tombes, at Bewdley 153 — 155 Tombes, with Vaughan and Cragge, a: Abergavenny . . . 155 — 160 Denne and Gunning, in London 161 — 166 The Portsmouth Debate 166—179 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER VIII. Local Associations and General Assemblies. PAGE What led to the idea of Association 180—182 The Somerset Association 182 — 186 The Midland Association 186—192 General Baptist Assemblies 192 — 195 The Caffynite Controversy 195—197 The General Association 197—200 The First Particular Baptist General Assembly 200—207 The Second and Third Particular Baptist Assemblies . . . 207, 208 The Fourth Particular Baptist Assembly 208—210 The Fifth Particular Baptist Assembly 210—213 The London Association 213—217 CHAPTER IX. Officers of Baptist Churches. Elders, or Ministers 218—229 Messengers, or Apostles . 230 — 233 Deacons ; Helps in Government 231 — 238 Deaconesses 239, 240 CHAPTER X. Church Discipline. The Basis of it 241—243 Strictness of Discipline 243—248 The Treatment of Heretics 248—257 Wesleyanism 257 — 258 Amusements 258 — 260 Dress 260—264 Marrying out of Society 264—270 Domestic Life 270—272 Servants 273,274 Drunkenness 274 — 277 Money Matters 277—279 Miscellaneous Charges 279, 280 Dr. Wall's Commendation 281, 282 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XL Customs of the Early English Baptists. PAGE The Imposition of Hands 282—287 Fasting 287—291 Washing the Feet of the Saints 291—293 Anointing the Sick 293—298 Casting Lots 298—301 Love-feasts 301,302 Maintenance of the Poor 302—309 Marriage Service 3'J9 — 314 Burying the Dead 315, 310 CHAPTER XII. About Singing. Early Notices of Singing 317—320 Outwitting Persecutors by Singing Psalms 320 — 322 Grantham on " The Duty of Thanksgiving " 322—330 Mr. Reach introduces Singing at Horsleydovm 331 Keach's Defence of Singing 331 " The Leader of the Opposition " — Isaac Mario w 333 — 335 Marlow's Strictures on Allen's Essay 335—339 E. H.'s " Scripture Proof " 339 Dr. Russell on Allen's Essay 340—342 Allen's " Vindication " 342—345 Claridge's Reply to Allen 346 General Baptists and Singing 347 — 349 CHAPTER XIH. Miscellaneous. Ministers' Clubs 350—361 Quaint Items about Ministers and Deacons 361 — 366 Catechising 366—368 INDEX 369—375 CHAPTER I. EARLY TRACES OF BAPTISTS IN BRITAIN. 11 r | iHE true origin of Anabaptists," says Mosheim, " is hid in J- the remote depths of antiquity." But there is no reason to doubt that as early as the Third Century Baptists already existed in Britain. At that period " no persons were admitted to baptism by the churches generally" — still to quote Mosheim — " but such as had been previously instructed in the principal points of Christianity, and had also given satisfactory proofs of pious dispositions and upright intentions." Coupling with this testimony the statement of Tertullian, the celebrated African writer, that in 209 "those parts of Britain into which the Roman arms never penetrated have yielded subjection to Christ," we are warranted in saying that the early British Christians were men holding the distinctive principles of Baptists. We have no further trace of Baptists in these islands until the Fifth Century, although there existed, [during the interval, as we learn from various sources, a numerous, well-ordered, and nourishing Christian community. In the year 410, the Britons were not only harassed and oppressed by the Saxons, but were distracted by religious controversies. Pelagius, who had once been a monk at Bangor, in North Wales, succeeded in spreading the poison of his opinions among his fellow- B BYE-PATIIS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. countrymen. Among these opinions was the belief in the lawfulness and necessity of infant-baptism. Two zealous bishops from the Continent laboured to check the progress of Pelagius' opinions, and many wanderers were reclaimed and baptized in the river Allen, near Chester. The third trace of Baptists in Britain is found in the time of Ethelbert. Again the Principality claims the honour of having sheltered and preserved, if it did not originate, some of the earliest Baptist confessors in this country ; but the claim rests upon an obscure passage in the Chronicle of the Venerable Bede, and upon a version of Bede's words found in Fabyan's New Chronicles of England and France, a book published in the time of Henry the Seventh, and which had the honour of being burnt in the following reign by order of Cardinal Wolsey. We give the story in which the passage occurs, and for two reasons : first, it reveals the Scriptural character of the Christianity of Britain before the time of Komish corruptions ; and secondly, it shows with what sturdy independence these early Christians rejected the arrogant pretensions of Rome. But to the story of Austin and the Monks of Bangor. Austin, or Augustine, the abbot of a monastery founded in Rome by Gregory the Great (although the pope's title to the term is very questionable), was sent into England in 596 to convert the Saxons. The Abbot proceeded with becoming caution at the outset, lived in a humble and self-denying fashion, and revealed no part of his future policy. His success far exceeded his expectations. Camden tells us that multitudes confessed their belief in his doctrines, and, going into the water, were dipped in the name of the Trinity. So far there was a concession to what was known to have been the practice of the early British Churches. Gregory now sends Austin further help, chiefly monks, with one Mellitus as their abbot. They bring with them presents for King Ethelbert, an arch- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. bishop's pall for Austin, some copies of portions of the Scrip- tures, certain Romish devotional books, relics to be used in the consecration of new churches, and Gregory's very trenchant replies to Austin's puerile questions. With more liberality, or with more policy than Austin, Gregory, among other things, suggests that in settling the order of the new church which had been founded in England, Austin should not exclusively follow the example of Rome, but should select whatever was good, no matter where he might find it — a sentiment deserving of special notice as coming from the mouth of a Roman bishop. Austin now makes Canterbury the seat of the first English archbishopric ; becomes very zealous, with his new monkish staff of supporters, in winning over the Saxons ; sprinkles the heathen temples with holy water, at least such temples as he could obtain ; sanctifies them, after the Romish fashion, by making them the shrines of certain relics — bones and rags of Romish saints ; converts the said heathen temples into churches ; establishes festivals in honour of the saints whose relics are henceforth preserved in them, taking care, as Gregory also advised him, that the times and the ceremonies of these new festivals should be made as palatable as possible to the half- heathenish Saxons, so that they might be the more easily persuaded to substitute the new rites for the old. Austin's ambition increases with his success. This " pre- tended apostle and sanctified ruffian," as Jortin styles him, with something of passionate abuse, lusts after the sole and undivided ecclesiastical sway over the whole island. But how was he to secure the realisatiou of his dreams ? A large and flourishing body of British Christians were now living in Wales, whither they had sought refuge from the cruelties of the Saxons. Undisturbed in their liberties and their worship in the fastnesses of Wales, they had waxed stronger and stronger. At Caerleon, in the south, and at Bangor-is-y-coed, in the north, large and flourishing monasteries, or, more pro- perly speaking, missionary stations, were established. Bangor b 2 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. alone could number, in association with it, over two thousand " brethren." These societies had little in common with Romish monasteries, either of that age or of the following. The greater part of "the brethren" were married laymen, who followed their worldly calling, and those among them who showed aptitude for study and missionary work were permitted to give themselves to the reading of the Scriptures and holy services. All were maintained out of a common fund, and yet a large surplus was distributed in the shape of food and clothing to the neighbouring poor. Austin's problem was this : how best to obtain ecclesiastical authority over these primitive British Christians ? Ethelbert suggested and arranged a conference with some of their leading men. The conference was accordingly held in Worcestershire, near what was still called, in the days of Bede, " Austin's Oak." The British clergy of the province adjoining were invited, and Deynoch, the distinguished abbot of Bangor, a man in great repute for his piety and learning, came with them. Austin opened the conference by stating his desire that, as good Christian men, the people in Wales should submit themselves to the Pope of Home, as the Father of fathers, and to himself as his duly accredited representative. Deynoch' s reply is every way remarkable : " We are ready to listen to the Church of God, to the Pope of Rome, and to every pious Christian ; so that we may show to each, according to his station, perfect love, and uphold him by word and deed. We know not that any other obedience can be required of us towards him whom you call the pope, the Father of fathers. But this obedience we are constantly prepared to render to him, and to every other Christian." Nothing came of this conference, so far as Austin was con- cerned. The Welsh asked that, previous to deciding what further reply to give, a larger number of their own party might be present. A second conference was, therefore, determined upon ; but before attending it, the Welsh consulted a pious BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. lierniit, who was held by them in the greatest veneration. " May we obey this Austin ?" asked the simple-minded Welsh. " Yes," answered the hermit, " if he be a man of God." " But how are we to know that ?" The hermit answered, "If he be meek and lowly in spirit, after the pattern of our Lord, he will himself, being a disciple of Christ, bear the Master's yoke, and put no heavier burden upon you. But if he be violent, and of overbearing spirit *. it is plain that he is not born of God ; and you will do well not to heed his words." Still the enquirers were not satisfied. Like so many others, they wanted some outward and visible sign by which to judge of Austin's character; and again they pressed the hermit to help them. " By what token, or sign, shall we know that he is a meek and holy man ?" The hermit, evidently with a shrewd guess at the sort of man they had to deal with in Austin, responded : " Permit Austin and his attendants to enter first the place of meeting. If, on your entrance, he should at once rise to receive you, he is a servant of Christ. But if he should still remain sitting, not- withstanding the size and character of your company, you can- not so account him." Of course Austin neither answered to the hermit's description of a disciple of Christ, nor showed the hermit's sign of courtesy and humility. He sat stiffly up in his chair of state when the Welsh entered, and at once pro- ceeded to the business of the conference. But the Welsh were in no humour to enter upon any agreement, or even quietly to discuss its terms. The hermit had rightly divined the character of Austin, and the Welsh did not conceal their uneasiness in the prelate's presence. Austin first tries what can be done by con- cession. "We know, at Rome," said he, "that many of your customs are contrary to ours ; but if you will only consent to these three things, we will say nothing about the rest : (1) Alter your time of observing Easter ; (2) Administer baptism accord- ing to the custom of the Roman Church ; (3) And join with me in preaching to the Saxons." Still the Welsh hung back, little loth, by putting their necks under a foreign yoke, to lose their BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. dearly-bought independence. Austin now changes his tone, and more than justifies the hermit's description of one " not born of God." Cajolery lias failed ; he will try menace. " Well, well," said Austin, with ill-concealed anger, " if you will not have my blessing, and be brethren, you shall have my curse, and the Saxon's sword." Whereupon the council abruptly broke up, the monks returned to their quiet homes, and Austin comes back to the Saxons to foment further ill-will between them and the Welsh. There is little doubt that, indirectly, Austin is responsible for the cold-blooded massacre by Ethelfrid of up- wards of a thousand unarmed monks of Bangor, although, when the dastardly deed was done, the ambitious and revenge- ful Austin was slumbering in his grave. Let us now turn, for a moment, to the passage in Bede's Chronicle, on account of which the claim already mentioned is set up by the Welsh. It runs as follows : " Ut ministerium baptisandi, quo Deo renascimur, juxta sanctas Eomanae Apos- tolicas ecclesiae, compleatis." (" That you shall duly administer the rite of baptism, by which we are born again unto God, after the manner of the holy Koman Apostolic Church.") From these words it is evident that there was a marked difference between the mode of administering baptism in use among the Welsh, and that generally adopted by the Roman Church ; but what precisely that difference was it is by no means easy to discover. Lingard, the Roman Catholic historian, gives an explanation which Hook, in his Lives of the Archbishops of Can- terbury, contends that he has no actual warrant for making. Lingard says the difference lay in the necessity for confir- mation after baptism. Baxter and others contend that it refers to the use in baptism of white garments, milk, and honey. But most Baptists argue that the difference was, not at all as to the mode of baptism, but as to the subjects who should submit to that ordinance. It is, unquestionably, true, as Gregory the Great tells us, that he himself, and others in Italy, administered baptism by trine immersion ("nos tertio mergi- BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. mus"), but they also administered it to infants. Whether, however, this last was an actual point in dispute between Austin and the monks of Bangor, we cannot learn from the words of Bede. Dr. Evans and others with him, regard the collateral evidence on the question as distinctly pointing to this issue. Perhaps the mode of baptism would have been the only question raised by the words of Bede, if D'Anvers had not pointed out that, in the translation of Bede's account given by Fabyan, the second condition of agreement laid down by Austin to the Welsh was this : " That ye given Christendom to children." D'Anvers therefore concluded that Austin wished to force infant baptism upon the Welsh, and this was evidently Fabyan \s opinion. Many writers since the days of D'Anvers have fol- lowed in his wake ; but, in our judgment, none have succeeded in making more than probable the early Baptist reputation of the Welsh people at the time- of the brave old Deynoch and the imperious and bigoted Austin. The fourth trace we have in English history of the opposition of the people to infant baptism, is in The Law of Ina. Towards the close of the Seventh Century, Ina, a Saxon prince, endeavoured to settle the baptism question in a very summary manner. He enacted a law by which all infants, within thirty days of their birth, should be baptized. For any violation of this enactment the penalties were unusually severe. A fine of £80 in our money was imposed upon the parents who did not comply ; and in the event of the child dying unbap- tized, their whole personal estate was forfeited. People who had thus to be compelled to have their infants baptized were no great sticklers for its observance. The three following centuries were religiously as dreary in England as in other countries. They have been rightly called " the dark ages." During this period of gloom, Europe had still its own witnesses to the truth. Passing under different BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. names — Paulicians, Vaudois or Waldenses, Albigenses, Beren- garians, Arnoldists — these godly men kept alive some glimmer of light amidst all this darkness. There were many among them who were opponents of infant baptism. About the Eleventh Century they rapidly multiplied on the Continent, and in the following century came over to England in great numbers. We discover them by Lanfranc's Opposition to the English Waldenses. The simplicity of their lives (so different from the pomp and corruption of the Komish clergy of that period), and the purity of their doctrine, led to the rapid increase of their adherents in all parts of the country. Not only were their sentiments warmly adopted by the humbler classes, but also by many of the nobility and gentry of the chief towns and villages. The priests became alarmed, and preyed on the fears of William the Conqueror. It was presently enacted by that energetic Sovereign " that those who denied the Pope should not trade with his subjects." Nor was this all. The able and zealous Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, sought to check the progress of their opinions by publishing a book in opposition to the views held by Berengar and the Waldenses. In this treatise he roundly asserts that these sectaries, " by denying infant-baptism, oppose the general doctrine and universal consent of the Church." It is not on record, so far as we know, that these Waldenses or Berengarians, suffered any direct persecution from William the Conqueror and Lanfranc, although it is hardly probable that the act of William was allowed to remain a dead letter, or that Lanfranc contented himself with hurling words at their heads, if he had it in his power to use harder weapons. The sixth trace of Baptists in England is found in Gerard and his Companions. We are entirely indebted for our information about these thirty men and women to the pens of monkish historians. It BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. is well to remember this fact, since two important advantages are thereby gained : first, we are better able to test the actual value of their opinions of these so-called heretics ; and, secondly, we are forced to the conclusion, since such ob- viously prejudiced observers could find so little evil in them, that Gerard and his companions were very exemplary Christians. Their story, as it has come down to us, is sadly too brief. In substance it is this. Henry the Second, King of England, showed, according to Roger de Hovendon, remarkable leniency to the Waldenses of Aquitaine, Poitou, Gascoigne, and Nor- mandy. The Dutch and Flemish, on the other hand, treated them with the utmost rigour, and burnt many at the stake. Owing to some sudden outburst of persecution in Holland, a number of Waldenses, or as some think them, disciples of Arnold of Brescia, fled to England, hoping thereby to obtain a secure asylum from their cruel persecutors. In this, they were grievously disappointed. Henry was at this period in open rupture with Thomas a Beckett, but was still anxious to stand well with the Pope and the ecclesiastics generally. The poor fugitives, in avoiding Scylla, had fallen into Charybdis. They were presently made the convenient pretext for illustrating the soundness of the King's faith, and his devotion in all matters of doctrine to the "holy Roman Apostolic Church." No very flattering picture of Gerard and his companions is given by the monks. " They were a company of ignorant rustics ;" which means, that they were persons in very humble life. " Their understandings were very gross and unim- proved;" although the very reverse seems to be nearer the truth, judging from their general behaviour. " Their obstinacy and self-opinion were such, that the convincing of them by argument, and the retrieving them of their mistake, was next to an impossibility." In other words, they held firmly the opinions they had already received. io BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. But what were their opinions ? Strange to say, these " ignorant rustics" did not believe in the Romish doctrine of purgatory. They rejected prayers for the dead. They re- garded the invocation of saints as useless. On some points they held orthodox views ; but when they came to be examined on the seven sacraments of the Church, to the horror and confusion of their priestly questioners, they were grievously unsound. Marriage, said these men, was no sacrament. The sacrifice of the mass was an abomination. But worse still remained behind ; they rejected the baptism of infants ! What further proof was needed of their " gross and unimproved understandings ?" " On their first landing in England," so the monks assure us, "they concealed their heterodoxy, and pretended other business." But there is no proof from any quarter that they were other than quiet and inoffensive foreigners, who went on with such work as they could obtain. The singularity of their religious opinions, however (for Rome was now in the ascendant), soon became known. The King, prompted by the clergy, whom he was anxious to conciliate, orders their arrest and imprisonment. After some time had elapsed, they are all brought before a synod of priests at Oxford. Gerard was their chief spokesman. "The rest," say the monks, "were altogether unlettered, and perfect boors in knowledge and conversation. Their language was high Dutch." We may perhaps discover in this last circumstance the one secret of their contempt for Gerard's companions. He alone of the whole party was able to converse freely in English. Gerard was asked, " What were the opinions of himself and his friends?" To which he promptly replied, "We are Christians, and the doctrines of the Apostles are our only rule of faith." This was esteemed but a lame and insufficient answer by the Romish priests ; and again they return to the charge. It then came out, one by one, that they held the opinions already stated. " While they were sufficiently BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. orthodox," say the monks, " about the Trinity and the Incar- nation, on many other material points they were dangerously mistaken." The priests, seeing the respect paid by ^Gerard and his friends to the Scriptures, sought to convince them by ingeniously suggested texts, or " old odd ends stolen out of Holy Writ;" but they remained unshaken in their opinions. They were reasoned with. They were admonished. They were threatened. All was in vain. Again and again they were reminded by their priestly judges that " they would be punished for their incorrigibleness ; " and at last, say the monks, "they were so unhappy as to misapply that text of our Saviour's to their own case, ' Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake ; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' " The end was now near. To prevent the spread of " the contagion of their opinions," the priests pronounced them incorrigible heretics, and delivered them over to the secular magistrate. Instigated by the priests, the King ordered them to be branded in the forehead with a red-hot iron ; to be whipped through the streets of Oxford ; and, after their clothes were cut short at their girdles, to be turned into the open fields, although it was the depth of winter. The in- humanity of this treatment was heightened by the fact that all persons, under the heaviest penalties, were forbidden to offer them any relief. Gerard and his friends were nothing daunted by this severity, but went forth through the city streets, singing as they went, " Blessed are ye when men shall hate you." There could be, however, but one end to their story. The whole company of men and women, with their faithful leader and guide, perished with cold and hunger. It came out on their trial that only one convert had been won to their faith, a poor woman of humble life. No time was lost by the priests in hunting her out. She was put to the torture ; her strength failed her ; and, in the anguish of her body, she hastily recanted. BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Baptist opinions were held by many of The Lollards. It should be remembered that the Paulicians, the Waldenses, the Picards, and the Paterines, were all sometimes designated by this general name. Whatever the origin of the name itself, it has never been questioned that great numbers of the Lollards held Baptist sentiments. It is stated by some early historians that about thirty years after the cruel treatment of Gerard and his companions, Henry the Second so far changed his policy as to permit a company of Waldenses to settle peacefully in Kent, as tenants of the Manor of Darenth, and that in the reign of Edward the Third, colonies of Lollards came into the county of Norfolk. Mosheim affirms that Peter Lollard himself visited this countiy in the early part of the fourteenth century, and con- temporary historians speak of the wide prevalence of Lollard's opinions in England, even before the time of John Wycliffe. There is little doubt that they prepared the waj T for the general diffusion of that great Reformer's opinions. What Wyclifie's Opinions on Baptism were, it is now needful very briefly to state. Taking some passages by themselves, it would not be difficult to claim Wycliffe as a holder, in part, of Baptist opinions. " How necessary the sacrament of Baptism is to the believer," says Wycliffe, " may be seen by the words of Christ to Nicodemus, * Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' And such, accordingly, is the authority from Scripture on which believers are customarily baptized." Again, " Chrism and other such ceremonies are not to be used in baptism." Still further, " Baptism doth not confer, but only signify, grace which was given before." Another passage declares, "that those are fools and presumptuous which affirm such infants not to be saved which die without baptism, and that all sins were abolished in baptism." But on this last point Wycliffe contra- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 13 diets himself, since, in another place, when speaking about a child dying unbaptized, he says, " I hold my peace as one dumb, . . . because it doth not seem to me clear whether such an infant would be saved or lost." His bitter opponent, Walsingham, speaks in no choice lan- guage about his opinions. " That most damnable heretic, John Wycliffe," says Walsingham, " re-assumed the cursed opinions of Berengar, which was, as you have heard, to deny infant baptism and transubstantiation." Walden, who wrote bitterly against the Reformer, terms him " one of the seven heads that rose up out of the bottomless pit, for denying infant baptism, that heresy of the Lollards, of whom he is so great a ring- leader." But whatever his enemies' opinions of him, these are his own words in his Triologues: " On account of the words of the last chapter in Matthew, our church introduces believers who answer for the infant which has not yet arrived at years of discretion." In another place he thus writes: "Nor is it of moment whether the baptized be immersed once, or thrice, or whether the water be poured upon his head. But the ceremony must be performed according to the usage of the place, and is as legitimate one way as another. For it is certain, that bodily baptism or washing is of little avail, unless there goes with it the washing of the mind by the Holy Ghost from original or actual sin ; for herein is a fundamental article of belief, that whenever a man is duly baptized, baptism destroys whatever sin was found in the man." There is still a third opinion ex- pressed about children dying unbaptized. " I think it probable that Christ might, without any such washing, spiritually bap- tize, and by consequence save infants." Again, on the validity of baptism, he writes : " When an in- fidel baptizes a child, not supposing that baptism to be of any avail for his salvation, we are not to regard such a baptism as service- able to the baptized. Yet we believe that where any old woman or despised person duly baptizes with water, God completes the baptism of the Spirit along with the words of the sacrament." BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. It will be seen, from these various quotations, that Wycliffe's mind was not entirely free from Popish errors on the subject of baptism ; but the half-truths he uttered set other men thinking ; and, by the aid of the New Testament, which Wycliffe put into their hands, many of his followers openly avowed distinct Bap- tist opinions. Especially was this the case with The Bible-men. East Anglia, Middlesex, Kent, Hereford, and the Midland Counties, were the chief centres of their influence. Like Beren- gar, they refused to take their children to the church to be baptized. At Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, where they were numerous during the later half of the Fourteenth Century, they were commonly known by the people as Just- fast-men, and Known-men, on account of their fidelity to each other during the fierce persecutions they had to suffer. " The heretics and Lollards of Wycliffe's opinions were at first permitted to preach abroad boldly, to gather conventicles unto them, to keep schools in men's houses, to write books, to complete treatises, and write ballads ; to teach privately in angles and corners, as in woods, pastures, meadows, groves, and caves in the ground ; " the monks attributing their eloquence and ready skill as dis- putants to the direct help of the devil. The whole country was leavened with Wycliffe's opinions, and the opinions of the Bible-men ; and the storm of clerical rage that presently burst over them, while it "rooted out" some of these "evil weeds and offendicles, planted by the new and damnable Lollardie," as the persecuting priests were pleased to call them, still left many disciples untouched by its fury. The Chesterton Separatists. It is now our unpleasant duty to mar a very agreeable picture, painted by Bobcrt Robinson, and quoted by nearly every Baptist historian since his day. In a "Brief Dissertation on the Ministry of the Divine Word by Public Preaching," pre- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 15 fixed to the second volume of his translation of Claude's Essay on the Composition of a Sermon, Mr. Eobinson writes : — " I have seen enough to convince me that the present English Dissenters, contending for the sufficiency of the Scriptures, and for primitive Christian liberty to judge of its meaning, may be traced back, in authentic manuscripts, to the Nonconformists, to the Puritans, to the Lollards, to the Vallenses (Waldenses), to the Albigenses, and, I suspect, through the Paulicians, and others, to the Apostles. These churches had sometimes a clan- destine existence ; and at other times a visible, I wish I could say a legal one : but, at all times, they held more truth and less error than the prevailing factions that persecuted them. One branch uniformly denied the baptism of infants ; all allowed Christian liberty; and all were enemies to the established hierarchy reigning over the consciences of their brethren." So far Robinson is correct. But when he proceeds to write about certain men, since known as the Chesterton Separatists, he generalises too hastily. His words are: — "I have now before me a manuscript Register of Gray, Bishop of Ely, which proves, that in the year 1457, there was a congregation of this sort in this village, Chesterton, where I live, who privately assembled for Divine worship, and had preachers of their own, who taught them the very doctrine which now we preach. Six of them were accused of heresy before the tyrant of the dis- trict, and condemned to abjure heresy, and to do penance, half naked, with a faggot at their backs, and a taper in their hands, in the public market-places of Ely and Cambridge, and in the churchyard of Great Swaifham. It was a pity the poor fools were forced to abjure the twelfth article of their accusa- tion, in which they were said to have affirmed, that ' all priests and people in orders were incarnate devils ! ' . . The thirteenth article objected against the above-mentioned Chesterton cul- prits, by the bishop, in his Consistory at Downton, is this : — 'Also, you affirm, that every man may be called a church of God, so that if any one of you should be summoned before 1 6 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. his ecclesiastical judge, and should happen to be asked this question, Do you believe in the Church? he may fairly answer, that he does ; meaning that he believes in the Church, because he believes the Church is in every man, who is a temple of God.' Now is not this affirming, that every good man was bound to follow his own judgment in religious matters, and not to be set down by a domineering faction, calling them- selves tJie church ? Is a man strong for being called a Samson, or wise for naming himself Solomon ? Does it not mean that every man had as much right of judging in himself solely as the whole community had collectively ? We go further, and prove that these six men, although all in one community, did not all hold the same articles ; some agreed to one, and some to another. But they all, the Eegister says, affirmed the thirteenth. Does not this prove that their ecclesiastical economy allowed a Christian liberty, and that they held a mixed communion ?" A recent examination of Gray's Eegister (still preserved in the University Library of Cambridge, and known as the Baker Manuscripts) shows that Robinson consulted the Register hurriedly, and was thus led into several errors. He is right in saying that one of the men who were examined by Bishop Gray, "the tyrant of the district,"" confessed that he had taught and affirmed certain false articles and opinions, and also that he had been present when such articles and opinions were taught, learned, and affirmed by others.'" In other words, that he and others belonged to a body of men who, if not a church, according to the Prayer-book definition of a church — (" a con- gregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that are of necessity * Gray was not destitute of humanity, at least, to those of his own faith Even in his old age, John Capgrave, the chronicler and monk of King's Lynn. " Remembers with what pious attention Gray showed his affection towards him when a wretched pilgrim, and lying ill at Rome." BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 17 requisite to the same") — had yet meetings of their own for Divine worship, and teachers among them, judging from the terms of Bishop Gray's indictment, able to express themselves with distinctness and force. But Robinson is wrong in saying that they were six men, and that their meeting was held in Chesterton. The Register mentions but three men, and only one of them lived in the village where Robinson resided at the time of writing his often-quoted words. The names of these men were — John Baile, of Chesterton ; Robert Sparke, of Reche, in the parish of Swaffham ; and John Crud, alius Crowd, of Cambridge. In addition to the opinions quoted by Robinson, which these men were charged with holding, we may now add some others, especially as they reveal still further the character of their belief. They are charged with asserting "that fasting is not binding on labourers and married people, but only on clericos et religiosos — the priests and monks." They affirmed, "that there was no benefit in burial in consecrated ground, and that the money spent thereby would be better applied to the poor than given to gratify the avarice of the priests." They repre- sented transubstantiation as a vain oblation. They declared, " that it was better to confess to a man cut off from the fellow- ship of the faithful (the Romish Church), than to a priest." They taught, " that as God was the searcher of hearts, mental prayer in the fields was as profitable as oral prayer in a church." They held, concerning marriage, " that the priest's presence was merely required at its celebration for the sake of gain." "Extreme unction," they confessed, " did no good to the soul, and only defiled the body." Baptists have too readily claimed these men as holding their opinions, since, according to the third count in the indict- ment, all that they affirmed on this subject was, " that children neither have need of baptism, nor ought they to be baptized, since the baptism of their parents was sufficient." It was, however, by no means uncommon for the Romish clergy in c 1 8 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. those days thus to describe the Baptist opinions held by many of the Lollards. Fox, the Martyrologist, himself no great admirer of Baptists, quoting a similar accusation against the Norwich Lollards some years before the date at which Sparke and his friends were examined by Bishop Gray, suggests, " that the thing is so contrary to the manifest word, that it is not to be thought any to be so ignorant of the Gospel that they ever would or did affirm the same." Whether, therefore, these men were Baptists still remains doubtful ; but that they were unable to bear the strain put upon them by Bishop Gray is too patent from the Bishop's Register. Robert Sparke was first examined, and endeavoured to defend his opinions ; was reasoned with, and recanted. He was nevertheless ex- communicated ; but on subsequent evidence of repentance, and swearing obedience, he was forgiven, the following pen- ance being imposed: — "That on the eve of Pentecost next you shall walk about the market-place of Ely, when most people were there, wearing only your shirt and breeches (solis comitia et hraccis i)idutus), bearing a faggot upon your back, humbly carrying a wax taper in your hand, and declaring publicly the reasons for your penance." On the eve of Trinity next he was to do the same in the' Cambridge market. Also, on the next Sunday, after the feast of Corpus Christi, and on the Sunday following that, he was to do penance in like manner in the parish church of Swaffham. Sparke was com- pelled to swear " that from that hour he would neither hold nor propagate any opinion against orthodoxy ; nor in any way favour such, nor yet go to convent i calm illicitae, unlawful con- venticles ; " a clear proof that such Conventicles did actually at that time exist ; but not that one existed at Chesterton, where Robinson was living at the time he quotes " Gray's Register." The sentences on Crowd and Baile were similar, save that the places of church penance were Cambridge and Chesterton.* * From the Paston Letters, a few quotations illustrating the national and social history of England at this time (1457) may be given. One, William BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. ig Before leaving the Baker Manuscripts, in which the above facts are recorded, it may not be uninteresting to give another quotation referring to events which happened about twenty- six years (1431) before the date of Bishop Gray's examination of Sparke and his friends. It appears, from this entry, that a proclamation had been issued by Henry the Sixth, " against certain heretics and Lollards." They are charged with hold- ing " errors tending to the subversion of religion and govern- ment, and with circulating false and seditious tracts (billce falscB et scditioncs)" "Whoever had such, "shall immediately tear them into small fragments, or burn them;" and "any one failing in this is to be held answerable as the author, until he find the author." Proclamation is further to be made, " that any one informing against another who has written, or stuck up, or in any way communicated such a tract, shall, on conviction, receive a sure reward of twenty pounds (about £180 in our money), and half the property of the person con- victed." Power was also given to arrest or imprison persons Conyn, a wealthy merchant of Bristol, and the mayor of that year, showed his patriotism by offering to build, at his own cost, " a stately vessel, only for the warre ;" and, owing to the fear of a French invasion, " the lords appointed to keep the sea were making hem redye yn all haste ;" not a whit too soon, as events afterwards proved. All this time, the common every-day life of the people went on as usual ; and very curious are the revelations found of it in this collection of Letters. For instance, one lays bare the anxiety of a good mother about her son, who was at school in London. Judging from the mother's letter, Clement Paston had a better wardrobe than wit. Although carefully describing the " five gowns," and their colours and respective ages, his mother shows that her chief trouble is about Clement's dulness, — a dulness that prompts her to think that he must be "trewly belassched" (whipped) unless he mends, telling the London friend to whom she writes, that that was how his former master at Cambridge treated him, " and the best he ever had," says the reflecting mother. But thinking of the disgrace of failure in the new school, she adds, with more energy than tenderness, " I had lever (rather) he were fairly buried than lost for default." During the same year, "thieves and malefactors had justice done upon them daily, for which the people were glad." Moreover, perhaps in prospect of war, " the soldiers were more temperate than they were." c2 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. in any way circulating such hillcr. The Proclamation is addressed by the King to the Sheriff of London, and a similar brief -was sent to all the sheriffs of England. The inference, therefore, is plain : at that time numerous books, advocating the opinions of the Lollards, were in general circulation throughout all parts of the country ; and, as man)' of the Lollards held and advocated Baptist opinions, the seed of future harvests was thus being widely scattered. CHAPTER II. ANCIENT BAPTIST CHURCHES IN ENGLAND. Hill Cliffe, near Warrington. WE have reliable evidence that a Separatist, and, probably, a Baptist Church, has existed for several centuries in a secluded part of Cheshire, on the borders of Lancashire, about a mile and a-half from Warrington. No spot could be better chosen for concealment than the site on which this ancient chapel stood. Removed from all public roads, enclosed by a dense wood, affording ready access into two counties, Hill Cliffe was admirably suited for the erection of a conventicula illicit a, an illegal conventicle. The ancient chapel built on this spot was so constructed that the surprised worshippers had half-a-dozen secret ways of escaping from it, and long proved a meeting-place suited to the varying fortunes of a hated and hunted people. Owing to the many changes inseparable from the eventful history of the church at Hill Cliffe, the earliest records have been lost. But two or three facts point to the very early exis- tence of the community itself. In 1841 the then old chapel was enlarged and modernised ; and, in digging for the founda- tion, a large baptistry of stone, well-cemented, was discovered. How long this had been covered up, and at what period it was erected, it is impossible to state ; but as some of the tombstones in the graveyard adjoining the chapel were erected in the early BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. part, of the Sixteenth Century, there is some probability for the tradition that the chapel itself was built by the Lollards who held Baptist opinions. One of the dates on the tombstones is 1357, the time when Wycliffe was still a Fellow at Merton College, Oxford ; but the dates most numerous begin at the period when Europe had just been startled by Luther's valiant onslaught upon the Papacy, and Henry the Eighth had recently published his book against the German Reformer, which earned for him the title of " Defender of the Faith." Many of these tombstones, and especially the oldest, as we can testify from a personal examination, look as fresh and clear as if they were engraved only a century ago. The names of some of the early ministers of Hill Cliffe chapel have been snatched from oblivion. One of them, My. Weyer- burton, or Warburton, was related to the oldest family in the county of Chester, was a person of substance, and " a true warrior of Christ's Church." His connection with Hill Cliffe chapel, as its minister, was accidentally discovered some years ago in examining the title-deeds of the Warburton property. Mr. Weyerburton died six years after the destruction of the Spanish Armada. A record of this good man's life, if one could obtain it, would throw much light upon the condition of the Separatists and Anabaptists in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Although Mr. Weyerburton is the first minister of Hill Cliffe of whom anything is known, he is not necessarily to be regarded as the earliest minister of the congregation. Mr. Dainteth suc- ceeded Mr. Weyerburton. The graveyard contains the tomb of his successor — Thomas Slater Leyland, " a minister of the Gospel," as the inscription tells us. He was buried in the year preceding the death of Queen Elizabeth. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Tillam was the minister of Hill Cliffe. Oliver Cromwell worshipped at the chapel when his army lay at Warrington, and one of his officers occupied the pulpit. Thomas Lowe succeeded Mr. Tillam, and attended the General Assembly BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. of Baptists held in London the year after the landing of William, Prince of Orange. This (1689) was also the date of the passing of the Act of Toleration, from which period, as every Dissenter knows, really begins the legal diffusion of Nonconformity through- out Great Britain. During the pastorate of the next minister, Mr. Francis Turner, a man of great ability, of restless zeal, and of extensive usefulness, the first Baptist church was formed in Liverpool, mainly through the labours of some of Mr. Turner's converts. Hill Cliffe is undoubtedly one of the oldest Baptist churches in England, but its claim to be the oldest is still disputed by some. The earliest deeds of the property have been irrecover- ably lost, but the extant deeds, which go back considerably over two hundred years, describe the property as being " for the use of the people commonly called Anabaptists." The modern chapel stands upon the gentle slope of a sandstone hill. The wood which embosomed the ancient sanctuary has long since been cut down, and the present modest meeting-house is con- spicuous from afar, — from the streets of quaint old Warrington, and from the wide reach of level country by which that historic town is surrounded. Eythorne, Kent. The church at Eythorne, Kent, owes its origin to some Dutch Baptists, who settled in this country in the time of Henry the Eighth. They were, doubtless, tempted to make England their home by the brisk trade that sprang up between this country and Holland, soon after the marriage of Henry with Anne of Cleves (1540). According to a long prevalent tradition, (" unin- terrupted and uncontradicted," says one authority,) Joan Boucher, or Joan of Kent, was a member of the Baptist church at Eythorne. Joan was a lady of some position, and had ready access to the court. Much of her time was spent in visiting her friends in prison, and in relieving, with a bountiful hand, their necessities. For the greater secrecy, she was accus- 24 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. tomed to tie religious books in strings under her dress, and so the more readily pass with them into Court. Strype says that she did very much to promote the circulation of Tyndale's New Testament, then recently published. A great reader of the Scriptures herself, she sought to persuade others to follow her example. The Protestant Inquisitors, hearing that she held some unusual views on the physical body of Christ, sum- moned her to appear " in the chapel of the blessed Mary in St. Paul's." Long and tedious examinations followed. Joan was cast into prison. Cranmer, Latimer, and others, here sought to reason her out of her opinions. She remained unmoved, and was therefore "left to the secular arm to suffer her deserved punishment," for daring, that is, to think differently from prelates so grave, and a church so recently reformed. Nearly twelve months elapsed before her sentence was executed. Modern writers have sought to throw the blame of her martyr- dom on the Council, and thus shield Cranmer from its odium. Others regard as purely mythical the story of Edward's tears when asked to sign Joan's death warrant, and Hallam thinks that the tale ought to vanish from history. However this may be, on the 2nd of May, 1550, Joan of Kent was led out to Smithfield. Even at the stake, she was still worried by the slanders and misrepresentations of her enemies, and to Bishop Scorey, who repeated them, Joan answered, with the plain speech that distinguished the age, " You lie like a rogue. Go, read the Scriptures." The Bishop might need the advice, for aught that appears to the contrary. In the Calendar of State Papers (Domestic Series, 1547 — 1580), under the date of October 28th, 1552, we have this entry: " Northumberland, to Sir William Cecill. Wishes the King would appoint Mr. Knox to the Bishopric of Rochester. He would be a whetstone to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a confounder of the Anabaptists lately sprung up in Kent." It would be historically inaccurate to regard this as the first inti- mation of the existence of Baptists, as a separate community in BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 25 England. Apart from the probabilities about the still earlier origin of Hill Clifte Church, it should not be forgotten that Henry the Eighth had long before 1550 proclaimed to the nation how, " like a good Catholic priest, he abhorred and detested their (the Anabaptists') wicked and abominable errors and opinions;" that in his second proclamation, he had warned all Anabaptists and Zwinglians to depart out of the country, under pain of death ; and that in a third proclamation, when Cranmer was a Protestant archbishop, Cranmer and eight others were authorized to make diligent search for Anabaptist men, Anabaptist letters, and Anabaptist books, full power being put into Cranmer' s hands to deal capitally with each offender. The Baptists, in King Edward's days, might have lately sprung up in Kent, but these proclamations show that they were not then known for the first time in England. One singular fact, perhaps without a parallel, in the history of this ancient General Baptist church at Eythorne, deserves to be mentioned : the names of the pastors, from the close of the Sixteenth Century to the last quarter of the Seventeenth Century, were John Knott. The first John Knott became the pastor of Eythorne somewhere between 1590 and 1600, and the last John Knott removed to Chatham in 1780. One of these Mr. Knotts, it is uncertain which, was a blacksmith, and attracted the notice of the informers by his zeal as a preacher. Whilst working in his shop, some friend brought him word that an officer and a party of men were coming over Eythorne Down to pounce upon him. Knott hurriedly escaped by a back door, and hid himself in an old saw-pit, covered by nettles and other weeds. Presently the informers came into Mr. Knott's house, where they found his wife, with a child in her arms. On asking for Mr. Knott, the little child, suspecting no danger, cried out, "Daddy's gone out!" and would, perhaps, have further betrayed its father's whereabouts, but for a vigorous shaking from the mother, who at length succeeded in making it hold its tongue. "While " the man- takers " searched about the 26 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. house and neighbourhood for her husband, Mrs. Knott, with great presence of mind, bustled about the house, and put out the humble dinner for her family. The search proving fruitless, and the men finding the family dinner smoking on the table when they returned, asked Mrs. Knott to give them some refreshment. This she did instantly, and with the greatest cheerfulness. Mrs. Knott's kindness told favourably upon the informers. They were so well satisfied with her treatment of them, that they left the house, declaring they would make no further search after her husband, nor do anything to distress so good-natured a woman. For that time, at least, Mr. Knott escaped out of their hands. It is also said, probably concern- ing the same man, that on another occasion his goods were confiscated and put up to auction. So much was he respected by his neighbours, that not one of them would even offer a bid for his goods at the sale ; and the strangers who were present, taking their cue from his neighbours, also declined to purchase them. Mr. Knott's goods, therefore, remained unsold. It is worthy of record that the Church of Christ in this little village has existed for more than three hundred years without a single unfriendly division, and with a steadfast adherence to the faith and practice of the Primitive Church. Booking and Braintree, Essex. In Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials, we find these words, under date 1550: "Sectaries appeared now in Essex and Kent, sheltering themselves under the profession of the Gospel, of whom complaint was made to the Council. These were the first that made separation from the Church of England, having gathered congregations of their own." They were the first, that is, of which Strype had heard. " The congregation in Essex was mentioned to be at Bocking ; that at Kent was at Faversham, as I learnt from an old register. From whence I also collect that they held the opinions of the Anabaptists and the Pelagians ; that there were contributions among them for BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 27 the better maintaining of their congregations ; that the mem- bers of the congregation in Kent went over with the congrega- tion into Essex, to instruct and join with them ; and that they had their meetings in Kent, and in divers places besides Faver- sham." In other words, the Kent churches at Eythorne, Faversham, Sandwich, Canterbury, perhaps, and other places, helped to build up, if they did not actually originate, the church at Booking. Booking and Braintree are two parishes divided by the main road, and the whole is now known as Braintree. The "com- plaints," by whomsoever made, against the Baptists at Book- ing, led to their being watched, and about sixty persons were in the house when the sheriff interrupted their assembly. Thej r confessed to the Council that they had met " to talk the Scrip- tures," and that they had not communed at the parish church for two years.* Some were fined and set at liberty. Others were imprisoned, and remained until Queen Mary came to the throne, when they were released, only again to be taken into custody, and by-and-by to the stake. Among the most eminent of the ministers thus dragged, for conscience' sake, before the Protestant Inquisition, with Cranmer at its head, was Mr. Humphrey Middleton. By order of Cranmer he was kept in prison until the last year of the reign of Edward the Sixth. Middleton is reported to have said to Cranmer, after Cranmer had pronounced his condemnation: "Well, reverend sir, pass what sentence you think fit upon us. But that you may not say you were not forewarned, I testify that your turn will be next." He was one of those who earned a martyr's crown in the reign of Mary. Mr. Henry Hart was another of the teachers connected with * We are told in Strype's Memorials of Crammer, that, on the particular Sunday when these sixty men were surprised, " There arose among them a great dispute 'Whether it were necessary to stand or kneel, bareheaded or covered, at prayers ? ' and they concluded the ceremony not to be material, but that the heart before God was required, and nothing else." 28 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the churches in Kent and Essex. But little is known of Hart, of George Brobridge, and of others, beyond their names. Hart was imprisoned, this much is known of him, in the dismal days of Queen Mary, and zealously combated in jail the predestina- rian views of some other victims of Mary's gloomy and cruel fanaticism. Bradford was one of his opponents. The Bocking-Braintree church-book, still in existence, carries back the authentic records of the church for more than two hundred years ; but there is no question that the origin of the church itself dates back to the days of Edward the Sixth. Tiverton, Devon, Shrewsbury, Stoney Stanton, and other churches, claim to be more than two centuries old, and the first is said to have existed since the last years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. But the three churches we have mentioned — Hill Cliffe, Eythorne, and Bocking deservedly rank as the most ancient Baptist churches in England. CHAPTER III. ORIGIN OF THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION. Smyth, and the General Baptists. ALTHOUGH, as we have seen, there were a few General Baptist churches in existence as early as the days of Henry the Eighth, the modern General Baptists rightly re- gard John Smyth as the father and founder of their denomina- tion. They trace their history rather to his efforts, and to the labours of those who were his immediate successors, than to the churches at Eythorne or Bocking. A brief story of his life will, therefore, not be out of place in these sketches. Among the hundreds in England who felt the weight of the oppressive ecclesiastical laws of the Stuarts was John Smyth, the Vicar of Gainsborough. Puritan rather than Anglican, Smyth was yet ready to enter the lists against the Brownists, who were numerous in that part of the countiy. His defence of the use of the Lord's Prayer earned for him the praise of Bishop Hall. By degrees, however, Smyth became dissatisfied with the discipline and ceremonies of the Established Church, and held a dispute on the subject with Mr. Hildersham and other divines. Further enquiries followed. His former doubts were confirmed ; and, like an honest man, Smyth gave up his benefice, and all the social and ecclesiastical advantages of his position. Such was the general opinion of his integrity and his gifts, that he was at once invited to become the pastor of one 30 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. of the Brownist churches in Lincolnshire. Robinson, the father of the English Independents, and Clifton, were co-pastors of another Brownist church in the same region. Owing to repeated harass from the High Court of Commission, Smyth, Robinson, Clifton, and their respective flocks, decided to seek in Holland the liberty they could not obtain at home. Accordingly, in 1606, the voluntary exiles started for Amsterdam, Smyth acting as the leader. He was Robinson's " guide," " general," and " oracle," according to Bishop Hall ; and Ephraim Pagitt, in his scurrilous book, Heresiography, describes Smyth as " one of the grandees of the separation." Once in Amsterdam, Smyth and his fellow exiles joined the English Church, of which Johnson was the pastor, and Ainsworth the teacher. Free to pursue his religious enquiries unmolested, Smyth now devoted himself to a diligent study of the sacred Scriptures. New light broke in upon his mind, of which he was not slow to speak. The New Testament churches, with their simple order and discipline, seemed strangely unlike the half Jewish society at Amsterdam, with which he was united. He felt, moreover, that he could no longer hold the doctrines of personal election and reprobation. His faith was also shaken in some other points " assuredly believed among" the Amsterdam Separatists. He had ceased to be a Calvinist, and had become an Arminian. Much talk arose about these changes in his opinions. Meanwhile, Smyth adopted new views on the subject of baptism. The last question came up in reviewing his dissent from the Establishment. He and his Brownist friends had rejected the ordination of the State Church, but they still retained her baptism. Smyth now made the subject his special study, and was speedily led to adopt believers' baptism as alone consistent with New Testament teaching. With his usual frankness he openly and zealously advocated his new opinions. This was more than the charity of his associates could bear. Arminianism was bad enough; but believers' baptism was BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 31 worse ; at least so thought Robinson, Clifton, and others. Smyth, and those who sympathised in his opinions, were cut off from the church. A bitter controversy broke out ; and his former friends presently showed that though they had them- selves fled from persecution, they had not yet learnt the true nature of Christian liberty. Freedom meant, thinking as they thought ; and when once Smyth boldly announced his difference of opinion, they placed him beyond the pale of charity. He was charged with "murdering the souls of babes and sucklings, by depriving them of the visible seals of salvation." Every kind of reproach and abuse were heaped upon the man whom all had once held in loving esteem. He was declared to be "of wolfish nature," "a brute beast," and one "whom God had stricken with blindness." Smyth was not the man to be shaken from any position he had deliberately taken by any such harsh and unchristian treatment. By lip and by pen he steadily continued to teach the opinions he had accepted, after a careful and reverent study of the Scriptures. Men flocked about him, as men always will flock about any teacher who speaks with the emphasis of per- sonal conviction. A religious society was gathered, of which John Smyth and Thomas Helwys were the pastors. This happened about two years after the Brownist exiles reached Amsterdam. How large this church afterwards became is matter of doubt; but an enemy of that little band, distinguished by his rancorous spirit, declares that " Smyth and his disciples did at once, as it were, swallow up all the separation besides." There is some obscurity as to the kind of baptism first adopted by Smyth. He and Helwys baptized each other, and afterwards baptized the rest of their company. But until recent times it was held that this baptism was by immersion. Dr. Miiller thinks, however, that facts contradict the long-prevalent tradition. He assures us that the branch of the Mennonite church with which Smyth and his friends were afterwards associated, never administered baptism in any other way than by affusion 32 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. or by sprinkling. Moreover, a letter from Lubbert Gerritt, one of the Mennonites, who interested himself in Smyth and his party, distinctly states as a reason for their acceptance by the Dutch association of churches, that, " inquiring for the foun- dation and forms of their baptism, we have found that there was no difference at all, neither in the one thing nor the other, between them and us." It is equally plain, however, from Smyth's letter to Clifton, and from Smyth's pamphlet occa- sioned by the correspondence, that he rejected the baptism of infants as unscriptural. " True baptism," says Smyth, "is of new creatures, of new-born babes in Christ. False baptism is of infants born after the flesh." But, whatever doubt may hang over the mode of baptism at first adopted by Smyth and his friends, there is little doubt that they afterwards adopted baptism by immersion. Smyth has been charged with being " of an unsettled head," because he desires in the preface to one of his books, that his last writings may always be taken for his present judgment. But the deplorable ignorance of the times, the gradual development of truth in his own mind, and the fact that he wrote against captious opponents, are a sufficient justification of this request. Nothing can be more trenchant than Smyth's reply to the charge of fickleness made by the writers of his own day. " It may be thought most strange," says Smyth, " that a man should ofttimes change his religion ; and it cannot be accounted a commendable quality in any man to make many alterations and changes in such weighty matters as are cases of conscience. This must needs be true, and we confess it, if one condition be admitted, that the religion which a man changeth be the truth. For, otherwise, to change a false religion is commendable, and to retain a false religion is damnable. For a man, if he be a Turk, to become a Jew ; if a Jew, to become a Papist; if a Papist, to become a Pro- testant, are all commendable changes, though they all befall one and the same person in one year ; nay, if it were possible, in BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 33 one month. So that, to change religion is not evil simply ; and, therefore, that we should fall from the profession of Puri- tanism to Brownism, and from Brownism to true Christian baptism, is not simply evil or reprovable in itself, except it can be proved that ice have fallen from true religion. If we, there- fore, being formerly deceived in the way of Paedo-baptistry, do now embrace the faith in the true Christian and Apostolic baptism, then let no man impute this as a fault in us." It is no part of our plan to offer any general defence of Smyth's opinions, and the opinions themselves will be best learnt from his Confession, probably, as Dr. Evans thinks, " the first Baptist creed of modern times." We may be par- doned, however, for calling attention here to the true appre- hension by Smyth of the duties of the civil magistrate in religious matters. " The magistrate, by virtue of his office, is not to meddle with religion, or matters of conscience, nor to compel men to this or to that form of religion or doctrine ; but to leave the Christian religion to the free conscience of every one, and to meddle only with political matters. . . . Christ alone is the King and Lawgiver of the Church and the conscience." Smyth and his disciples were called by their former friends heretics and free-willers ; but not a syllable is breathed by his bitterest opponent against his reputation. His unblemished character during the time of holding the Gainsborough bene^ fice, earned for him the general esteem of all parties. His personal excellence whilst with the Brownists in England, and afterwards with the Separatists in Holland, none were disposed to question. Nor did the keenest eyes of the men, who had every opportunity of observing his conduct after ho became a Baptist, detect anything with which to upbraid him, except the fearlessness of his spirit, and the boldness with which he advo- cated what he deemed to be scriptural truth. Cotton Mather's reflections on Smyth's dying steadfastness in his opinions must therefore be taken for what they are worth. " Sad and woeful" 34 BYE -PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. might be to Mather, " the memory of Mr. Smyth's strong con- solations on his death bed," which were " set as a seal to Smyth's gross and damnable Arminianism and enthusiasm;'" but the regret of modern readers will be, that so little is known respecting the life and death of this fearless and faithful student of the Scriptures. Smyth died in Holland in 1G12. Thomas Helwys retained the sole pastorate of the Baptist church after John Smyth's decease. But in 1614, he and his friends began to think that they had been actuated by cowardice rather than prudence in escaping to Holland out of the reach of persecution ; and believing, moreover, as they afterwards wrote, " that fleeing on account of persecution had been the overthrow of religion in this island," they heroically returned to England. A church was formed in London. Smyth's Con- fession, and other pamphlets advocating their opinions were published. Many converts were thus won to their faith — "a multitude of disciples," says one of their opponents — notwith- standing the persecutions they had to endure. The labours of Helwys, Morton, and other disciples of John Smyth, ultimately led to the formation of the denomination of General Baptists. Truth's Champion, an able defence of their principles, by Morton, next to Smyth's Confession, and Helwys's pamphlet, helped most widely to diffuse their opinions. A copy of Morton's book was found in Colchester, at the beginning of the Civil "War. It dropped out when an old wall was being demolished. Spilsbury and the Particular Baptists. In 1616 an Independent church was gathered in London. Mr. Henry Jacob was its first pastor, and Mr. John Lathrop the second. During the pastorate of Mr. Lathrop, some of the members began to think that the church was not adhering very strictly to the first principles which led to their separation from the Established Church, and had, moreover, come to regard adult baptism as the only baptism warranted by Scripture. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 35 They therefore asked to be allowed to withdraw, in order to ibriu themselves into a society more in harmony with their own views. Two things weighed with their old friends in acceding to their wishes : the receders were acting according to the dictates of their consciences, and the original church had now grown too large to meet together, in those perilous days for Dissenters, without molestation. The separation took place in Sept., 1633, and the new church met at Wapping, at that time a pleasant suburb of London. The little society, which did not then consist of many more than a score members, called Mr. John Spilsbury to the pastorate. Five years after the above date (1638), a further secession from the original church strengthened their hands. Among the seceders were William Kiffin and Thomas Wilson. Kiffin, to whose pen we are indebted for the account of the origin of this first Calvinistic Baptist church in England, thus speaks of the reasons which led to his joining Mr. Spilsbury : — " I used all endeavours, by converse with such as were able, and also by diligently searching the Scriptures, with earnest desires to God that I might be directed in a right way of worship ; and, after some time, concluded that the safest way was to follow the footsteps of the flock, namely, that order laid down by Christ and His apostles, and practised by the primitive Chris- tians in their time, which I found to be, after conversion they were baptized, added to the church, and continued in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayers." Very little, has been preserved respecting Mr. Spilsbuiy, except that he was a man of reputation among his brethren. His name appears in the Confession of Faith, published by seven churches in London, in 1644. About eight years afterwards some persecuted Baptists in Massachusett's Colony, addressed a letter " unto our well-beloved John Spilsbury, William Kiffin, and to the rest that in London stand fast in the faith, and con- tinued to walk steadfastly in that order of the Grospel which vvas d2 36 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. once delivered to the saints by Jesus Christ." The following year (1653), Mr. Secretary Thurloe received a letter from Henry Cromwell, referring to the agitation among the Anabap- tists in Ireland, who had become Fifth Monarchy men, and objected to the title of Lord Protector being given to Oliver Cromwell, thinking it applicable to God alone. " All are quiet here," says Henry Cromwell, " except a few inconsiderable persons of the Anabaptists' judgment, who also are very well contented ; but I believe they will receive much satisfaction from a letter very lately come to their hands from Mr. Kiffin and Mr. Spilsbury, in which they have dealt very homely and plainly with those of that judgment here." These two facts reveal the estimate in which Mr. Spilsbury was held in America and in Ireland. His name appears in the Declaration against Vomer's Rebellion in 1662 ; but in no public document after that date. It is therefore probable that Mr. Spilsbury was removed by death soon after the restoration of Charles the Second. A quotation from Luke Howard's Looking-glass for Baptists, although containing the opinion of one who had renounced his Baptist sentiments, and had become a Quaker (a very common thing in the days of the Civil War and the Commonwealth), is not without interest. "In the years 16-13-1614 the people called Baptists began to have an entrance into Kent ; and Ann Stevens, of Canterbury, who was afterwards my wife, being the first that received them there, was dipped into the belief and church of William Kiffin, who then was of the opinion com- monly called the Particular Election and reprobation of persons ; and by him was also dipped Nicholas Woodman, of Canterbury, myself, and Mark Elfrith, of Dover, with many more, both men and women, who were all of the opinion on that particular point, and who reckoned themselves of the seven churches in that day, who gave forth a book, called The Faith of the Seven Churches, which was then opposite to the Baptists that held the General, as is still the same. At which time there was great contest BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 37 between those Baptists, the General, as Lamb, Barber, and those who held the universal love of God to all, and Kiffin, Patience, Spillman (Spilsbury), and Collyer, and those that held the Particular Election ; so that if any of the Particular men or women of the seven churches aforesaid did change their opinions from the Particular to the General, that then they were to be baptized again ; because, they said, you were baptized into a wrong faith, and so into another Gospel, using that say- ing, ' If any man bring any other Gospel than that which we have received, let him be accursed.' Whereupon several denied their belief and baptism, aud were baptized again into the General opinion, or belief. But Nicholas Woodman afore- said, with Mark Elfrith, with all of them in Kent, except Daniel Cox, of Canterbury, which never baptized any, held their baptism in the Particular, but changed their opinions to the General, and some to free-will, and the mortality of the soul, and many other things." The Six-Principle Baptists. The churches which held to the " six principles " were never very numerous ; but any review of English Baptists would be incomplete which omitted all reference to them. The General Assembly, which met in London in 1689, adopted, as their distinguishing principles, personal election and final perseverance. But some Baptist Churches in London refused to subscribe to these opinions, and others as persistently declined to sign any terms of human composition. These churches were, however, agreed in accepting the six principles enumerated in Hebrews vi. 1, 2 : repentance, faith, baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life. The churches holding these opinions decided upon having a small assembly of their own ; accordingly, in March 1690, the elders, ministers, and representatives of five churches, all situated in London, met at White Street meeting, Moorfields. They agreed that, "for the preservation of a cordial union 33 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. among themselves, all the five parts should, once every year, meet together at one place to celebrate our Lord's death in the Supper ; only, whereas, many of our brethren which belong to Goodman's Field's meeting, differing from the other parts in the matter of the Lord's Supper, they were to have liberty to absent themselves from that general meeting, if they pleased." The five churches comprising this small Assembly were White Street, or White's Alley, Moorfields ; Rupert Street, Goodman's Fields ; Glasshouse Yard, Goswell Street ; Fair Street, formerly Dock Head, or Shad Thames ; and Duke Street, Southwark. To these rive churches were afterwards joined the churches meeting in Dunning's Alley, Bishopgate Without ; St. John's Court, Hart Street, Covent Garden ; and High Hall, West Smithfield. This last church was gathered by Dr. William Russell, an equally valiant opponent of " conjoint singing" and " Sabbatarian Baptists." Mr. John Griffith, the first pastor of the Dunning's Alley Church, combated some of the opinions held by the Calvinistic Baptists, and in one chapter of a treatise on ''Final Perseverance," deals rather harshly with "fourteen absurdities naturally flowing from the doctrine of the impossibility for believers to fall finally from grace." It has been common to describe these six-principle Churches as General Baptists ; but at the time of their union, they were actually composed of persons holding Arminian and Calvinistic sentiments. After some years the Calvinistic ministers and members withdrew from them, and the few churches that remained were thenceforward known only as General Baptist Churches. Some " six-principle " churches still exist in Rhode Island. The Seventh-Day Baptists. This was a smaller society than the six-principle Bap- tists ; but like them, it has preserved a few churches to re- present its opinions, even in our own day. They derived their designation from the fact that they kept the Seventh day BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 39 us the Sabbath. The}' objected to the reasons generally urged for keeping the first day of the week, and contended that the change from the seventh day to the first was originated by Constantine. " God," said they, " hath required the obser- vance of the seventh or last day of every week to be observed by mankind universally for the weekly Sabbath. This com- mand is perpetualty binding upon man till time shall be no more. This sacred rest of the Seventh-day Sabbath is not (by Divine authority) changed from the seventh and last, to the first day of the week; nor do the Scriptures anywhere require the observance of nny other day of the week for the weekly Sabbath, but the seventh day only." The founder of this section of the Baptist body was Rev. Francis Bampfield, M.A., an excellent and pious minister. He was a graduate of the University of Oxford, and began his public life as a minister of the Establishment in Dorset. Here his devotion to the duties of his sacred office, his zeal for the promotion of true piety, his care for the poor and the infirm, won for him golden opinions among his parishioners. At the outbreak of the civil war, Banrpfield was a zealous Royalist. He hesitated about paying the taxes imposed by the Parlia- mentarians, and he publicly read the Book of Common Prayer longer than any other clergyman in Dorset. For his zeal in the cause of the Established Church, he had already been given a prebend's stall in Exeter Cathedral. At length his opinions underwent an entire change, and he confessed that the Church of the State needed a second reformation. To the best of his ability he now sought to make the teaching of Christ his only rule. In 1653, he subscribed to the Commonwealth. Two years after this date he removed to Sherborne, where he; remained the faithful pastor of a necessitous people, until the passing of the Act of Uniformity in 1662. Now began Mr. Bampfield's troubles. After resigning his living, he still continued to preach in his own house. He was apprehended while thus conducting a service, and hurried 4 o BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. off to Dorchester jail. Nothing daunted, he preached the following Sunday in the prison yard, numbers of the towns- people crowding in the open space outside the prison and within earshot of his voice. Released for a time, Bampfield was again lodged in Dorchester jail, and remained there eight wearisome years. But they were not years of idleness. He preached in prison nearly every day, and gathered a church within its very walls. Set at liberty in 1675, he still went on with his preaching, was again seized, and this time, as he was apprehended in Wiltshire, was lodged in Salisbury jail. On account of the heavy fine imposed upon him, this imprison- ment lasted a year and a half. On his release, he came to London, and soon after avowed himself a Sabbatarian Baptist. A Church was formed in March, 1670, of persons holding similar views, and " that eminently pious minister of Christ," as the original Church-book declares, "Mr. Francis Bampfield," became their pastor, as he had already been their teacher. "We laid our Church state," the record continues, "upon the only sure foundation, and agree to form and regulate it by the only certain rule and measure, expressing the nature of the constitution of their Church in the following terms : — 1 We own the Lord Jesus Christ to be the one and only Lord and Lawgiver to our souls and consciences. And we own the Holy Scriptures of truth as the one and only rule of faith, worship, and life ; according to which we are to judge of all cases.' " The original meeting-place of this Church was Pinner's Hall, Broad Street, London ; but as this place was well-known, neither Mr. Bampfield nor his friends were allowed to remain long without molestation. On 17th February, 1682, the church assembled in the forenoon at their usual hour for worship, and Mr. Bampfield had already commenced his sermon, when in rushed a constable, staff in hand, several men with halberts following at his heels. The constable commanded Bampfield, in the King's name, to cease and come down. Bampfield BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. replied that he was discharging his office in the name of the King of kings. "I have," said the constable, " a warrant from the Lord Mayor to disturb your meeting." "I have a warrant from Jesus Christ," rejoined Mr. Bampfield, " who is Lord Maximus, to go on." Mr. Bampfield now began to resume his discourse, when the constable ordered one of his halberdiers to pull him down. The preacher and six of his people were taken before the Lord Mayor, were fined ten pounds each, and were set at liberty. Nothing daunted, they met again in the afternoon ; and would have proceeded with the service, but for the interruption of a constable and his minions. The service was resumed in Mr. Bampfield's own house, whither a large company followed him. A third inter- ruption occurred on the following Saturday, when the congre- gation had already been assembled for some time. Mr. Bamp- field was praying when the constable entered, and did not cease until one of the officers pulled him out of the pulpit. As he was led through the crowded streets to the Lord Mayor, Bamp- field carried his Bible in his hand. Some of the spectators sneered at him as " a Christian Jew," but others exclaimed, " See how he walks with his Bible in his hand, like one of the old martyrs ! " He was remanded to the Sessions, and he and three others were committed to Newgate. On the 28th March the Recorder read out the sentence : " that they were out of the protection of the King's Majesty, that all their goods and chattels were for- feited ; and that they were to remain in gaol during their lives, or during the King's pleasure." Mr. Bampfield would have spoken in reply, but a great uproar arose as soon as he began to speak. "Away with them!" cried some angry voices. Others shouted, " Put them away from the bar. We will not hear them." They were thus being rudely clamoured down, without any attempt to check it on the part of the court, when Mr. Bampfield, seizing a moment's silence that occurred in this uproar, exclaimed, " The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. 42 BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. The Lord be judge in this case ! " Thus appealing from the unjust earthly judge, to the Judge of all the earth, Bampfield was hurried back to Newgate. A man naturally of delicate frame, the hardships of his various imprisonments began to tell on his health. He had lived the full period allotted by the Psalmist to man, but the enfeebled state of his body, in con- sequence of his long and rigorous imprisonments, and the harsh treatment which obliged him to remain, at his last trial, for ten long hours in a cold and loathsome bail dock, hastened his end. He died on 16th Feb., 1683-4, much lamented by his fellow- prisoners, as well as by his many friends and acquaintances. His body was interred, amidst a large concourse of spectators, in the burial ground behind the Glasshouse -yard chapel, Goswell-street, London. There arc two congregations of Seventh-day Baptists in England, one meeting in Mill-yard, Whitechapel, and the other somewhere in the country ; but in America the Seventh-day Baptists are numerous. The Scotch Baptists. The section of the Baptist denomination known as the Scotch Baptists, " took its rise in 1765," and mainly owes its exist- ence and increase to the zeal and ability of one devoted man — Mr. Archibald McLean. He had been an earnest and conscien- tious member of the Presbyterian Church in Glasgow, of which Bev. John Maclaurin was the minister ; but having read Rev. John Glas's Testimony to the King of Martyrs, his faith was shaken in the propriety of national establishments of religion. This change led to his withdrawment from the Presbyterian Church in 1762, and to his uniting with a small society of Glasites, or, as they are better known in Scotland, the Sande- manians. A difference between himself and this church in a case of discipline ended in a speedy separation from them ; and in 1765 he became a Baptist. The last change in his opinions originated in this way : — Mr. Robert Carmichael, his friend (an BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 43 Independent minister who had just removed from Glasgow to Edinburgh), and himself had talked together on the subject of infant baptism. Both- felt at a loss to find Scriptural warrant for it, but not wishing to relinquish their belief hastily, it was agreed that each of them should carefully consult the New Testament on the subject, and communicate their thoughts upon it to each other. Mr. McLean was the first to arrive at the conclusion that the baptism of infants had no foundation in the Word of God. He hastened to state his reasons for this to Mr. Carmichael, and after some few months, Mr. Carmichael adopted Baptist opinions. In May 1765, Mr. Carmichael and some of his friends who sympathised with his wiews, withdrew from the Independent Church, and in October of the same year Mr. Carmichael came to London, and was baptized in Barbican by Dr. Gill. Before the close of the year the seceders and Mr. McLean were baptized by Mr. Carmichael. In 1766 Mr. McLean published some letters in Mr. Glas's Dissertation on Infant Baptism, which awakened great attention in Scotland. The following 3-ear he removed to Edinburgh, where he became the overseer of the extensive printing establishment of Messrs. Donaldson and Company, and in June he was unanimously elected by the small Baptist Church in that city, as Mr. Car- michael's colleague. The church in Edinburgh now rapidly increased. Churches were also formed in Glasgow, Montrose, Dundee, and other towns in Scotland. Mr. Carmichael removed to Dundee, and Mr. William Braidwood, a convert from the Independents, be- came joint elder with Mr. McLean of the Church in Edinburgh. Mr. McLean continued to superintend the extensive concern of Donaldson's printing office for eighteen years, and during the same period was a zealous and faithful elder of the original Scotch Baptist Church. The further spread of the distinctive principles of the Scotch Baptists, not only in Scotland but in England ; the pressure of work which was thus thrown on Mr. McLean, not only in answering numerous letters of enquiry, 44 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. in settling points of difference that arose in some of the new churches, but also "in setting societies in order, and in ordain- ing elders over them ; " the difficulty of attending conscien- tiously to his duties as overseer of a large printing office and of meeting these various religious claims upon his leisure time ; together with the fact that his health was beginning visibly to suffer, led the Church at Edinburgh to urge upon him the relinquishment of his secular work, and the acceptance of such a salary from them as they were able to offer. He agreed to their request in 1785, and now devoted himself with renewed energy to the duties of his sacred office. Year after year, in addition to the oversight of all the Churches of the Scotch Baptist persuasion, pamphlet after pamphlet appeared from his unwearied and prolific pen. Some of his publications were greatly admired for their simplicity, their earnestness, and their eminently Scriptural character by many devout men of other Christian denominations. Mr. McLean took a lively interest in furthering the regard of his own people to the Baptist Missionary Society, and both by lip and by pen helped greatly to extend in Scotland a desire to co-operate in this great work. About the middle of Nov. 1812, he was seized with dimness in one of his eyes, and sought relief in the application of electricity, with but little result. He still continued his labours in the Church, and preached as usual on Lord's-day, Dec. 6th. On the 21st of the same month he fell asleep, in the eightieth year of his age. The opinions of the Scotch Baptists will be best given in Mc Lean's own words : " As to their principles," says Mr. McLean, " they refer to no human system as the unexceptionable standard of their faith. They think our Lord and His Apostles used great plain- ness of speech in telling us what we should believe and practise ; and thence they are led to understand a great many things more literally and strictly than those who seek to make the religion of Jesus correspond with the fashion of the time, or the decent BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 45 course of the world. . . . Though they hold the doctrine of par- ticular election, of God's unchanging and everlasting love, and of the perseverance of the saints : yet they think it dangerous to comfort people by these considerations when they are in a backsliding state. In this case they think the Scripture motives to fear are most useful, and ought to have their full force, even the fear of falling away, and coming short of heavenly rest. They think it also unsafe, in such a case, to draw comfort from the reflection of our having once believed, it being their opinion, that we must be reduced to the mere mercy of God through the atonement which gave us relief at the first. " Their Church order is strictly congregational, and so far as they can discern, upon the Apostolic plan, which is the only rule they profess to follow. A plurality of elders or pastors in every church, is a distinguishing feature in their order ; at the same time when, from a deficiency of gifts, this cannot at first be attained, they first proceed with the setting a church in order by the ordination of one, although they consider a church incomplete without a plurality. The nature of their union requires that they should be strict and impartial in dis- cipline, both to preserve purity, and keep clear the channels of brotherly love, that it may circulate freely through the body. " They continue steadfast every first day of the week, in the Apostle's doctrine, that is, (1) in hearing the Scriptures read and preached ; (2) in fellowship or contribution ; (3) in breaking of bread or the Lord's Supper ; (4) and in prayers, and singing of Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The prayers and exhortations of the brethren are also admitted in their public meetings. (5) They observe the love -feast, and upon certain occasions (6) the kiss of charity ; and also (7) the washing of one another's feet, when it is really serviceable as an act of hospitality. They (8) abstain from eating blood and things strangled ; that is, flesh with the blood thereof, because these were not only forbidden to Noah and his posterity when 46 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the grant of animal food was first made unto man, but also under the Gospel they are most solemnly prohibited to the believing Gentiles, along with fornication and things offered to idols. " They think that a gaudy external appearance in either sex, be their station what it may, is a sure indication of the pride and vanity of heart. That women professing godliness are not to adorn themselves with plaited or broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array ; but with modest outward apparel, as well as with the inward ornaments of the mind ; also, that it is a shame for a man to have long hair, however sanctioned by the fashion. "As to marriage, though they do not think either of the parties being an unbeliever, dissolves that relation, when once entered into ; yet they hold it to be the duty of Christians to marry only in the Lord. " They also consider gaming, attending plays, routs, balls, and some other fashionable diversions, as unbecoming the gravity and sobriety of the Christian profession. "As to their political sentiments they consider themselves bound to be subject to the powers that be in all lawful matters, to honour them, pray for them, and pay them tribute, and rather to suffer patiently for a good conscience than in any case to resist them by force. At the same time they are friendly to the rational and just liberties of mankind, and think themselves warranted to plead, in a respectful manner, for any just and legal rights and privileges which they are entitled to, whether of a civil or religious nature." The New Connexion of General Baptists. Towards the middle of the Eighteenth century the General Baptists of England had become largely tainted with anti- Trinitarian opinions. The natural result was, the decay and extinction of many churches. Thomas Grantham announced, in the Declaration presented to Charles the Second, that there BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 47 were over twenty thousand persons in England who then held General Baptist opinions. In the days of George the Second that number had greatly diminished ; and since that period there has been a gradual decrease of churches who claim any historic connection with churches founded in the time of the Tudors and the Stuarts. The Xew Connexion of General Baptists sprang into existence in 1770, and as a protest against the anti- Trinitarian opinions of the older body. Its origin is partly due to the labours of certain earnest and godly men in Leicestershire, and partly to the herculean labours of a convert from Wesleyanism in York- shire, Dan Taylor, of Wadsworth, near Hebden-bridge. The centre of the Leicestershire Society was Barton-in-the-Beans, a small hamlet two miles from Market Bosworth, the scene of the defeat and death of Richard the Third, the last of the Plantage- nets. The Barton Society had been in existence some years before Dan Taylor made its acquaintance, and had churches affiliated with it at Melbourne, in Derbyshire, at Key worth and Loughborough, Leicestershire, and at Kirkby-Woodhouse, Not- tinghamshire. Abraham Booth was at this time pastor of the latter church. In the year 1764, a young man, about five-and-twenty, rather under the average size of men, strongly built, and with a frame that exhausting labour in a coal mine had rather more firmly knit than wasted, took an active part in digging out from a quarry blocks of stone which were intended to be used in the erection of a new place of worship. He had already drawn out the plan itself of the building. He now vigorously helped to reproduce the plan on the steep side of a romantic valley. All worked with a will, inspired by the example of the man who was at once preacher, architect of his own chapel, and mason. The edifice was at length complete ; when to crown his other labours and hasten on the work, he carried, on his own stalwart shoulders, from the old meeting place to the new one, the pulpit in which he was henceforth to labour. This was Dan Taylor, 4S BYE- PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. justly regarded as the father and founder of the New Connexion of General Baptists. The place of worship which Taylor had thus energetically assisted to build, was incumbered with a debt, which pressed heavily on the handful of people at Birchcliffe, as his new chapel was called. He therefore set off in quest of funds. The man who the year before had walked a hundred and twentj' miles in the depth of winter in search of Baptists, and had con- tentedly slept one night under a hay-rick, was just the man to carry his point, whatever it might be. He travelled into the Midland Counties as far as Loughborough, and here first made the personal acquaintance of the people with whom for many years afterwards his own life and labours were closely entwined. The following year Dan Taylor attended the General Assembly of the old General Baptist churches in London, as the represen- tative of the Lincolnshire branch of their churches. During the next four years the divergence in doctrine between himself and this older body became more and more distasteful, and he and the Lincolnshire churches withdrew from them, and made overtures to the five Midland churches to join together in forming a new religious organization. The overtures were cordially received, and a preliminary meeting was held at Lincoln in 1769. Early in the following year, the first annual meeting met in London, under the title of " The Assembly of Free Grace General Baptists/' Of the nineteen ministers who were present at that meeting, eight belonged to the churches which Dan Taylor had found in the Midland Counties six years before, and ten were ministers of churches connected with the older denomination. Dan Taylor, though reckoned as one of this older religious body, had only become associated with them through his acquaintance and official relation with the Lincolnshire branch of their churches. Henceforth the two currents of religious activity intermingled: but while that current was broader which flowed out from the Leicestershire spring, the current was more rapid and cner- BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 49 getic — a kind of moral and religions eagre — which arose in the northern county. In other words, Dan Taylor now became the ruling spirit of the whole community. He was their great organiser, their controversialist, their oracle. Taylor made the first attempts to give the General Baptists of the New Con- nexion a literature of their own, an attempt which was very little appreciated, partly owing to the foolish prejudice against all literature among the members, who comprised the early churches of the denomination. He presided for fifteen years over their Institution for the Education of Ministers. Several of his sons-in-law took prominent places in the New Connexion, and one of them afterwards followed his steps as editor of the magazine of the denomination, and tutor of the college. He assisted at no less than thirty-eight ordinations, was chairman of their annual meetings for nearly half a century, and was one of their most frequent and popular preachers, and the writer of many of its Circular Letters. No man did more to extend the denomination he so dearly loved ; and the work which he did at Birchliffe in 1764, was the work which, in a different fashion, and on a larger scale, he did afterwards for the whole Connexion. The life of Dan Taylor is the history of the New Connexion of General Baptists for more than half a century. He died in London, December 1816, aged 78, and was buried in Bunhill Fields. Nothing is more surprising than the amount of work Dan Taylor was able to accomplish, and unless he had been a rigid economist of time, notwithstanding his natural robustness, he could not have got through half his work. Moreover, there was never any period of his life, when his time was fairly his own ; now it was largely engrossed by a school, now by a farm, now by a shop, and now by the training of young ministers. Three or four times a year he made special preaching journeys, and before his removal from Halifax to London he had travelled twenty-five thousand miles in preaching the Gospel. He rarely preached, on these special journeys, less than nine times in E 50 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the week. His love for the Scriptures was a distinguishing trait in his character. Fearing that his sight was altogether failing, he determined to commit the whole of the Bible to memory ; and had actually accomplished part of his design, when his recovery dissipated his apprehensions." There are six articles of faith which were propounded by Dan Taylor, as the basis of union in 1770, and which will be found in a later part of this volume. We prefer to insert here the exposition of their opinions by the Rev. Dr. Underwood, of Chilwell College, Nottinghamshire. It is given in a paper read before the first autumnal session of the Baptist Union at Birmingham, Oct. 1864. Dr. Underwood says: — "Although I have no commission from any of my asso- ciated brethren to confess what they believe, I do not hesitate to present a summary of the sentiments which I think to be those of the denomination generally. • To us there is one God, of whom are all things, and we for Him.' But we hold that in this one God there are three sub- sistents, ' called Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,' who have proper Deity in themselves, and full communion with one another. Whether each of these subsistents should be called a person, and the whole three a Trinity, has been questioned by some ; but as the Father is said to be * a person,' and as the Son is said to be ' the express image of His person, ' and as the Spirit is neither Father nor Son, many of us feel no scruple in speaking of the Trinity, and in saying that there are three persons in one God. "We maintain the proper Divinity and perfect humanity of Christ, teaching that Christ is God, that Christ was man, and that He was God and man in one person, ' plain to be dis- tinguished, impossible to be divided.' We maintain the per- sonality and deity of the Holy Spirit, and that it is His office to enlighten, convict, and renew the sinner, and to sanctify, confirm, and comfort the saint. " Concerning man, we believe that he was formed in the BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 51 moral image of his Maker, but that he lost his original by one act of disobedience ; that from that act, which constituted the • fall ' of man, the whole race inherit an evil nature — are prone to sinful deeds — and do, on attaining the age of accountability, wilfully rebel against God. But while we believe that the moral stain contracted by the first transgression has been transmitted to all their posterity, we do not believe that the guilt of their offence is imputed to any of their des- cendants. . . . "We believe that the death of Christ was voluntary and vicarious, and that in connection therewith His obedience and sufferings constitute the real atonement, satisfying the Divine law, reconciling the offended God to man, and the offended man to God ; that the whole world, being guilty before God, is under condemnation to eternal death, yet that all penitents who trust in Christ have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. " But the distinguishing tenet from which we take our name, General, which was prefixed to our ancient deeds, covenants, which we have inserted in many of our title-deeds, and which we would gladly proclaim on the housetops, is — the love of God in Christ to all mankind. " On the liberty of man to choose the life or the death, the blessing or the curse, set before him, we have so strongly spoken as to provoke opponents to call us ' Free-willers. But . . . the first meeting which was held by the founders of the denomi- nation called itself an Assembly of Free Grace General Baptists ; ' and that this was a proper appellation may be seen from what all our predecessors have said in their Confes- sions. . . . "Our ecclesiastical polity is in close agreement with other Congregationalists. ... In former days pastors and deacons were set apart to their duties by counsel and prayer with the imposition of hands ; but now the choice of deacons is sometimes not a very spirited proceeding, and the ordination e2 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY solemnity, in the case of pastors, is supplanted too often by a semi-social hybrid called ' the recognition tea-meeting.' " In the matter of communion, our practice is far from being uniform. Until within a very few years nearly all our churches were close and strict; but now some are so open as to allow any person professing godliness to sit with them at the Lord's table. Several other churches invite those to participate who are known to be in actual membership with Pasdobaptist com- munities ; while the rest, and probably the majority, hold to the early custom of confining the privilege to those who had 1 been buried with Christ in baptism.' " Since the founding of the Connexion each church now belonging to it has been admitted on its own application ; but before the vote for admission is taken in the Annual Association, such application is accompanied by the recommendation of the district conference. The Association is an assembly of ministers who are members ex officio, and of representatives who are sent by the churches in a certain ratio. This assembly rotates, and is never held in one place oftener than once in seven years. The affiliated churches are expected to contribute to the support of the institutions of the Body, such as the Home and the Orissa Missions, and the College. If any church declines to render this support to any one of these institutions, the power of speaking or voting on questions relating thereto is forfeited. The Association acknowledges the perfect independence of the churches, and scrupulously avoids all synodic action which could infringe their freedom. But if any church should deny the right of the ministers and representatives to interfere with it in the event of its departure from the Christian faith and morality, such a church would be marked and admonished ; and if it continued contumacious, it would be cut off. In like manner, any minister convicted of flagrant heresy, or gross moral pravity, even if his people should adhere to him, would be openly disowned, and his name would be removed from the yearly ministerial list." CHAPTER IV. THE BAPTISTS AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE. THE Baptists occupy an honourable position in the history of religious freedom. They were the first to assert, in this country, the right of every man to worship God as his- conscience dictated, and the first to show that that right was based both on reason and Scripture. When England was still suffering from the vexations and miseries of persecution for religious opinions, Baptists lifted up their earnest, but at that time unheeded, protests against its injustice and tyranny. Some of these protests were issued at great peril to the writers, and others were the plaints of men who, for their Baptist opinions, were condemned to fester in loathsome prisons. All bear witness to an unconquerable love of freedom, which at length bore its priceless fruits. It would, therefore, be un- grateful in their descendants, who are now sitting under the shadow of the tree which these courageous pioneers watered with their blood, not to hold their names in everlasting remem- brance. Leonard Busher, the writer of the earliest extant treatise in favour of the broadest religious liberty, was a Baptist. There can be no question as to the truth of this statement, since it rests on his own emphatic words. " Christ," says Busher, in the treatise to which we refer, " will have His ministers to preach and to teach the people of all nations . . . and to 54 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. baptize in His name all who believe." Still more explicitly he says in another place : " Such as willingly receive the truth, Christ hath commanded to be baptized in water ; that is, dipped for the dead in water." Of Busher's personal history very little is known. He was a citizen of London in the later days of Queen Elizabeth, and fled to the Continent on account of his religious opinions. In the time of her successor, James the First, he returned to London; but "found it hard to get his daily bread, with his w T eak body and feeble hands." Probably, as his name suggests, of Walloon extraction ; a man of some learning ; a contro- versialist, entering the lists with Robinson of Amsterdam, and the Brownists ; too poor to print the books he had written, and yet somehow getting printed the one which places his name in the foremost ranks of advocates for religious liberty — such is absolutely all the record we have of the brave and gentle Leonard Busher. His treatise was presented to the King and Parliament in 1614 ; but so far as both were concerned, very little came of its presentation. A valiant Independent, in the days of the Civil War, Henry Burton by name, a man who had suffered under the tyranny of Laud, and was among the earliest of his own religious party to claim and allow full liberty of conscience, reprinted the treatise in 1646, with an address prefixed to it for the special benefit of the Presbyterians. At that time the Presbyterians were in the ascendant, and were eagerly using their power to repress all who differed from them. The title of Busher's treatise is, " Religious Peace ; or, A Plea for Liberty of Conscience." After a short preface " to the King, and to the princely and right honourable Parliament," for whom he wishes "the wis- dom of Solomon, the zeal of Josias, and the mercy of Christ, with the salvation of their spirits in the day of the Lord Jesus," Busher assigns seventeen reasons against persecution, and BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 55 concludes with " a design for a peaceable reconciliation of those that differ in opinion." Busher's main object by this petition was to secure a repeal of the odious and oppressive, or as he calls them, " the anti- Christian, Romish, and cruel laws," then in force against all Nonconformists. Every kind of argument is used to influence the minds of the King and his Parliament. We shall, perhaps, best illustrate the contents of this remarkable plea for liberty of conscience by grouping together some of its main features, rather than by pretending to give any complete analysis of the whole book. Busher quotes widely opposite examples of toleration. There is the example of the Emperor Constantine : " I read that he wrote to the Bishop of Rome, that he would not force and constrain any man to the faith, but only admonish, and commit judgment to God." There is that of a Turkish emperor. " A Bishop of Rome would have constrained him to the Christian faith, but the Emperor answered, ' I believe that Christ was an excellent prophet ; but He did never, as far as I understand, command that men should, with the power of weapons, be constrained to believe His law ; and verily I also do force no man to believe Mahomet's law." Busher adds to this the statement : " Also I read the Jews, Christians, and Turks are tolerated in Constantinople, and yet are peaceable, yet so contrary the one to the other. If this be so, how much more ought Christians not to force one another to religion ? And how much more ought Christians to tolerate Christians, whereas the Turks do tolerate them ? Shall ice be less merciful than the Turks ? Or shall we learn (teach) the Turks to perse- cute Christians ? It is not only unmerciful, but unnatural and abominable, yea, monstrous, for one Christian to vex and destroy another for difference and question of religion." Even " Pagans," Busher also says, " will not persecute one another for religion ; though, as I read, there be above three thousand sorts of them." He follows up the allusion to pagan toleration with a home- 56 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. thrust at the King about the mistakes made in England, "both by King Henry and Queen Mary, who thought themselves defenders of the faith, and thought they burned heretics and heresy, when they burned men and their books. But now you see, and must acknowledge, that they were persecutors of the faith, instead of defenders thereof." The uselessness of persecution is pointed out in various ways. " Neither the King nor the bishops can command faith, any more than they can command the winds." If you " force men to go to church against their consciences, they will believe as they did before when they come. ... It is not the gallows, nor the prisons, nor burning, nor banishing, that can defend the Apostolic faith .... The Dutch princes and peers say : ' that force, sword, and gallows, in matter of religion, is a good means to spill blood, and to make an uproar in the land ; but not to bring any man from one faith to another.' " Even kings enjoy no exemption from other people : " They are men as well as kings, and Christ hath ordained the same means of faith for kings as for subjects." Persecution is fraught with mischief to the State. "If per- secution continues, then the King and the State shall have against their will, many dissemblers in authority and office, both in court, city, and country. . . . Most men will conform themselves for fear of persecution, although in their hearts they hate and detest the religion whereto they are forced by law ; the which is verj* dangerous and hurtful, both to the King and to the State, in time of temptation from beyond the seas, and in rebellion at home. For they that are not faithful to God in their religion, will never be faithful to the King and the State in their allegiance: especially being tried by a great reward, or by a mighty rebel." Persecution is " a notable mark of the false Church, and her bishops and ministers." "All bishops that force princes and people to receive their faith and discipline, do, with Judas, go against Christ and His members, with swords, staves, and BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 57 halberds." " Christ saith, ' He that will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen man, and a publican.' He saith not, 'Burn, banish, or imprison him:' that is Antichrist's ordinance." " With Scripture, and not with fire and sword, your Majest3''s bishops and ministers ought to be armed and weaponed." " Those bishops which persuade the King and Parliament to burn, banish, and imprison for difference of religion, are bloodsuckers and manslayers." " The ministers and bishops of Antichrist cannot abide nor endure the faith and discipline of the Apostolic Church, because it will be the over- throw of their blasphemous and spiritual lordships, and of their an ti- Christian and bloody kingdom ; and therefore are they so fiery hot and zealous for the Catholic or anti- Christian faith and practice." Busher is very careful to show, by innumerable passages, that all Christ's teaching and example are directly against per- secution. " Christ came into the world to save sinners, and not to destroy them, though they be blasphemers ; seeing the Lord may convert them, as He did Saul." " Christ saith, ' Teach all nations ;' not, ' Force all nations.' " " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, and not by the King's sword." " Christ overcame the devil and his ministers by the Word of God, and by a good, meek, and gentle life." " And it is to be well observed, that when Christ would have preached the word of salvation to the Gadarenes, He did not compel them when they refused ; but finding them unwilling to receive Him and His Word, he turned from them without hurting them. Also when James and John saw that some of the Samaritans refused Christ, they wanted to have commanded fire from heaven to consume them, as Elias did; but Christ rebuked them and said, ' Ye know not of what spirit ye are ; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.' " " Christ sent His ministers as lambs among wolves, and not as wolves among lambs." These are a few only of the many passages that might be quoted. 58 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. By giving up persecution, Busher assures the King that he will " prevent his land from a great impoverishing and weaken- ing by the loss of the faithfullest subjects and friends, who, not having here freedom of conscience to follow the Apostolic faith, must depart the land for some free country." Still further, " the Jews, to the great profit of his realm, shall then inhabit and dwell under his Majesty's dominions." The King may even go further yet, and grant, without damage to the State, " liberty for every person, j^ea, Jews and Papists, to write, dispute, con- fer, and reason, print and publish any matter touching religion, either for or against whomsoever ; always provided" — and the proviso reads strangely in our days — ' ' they alledge no Fathers for proof of any point of religion, but only the Holy Scriptures." Many good things are suggested as likely to follow this repeal of Popish laws and canons. One of these is stated in a manner which reveals the quiet humour of this grave and valiant man. It is this — the possible action of such repeal on the bishops. Busher could see little difference between the manners of bishops, whether Popish or Protestant. " Pope, in Latin (Italian) is papa, and papa signifies father in English. All the bishops in our land are called 'Reverend Fathers;' therefore all the bishops in our land are called ' Reverend Popes.' So many ' Lord Bishops,' so many ' Reverend Fathers,' so many ' Reverend Popes.' " But such would be the influence upon the bishops' minds of this toleration, that after a time, suggests Busher, " All those bishops who unfeignedly fear God, and truly love the King, will haste and make speed to come to his Majesty for pardon; acknowledging the truth of this hook; con- fessing their ignorance and arrogance in God's Word ; and in compelling the people to hear the Word preached, and for imprisoning, burning, banishing, and hanging for religion, con- trary to the mind of Christ ; and also for stopping the mouths of men, and burning their books, that preach and write contrary to their minds and wills." Busher further adds, anticipating the very words of their penitence : " Yea, it may be, they will BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 59 also confess and say, ' Oh, most gracious King ! we beseech yoor Majesty to show us mercy, and to forgive us our spiritual pride and ambition, in that we have thus long usurped the blasphemous titles of * Spiritual Lords,' and 'Lord Graces;' the which titles we now, to the glory of God and honour of the King, do, with unfeigned hearts, confess to be due and belong only to Christ Himself. And that the name and title of 1 Spiritual Lord ' cannot belong to any earthly creature ; no, not to the King or Emperor, because it is an heavenly name and title. How much less can it belong, or be due to us, your Majesty's unworthy subjects and scholars? . . . Also we do confess that our pomp and state wherein we now live, is more like the bishops of the Catholic Church of Antichrist than any way like the bishops of the Apostolic Church of Christ, unto whom we acknowledge we ought to be made like, and also to be qualified with the like gifts and graces of the Spirit ; or else in no case can we be meet bishops for the Church of Christ, as the Apostle plainly teacheth both to Timothy and Titus, &c. And we must further acknowledge and confess that our houses, households, and revenues are more fit and meet for princes, dukes, and earls, than for disciples of Christ. Wherefore, being moved and stirred up hereto by the fear of God, ice earnestly beseech your Majesty and Parliament also to disburden us of this great pomp and state, and of our great and prince-like houses, households, and revenues, that so we may be made equal and conformable to the ministers of Christ ; and then we shall have both hope and comfort of the world to come, although but little in this, except your Majesty and Parliament do grant free liberty of conscience.' 1 " Five reasons are then supposed to be assigned by the peni- tent bishops for conceding this freedom, the last being " the great gain to the King and the country from the relinquishment of their own (the bishops') revenues, ' more profit and commodity than we or any man is able to express." The sarcasm reaches its drollest point when the bishops are said " to desire all his i 6o BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Majesty's subjects, both great and small, in all love and fear of God, not to be offended, or in any way moved or grieved, when they shall see such a reformation in us as that famous king, Henry the Eighth, did make of our lordly brethren, the abbots and their clergy. For indeed such a reformation ought to come among us clergy." Busher expresses a hope that all this surrender of their wealth may come about ''without compulsion and con- straint," But if this should not be, " that God would open the King's heart " to compel the bishops to disgorge their enormous wealth. A third coivrse, however, suggests itself to Busher's mind: "If free liberty of conscience be granted, the spiritual kingdom of these idol-bishops will, in time, fall to the ground of itself, as the idol Dagon fell before the ark." Events have abundantly justified Busher's prediction. The spiritual power of the English bishops in our day is absolutely nil. Even their own party sneeringly describe them as " mitred old gentlemen." "We cannot close our sketch of this treatise without pointing out the incidental confirmation which one passage in it supplies to a hundred other testimonies of the profligacy and debauchery of the times, the poison of the Court of James the First de- scending into and defiling every grade of society. "If," says Busher, when thinking of the dark condition of England at that time, " If the holy laws of God's "Word be practised and executed after Christ's will, then shall neither king, prince, nor people be destroyed for difference of religion. Then treason and rebellion, as well as burning, banishing, hanging, or impri- sonment for difierence of religion, will cease, and be laid down. Then shall not men, women, and youth be hanged for theft. Then shall not the poor, lame, sick, and weak ones be stocked (put in the stocks) and whipped ; neither shall the poor, stranger, fatherless, and widows be driven to beg from place to place ; neither shall the lame, sick, and weak persons suffer such misery, and be forsaken of their kindred, as now they be. Then shall not murder, whoredom, and adultery be bought out for money. Then shall not the great defraud and wrong the BYE -PAT IIS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 61 small ; neither the rich oppress the poor by usury and little wages. . . . Then shall not servants be forced from marriage bonds, nor yet be bound to servitude longer than six years ; neither shall they be brought up contrary to covenant, nor posted from one quarter or one year to another, for their free- dom, and in the end be forced to buy it of their masters, or else to go without it too." It has been conjectured that Leonard Busher was a member of Mr. Helwys's church ; but on what grounds does not appear. It is, however, worthy of notice, that the year after Busher issued his Plea for Liberty of Conscience, some members of this church published another pamphlet, " proving," as the title-page declares, " by the law of God and of the land, and by King James's own testimonies, that no man ought to be persecuted for his religion, so he testify his allegiance by the oath appointed by law." The title of the pamphlet is, " Persecution for Religion, judged and condemned." The resemblance between the style of this book, and one written by John Morton, a member of Mr. Helwys's church, has led to the conclusion that Morton himself was the author, although, at the end of the ''Epistle," or preface, the sub- scription runs as follows: "By Christ's unworthy witnesses, His majesty's faithful subjects, commonly (but most falsely) called, Anabaptists." The book is written in the form of a dialogue between Anti- Christian and Christian. " Why come you not to church ? " is the question started by Anti-Christian ; and this leads to a dis- cussion on the nature of worship, and so to the question of persecution. Anti- Christian thinks he has his opponent on the hip, when he says, "It is manifest in the Scriptures, by the example of the Apostle Peter smiting Ananias and Sapphira to death, and of the Apostle Paul striking Elymas, the sorcerer, blind, and also by delivering Hymeneus and Alexander unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that punishment upon the 62 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. body may be used, and the flesh destroyed. For if it were lawful for them to smite to death, and the like, though by extraordinary means, then it must be lawful for us by ordinary means, since extraordinary means now fail. If you say it be not lawful for us, then you must say it was not lawful for them ; and that were to accuse them of laying a false founda- tion, which none fearing God will affirm." Christian's reply to this specious statement is very adroit and unanswerable : "I dare not once admit of such a thought, as to disallow the truth of that foundation which the Apostles, as skilful master-builders, have laid ; but for your argument of Peter's extraordinaiy smiting of Ananias and Sapphira, he neither laid hand upon them, no?' threatened them by word, only declared what should befall them from God ; and, therefore, serveth nothing to your purpose. Also that of Paul to Elymas, he laid no hands upon him, but only declared the Lord's hand upon him, and the judgment that should follow. If you can so pronounce, and it so come to pass upon any, do it ; and then it may be you may be accounted master-builders, and layers of a new foundation, or another Gospel." In the course of the dialogue the writer denounces the pride, luxury, and oppression of the bishops, protests strongly against the political errors of the Papists, and condemns those who, through fear of persecution, comply with any external worship contrary to their conscience. The speeches of the King are quoted to illustrate his professions of religious toleration, a thing easy enough to do ; but it would be extremely difficult to point out instances wherein his actions agreed with his profes- sions. A part of the dialogue is taken up with the " illustration of the writer's opinion that the spiritual power of England is the image of the spiritual cruel power of Rome, or that beast mentioned in the thirteenth chapter of the Revelations ; " and the concluding portion is especially intended to meet and answer the objections made by the Brownists and Robinson against the creed and practice of the General Baptists. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 63 A very noteworthy declaration on the subject of liberty of conscience occurs in " the Epistle " which is prefixed to the dialogue, and is addressed " to all that truly wish Jerusalem's prosperity, and Babylon's destruction." The words are these: " We do unfeignedly acknowledge the authority of earthl)' magistrates, God's blessed ordinance, and that all earthly authority and command appertains to them. Let them com- mand what they will, we must obey, either to do or to suffer, upon pain of God's displeasure, besides their punishment. But all men must let God alone with His right, which is to be Lord and Lawgiver to the soul, and not command obedience to God, where He commandeth none. And this is only that which we dare not but maintain upon the peril of our souls, which is greater than bodily affliction." In the dialogue itself Christian afterward affirms, " If I take any authority from the King's majesty, let me be judged worthy of my desert ; but if I defend the authority of Christ Jesus over men's souls, which appertaineth to no mortal man whatsoever, then you know, that whosoever would rob Him of that honour which is not of this world, He will tread them under foot. Earthly authority belongs to earthly kings ; but spiritual authority belongeth to that spiritual King, who is King of kings." There had been no Session of Parliament between 1614 and 1620 ; but driven by his urgent necessities, the King sum- moned both Houses in the year last named. In this year a third appeal was made by the Baptists for religious liberty, in "A most Humble Supplication ;" or, as the title amply declares — " A most Humble Supplication of many of the King's Royal Subjects, ready to testify all Civil Obedience, by the Oath of Allegiance or otherwise, and that of Conscience, who are Persecuted (only for differing in Religion) contrary to Divine and Human Testimonies.'''' The Baptists had good reason to plead earnestly for liberty of conscience at this period. They were not only themselves everywhere suffering 64 BYE-PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. front persecutions, but even the author of these arguments against persecutions was, at the time of -writing his book, " a close prisoner in Newgate.'' " Having not the use of pen and ink," says Roger Williams, " he wrote these arguments in milk, in sheets of paper brought to him by the woman, his keeper, from a friend in London as the stopples of his milk bottle. In such paper, written with milk, nothing appeared ; but the way of reading it by fire beiDg known to his friend who received the papers, he transcribed and kept together the papers, although the author himself could not correct nor view what himself had written." The "Most Humble Supplication," is divided into ten chapters, wherein the Baptists again set forth their opinions of the rule of faith, the method of ascertaining its teaching, and the folly, unlawfulness, and unscripturalness of persecution : " (1) The rule of faith is contained in the Holy Scriptures, not in any church, council, prince, or potentate, nor in any mortal man whatso- ever ; (2) the interpreter of this rule is the Scriptures, and the Spirit of God in whomsoever ; (3) the Spirit of God, to under- stand and interpret the Scriptures, is given to all and every person that fear and obey God, of what degree soever they be, and not to the wicked ; (4) these men are commonly, and the most part the simple, poor, and despised, Sec. ; (6) the learned in human learning do commonly and for the most part err, and know not the truth, but persecute it and the professors of it, and therefore are no further to be followed than we see them agree with the truth ; (6) persecution for cause of conscience is against the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the King of kings ; (7) against the profession and practice of famous princes ; (8) con- demned by ancient State writers, yea, by Puritans and Papists ; (9) it is no prejudice to the Commonwealth if freedom of reli- gion were suffered, but would make it flourish ; (10) lastly, kings are not deprived of any power given them of God, when they maintain freedom for cause of conscience." In the seventh chapter, the Baptists quote the testimony of BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 65 Stephen, the liberal and tolerant King of Poland, who declared, "I am king of men, not of consciences; a commander of bodies, not of souls." It was this same distinguished sovereign who, though a convert to Catholicism, strenuously rejected the counsels of the Jesuits to persecute, and whose favourite saying was this, " There are three things which God has reserved to Himself — creative power, the knowledge of future events, and dominion over conscience." But the foremost place is given in this chapter to the sayings of King James himself. The Bap- tists write, "We beseech your Majesty, we may relate your own worthy sayings, in your Majesty's speech at Parliament, 1609. Your Highness saith, ' It is a rule in divinity, that God never loves to plant His Church by violence and bloodshed,' &e. And in your Highness 's apology for the Oath of Allegiance, speaking of such Papists as take the oath, thus, ' I gave a good proof that I intended no persecution against them for con- science' cause, but only desired to be secured (of them) for civil obedience, which, for conscience' cause, they were bound to perform.' And speaking of Blackwell, the archpriest, your Majesty saith, ■ It was never my intention to say anything to the said archpriest' s charge, as I have never done to any, for cause or conscience.' And in your Highness's Exposition of Rev. xx., printed in 1588, and after in 1603, your Majesty truly saith, ■ Sixthly, the compassing of the saints, and besieging of the beloved city, declareth unto us a certain note of a false Church to be persecution ; for they came to seek the faithful, the faithful are those that are sought; the wicked are the besiegers, the faithful are the besieged.' " But King James could talk liberally enough when it suited his purpose. There is no evidence that he was equally liberal in his actions. It shows, therefore, great courage in these despised and persecuted Baptists daring to close their " Humble Sup- plication " with these words to the King : " You may make and mend your own laws, and be judge and punisher of the trans- gressors thereof ; but you cannot make and mend God's laws, F 66 DYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. they are perfect already ; you may not add nor diminish, nor be judge nor monarch of His Church ; that is Christ's right. He left neither you, nor any mortal man His deputy, but only the Holy Ghost, as your Highness acknowledged. And who- soever erreth from the truth, his judgment is set down, and the time thereof. This, then, is the sum of our humble petition, that your Majesty would be pleased not to persecute your faithful subjects, who are obedient unto you in all civil worship and service, for walking in the practice of what God's Word requireth of us for His spiritual worship, as we have faith : knowing as your Majesty truly writeth in your Meditation on Matt, jwvii., in these words : ' We can use no spiritual worship nor prayer, than can be available to us without faith.' " It was no unskilful hand that thus feathered the last arrow with the King's own words ; but, so far as liberty of conscience was concerned, all arrows proved in vain, the King in no case relaxing the iron hand of persecution which held the Baptists, and others, in its relentless grip. Two or three other Baptist testimonies in favour of religious freedom were published during the time of the Civil War and the Restoration. A passing glance at one of these will show that there is an unbroken chain of witnesses to be found among the Baptists from the days of James the First, until the eve of the famous Act of Toleration. Not that Baptists, during all this period, were alone in their testimony ; but they were its earliest and its most faithful and persistent advocates. Jeremy Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying appeared in 1646, and in the same year Mr. Dell expressed, in his sermon before the House of Com- mons, a clear and decided appeal for religious freedom. Mean- while, the Independents were growing in their attachment to the same noble cause ; and more than one public advocate of it arose in their midst. In 1647, Mr. Samuel Richardson, who was co-pastor of the first Calvinistic Baptist Church in England, published a book under the title Fifty Questions jiropounded to the BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 67 Assembly of Divines. This was afterwards issued under the title of " The Necessity of Toleration in Matters of Religion." Like many of the books published in those days, a whole table of its contents appears in the title-page of this very rare tract. As a curiosity of its kind, we transcribe the whole : "The Necessity of Toleration in all Matters of Ilsligion ; or, certain questions propounded to the Synod, tending to prove that Corporeal Punishment ought not to be inflicted upon such as hold Errors in Religion, and that in matters of Religion, men ought not to be compelled, but have liberty and freedom. Here is also a copy of the Edict of the Emperors Constantinus and Licinius, and containing the Reasons that enforced them to grant unto all men liberty to choose and follow what Religion they thought best. Also, here is the faith of the Assembly of Divines, as it was taken out of the exactest copy of their practice, with the Non- conformists' Answer ivhy they cannot receive and submit to the said faith." After offering five reasons in favour of the proposition, — "that religion ought to be free," — Mr. Kichardson submits no less than seventy questions to the Synod. The nature of all these questions, as the title-page indicates, tends to prove " that corporeal punishments ought not to be inflicted upon such as hold Errors in Religion." We give a few, as a fair example of the rest : — "5. Whether it be wisdom and safe to make such sole judges in matters of religion who are not infallible, but as liable to err as others ? "8. If the magistrates may determine what is truth; whether we must not believe and live by the magistrate's faith, and change our religion at their pleasures ? And if nothing must be preached, nor printed, nor allowed to pass, unless certain men please and approve, and give their allowance thereto, f2 68 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. under their hands, — whether such do not, by this practice, tell God that unless He will reveal His truth first to them, they will not suffer it to be published, and so not to be known ? . . . ''21. Whether it be not better for us that a patent were granted to monopolise all the corn and cloth, and to have it measured out to us at their price and pleasure — which yet were intolerable — as for men to appoint and measure out unto us, what and how much we shall believe and practise in matters of religion ? 11 22. Whether there be not the same reason that they should be appointed by us, what they shall believe and practise in religion, as for them to do so for us ; seeing that we can give as good grounds for what we believe and practise, as they can do for what they would have, if not better ? " 29. Whether it be not vain for us to have Bibles in English, if, contrary to our understanding of them, we must believe as the Church believes, whether it be right or wrong ? " 36. Whether the Scriptures appoint any other punishment to be inflicted upon heretics, than rejection and excommunica- tion ? " 56. Whether it be not a horrible thing that a free division of England may not have so much liberty as is permitted to a Turk in this kingdom ; who although he denies Christ, yet he can live quietly amongst us here ? And is it not a great in- gratitude of this kingdom to deny this liberty to such as are friends, and have been means in their persons and estates, to save this England from destruction and desolation ? Oh, England, England ! Oh that thou wert wise to know the things that belong to thy prosperity and peace, before it be too late ! The hand of God is against thee. How have we slain one another; and who know r s but this is come upon us for troubling, undoing, despising, and banishing the people of God into so many wildernesses ? "61. Whether the priest's practice be not contrary to the BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 69 Apostle's practice ? Take one instance : the Apostles dipped, that is, baptized, persons after they believed and confessed their faith; whereas these sprinkle persons before they believe, yea, before they can speak. They (the Apostles) baptized persons in the river ; these (the priests) sprinkle water upon their faces. Yet, if you will believe them, they are the successors of Apostles, and follow their steps." Mr. Richardson, in the next part of his book, contends for the supremacy of Christ in His own Church, and for the ex- communication of magistrates themselves, though members of churches, if they deserve it. " Sins of magistrates," saj*s Richardson, " are hateful and condemned. It is a paradox, that a magistrate may be punished by the Church, and yet that they are judges of the Church." True religion demands from the magistrate a three-fold duty : " Approbation, with a tender respect to the truth and the professors of it ; personal submis- sion of his soul to the power of Jesus and His government ; and protection of them and their estates from violence and injury." Even to a false religion he owes " permission and protection of person and goods." Richardson afterwards answers the objection that " the kings of Judah compelled men to serve the Lord, and kings may now compel, &c, showing that only Jews were compelled, and not strangers ; that the Jews even were not to do anything but what they knew and confessed to be their duty ; that if Jewish kings did compel, their actions were not moral, and so to be imitated ; that they did not imprison schismatics, Pharisees, Herodians, and others ; that they were directed by infallible prophets ; and that Christ has nowhere set down that magistrates should compel all to His religion. In the latter part of his reply, Richardson asks, with shrewd humour, " Is there no better cure of pain in the head than beating out one's brains ? " Milton declared that "new presbyter was old priest writ large ; " and many good men found this out to their cost. 11 Your argument is authority," says Richardson to Mr. 7 o BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Presbyter; "what you say must be an oracle of all men to be deferred to without opposition. What is contrary to you is heresy, ipso facto, to be punished with faggot and flaming fire;" " such as cannot dance after your pipe, and rule in your way, you judge heretics, and they must appear before your dread- ful tribunal, to receive your reproof, which is sharp and terrible, and strikes at our liberties, estates, and lives." " You want still to use the sword." " We had as good be under the Pope as under your Presbyterian check, . . . since you will suffer none to live quietly and comfortably but those of your way." * * Richardson, in Ins Plain Dealing, &c, speaks a strong -word in praise of Cromwell's services to his country and his personal qualities as a man and a governor, calling special attention to his tolerant spirit. The words are the more valuable because they are the testimony of one personally acquainted with Cromwell, and an eye-witness of the facts he relates. "His Highness," says Richardson, speaking of the Lord Protector, "aimeth at the general good of the nation, and the just liberty of every man. He is also a godly man, and one that feareth God and escheweth evil ; though he is not, nor no man else, without human frailty. He is faithful to the saints, and to these nations, in whatsoever he hath undertaken from the beginning of the wars. He hath owned the poor despised people of God, and advanced many of them to a better way and means of living. He hath been an advocate for the Christians, and hath done them much good in writing, speaking, pleading for their liberty in the Long Parliament, and fighting for their liberty. He, with others, bath hazarded his life, estate, family ; and since he hath refused great offers of wealth and worldly glory for the sake and welfare of the people of God. God hath given him more than ordinary wisdom, strength, courage, and valour. God hath been always with him, and gives him great successes. He is fitted to bear burden, and to endure all opposition and contradictions that may stand with public safety. He is a terror to his enemies ; he hath a large heart, spirit, and principle, that will hold all that fear the Lord, though of different opinions and practices in religion, and seek their welfare. It is the honour of princes to pity the miserable, to relieve the oppressed, and the wrongs of the poor; he is humble, and despiseth not any because poor ; and is ready to hear and help them. He is a merciful man, full of pity and bounty to the poor. A liberal heart is more precious than heaven or earth. He gives in money to maimed BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 71 It would be easy to show that Baptists have persistently advocated the fullest liberty of conscience from the days of James the First to the days of William the Third ; but enough has been given to justify the Baptist claim to an early, a clear, and an emphatic advocacy by their forefathers of religious freedom. soldiers, ■widows, and orphans, and poor families, a thousand pounds a week to supply their wants : he is not a lover of money, which is a singular and extra- ordinary thing. He will give, and not hoard up money, as some do. I am persuaded there is not a better friend to these nations and people of God among men, and that there is not any man so unjustly abused and censured as he is. And some that now find fault with him, may live to see and confess that what I have herein written is truth ; and when he is gathered to his fathers, shall weep for the want of him." CHAPTER V. PERSECUTION OF THE BAPTISTS IN ENGLAND. BAPTISTS enjoy the enviable distinction of having excited the hostility and suffered from the oppression of every dominant religions party in England, from the days of Henry the Eighth to the days of the Revolution in 1688. It is not difficult to understand how this has happened. The Baptists argued that the Church of God should be a community of godly men ; that faith is the gift of God, and not to be compelled by force of arms ; that only those rites sanctioned or commanded by Christ and His Apostles are binding upon His people ; and that the only Lawgiver of the Church is Christ Himself. Each party had, therefore, its own reason for hating the Baptists ; and as each had yet to learn the true nature of religious free- dom, each oppressed and persecuted in turn. Believers in national State Churches, in the power of the secular magis- trates to punish error, in the authority of bishops or synods to decree rites and ceremonies, and in the supremacy of the Sovereign as Head of the Church, all had their own ground for repugnance to the Baptists. We see this in their persecu- tion by Henry the Eighth (1509-1547.) Bitterly as he hated the Papist party, after he had broken with Rome, he was not long before he revealed a still more BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 73 bitter hatred of all Baptists, English and Continental. The year in which he became supreme head of the Established Church in England, two proclamations were published against Baptists and the followers of Zwingle. Many of the King's subjects, we are told, "had been induced and encouraged, arrogantly and superstitiously (?) to argue and dispute in open places, taverns, and ale-houses, not only upon baptism, but also upon the sacrament of the altar; " and, to put a stop to these "pestilent fellows," the King declares that, "like a godly and Catholic prince, he abhorreth and detesteth the same sects, and their wicked and abominable errors and opinions, and intendeth to proceed against such of them as be already apprehended, according to their merits, and the laws of the realm." Ten days only were allowed to all who held these "pestilent heresies" to leave the country. Close upon the heels ^of this followed a second proclamation still more severe. Many strangers in England, " who had been baptized in infancy, but had contemned that holy sacrament, and had presumptuously re-baptized themselves, were spreading every- where their heresies against God and His Holy Scriptures to the great unquietness of Christendom, and perdition of innumerable Christian souls ; " and the King, forsooth, " daily studying and minding above all things to save his loving subjects from falling into any erroneous opinions," warns them to depart from Eng- land within twelve days, reminds them that some of their com- pany are already convicted, and will presently " suffer the pains of death," and threatens all other Anabaptists and Zwinglians with the same fate, if they are caught. The follow- ing year ten were put to death, and ten saved their lives by recantation. Besides these, fourteen Hollanders were burnt for holding " damnable errors drawn from an indiscreet use of the Scriptures." Four years past away, when a third proclamation was issued, this time appointing Cranmer and eight others to make dili- gent search for Anabaptist men, books, and letters. Full power 74 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. was given to Cranmer and his party to deal capitally with each obstinate heretic. Books and men were, " at their pleasure," to be committed to the flames. Little seems to have come of this ; since a month later a fifth proclamation was issued, for- bidding unlicensed books from being imported or printed, and singling out for special condemnation the works of Baptists and Zwinglians. The same month, November 1538, some of these hated and persecuted people were burnt in Smithfield ; and the following month, in consequence of the King's letter to the justices of the peace throughout the country, in which increased rigour was enjoined against the unfortunate Baptists, numbers fled to Holland, where they were betrayed. On the 7th of January, 1539, fifteen women were drowned, and sixteen men beheaded. The King, still failing in his efforts, now adopts a milder course. He is pleased to speak of himself, as "like a most loving parent much moved with pity " for the " many simple persons" who have been seduced by Anabaptists and Sacramentarians, and offers "all and singular such persons" his royal forgiveness. This parental feeling did not last many months, since in July, 1540, those who declared " that infants ought not to be baptized," were specially exempted from all benefit in a general pardon. But neither threats .nor cajolery prevented the spread of Baptist opinions. Like the Israelites in Egypt, " the more they were afllicted, the more they multi- plied and grew." Nor did the position of Baptists much improve under the reign of Edward the Sixth (1547—1553). In the first year of Edward's reign, Ridley and Gardiner united together in a commission to deal with two Baptists in Kent. A Protestant Inquisition was established, with Cranmer at its head. They were to pull up " the noxious weeds of heresy." Their work was to be done with the forms of justice and in secret. They might fine, imprison, torture, and, in all BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 75 cases of obstinate heretics, hand them over to the civil power to be burnt. Four years later this commission was renewed, and in the same year Baptists were a second time excluded from a general pardon. It was this Inquisition that condemned Joan Bocher, and scattered, or tried to scatter, the congrega- gations of Baptists gathered in Kent. Still their numbers in- creased. Strype tells us that " their opinions were believed by many honest meaning people ; " and another writer affirms, that the articles of religion, issued just before the King's death, " were principally designed to vindicate the English Keformation from that slur and disgrace which the Anabaptists' tenets had brought upon it," a clear proof that the Baptists were, at that period, neither few nor unimportant. The sour bigot, who next occupied the English throne, made matters worse, although Baptists were now partly lost in the common ranks of Protestants. , Mary (1553—1558) regarded herself asa" virgin sent from heaven to rule and tame the people of England." How faithfully she executed her pre- tended mission, a long array of martyrs too surely testifies. Essex had the honour of yielding scores of Baptist martyrs during this gloomy reign. Humphrey Middleton, and three others, were burnt at Canterbury in 1535. " Would to G-od," wrote the Commissioners who visited Essex, and especially the district around Colchester, to find fresh victims for the martyr's stake — " Would to God the Honourable Council saw the face of Essex as we do see it. We have such obstinate heretics, Ana- baptists, and other unruly persons here as never was heard of. If we should give it off in the midst " [that is, cease their dis- graceful work], " we should set the country in such a roar, that my estimation, [reputation] and that of the Commissioners, shall ever be lost." That some who avowed their belief in the doctrines com- monly held by the Baptists recanted, when the rack dislocated 76 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. their limbs, and the shadow of the stake fell upon them, is no more than one might expect. It is not every woman that can bear to have her joints racked, " and lie still and not cry," as Ann Askew did; and " even suffer her bones and joints to be plucked asunder in such sort that she was nigh unto death," without breathing a single syllable of recantation. It is not every man who can face his scowling judges, when they were athirst for his blood, and extort the declaration from one of them, " that he was the most unshamefaced heretic he ever saw ; " and then, after being " baited," now by one inquisitor, and now by another, go back to his prison cell, and write cheery notes to his wife, sending therewith " a threepenny token and comfits for little Katherine ; two nutmegs, " a poor prisoner's gift," to some friends ; " two pieces of Spanish money, and a key-log for a token to his wife, wishing " she could make means for her money to send a cheese to Peter ; " and in the midst of these touching traits of human affection and home feeling, bursting out into a passionate petition, " Be fervent in prayer. Pray, pray, pray ! that God would, of His mercy, put up His sword, and look on His people ! " But though some could not endure the ordeal of fire, many showed, like Kobert Smith, a yeoman of the guard at Windsor, the heroism of their faith. Another instance may be given. Kobert Smith had declared to Bonner, that " it was a shameful blasphemy to use such mingle-mangle " as holy oil, salt, and other things, " in bap- tizing young infants." John Denby shook the nerves of the same irate bishop by assuring him ''that the christening of children, as then used in the Church of England, was not good, nor allowable by God's Word, but against it ; likewise con- firming children, giving of orders, saying of matins and even- songs, anointing of persons, making of holy bread and holy water." Denby, and his friend Newman, both of Maidstone, were pounced upon by an arch and bitter enemy of the Baptists. The persecutor had just returned from the burning of some BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. heretics either at Raleigh or Rochford, when he fell in with these friends, then visiting in Essex. " Even as I saw them I suspected them," says this sleuth-hound of Bonner. "And when I did examine and search them, and found about them certain letters, which I have sent you, and also a certain writing in paper what their faith is. And they confessed to me that they had forsaken and fled out of their country for re- ligion's sake." Denby and his friend were hurried off to Bonner's palace, where both remain firm to their faith. " As touching the christening, the sacrament of baptism, which is christening of children," said Denby, "it is altered and changed. For St. John used nothing but the preaching of the Word and water, as it doth appear when Christ required to be baptized of him, and others also, who came to John to be baptized of him, as it appeareth in Matt, iii., Mark i., Luke iii. and Acts i. The chamberlain said, ' See, here is water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? ' It appeareth here, that Philip had preached to him : for he said, 'Here is water.' We do not read that he asked for any cream, oil, or spittle, or conjured water, or conjured wax, no croysom, no salt, for it seemeth that Philip had preached no such things to him ; for he would as well have asked for them as water ; and the water was not conjured, but even as it was before. Also Acts x., 1 Then answered Peter, Can any forbid water, that these should not be baptized ? ' Acts xvi., ■ And Paul and Silas preached unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house ; and he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their wounds ; and so was he baptized, and all them of his household straightway : ' where you see nothing but preach- ing and the Word." Denby was condemned and burnt at Uxbridge. He gave expression to his joy, even in suffering ; but a fanatical perse- cutor, urged by Dr. Story, hurled a faggot at his face : " where- with, being so burnt that his face bled, he left singing, and clapt both his hands upon his face." " Truly," said the inhuman 78 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. doctor to the man who obeyed his malicious command, " Truly thou hast marred a good song." The brutal jest was only half true. Denby recovered himself; and " stretching his hands abroad, whilst the flames were licking off the skin and flesh, he burst into another song, and then resigned his soul into the hands of God, through Jesus Christ." Newman did not long survive his friend. He was burnt at the end of the same month at Saffron Walden. Many of the Baptists who perished during this reign are purposely hidden by Fox in the crowd of other sufferers. Either from a desire to please the ruling party in his day, or from dislike to the men who could not sound his shibboleth, the Martyrologist has slighted the Baptists. He commonly omits all reference to their sufferings, or suppresses the par- ticulars by which we could identify them as belonging to the " sect everywhere spoken against." The last of the Tudors treated the Baptists with very little pity. Elizabeth (1558—1603) had scarcely been on the throne four years, before Baptists, " natural born people of the land and foreigners," were ordered to depart within twenty days, upon pain of imprisonment and loss of goods. This was a terrible blow, since many exiles, full of hope for future liberty and peace in their own land, had returned from their places of sojourn abroad. The " bright occidental star," whose rising had been hailed at home and abroad, heralded nothing but evil to the much-defamed Ana- baptists. They crept out of their numerous hiding-places "an exceeding great army," * but only to find themselves in the * The remorseless butcheries of Alva had driven many Dutch Baptists into England. " The realm,'' said Dr. Parker, "was full of Anabaptists, Arians,"' &c. Many Anglican divines of the same period give similar testimony. Aylmer speaks of "Anabaptists, with infinite swarms of other Satanistes; "' Jewel, of "large and inauspicious crops of Arians and Anabaptists; 7 ' and Some, of " Anabaptist conventicles in London, and elsewhere." BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 79 presence of peril and suffering from Protestant persecutors. The virulent misrepresentations of the trimming Cranmer, the sturdy Latimer, the gentle Hooper, and the able Ridley of earlier days, were now repeated, with variations, by the judicious Hooker, the vehement and impetuous Knox, and many men of inferior reputation. The Queen's proclamation against Anabaptists was seconded by her obsequious bishops, although Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich, forms an honourable exception. He was still regarded as " winking at heretics and Anabaptists," and special inquiry was therefore ordered to be made in his diocese. In 1568 the Queen ordered a general visitation to be made in every parish through England, wherever strangers congregated, to hunt out Anabaptists and other teachers of what she deemed "evil doctrine." Many Germans and Flemings suffered in consequence of these repressive measures. Numbers of English Baptists also fled to the Continent for safety. About seven years after this visitation, two Dutchmen were burnt in Smith- field — Hendrick Terwoort and Jan Pieters — with the story of whose end everyone is familiar. The old and barbarous writ against heretics (de hceretico comburendo), which had been passed at a Parliament held in Leicester a century and a half before, had been hung up by the Queen as a menace, but it was now put into execution. Terwoort and Pieters were the only two victims who perished at the stake ; but many languished in loathsome dungeons, and more Baptists were expelled from England during Elizabeth's reign, than during the reign of any other sovereign that ever sat on the throne of these realms. The Baptists fared but badly under the Tudors ; they fared little better under the Stuarts. James the First (1603—1625) talked liberally enough, but his practice did not agree with his words. " No State," said James the First, " can evidence that co BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. any religion or heresy was ever extirpated by the sword, nor have I ever judged it a way of planting the truth." Yet two men were burnt for their opinions, Bartholomew Leygate and Edward Wightman. "Wightman has been claimed as an Ana- baptist ; but so many heresies are charged upon him, some foolish, others inconsistent, that if he held them all, he must either be regarded as a madman or an idiot. James the First dealt roughly with the Baptists. From Busher's treatise, pub- lished some years after James' ascension to the throne, there is strong proof that " his Majesty's bishops and ministers had been armed and wcaponed with fire and sword, and not with Scripture." It was the thought of numbers who were falling astray or into error because of persecution, that induced Helwyss and others, to return to England ; and in the pamphlet of which these Anabaptists were the authors, they tell the King "that it is no small persecution to lie many years in filthy prisons, in hunger, cold, idleness, divided from wife, family, calling ; left in continual miseries and temptations, so that death would be to many less persecution." A similar revela- tion of their condition is made in the Humble Supplication presented to the King in 1620 : — " Our miseries are long and lingering imprisonments for many years in divers counties in England, in which many have died, and left behind them widows, and manj- small children ; taking away our goods, and others the like, of which we can make good probation : not for any disloyalty to your Majesty, nor hurt to any mortal man, our adversaries themselves being judges ; but only because we dare not assent unto, and practise in the worship of God, such things as we have not faith in, because it is sin against the Most High." They appeal to the King " to repeal and make void those cruel laws that persecute poor men only for matters of conscience." These general declarations will 6how the melancholy condition of Baptists under the meanest and most despicable sovereign that ever held an English sceptre. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 81 His son and successor, Charles the First (1625—1642), bettered his father's instructions. He had scarcely been on the throne twelve months before the spies of Laud pounced upon Thomas Brewer, a zealous Baptist preacher, at Ashford, in Kent. Brewer was dragged before the High Commission Court, and committed to prison, where he remained no less than four- teen years. Laud, speaking of "the mischief" done by Brewer and others, declares, " that it is so deeply rooted, it is impossible to be plucked up on a sudden." He asks the King for " time to work it off, little by little ! " It appears, however, from the account of his province sent to the King eleven years after Brewer was imprisoned, that Laud adopted anytbing but dilatory and indirect methods for accomplishing his ends. " I must give your Majesty to understand," says Laud, " that at and about Ashford, in Kent, the Separatists continue to hold then- conventicles, notwithstanding the ex-communication of so many of them as have been disclosed. Two or three of their principal ringleaders, Brewer, Fenner, and Turner, have been long kept in prison, and it was once thought fit to proceed against them by the statute of abjuration. Not long since Brewer slipt out of prison, and went to Rochester and other parts of Kent, and held conventicles, and put a great many people into great distemper about the Church. He is taken again, and was called before the High Commission, when he stood silent ; but in such a jeering, scornful manner as I scarcely ever saw the like. So in prison he remains." In 1640 Brewer was released from prison by order of the House of Commons. It was, however, in the same year in which Brewer was set at liberty that a convocation of the bishops and clergy of York and Canterbury was held in London, with more pomp and parade than the troublesome state of the times justified. At this Synod seventeen canons were adopted. One of them, under the pretext of discouraging Popery, but evidently with 82 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the design of crushing Dissenters, ran as follows: — " All ecclesiastical persons within their several parishes and jurisdic- tions shall confer privately with Popish recusants ; but if private conference prevail not, the Church must and shall come to her censures ; and to make way for them, such persons shall be presented at the next visitation who came not to church, and refuse to receive the holy sacrament, or who either hear or say mass ; and if they remain obstinate after citation, they shall be ex-communicated. But if neither conference nor censures pre- vail, the Church shall then complain of them to the civil power ; and this sacred (?) synod does earnestly entreat the reverend justices of assize to be careful in executing the laws, as they will answer it to God. " The synod further declares, that the canon above-men- tioned against Papists shall be in full force against all Ana- baptists, Brownists, Separatists, and other sectaries, as far as they are applicable." The following year, to the great relief of many persons, the High Courts of Commission and the Star Chamber were both dissolved by Act of Parliament. The spirit of persecution was not thereby destroyed. The Act abolishing these two courts decreed, "that none should be erected with like powers in future." Yet in the same year, Edward Barber, the minister of a congregation of Baptists in the Spittle, Bishopsgate-street, London, was committed to prison for eleven months. His only offence was the publication of "A treatise on Baptism, or dipping; wherein is already showed," says the title-page, "that our Lord Christ ordained dipping, and that sprinkling of children is not according to Christ's institution : and also the invalidity of those arguments which are commonly brought to justify that practice." Mr. Barber had once been a clergyman in the Established Church. The Civil War (1642—1649). Hitherto the Baptists had suffered from the arbitrary power of Protestant and Popish sovereigns and their ready tools ; BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 83 they were now to have a taste of Presbyterian oppression. Presbyterianism was in the ascendant at the outbreak of the Civil War, and retained its predominance among the Parliamen- tarians for some years. The Presbyterian ministers began to clamour for the suppression of the Sectaries, as they styled the Baptists and Independents. " If you do not labour," said Calamy, in a sermon preached before the House of Commons in 1644, "according to your duty and power to suppress the errors and heresies that are spread in the kingdom, all these errors are your errors, and these heresies are your heresies. They are your sins ; and God calls for a Parliamentary repen- tance from you this day. You are the Anabaptists, you are the Antinomians, and it is you that hold all religions should be tolerated." "Is it persecution," said Dr. Burgess, in another sermon before the House the year after (April 30th, 1645), "Is it persecution and anti-Christianism to engage all to unity and uniformity ? Doth Paul bid the Philippians beware of the concision ? Doth he beseech the Romans to mark those that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrines they have received, and avoid them? Doth he, in writing to the Galatians, wish ' I would they were even cut off that trouble you ? ' And is it such an heinous offence now for the faithful servants of Christ to advise you by the same course ? Good heavens ! " Even Baxter said, " I abhor unlimited liberty and toleration of all, and think myself easily able to prove the wickedness of it." The same year that Dr. Burgess preached his sermon, Parlia- ment, now filled with Presbyterians, passed an ordinance, which ran as follows : — " That no person shall be permitted to preach, who is not ordained a minister of this (the Presbyte- rian) or some other Reformed Church; and it is earnestly desired that Sir Thomas Fairfax take care that this ordinance be put in execution in the army." The savage and bitter Edwards, author of Gangrcena, not content with retailing every silly and damaging story to the discredit of Baptists that any gossips g2 S 4 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. might bring him, calls upon the magistrates ''to declare that Anabaptists who go dipping persons in cold water in winter, whereby persons fall sick, &c, should be proceeded against as vagrants and rogues, that go from country to country ; " that in the event of " any falling sick upon their dipping, and die," the Anabaptists, who administered the rite, " should be indicted upon the statute of killing the King's subjects, and be pro- ceeded against accordingly." But whatever note might be taken by the Presbyterian admirers of Edward's scandalous suggestions, the ordinance of the Parliament was not allowed to remain a dead letter. Thomas Lamb was one of the earliest to feel its severity. Lamb was a native of Colchester, and, in the earlier part of the reign of Charles the First, had been dragged in chains from that city to London by the emissaries of Laud, being cited to appear before the Star Chamber. The fanatical and persecuting Archbishop asked him, "If he had dared to administer the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper ? " Lamb pleaded the right of an Englishman not to bear witness against himself, and refused to answer. He was rudely ordered back to prison during the pleasure of the Court, and for some months re- mained in custody. His devoted wife besieged the Court with her prayers for her husband's liberation, not merely for her own sake, but for the sake of her eight young children. " Take that troublesome woman away ! " shrieked out the Archbishop to the court officers ; and Mrs. Lamb was forcibly ejected from the Star Chamber. It is not known by what means he re- gained his liberty ; but such was his zeal in his Master's ser- vice, that though he had been in all the gaols in and about London on account of his recusancy, he no sooner regained his liberty than he instantly returned to his pastoral and itinerating labours. He was wont to say, that no man was fit to preach Christ's Gospel who was not also ready to die for it the moment he had done. Animated by such quenchless zeal and fearless courage, he speedily gathered about him a Christian community, BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 85 which usually met in Bell Alley, Colenian-street, London. A flourishing church was already in existence at the beginning of the quarrel between King Charles and his Parliament. The congregation was large, and the yard of the chapel was not un- frequently crowded with eager listeners. The church became a missionary centre, and labourers went forth into Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and other counties. Conspicuous among these itinerating preachers was Henry Denne, formerly a clergyman at Pyrton, in Hertford, a man of great decision and courage, and very largely successful. Soon after the ordinance against unlicensed preachers was enacted by Parliament, the Lord Mayor of London sent officers to arrest Lamb and his assistants. Their arrival at Bell Alley Chapel was the signal for a great tumult, and provoked, in their hearing, some not very complimentary language. When Mr. Lamb had succeeded in repressing the agitation of his friends, he spoke courteously to the officers, asked permission to con- tinue the service, and pledged his word that at six o'clock the same evening he himself and the young preacher, whose dis- course they had interrupted, should both appear before the Lord Mayor. The officers then retired, and the service proceeded. Punctually to the time both Mr. Lamb and his young help- fellow made their appearance. The Lord Mayor began by calling their attention to the recent ordinance of Parliament. He then asked the young man, " Why do you preach? and where is your warrant ? " " The Lord hath opened my mouth," he replied, "and I must show forth His praise." The Lord Mayor suggested that he might do this by a right discharge of his duties as a private Christian." Lord Mayor — "How long have you been a preacher?" Mr. Lamb's Assistant — "Ever since I was baptized." Lord Mayor (whose thoughts were running on infant baptism) — " Hath your mouth been open ever since your infancy?" Mr. Lamb's Assistant — "My infant baptism was no baptism. I have not been baptized more than six months." S6 BYE-PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. It was now Mr. Lamb's turn to be questioned. " Have you not transgressed an ordinance of Parliament?" asked the Lord Mayor. "No," said Lamb, quoting the precise words of the Ordinance itself, " I am a preacher called and chosen b reformed a church as any in the world." On further inquiry, Mr. Lamb frankly acknowledged that he and his friends did not regard infant baptism as valid. The two men were bound over to appear before a Committee of Parliament. A brief hearing before that Committee decided their case, and both were hurried off to prison. They were afterwards released by the inter- cession of powerful friends, and again returned with fresh zeal and boldness to their work. It was during the time immediately following his release, that Thomas Lamb baptized the wife of a man who was a bitter enemy of the Baptists. The ordinance was ad- ministered in the Old Ford river, near Bromley, a spot commonly selected for that purpose by Thomas Lamb and his friends. The husband was among the crowd of spectators, hiding under his coat a heavy stone, which he intended to throw at Mr. Lamb whilst he was standing in the river, ready to administer the rite of baptism. But the fervent prayer of the preacher touched his heart, the stone was per- mitted to slide noiselessly to the ground, and tears filled the eyes of the softened and penitent husband : he was himself the next person baptized by Mr. Lamb in the Old Ford river. Paul Hobson was another victim. He was a zealous Bap- tist ; had helped to found a Baptist Church in London ; signed the Confession of the Seven Churches in 164-1 ; and in 1645 entered the army. He still retained his zeal, and " wherever he came, would preach publicly in the pulpits, and privately to the soldiers." He is regarded as the founder of several Baptist Churches in the West of England. Hobson, now Captain Hobson, was taken into custody, by the Governor of Newport Pagnell, for preaching against infant baptism. After being BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 87 kept there a prisoner for a short time, Sir Samuel Lake, the governor (the original of Butler's Hudibras, and with whom Butler resided during the interregnum), sent him to London. His case was brought before the Committee of Examination, and having some powerful friends, upon being heard, he was discharged. Edwards says that Hobson afterwards preached regularly every Wednesday in Chequer Alley, Finsbury Fields. The following May (1645), the Lord Mayor of London, the Court of Aldermen, and the Common Council, presented a petition to Parliament, praying " that some strict and speedy course might be taken for suppressing all private and separate congregations ; that all Anabaptists, Brownists, heretics and schismatics, blasphemers, and all other sectaries, who con- formed not to the public discipline established, or to be established by Parliament, may be fully declared against, and some effectual course settled for proceeding against such per- sons ; and that no person disaffected to Presbyterian govern- ment set forth, or to be set forth, by Parliament, may be employed in any place of public trust." This intolerant and infamous request is commonly known as the City 'Remonstrance. The appeal of the Lord Mayor and his colleagues was backed by the whole Scottish nation, and all the Presbyterians in England. A month after its presentation, the General Assembly, in moving a vote of thanks to the London civic authorities and their companions, commends them for their courage and their firm adherence to the Covenant, and beseeches them to go on boldly in their work until the three kingdoms were united in one faith and worship. Some of the Presbyterians in Lancashire far outstripped the Lord Mayor and his colleagues in the vehemence with which they expressed their hatred of toleration. They, however, claimed for their paper this title, The Harmonious Consent of the Lancashire ministers with their brethren in London. One pas- sage will give a taste of the whole : " Toleration would be putting a sword into a madman's hand ; a cup of poison into BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the hand of a child ; a letting loose of madmen with firebrands in their hand, and appointing a city of refuge in men's con- sciences for the devil to fly to ; a laying a stumbling-block before the blind ; a proclaiming liberty to the wolves to come into Christ's fold to prey upon the lambs ; neither would it provide for tender consciences, but take away all con- science." Nothing loth to yield to this pressure, the Presbyterian Par- liament passed " A declaration against all such persons as shall take upon them to preach or expound the Scriptures in any church or chapel, or any other publique place, except they be ordained either here or in some other Reformed Church." The " Declaration was also ordered to be forthwith printed and published ; and that the knights and burgesses of the several counties and places do send some of the said declarations so printed, in the several counties and places for which they serve, to be there published." The Declaration is as follows : — "The Commons assembled in Parliament do declare, That they do dislike, and will proceed against all such persons as shall take upon them to preach, or expound the Scriptures in any church or chappel, or any other publique place (except they be ordained either here or in some other Reformed Church, as it is already prohibited in an Order of both Houses of 26 April, 1645). And likewise against all such Ministers or others, as shall publish, or maintain by Preaching, Writing, Printing, or any other way, anything against or in derogation of the Church Government, which is now established by the authority of both Houses of Parliament. And also against all and every person or persons, who shall willingly and purposely interrupt and disturb a Preacher who is in the publique exercise of his function. And all Justices of Peace, Sheriffs, Mayors, Bailiffs, and other Head Officers of Corporations, and all Officers of the Army, are to take notice of this Declaration ; and by all lawful ways and means to prevent offences of this kind, and to apprehend all offenders, and give notice hereof unto this House, that there- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 89 upon course may bee speedily taken for a due punishment to bee inflicted upon them." When such were the opinions of Presbyterians, it is no wonder that Baptists, ever the persistent advocates for liberty of conscience, — the fullest, freest, and broadest, — should be the special victims of Presbyterian intolerance. We take the following curious illustration from the account left by Edwards. John Sims, a Baptist minister, residing at Southampton, being on a journey to Taunton, in Somerset, was prevailed upon to preach in a parish church. Ee was appre- hended at Bridgwater, by virtue of the " Declaration." The Committee of the County finding some letters upon him written to friends on religious subjects, forwarded them to London, as the ground of their complaint against Mr. Sims. For some cause or other not explained, the Government did not at once " silence " Mr. Sims ; and Edwards, therefore, published these letters, with his own charges against him. The letters are innocent either of heresy or rebellion; but the "crimes" of which Mr. Sims was guilty were, in Edwards's estimation, of the blackest kind: (1) " Denying infant baptism;" and (2) " presuming to take a text, and preaching before two Presbyterian ministers." These are Edwards's own words : " Sunday, the last of May, he (Sims) preached in the parish church of Middlesey ; took his text out of Col. iii. 1, before one Master Mercer, and Master Esquier, ministers, with a hundred more persons ; and being desired to know how he durst presume to teach so publicly, being not called, and an Ordinance of the Parliament to the contrary, answered : ' If Peter was called, so was he.' (2) Being desired to know why he taught contrary to the law of God, and the laws of the land, he answered, ' Why are they suffered to teach in London so near the Parliament House ? ' and that he allowed of the Parliament, so far as they go with his doctrine. (3) Being desired to know whether he allowed of our baptism, he answered, ' No ; that for his part he was baptized by one Master Sickelmoor, and his manner of go BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. baptizing was, that the aforesaid Sickelmoor went first into the water, and he after him; so that he, for his part, would not allow of our baptism.' " Hanserd Knollys was one of the last victims to this Presby- terian rancour. His account will best be given in his own words : — " The Committee for plundering ministers sent their warrant to the keeper of Ely House to apprehend me, and bring me in safe custody before them. They took me out of my house, carried me to Ely House, and there kept me prisoner several days, without any bail ; and at last carried me before the Committee, who asked me several questions, to which I gave sober and direct answers. Amongst others, the chairman, Mr. White, asked me who gave me authority to preach. I told him the Lord Jesus Christ. He then asked me whether I was a minister. I answered that I was made a priest by the prelate of Peterborough ; but I had renounced that ordination, and did here again renounce the same. They asked me by what authority I preached in Bow Church. I told them, after I had refused the desire of the churchwardens three times one day after another, their want of supply and earnestness prevailed with me, and I went thither. They opened the pulpit door, and I went up and preached from Isaiah lviii., and gave them such an account of that sermon (thirty ministers of the Assembly of Divines, so-called, being present), that they could not gain- say, but made me withdraw, and said nothing to me, nor could my jailor take any charge of me, for the Committee had called for him, and threatened to turn him out of his place for keeping me prisoner so many days. So I went away without any blame or' paying my fees." Soon after this, Knollys was brought before another Committee, that of examination, on the score of causing great disturbance to ministers and people in Suffolk. "I was stoned out of the pulpit,*' says Knollys, " and prose- cuted at a privy sessions, and fetched out of the country sixty miles to London, and was constrained to bring up four or five witnesses of good repute and credit, to prove and vindicate BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 91 myself from false accusation." A second time he satisfied the higher tribunal, and the following minute was entered upon the records of the House : " Ordered : that Mr. Kiffin and Mr. Knollys be permitted to preach in any part of Suffolk, at the petition of the Ipswich men." But every Baptist minister was not equally fortunate. Knollys, probably, got more merciful treatment, owing to a declaration published by the Lords and Commons the year before, March 1647 : " That as the Baptist opinion against infant baptism is only a difference about a circumstance of time in the administration of an ordinance ; we hold it fit that men should be convinced by the Word of God with great gentleness and reason, and not beaten out of it by force and violence." The same year in which Knollys escaped so leniently, an ordi- nance of Parliament was published, one article of which ran thus: " Whosoever shall say that the baptism of infants is unlawful, or that such baptism is void, and that such persons ought to be baptized again, and in pursuance thereof shall bap- tize any person formerly baptized ; or shall say the church government by Presbytery is anti- Christian or unlawful, shall, upon conviction by oath of two witnesses, or by his own con- fession, be ordered to renounce his said error in the public congregation of the parish where the offence was committed ; in case of refusal, he shall be committed to prison until he shall find sureties that he will not publish or maintain the same error any more." The ordinance itself is a melancholy witness to the persecuting spirit of the Presbyterians of that day ; and, no thanks to them, if it was never used as an engine of fierce and remorseless persecution. The Commonwealth (1649—1660). Three months after the King's death, Mr. Kiffin and other leading Baptists in London, received the thanks of the House of Commons for repudiating, in their petition, the opinions 92 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. advocated in a book entitled, The Second Part of England's New Chains discovered. The petitioners declared, in their address, that though this book had been read in some of their public assemblies, it was read without their consent. " Our meetings," say they, " are not at all to intermeddle with the ordering or altering of the civil government, but solely for the advancement of the Gospel." After their address had been read, they were called to the bar of the House, when the Speaker returned them this reply: " The House doth take notice of the good affection to the Parliament and public you have expressed both in this petition and other ways ; that they have received satisfaction thereby, concerning your disclaiming of the pamphlet which gave such just offence to the Parlia- ment ; and also concerning your disposition to live peaceably and in submission to the civil magistrate, your expressions whereof they account very Christian and seasonable ; that for yourselves and other Christians walking answerably to such professions as in this petition you make, they do assure you of liberty and protection, so far as God shall enable them, in all tilings consistent with godliness, honesty, and civil peace ; and the House doth give you leave to print your petition." The fruit of this " assurance of liberty and protection" soon began to appear. Baptist churches rapidly sprang into exis- tence in all parts of the country. On the assumption by Cromwell of the style and title of Lord Protector, great in- dignation was felt by many Baptists in the army ; but it would be unfair to regard the biting and sarcastic letter written by them to Cromwell as expressing the common opinions among Baptists. Envious and disappointed officers might declare, in their vexation, " Anabaptists are men that will not be shuffled out of their birthrights as free-born people of England ; " but the addresses sent to the Lord Protector from the Baptists in Northumberland, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, London, and Dublin, to say nothing of the flattering account of him by Richardson, BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 93 which has been already quoted in an earlier portion of this book, show that the Baptists generally had no fear as to their protection and liberty. Nor were they disappointed. The Council, soon after Cromwell's installation, issued a State paper, containing some forty-two articles ; and in the thirty- sixth it is declared, " that none shall be compelled to conform to the public religion by penalties and otherwise ; but that endea- vours be used to win them by sound doctrine, and the example of a good conversation." In the thirty- seventh it is further ordered, "that such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, though differing in judgment from the doctrine, worship, or discipline publicly held forth, shall not be restrained from, but shall be protected in, the profession of their faith and the exer- cise of their religion, so as they abuse not this liberty to the civil injury of others, and to the actual disturbance of public peace on their part ; provided this liberty be not extended to Popery or Prelacy, or to such, under a profession of Christ, as hold forth and practice licentiousness." There is a further article which declares that all the penal laws, contrary to this liberty, shall be null and void. Cromwell's notions of tolera- tion were not so broad as the Baptists, nor were all his officers disposed to carry out, where they could do it with impunity, the strict letter of the Council's articles. Grantham complains that, "in the time of Cromwell's usurpation, they did pull us before the judgment seats, because we could not worship God after the will of the Lord Protector, for so they styled him in the articles against us ; and we had then our goods taken away, and never restored to this day." But these petty local persecu- tions were the exception, and not the rule, and were manifestly a violation of the articles of the Council. On the whole, the Commonwealth, dearly loved by many Baptists, was a time of comparative quiet and prosperity. But dark and dismal days were drawing near — days which Richardson had predicted, when those Baptists, who had once been so ready to find fault with Cromwell, " would weep for the want of him." 94 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. The Baptists suffered immensely during the reign of Charles the Second (1860—1685). His declaration from Breda, " that no man should he dis- quieted or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom," — proved to be worthless. The Baptists, and indeed all Dissenters, were " scattered and peeled." The Restoration was scarcely in sight, before the Baptists began to have warning of what would speedily follow. Several London chapels were destroyed by Royalist mobs, and their congregations dispersed. A very whirlwind of persecution burst upon the Baptists. Vernier's rebellion was made the occasion of fresh severities, although the Baptists in London, speaking on behalf of their brethren generally, washed their hands of all participation in it. " We should be stupid and senseless, if we did not deeply resent these black obloquies and reproaches," say they, " cast upon those of our profession and practice in the point of bap- tism, by occasion of the late most horrible treason and rebellion in this City of London. . . . We protest that we neither had the least foreknowledge of the said late treasonable insurrection, nor did we any of us, in any kind and degree whatever, directly or indirectly, contrive, promote, assist, abet or approve the same ; but do esteem it our duty to God, and to his majesty, and to our neighbour, not only to be obedient, but also to use our utmost industry to prevent all such treasons, murders, and rebellions." They protest against being con- founded with the Anabaptists of Munster, because they happen to be known by the same name. They quote their own Con- fession of Faith to show their respect for magistrates ; and earnestly plead that they may be permitted " to worship God in peace and freedom." All was in vain. Blow after blow was dealt upon them by the unscrupulous men who were now in power. Jails soon became choked with prisoners, sixty men often being crammed into a room nine feet by fourteen ! BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 95 Some died of the rough usage received from the soldiers and constables when seized at their meeting-houses ; others perished from the foetid and poisoned air of their prisons. "On the 15th June, 1662, the soldiers came with rage and fury, with their swords drawn," to a meeting of the Baptists in Petty- France and London. A mere lad was cruelly wounded, — " almost to death, so that it was doubtful whether he would recover." The minister was carried off to Newgate, and there remained a close prisoner. Less than a fortnight afterwards, the soldiers again visited this chapel, with drawn swords. " They wounded some, and struck others. They broke down the gallery and made great spoil." At a second meeting-house they broke open the cupboard, and drank up the wine provided for the Lord's Supper. At a third, finding the congregation was dispersed before they arrived, the soldiers egged on the mob that followed at their heels to gut the chapel. This was only a sample of the usage the Baptists received in all parts of the country. They were robbed and insulted in the open streets, were heavily fined, were pilloried, were dragged by soldiers out Of bed at night, were cast headlong down winding stairs. Everywhere the same coarse brutality marked the conduct of the persecutors. Often driven forth from their humble meeting-houses, the Baptists met wherever shelter or secrecy could be obtained ; in out-of-the-way barns, in malt-houses, in hay-lofts, in woods, in sheltered lanes. All manner of contrivances were adopted to elude the infamous spies, called informers, who were now doing a profitable trade. At Beading the Baptists met in a humble house in Prince's-lane, near a branch of the river Kennet. A door opened behind the house upon a rude bridge hastily thrown across the stream, and over this the preacher escaped when the alarm was given. At Newport Pagnell their meeting-place was a barn, from which they could escape down a back lane, when the approach of informers was signalled. At Bendish, near Hitchin, they met in a low, thatched malt-house. The high g6 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. pew in front of the pulpit hid the ministers from the informers, and gave them time to flee out from a door near at hand. In other places the pulpit communicated with the yard hehind, and so permitted the preacher to get a few minutes' start of his pursuers. At Wallingford, however, Mr. Stennet secured the means of uninterrupted worship for some time by a novel ex- pedient. " He dwelt in the castle of Wallingford, a place where no warrant could make forcible entrance but that of a Lord Chief Justice ; and the house was so situated, that the assemblies could meet, and every part of religious worship be exercised in it, without any danger of a legal conviction, unless informers were admitted, which care was taken to prevent ; so that for a long time he kept a constant and undisturbed meeting in his hall." An attempt to obtain a conviction by suborned witnesses signally failed, through an unexpected chapter of accidents. The chief instigator, at the time of the trial, was chasing after a prodigal son, who had eloped from Oxford with an actress ; the clergyman, who was to be his right-hand man, died suddenly ; and out of the eight witnesses, only one could be found on the day of the trial, and he refused to appear. The case was, therefore, dismissed. Even bishops were not ashamed to play the part of spies. Many were contented to encourage the informers secretly, and throw the odium on the civil magistrates ; but Dr. Peter Gun- ning, the Bishop of Chichester, marched in person, at the head of a posse of constables, to disperse the assemblies of the schismatics. If he found the doors closed, he gave orders that they should be broken open with sledge-hammers. On seeing this done, a wag in the crowd once exclaimed, " What ! has Peter lost his keys '?" The clergy, the magistrates, the nobles, all joined with the mob in insulting and defaming the Baptists. Informers were feed by Oxford Chancellors, and protected by justices of the peace. One of these wretches first passed him- self off as a Quaker, but letting fall over his cups, that he was an informer, he found it prudent to escape. He next appears BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 97 as a Baptist ; and to prove his contempt of infant-baptism, he actually christened a cat Catherine- Catherina. Some simple- minded people were gulled by this infamous creature, among whom was Mr. Headach, a man of good repute. But for the disclosures against the informer's character, made at the very time Mr. Headach was on his trial for " treasonable words " which this informer had declared Mr. Headach had spoken, Mr. Headach would have been heavily fined, or perhaps have lost his life. The country people, not knowing this informer's name, called him Trepan. His real name was John Poulter. He was the son of a butcher at Salisbury. So savage and relentless were the informers in Devon also, that they were commonly known, in that county, as the bloodhounds. A story is recorded of one good minister's out-witting an in- former. George Hammon, a devoted and zealous General Baptist minister in Kent, whilst residing at Canterbury, was going to preach at some distant place, and was overtaken by a violent storm. As he stood under a tree for shelter, a man from the house opposite called to him, told him he was an in- former, and having heard there was to be preaching in such a place that night, he was going thither in order to give informa- tion of the persons assembled. This was the very place where Mr. Hammon was himself appointed to preach. He instantly replied, " I am a man-taker also." "Are you?" said the informer ; " then let us go together." When they came to the house, after sitting some time, Mr. Hammon said to the in- former, " Here are the people ! but where is the minister ? Unless there is a minister, we cannot make a conventicle of it ; and, therefore, I propose that either you or I should preach." The informer, of course, declined. " Then," said Hammon, 11 1 must." He discoursed, with so much energy and point, to the utter surprise of the informer, that from that night the informer gave up his hateful calling, and became an altered man. Every county in England has its own story to tell of the H 9 S BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. persecutions of this period. But one case will illustrate a score. John Miller, of Minthenton, Dorset, had come of Presbyterian parents, but had embraced Baptist opinions. He gathered a church, and became an active itinerant preacher. For ten years he lay in prison for his recusancy, and hardly escaped a prcemunire. At the close of the reign of Charles the Second, his goods were seized, and he himself imprisoned. Like John Bunyan, he was charged with " devilishly and per- niciously abstaining from coming to church " for eleven months. At the Assizes at Sherbourn only one witness could be found against him, and it was found difficult to prove the charge until a neighbouring justice, one of the King's poor knights, turned evidence. Miller was fined the full penalty, according to the Conventicle Act, of twenty pounds a month, that is, — two hundred and twenty pounds. He objected to the sentence as illegal, but was told by the judge that he might seek his remedy else- where. As Mr. Miller declined to pay the fine, the sheriff seized all his property : four hundred sheep, twenty cows, seven horses, seven fattening pigs, all the hay, corn, and wool of last year's produce, and the malt and hops reserved for the family. For four months the sheriff's men levied their exac- tions. Mr. Miller remained in doors, since the prosecutor threatened to imprison him again. His eldest son, by merely taking an inventory of what was seized, so incensed the legalised plunderers, that a warrant was issued to apprehend him, and he was compelled to fly. At length, two neighbours, one of them a benevolent Churchman, seeing the havoc they were making of Mr. Miller's property, paid the fine, and dismissed the sheriff's officers. During this period they had wasted or seized goods to the amount of five hundred pounds. Miller, meanwhile, ven- tured to London, and laid a petition before the King, not asking for the restoration of what had been destroyed, but only that the little of his corn that remained might be spared for the wants of his wife and eight children, the rapacious bailiffs re- fusing them provisions unless they paid for them. He might BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 99 have saved himself his journey. The debauched voluptuary listened with undisguised indifference to the story of his wrongs, and only deigned to reply — " I have nothing to say to you. You must (jo home, and conform ! " This was just the last thing Mr. Miller would do. He found there would be no more peace for him in Dorset ; he sold his estate, retired to a lonely farm in a region where he was unknown ; and there, with straightened income, lived on undisturbed until some years after the Revo- lution. Plots, false charges, forged letters, — all manner of mean and despotic devices, — were vamped up to justify the prosecution of Baptists. Kiffin suffered imprisonment for the last ; John James was hanged on Tyburn for the first. But enough. The story of the wrongs endured by the Baptists, during the days of Charles the Second, remains yet to be written. The Lincoln- shire General Baptists complained to the King, at the very commencement of his reign : " We are abused as we pass along the streets, and as we sit in our houses. We are threatened to be hanged if heard praying to the Lord in our families, and disturbed in our so waiting upon God by an un- civil beating at our doors, and sounding of horns ; yea, we have been stoned when going to our meetings, the windows of the places where we have met struck down with stones ; yea, also taken as evil-doers, and imprisoned when peaceably met to worship the Most High in the use of His precious ordinances." These proved only the beginning of sorrows, not in Lincoln alone, but in every part of the island. James the Second (1685—1688). For the first few months after the King ascended the throne, persecution still darkened the land. Justices and clergy were as busy as ever ; Spiritual Courts continued their mockery ; bishops were persistent in their "injunctions" to their clergy and churchwardens to look up absentees from the parish churches ; and the King w T as taking hasty strides toward h2 BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. absolute power. All the judges but one gave it as their opinion — " (1) That the laws of England were the lung's laws ; (2) that it was an inseparable branch of the prerogative of the Kings of England, as of other sovereigns, to dispense all the penal laws on particular occasions ; (3) that of these reasons and cases the King is the sole judge ; and (4) that this is not a trust now invested in and granted to the present King, but the ancient remains of the sovereign power of the Kings of England, which was never yet taken from them, nor can be ! " Thus the whole body of laws in England was at once put into the hands of the lung. A little before this time, the meeting-place of the Baptist church at Luppit, Devon, was discovered, and the congregation scattered. Presently afterward they met again at a farm-house in a wood, about a mile and a half from Upottery, where the chapel is now situated. Again they were surprised. Some were apprehended, and transported to Jamaica for seven years, and the rest escaped. On the sudden favour shown by King James to Nonconformists, the remnant re-assembled, and resolved to build a place of worship. Half a century ago there still existed, behind the farm-house, the dam in which the midnight baptisms were administered. One singular instance of the licences or Dispensations now granted to Dissenters, is worth repeating, with the licence itself. The Baptists at Abingdon, near Oxford, had been so harassed by informers, and mulcted in fines by justices, and persecuted in other ways, that they were compelled to close their chapel. The pastor at this time was Henry Forty. He and seven others were indicted at the assizes for absenting themselves from church, while others of their number were cited to appear in the Spiritual Courts for not receiving the Sacrament at Easter. Their trial came on in July, 1686, before Mr. Justice Holloway, and Mr. Justice Luwick. The Recorder, Mr. Finmore, greatly exaggerated their oflences, and their enemies felt certain of convicting them. They had, themselves, DYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. looked for no mercy ; and in telling Mr. Medlecot their case, suggested that he should obtain them a Dispensation from the King. Two Justices of the Peace signed their appeal, and the Dispensation was obtained. When Mr. Medlecot stood up in the Assize Court on their behalf, he was asked the formal question, " Are you retained for these people ? " " Yes," said Mr. Medlecot. Judge Holloway being on the bench, answered, " We thought so," greeting him at the same time with a malicious scowl. Mr. Medlecot replied, "Your lordship has served them more effectually than I." At this, Judge Holloway was greatly indignant. Still the attorney went on, — " And they give you the greater thanks; for your lordship, and my lords the judges, have declared his Majesty a sovereign prince; that the laws are his laws ; that he might dispense with them when necessary ; that he was judge of that necessity ; and he has thought it necessary in the case of these defendants." Mr. Medlecot then produced in Court the patent under the broad seal. The effect was electrical. Most of those present were filled with consternation. Their colour came and went ; they hung down their heads in shame and vexation. There was, however, but one course open to the judges — they discharged the prisoners. This was on Saturday, July 10, 1686. The very same evening the old meeting-house was cleaned and prepared for worship ; and the following day, both morning and evening, hundreds assembled in it quietly, and without molestation. The patent, or Dispensation, which extended to twenty-five persons and their families, cost some six-and-twenty pounds. It ran as follows : — " We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, do certify that Henry Forty, &c, &c, &c, to the best of our knowledge have demeaned and behaved themselves peaceably and quietly towards his late majesty, Charles the Second, and his present majesty, King James, and their governments. " Given under our hands and seals this — day of July, 1686, by two justices of the peace in the County of Berks. BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. " Granted thereupon. "James I. Rex: Whereas, our most dear brother, the late King deceased, had signified his intention to his Attorney- General for the pardoning such of his subjects who had been sufferers in the late times of usurpation and rebellion for their royalty ; and whose parents and relatives had been sufferers for the same cause, or who had themselves testified their loyalty and affection for the government ; and were presented, indicted, and convicted, for not taking, or refusing to take, the oath of allegiance or supremacy, or one of them ; or had been prose- cuted by the Prerogative Writ, called the Long Writ of the Exchequer, for the penalty of twenty pounds per metwem ; or upon outlawries or writs, de Excom. cap., or other processes of the causes aforesaid ; or for not coming to church ; or receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the usage of the Church of England, or by reason of their convictions of recusancy or exercise of their religion ; or who were otherwise prosecuted as recusants, or imprisoned for any of the crimes aforesaid ; and for the doing thereof our said brother in divers counties had given orders. Now, in pursuance of these gracious intentions of our said most dear brother, and for that the per- sons hereunto annexed have produced unto us, certificates of their services and sufferings of themselves, their parents, and nearest relations ; our will and pleasure therefore is, that the persons mentioned in the said schedule, their wives, and fami- lies, and servants, shall not in any sort be prosecuted or molested for any of the causes above-mentioned. Wherefore we recommend and direct you, every one of you in your respective places, to forbear all prosecution against the said persons, their wives, families, and servants, and every of them ; and that you cause all processes and proceedings whatsoever so commenced and issued, or to be commenced and issued, against such persons, their wives, families, and servants, and every of them, for the causes aforesaid, to be wholly superseded, discharged, and stayed ; and they and every one of them absolutely dis- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 103 charged and set at liberty until our royal will and pleasure be further known and signified unto you respectively. And for doing these, and for the entry and enrolment thereof with you respectively, shall be unto you and every one of you respec- tively a sufficient warrant. " Given at our Court at Windsor, the 7th July, in the second year of our reign, 1686. " SUNDERLAND, "By his Majesty's command. " To all archbishops and bishops, their chancellors and com- missaries ; and to all archdeacons and their officials, and all others exercising any ecclesiastical jurisdiction ; and to our judges, and justices of assize, of gaol delivery, justices of the peace, sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, and all other persons whom it may in any wise concern." The persecutions against Dissenters still went on, and many were driven from the country. Meanwhile the King continued to grant his Dispensations. In April, 1687, the King published a Declaration of Toleration, and protested that it was in his heart to have done it sooner if he had not been restrained by the bishops. Fulsome addresses now went up to the King. The long hidden Baptists crept out of their hiding-places, and once more assembled in their chapels as of yore. The King further sought to gain favour with Dissenters, and offered to make Kiffin an alderman ; with what result we are all familiar. Not long after these transactions James fled to France, and in his flight threw the great seal into the Thames. A brighter era was approaching — the era which will ever be memorable to English Dissenters. William of Orange landed in Torbay in 1688, and in the following year the Toleration Act was passed, which secured to all Dissenters the right of unmolested public worship. CHAPTER VI. BAPTIST CONFESSIONS OF FAITH. THE Confessions published by the Baptists in the Seven- teenth Century were neither creeds written to secure uniformity of belief, nor articles to which subscription was demanded. They were rather expositions of their opinions, issued in this particular form, as being most convenient. They were defences, or Apologies (in the original sense of that term), wrung from them by the shameless calumnies and bitter mis- representations of their enemies. The rapid growth of Baptists in the early part of the Seven- teenth Century aroused against them a host of adversaries. Every weapon — slander, perversion, abuse, no matter what — all was considered fair in their warfare. Xo heresy was too gross, no practice too abominable, for the Baptists ; at least so affirmed a hundred voices. " I expect some of them will say, with John of Ley den," says one of their adversaries, " that if the Word of God were lost, they might soon supply another. . . . That the regenerated man cannot sin is the very doctrine of the Anabaptists ; to take the communion where there is a profane person, is to take it with his profaneness; that the Lord'^ Prayer was never taught to be said, &c. ; that a liberty of pro- phesying must be allowed ; that distinctions of parishes is anti- Christian : that ministers of God's "Word should rule both the spiritual and the temporal ; that all human laws must be BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 105 abolished, and all policies of states must be taken out of God's word only : — all these are scions of that stock of Anabaptism that was transplanted out of Holland in the year 1535, when two ships laden with Anabaptists fled into England, after they had missed the enterprise at Amsterdam. " To these doctrines you must add their practices. The seditious pamphlets ; the tumultuous rising of rude multitudes, threatening blood and destruction; the preaching of the cob- blers, felt-makers, grooms, and women; the choosing of any place for God's service but the church ; the night meetings of naked men and women ; the licentiousness of spiritual marriages without any legal form : these things, if they be not looked into, will bring us in time to community of wives, community of goods, and destruction of all." Another writer declares that " in one Anabaptist you have many heretics ; and in this one sect, as it were one stock, many erroneous and schismatical positions and practices engrafted and, as it were, inoculated. . . . The}' preach, and print, and practice their heretical impieties openly. They hold their conventicles weekly in our chief cities, and suburbs thereof, and there prophesy by turns. . . . They flock in great multitudes to their Jordans, and both sexes enter the river, and are dipt after their manner with a kind of spell, concerning their tenets. . . . They print not only Anabaptism, from whence they take their name, but many other most damnable doctrines, tending to carnal liberty, familism, and a medley and hodge-podge of all religions. ... If this sect prevail, we shall have no monarchy in the State, nor hierarchy in the Church, but anarchy in both. . . . Solinas writeth, that in Sardinia whence there is a venomous serpent called Solifuga (whose biting is present death), there is also at hand a fountain, in which, who washes themselves after they are bit, are presently cured. This venomous serpent, flying from and shunning the light of God's Word, is the Anabaptist, who in these later times first showed his shining head and speckled skin, and thrust out his sting near the place of my io6 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. residence for more than twenty years." They are " adders, and efts, breed in old broken walls." They are " illiterate," "sottish," "lying," " blasphemous," "impure," "carnal," " cruel," " bloody," " profane," " sacrilegious." So wrote Dr. Featley, of Southwark. But if Featley is virulent, and Edwards savage and unscrupulous, Baillie is little better than either. " The spirit of the Anabaptists is clearly devilish," says Baillie; "every Anabaptist is a rigid Separatist; will put all Church power in the hands of the people ; will permit any gifted man to preach, but not in a steeple-house ; tithes are unlawful ; their preachers work with their own hands, and do not go in black clothes ; they celebrate the Lord's Supper in inns ; they deny all power to the magistrates in anything that concerns religion ;" and, most grievous sin of all, in the estimation of a North Briton — " they are injurious to the Scots." When such were the gross calumnies and silly nonsense mixed up and offered to men as " Baptist opinions and Baptist practices," it was surely needful that Baptists themselves should make their own declaration. Smyth's Confession is, perhaps, the first Baptist creed, or Apology, of modern times. Dr. Evans has given the whole of the articles, one hundred and two in number, in the Appendix to his first volume on Early English Bajitists. It is a translation from a Dutch copy, pre- served in the archives of the church at Amsterdam, and was evidently written to confute the opinions ascribed to Smyth and his party by Robinson and the Brownists of Amsterdam. It was first published in 1611. In this Confession, after stating that there is a God, "one in number," "incomprehensible and inexpressible," whose " essence" is not explained in the Scriptures, but only "His working and attributes," the terms Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, declaring to us what we can know of Him, Smyth says, (Article 7) : "To understand and conceive God in the mind, or BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 107 in the understanding, is not the saving knowledge of God ; but to be like God in His effects and properties ; to be made con- formable to His divine and heavenly attributes." God, also, '•' foresaw and determined the issue and event of His works . . . ;" and it is therefore " an abomination" to speak of " all things happening by luck and fortune." Yet " God is not the author and worker of sin and wickedness ; that He only has foreseen and determined what evil the free-will of angels and men would do ; yet He gave no influence, instinct, motion, or inclination to the least sin." " God created man with a free will, having the faculty to choose what is good, and to avoid what is evil ; or to choose evil, and avoid what is good ; and that this will was a natural power and property, created by God in the soul of man." The fall of Adam did not destroy " any natural power or faculty;" " and therefore, being fallen, he still retained freedom of will." Smyth objects to the use of the term " original sin" as unscriptural;" nor "is there such a thing as men intended by the word (Jer. xviii. 8) ; because as God threatened death only to Adam, not to his posterity for their sins, and because God over-rates the soul." Even " if original sin" might have passed from Adam to his posterity, " yet is the issue thereof stayed by the death of Christ, which was effectual, before Cain and Abel's birth, as Christ is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world (Rom. xiii. 8)." " Infants," says the twentieth article, " are conceived and born in innocency, with- out sin, and that they dying, therefore, are all undoubtedly saved ; which is to be understood of all infants who live in the world ; for the sin is not imputed ; because where there is no law, there is no transgression. Now the law was not given to infants, but to them that could understand." The distinctive sentiments of the early General Baptists are thus affirmed in articles twenty-two to twenty-six: — "Adam, being fallen, God did not hate him, but loved him still, and sought his welfare with all his heart ; neither doth He hate any man that falleth with Adam ; but He loves mankind, and from 108 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. His love, sent His only-begotten Son to save that which was lost, and to find that which was gone astray." " That God never forsaketh a man till there be no remedy ; neither doth He cast away His innocent creature from all eternity, but casteth away irrecoverably in sin [literally, ' who will not be aided'];" "but as there is in all creatures an inclination to their young, to do them good, so is in the Lord an inclination towards men to promote their welfare ; for each spark of god- liness that is in the creatures, is also infinitely in God;" "that God has determined, before the foundation of the world, that the way of life and salvation should be by Christ ; and that He has foreseen who would follow it, and also who would follow the way of infidelity and impenitency ; " "that no more than a father begets his child to the gallows, and a potter forms a pot to be broken, so God predestinates and creates nobody to damnation (Ezek. xxxiii. 11 ; Gen. i. 17 ; 1 Cor. xv. 49 ; Gen. v. 8);" "that the sacrifice," says the thirty-third article, "of Christ's body and blood, offered unto God His Father, upon the cross, though a sacrifice of a sweet smell, and though God be well pleased with Him, doth not reconcile God to us, who did never hate us, nor was our enemy : but reconcileth us to God, and slayeth the enmity and hatred which is in us against God." It will be seen, from the sixty-third and sixty-fourth articles, how easily men might run away with the notion, who only heard half Smyth's and the other Anabaptist's statements, " That if the Word were lost, they could soon supply men with another." Smyth says, "That the new creature which is born of God, needs not the outward Scripture, creature, or ordinances of the external churches, so that it might bear itself on it for support ; because it hath three witnesses in itself, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, which are better than all Scripture, creatures, ordinances, whatever they may be;" " that even as He who was above the law, nevertheless is made under the law for our sakes, so the regenerated can and will not do other thing, from love toward their " — [" Master," BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 109 we suppose, although there is here an obscure and unrendered part of the MS.] — "than to employ the external things that therewith they may come to aid and support of men ; that, therefore, the visible Church and ordinances are at all times necessary for all men, xchatever they he." But surely this is a very different statement from John of Leyden's ; and nothing but a determination to caricature the words of an opponent can ever make them teach his doctrine. The broad catholicity of Smyth startled the narrow souls of many good men, who yet believed the Scriptures. "All re- penting and believing Christians are," says the seventy-second article, " brethren in the communion of the outward visible Church, wherever they may live, or by what name they may be named, be they Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Zwinglians, Calvinists, Brownists, Anabaptists, or any other pious Chris- tians, who in truth, and by godly zeal, strive for repentance and faith, although they are implicated in great ignorance and weakness. Nevertheless, we greet them altogether with a holy kiss, deploring with our whole heart that we, who strive for one faith, one Spirit, one Lord, one God, one body, one baptism, should be so divided and severed into so many sects and splittings, and that for so less considerable reason." In answer to the charge that Anabaptists deny all magis- trates, Smyth writes (Article 85) : " that the office of the magistrate is a permissive ordinance of God (Rom. xiii. 1), or an ordinance of man (1 Pet. ii. 13 ; 1 Sam. viii. 5, 22), which God has permitted, that one might not devour the other, as the wild beasts ; so that honesty, decency, sobriety amongst men might be maintained, and that the magistrate thereby may please God in his vocation, doing what is right and just in the sight of the Lord, in order that they may obtain a temporal blessing from God for themselves, their families, and their subjects." The next article is the one previously quoted, wherein magistrates are taught " not to meddle with religion and matters of conscience." Smyth still regarded the dif- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. ferences between members of the visible Church as matters to be settled between themselves, since "Christ's disciples," on such differences, " may not go to law before magistrates; and all their differences must be decided by yea and nay, peacefully, without using an oath."' The maintenance of the poor is taught in the ninety-second article: ''That in the necessity of the Church and the poor brethren, all things ought to be common ; nay, one church ought to assist another in its wants."' It is needless to quote Smyth's declaration concerning marriage, since it is expressed in the words of Scripture (Heb. xiii. 4 ; 1 Cor. vii. 2) ; M but," says Smyth, in another article towards the end of his long confession, M Christ's dis- ciples, the members of the visible Church, ought not to mam- wicked and impious people of the world ; but every one must marry in the Lord (1 Cor. vii. 39, 40) ; that is, every man only one wife, and every woman only one man (1 Cor. vii. 2 : Acts xiii.)." Professor Miiller, who kindly translated this confession for Dr. Evans, says : — M I have made the translations as faithful as possible, and as literal, as far as it could be done. The incor- rectness of the style and the writing have caused much obscurity in many parts. I have occasionally altered a word, and in some instances transposed one, to make the meaning plainer. In no case is the sense altered. I have carefully avoided that. I wish I could have removed all obscurity from some of the articles : but that I found all but impossible." Enough, however, of clearness is to be found in all those articles which give this Coi{Us*ion its distinctive value ; and both Professor ITiiller and Dr. Evans deserve well of the Baptists for having snatched this precious fragment from oblivion. The London Confession. The next "Confession of Faith*' was published in 1644, and was reprinted in 1G4G. It is that which Luke Howard BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. describes as well known under the title of The Faith of the Seven Churches. As these churches were all situated in the metropolis, the best title for it is The London Confession. Like Smyth's, the publication of this was mainly due to the misrepresentations of their enemies. From the pulpit, and from the press, nothing but opprobrious terms were hurled against the Baptists. In order, therefore, to clear themselves from the unjust aspersions of their foes, they determined upon the publication of this Confession. It consists of fifty-two articles, and is strictly Calvinistic. The churches subscribing to this Confession were Devonshire Square ; Broad Street, Wapping ; Great St. Helen's ; Crutched Friars ; Bishopsgate Street; Coleman Street; and Glazier's Hall. The original title was as follows : " A Confession of Faith of seven congregations, or Churches of Christ in London, which are commonly, but unjustly called, Anabaptists; published for the vindication of the truth, and information of the ignorant, likewise for the taking off those aspersions, which are frequently, both in pulpit and in print, unjustly cast upon them. Printed at London, anno 1646." The Confession is signed, among others, by John Spilsbury, Samuel Richardson, William Kiffin, Thomas Patient, and Hanserd Knollys. After acknowledging that there is one God, whose subsis- tence is in Himself, whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself, " and that in this divine and infinite being there is the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, each having the whole Divine essence, yet the essence undivided," the third article runs as follows : — " God hath decreed in Himself, before the world was, con- cerning all things, whether necessary, accidental, or voluntary, with the circumstances of them, to work, dispose, and bring about all things according to the counsel of His own will, to His glory (yet without being the author of sin, or having fellowship with any therein), in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, unchangeableness, power, and faithfulness BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. in accomplishing His decree : and God hath before the foun- dation of the world, foreordained some men to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of His grace, leaving the rest in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His justice." The sixth article further states, that " the elect, being loved of God with an everlasting love, are redeemed, quickened, and saved, not by themselves, nor their own works, lest any man should boast, but only and wholly by God, of His free grace and mercy, through Jesus Christ, who is made unto us by God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and all in all, that he that rejoiceth may rejoice in the Lord." Again, in the twenty-first article, we read, — " Jesus Christ, by His death, did purchase salva- tion for the elect that God gave unto Him ; these only have interest in Him, and fellowship with Him, for whom He makes intercession with His Father in their behalf; and to them alone doth God by His Spirit apply this redemption ; as also the free gift of eternal life is given unto them, and none else." Notwithstanding this, " the preaching of the Gospel," says article twenty-five, "to the conversion of sinners, is absolutely free, no way requiring as absolutely necessary, any qualifica- tions, preparations, or terrors of the law, or preceding ministry of the law, but only and alone the naked soul, a sinner and the ungodly, to receive Christ crucified, dead, and buried, and raised again ; who is made a prince and a Saviour for such sinners as through the Gospel shall be brought to believe in Him." The thirty- sixth and two following articles point out that each church has power given it by Christ to choose among themselves " meet persons," for elders and deacons; that such ought to continue in their calling and place, according to God's ordinance, to feed the flock ; and while they are not to do this for filthy lucre, is yet the duty of every church, " to supply freely" to them, "whatsoever they shall need, according to BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 113 Christ's ordinance, that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." After describing the mode of baptism as being by " dipping or plunging the body under water," the person designed by Christ " to dispense baptism," we are told, "the Scrip ture holds forth to be a disciple ; it being nowhere tied to a particular Church officer, or person extraordinarily sent." The germ of Baptist Associations is found in the forty-seventh article : — " Although the particular congregations be distinct, and several bodies, every one as a compact and knit city within itself ; yet they are all to walk by one rule of truth ; so also are they, (by all means convenient), to have the counsel and help one of another, if necessity require it, as members of one body, in the common faith, under Christ their head." Four articles touch on magistrates, and are as follows : — "Article 48. — A civil magistracy is an ordinance of God, set up by Him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well ; and that in all lawful things commanded by them, subjection ought to be given by us in the Lord, not only for wrath, but for conscience' sake ; and that we are to make supplications and prayers for kings, and all that are in autho- rity, that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in godliness and all honesty." To this article there is appended the following note : — " The supreme magistracy of this kingdom we acknowledge to be the King and Parliament (now established) freely chosen by this kingdom ; and that we are to maintain and defend all civil laws and civil officers made by them, which are for the good of the Commonwealth. And we acknowledge with thankfulness that God hath made this present King and Parliament honourable, in throwing down the prelatical hierarchy, because of their tyranny and oppression over us, under which this kingdom long groaned, for which we are ever engaged to bless God and honour them for the same. And concerning the worship of God, there is but one Lawgiver ii 4 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. which is able to save and destroy (James iv. 12), which is Jesus Christ, who hath given laws and rules sufficient in His Word for His worship ; and for any to make more, were to charge Christ with want of wisdom, or faithfulness, or both, in not making laws enough, or not good enough for His house. Surely it is our wisdom, duty, and privilege, to observe Christ's laws only (Ps. ii. G, 9, 10, 12). So it is the magistrate's duty to tender the liberty of men's consciences (Ecc. viii. 8), (which is the tendered thing unto all conscientious men, and most dear unto them, and without which all other liberties itill not be worth the naming, much less enjoying), and to protect all under them from all wrong, injury, oppression, and molestation ; so it is our duty not to be wanting in nothing which is for their honour and comfort, and whatsoever is for the well-being of the common- wealth under which we live ; it is our duty to do, and we believe it to be our express duty, especially in matters of reli- gion, to be fully persuaded in our minds of the lawfulness of what we do, as knowing whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And as we cannot do anything contrary to our understandings and consciences, so neither can we forbear the doing of that which our understandings and consciences bind us to do. And if the magistrate should require us to do otherwise, we are to yield our persons in a passive way to their power, as the saints of old have done (James v. 4). And thrice happy shall he be, that shall lose his life for witnessing (though but for the least tittle) of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. v. ; Gal. v.)' r 11 Article 49. — But in case we find not the magistrate to favour us herein ; yet we dare not suspend our practice, because we believe we ought to go in obedience to Christ, in professing the faith once delivered to the saints, which faith is declared in the Holy Ssriptures, and this our confession of faith a part of them ; and that we are to witness to the truth of the Old and New Testament to the death, if necessity require, in the midst of all trials and afflictions, as the saints of old have done ; not accounting our goods, lands, wives, children, fathers, mothers, BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 115 brethren, sisters, yea, and our own lives dear unto us, so we may finish our course with joy ; remembering always, that we ought to obey God rather than men, Who will, when we have finished our course, and kept the faith, give us the crown of righteousness ; to Whom we must give an account of all our actions, and no man being able to discharge us of the same." " Article 50. —It is lawful for a Christian to be a magistrate or civil officer ; and also it is lawful to take an oath, so it be in truth, and in judgment, and in righteousness, for confirmation of truth, and ending of all strife ; and that by rash and vain oaths the Lord is provoked, and this land mourns." "Article 51. — We are to give unto all men whatsoever is their due, as their place, age, estate, requires ; and that we defraud no man of anything, but to do unto all men as we would they should do unto us." After this clear statement of their opinions on the subject of obedience to magistrates, oaths, &c, the London Confession closes with the following note : — " Thus we desire to give unto Christ that which is His, and unto all lawful authority that which is their due, and to owe nothing to any man but love ; to live quietly and peaceably, as it becometh saints, endeavouring in all things to keep a good conscience, and to do unto every man (of what judgment soever) as we would they should do unto us ; that as our practice is, so it may prove us to be a conscionable, quiet, and harmless people (noways dangerous and troublesome to human society), and to labour and work with our hands, that we may not be chargeable to any, but to give to him that needeth, both friends and enemies, accounting it more excellent to give than to receive. Also we confess that we know but in part, and that we are ignorant of many things which we desire and seek to know ; and if any shall do us that friendly part to show us, from the Word of God, that we see not, we shali have cause to be thankful to God and them. But if any man shall impose upon us anything that we see not commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, i2 • n6 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. ice should, in His strength, rat Iter embrace all reproaches and tortures of men, to be stripped of all outward comforts, and if it were jjossible, to die a thousand deaths, rather than to do anything against the least tittle of the Word of God, or against the light of our own consciences. And if any shall call what we have said heresy, then do we, with the Apostle, acknowledge, that after the way they call heresy worship we the God of our fathers, disclaiming all heresies (rightly so-called, because they are against Christ) ; and to be steadfastly immovable, always abounding in obedience to Christ, as knowing that our own labour shall not be in vain in the Lord." It was hardly to be expected that the men who had so virulently abused the Baptists would permit this Confession, closing with these noble words, to pass unchallenged. Featley, who had been their most bitter defamer, felt a little abashed before its clear and unanswerable statements, and in his Censure, printed shortly after, is constrained to acknowledge, with manifest reluctance, that — " If we give credit to this Con- fession and the Preface thereof, those who among us are branded w 7 ith that title (Anabaptists) are neither heretics, nor schis- matics, but tender-hearted Christians, uponw T hom, through false suggestions, the hand of authority fell heavily, whilst the hierarchy stood ; for they neither teach free-will, nor fall- ing away from grace, with the Arminians ; nor deny original sin, with the Pelagians ; nor disclaim magistracy, with the Jesuits ; nor maintain plurality of wives, with the Polygamists ; nor community of goods, with the Apostolic ; nor going naked, with the Adamites ; much less aver the mortality of the soul, with Epicurus and Pschopannichists." But the scurrility of Featley is ingrained. Again and again, in the course of this reply of some seven or eight pages, he indulges in the old abuse. " They cover a little rat's-bane in a great quantity of sugar ;" " the devil holds them up by the heel only, as Thetis did Achilles when she dipt him in the sea ;" they are " like the fish and serpents in the mud of Nilus, not fully shaped ; like a BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 117 statue in a stonecutter's shop, not finished;" "they are no prophets, but enthusiasts ; no inspired men, but distracted ; no seers, but dreamers ; no expositors, but impostors ; no com- mentators, but commenters — nay, rather commentiters ; no workmen, but butchers ; no carbuncles, but glow-worms ; no fixed stars, but wandering lights ; no lights, but ignes fatuos, exhalations incensed in the night, which lead fools out of their way, sometimes into thickets, sometimes into ditches and quag- mires, and many of them into rivers, and over head and ears !" A valiant champion this, in good sooth, and one at which the Baptists must then have often smiled in pity. That the London Confession was accepted generally, and set many minds to rest, is proved by the esteem in which we pre- sently find the Baptists were held, both in London and else- where. They were to be found in the army of the Parliament, in the navy, and in civil offices of trust. Much prejudice against the Baptists was evidently broken down, even though Featley called them bad names, and declared some of their Confession "soured with the new leaven of Anabaptism." Two editions of this Apology were afterwards published, one in 1651 and another a year later. In 1653 a third was printed at Leith, by a small company of Baptists who were attached to the army. The alterations in the second edition chiefly modify the very marked Calvinism of the original Confession. A second Calvinistic Baptist Confession was issued by the Somerset churches in 1656, but this does not call for any spe- cial notice. There was also a third Calvinistic Confession of twelve articles published in the same year as the basis of the Midland Association. Grantham's Confession. In 1660, Thomas Grantham and Joseph Wright presented an address to Charles the Second, to which was appended a brief confession of faith. In their address they refer to the persecu- tions they had endured for their opinions, their difficulties in n8 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. getting redress frorn the magistrates, and their desire for the lung's protection. Of course the King said it was not his wish that any of his subjects should be persecuted on account of their religious opinions, promised that he would have special care over them, that none in future should molest and annoy them, and at once ordered some one to go to the Chancellor and Secretary to see that due measures were taken for their protection. What sort of "protection" they obtained is best seen in the story of their sufferings during the next quarter of a century. The Confession was signed by a long array of mini- sters, and was declared to be "owned and approved by more than twenty thousand," a clear evidence of the then flourishing character of the General Baptist Denomination. Grantham's Confession is purposely brief, but it is very doubtful, brief though it is, whether the King, into whose hands it was put, ever took the trouble to read it. Although equally outspoken with Smyth's, it is no mere copy of that earliest Confession. It also bears this resemblance to the London Confession, that it was after- wards published "to inform all men, in those days of reproach and scandal, of our innocent belief and practice," in the maintenance of which they declare themselves " resolved to suffer persecution not only to the loss of our goods, but to life itself." They also " utterly, and from their very hearts, in the Lord's fear, declare against all those wicked and devilish reports, and reproaches, falsely cast upon us, as though some of us (in and about the City of London) had lately gotten knives, hooked knives, and the like, and great store of ;. besides, which were given forth by order of Parliament, intend- ing to cut the throats of such as were contrary minded to us in matters of religion ; and that such knives and arms, for the carrying on some secret design, hath been found in some of our houses by search." Two or three articles will show the positions then held by the General Baptists. In the fourth we read : — " That God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 119 repentance (2 Pet. iii. 9) and the knowledge of the truth, that they may be saved (1 Tim. ii. 4). For which end Christ hath commanded that the Gospel (to wit, the glad tidings of re- mission of sins) should be preached to every creature (Mark xvi. 15). So that no man shall suffer in hell (that is, the second death) for want of a Christ that died for them ; but, as the Scripture saith, for denying the Lord that bought them (2 Pet. ii. 1), or because they believe not on the name of the only-begotten Son of God (John iii. 18). Unbelief, therefore, being the cause why the just and righteous God will condemn the children of men, it follows, against all contradiction, that all men, at one time or other, are put in such capacity as that (through the grace of God) they may be eternally saved (John i. 7 ; Acts xvii. 30 ; Mark vi. 6 ; Heb. iii. 10, 18, 19 ; 1 John v. 10; John iii. 17). " Article 8. — That God hath, even before the foundation of the world, chosen (or elected) to eternal life such as believe, and so are in Christ (John iii. 16 ; Eph. i. 4 ; 2 Thess. ii. 13) ; yet confident we are, that the purpose of God, according to election, was not in the least arising from foreseen faith in, or works of righteousness done by the creature, but only from the mercy, goodness, and compassion dwelling in God ; and so it is of Him that calleth (Rom. ix. 11), whose purity and unword- able holiness cannot admit of any unclean person (or thing) to be in His presence ; therefore, His decree of mercy reaches only to the godly man, whom (saith David) God hath set apart for Himself (Psa. iv. 3). " Article 9. — That men, not considered simply as men, but ungodly men, were of old ordained unto condemnation, considered as such, who turn the grace of God into wanton- ness, and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude iv.). God indeed sends a strong delusion to men, that they might be damned ; but we observe that they are such (as saith the Apostle) that receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thess. ii. 10 — 12) ; and so the indigna- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. tion and wrath of God is upon eveiy soul of man that doth evil, living and dying therein, for there is no respect of persons with God (Rom. ii. 9—11). " Article 10. — That all children dying in infancy, having not actually transgressed against the law of God in their own persons, are only subject to the first death, which comes upon them by the sin of the first Adam, from whence they shall be all raised by the Second Adam, and not that any one of them dying in that state shall suffer for Adam's sin eternal punish- ment in hell (which is the second death), for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor. xv. 22 ; Matt. xix. 14) ; not daring to conclude with that uncharitable opinion of others, who, though they plead much for the bringing of children into the visible Church here on earth by baptism, yet nevertheless, by their doctrine, that Christ died but for some, shut a greater part of them out of the kingdom of heaven for ever." Grantham's closing remarks are not without strong warrant. A high Calvinist of his day wrote a book entitled Moral Reflections on the X umber of the Elect ; in which the writer declared that he had sufficiently proved, from Scripture evidence, " that not one in a hundred thousand ; nay, probably, not one in a million, from Adam downwards, shall be saved," In regard to magistrates, the twenty-fifth article says : — " We believe that there ought to be civil magistrates in all nations for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well (1 Pet. ii. 14) ; and that all wicked lewdness and fleshly filthiness, contrary to just and wholesome (civil) laws, ought to be punished according to the nature of the offences ; and this without respect of any persons, religion, or profession whatsoever ; and that we, and all men, are obliged by Gospel rules, to be faithful to the higher powers, to obey magistrates (Acts iii. 1), and to submit to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake, as saith Pet. ii. 13. But in case the civil power do, or shall at any time impose things about matters of religion, which we, through conscience to God cannot actually obey, then we, BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. with Peter also, do say that we ought, in such case, to obey God rather than men (Acts v. 29 ; and accordingly do hereby declare our whole holy intent and purpose that through the grace of God we tvill not yield, nor in such cases in the least actually obey them ; yet humbly purposing, in the Lord's strength, patiently to suffer whatsoever shall be inflicted upon us for our conscionable forbearance." Brave words again, and such as the Baptists in those days knew well how to utter — words, moreover, which they shortly verified by their equally heroic deeds. Grantham reprinted this Confession in his Christ ianismus Primiticus, adding thereto "Explanatory Statements, and the Testimony of many of the Ancient Writers of Christianity, to show that though the Com- position of these Articles be New, yet the Doctrine contained therein is truly Ancient, being Witnessed both by the Holy Scriptures and later Writers of Christianity." The Confession next published was called The Orthodox Creed. It was issued in 1678, by the General Baptists of the counties of Bucks, Hereford, Bedford, and Oxford ; was written by a Thomas Monk, of Bucks, the author of a book entitled A Cure for the Cankering Error of the New Eutychians, and was signed by fifty-four messengers, elders, and brethren. According to Adam Taylor, the historian of the General Baptists, the design of the compiler was to approximate as closely as possible to the Calvinistic system, without giving up the tenets held by General Baptists. It differs materially in some doctrinal points from the Confession of 1660 ; attempts to explain and account for those things which the other only asserts ; is highly meta- physical ; is " an explication of the inexplicables, and probably introduced or encouraged that spirit of philosophizing on sacred subjects which, soon after its publication, distracted the Deno- mination." There is no proof that it was ever generally accepted by the General Baptists, and a contemporary writer, 122 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Joseph Hooke, himself a messenger of their churches, thus describes this Creed, in his Necessary Apology: — " Tis true some small exceptions may be made against some few passages in it, but nothing that respects the fundamentals of religion. There is nothing that directly opposeth the Word of God. But they were men who composed it; and men may err. They expounded as well as they could, and imposed upon nobody, but left others to judge for themselves, and to receive their well-meant interpretations, if they could understand them, if not, to let them alone." In other words, they were, like the other Confessions, expositions of sentiments, not articles of belief, and expositions that were accepted or refused as men might individually determine. The second, third, and fourth articles, on " the Divine attri- butes of God and the Holy Trinity," will at once betray its metaphysical character. " Article 2. — Every particle of being in heaven and earth leads us to the infinite Being of beings, namely, God ; who is simplicity, that is, one mere and perfect act, without all composition, and an immense sea of perfections ; who is the only eternal Being, everlasting without time, whose immense Presence is always everywhere present, having immutability without any alteration in being or will. In a word, God is infinite, of universal, unlimited, and incompre- hensible perfection, most holy, wise, just, and good ; whose wisdom is His justice, whose justice is His holiness, and whose wisdom, justice, holiness is — Himself. Most merciful, graci- ous, faithful, and true, a full fountain of love, and who is that perfect, sovereign, Divine will, the Alpha of supreme being. "Article 3. — In this Divine and Infinite Being, or unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, or subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, or the Holy Spirit, of one subsistence, power, eternity, and will ; each having the whole Divine essence, yet the essence undivided. The Father is of none, neither be- gotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 123 Father ; and the Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son pro- ceeding. All infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is invisible, and not to be divided in nature, or being, but distinguishable by several properties and personal relations, and we worship and adore a Trinity in Unity, and a Unity in Trinity, three persons, and but one God : which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on Him. "Article 4. — We confess and believe that the Son of God, or the eternal Word, is very and true God, having His personal sub- sistence of the Father alone, and yet for Himself as God; and of the Father as the Son, the eternal Son of an eternal Father ; not later in the beginning. There never was any time when He was not ; not less in dignity, not other in substance, be- gotten without diminution of His Father that begat, of one nature and substance with the Father ; begotten of the Father, while the Father communicating wholly to the Son, which He retained wholly in Himself, because both were infinite, without inequality of nature, without division of essence, neither made, nor created, nor adopted, but begotten before all time ; not a metaphorical or subordinate God ; not a God by office, but a God by nature, is equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Ghost." In the same fashion the Confession discourses on "The Second Person of the Trinity taking our flesh," on " The Union of the Two Natures in Christ," on " The Communication of Properties," and " The Holy Spirit; " and we are not, therefore, surprised when we come to the thirty-eighth article to find " that the Nicene Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and the Apostles' Creed, as they are commonly called, ought thoroughly to be received and believed." The ninth article, " Of Predestination and Election," may be compared with the eighteenth, "Of Christ dying for all man- kind." The first declares : — " The decrees of God are founded on infinite wisdom and situate in eternity, and crowned with i2 4 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. infallibility as to the event. Now predestination unto life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundation of the world was laid, He hath constantly decreed in His counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation, those whom He hath chosen in Christ, and bring them to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour, through Jesus Christ, — whom He elected before the foundation of the world, and is called God's elect, in whom His soul delighteth, being the Lamb foreordained, and so predestinated unto the super- lative glory of the hypostatical union. And this is not for any foreseen holiness of his human nature, with all that did flow out of the hypostatical union, being elected of mere grace, as are all members of His mystical body. And God the Father gave this, His elected and beloved Son, for a covenant to the people, and said, * that His covenant shall stand fast with Him, and His seed shall endure for ever.' And, albeit, God the Father be the sufficient cause of all good things He intended to us, yet Christ is the meriting cause of all those good things God intended to us in election, namely, repentance, faith, and sin- cere obedience to all God's commandments. And so God the Father, that He might bring about the eternal salvation of His elect, chose the man Christ, with respect to His human nature, out of the fallen lump of mankind, which, in the fulness of time He made of a woman, — made under the law, to redeem those that were under it, that we might receive the adoption of sons. " And though Christ came from Adam, as Eve did, yet not by Adam, as Cain did — viz., by natural propagation, [He was] therefore without any stain of sin. And this second Adam, being, by God's eternal decree, excepted out of the first covenant, as being neither God the Father, who we justly offended, nor yet sinful Adam, who had offended Him in break- ing of it : therefore Christ, the second Adam, was a fit mediator between God and man, to reconcile both in Himself, by the shedding and sprinkling of His blood, according to God's eternal purpose in electing of Christ, of all that do, or shall believe in BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 125 Him ; which eternal election, or covenant transaction between the Father and the Son, is very consistent with His revealed will in the Gospel ; for we ought not to oppose the grace of God in electing of us, nor yet the grace of the Son in dying for all men, and so for us, nor yet the grace of the Holy Ghost in propound- ing the Gospel, and persuading us to believe it. For until we do believe, the effects of God's displeasure are not taken from us ; for the wrath of God abideth on all them that do not believe in Christ. For the actual declaration in the Court of Conscience is by faith an instrument, not for faith as a meriting cause ; for Christ is the meriting cause of eternal life to all that believe, but not of God's will to give eternal life to them, nor yet of God's decree to save us, albeit we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now faith is necessary as the way of our salvation, as an instrumental cause ; but the active and passive obedience of Christ is necessary as a meriting cause of our salvation ; therefore God's eternal decree doth not oppose His eternal will revealed in the Gospel, it being but one, not two diverse and contrary wills. For His decree, as King, decreeth the event, or what shall be done infallibly ; but His command as a lawgiver showeth not what shall be done, but what is the duty of man to do, and leave undone. Therefore God hath, we believe, decreed that faith, as the means of salvation, as the end shall be joined together ; that where the one is, the other must be also, for it is written: 'He that believeth shall be saved ; ' also, ' Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Now, here is a great mystery indeed, for God so ministereth His absolute decree that He leaves as much place for an efficacious conditional dispensation as if the decree itself were conditional." The article closes with a long catalogue of Scripture refer- ences — upwards of sixty — in confirmation of the opinions expressed. It is not surprising, however, that some passages in the article were quoted by an advocate for High Calvinism, who, some quarter of a century after the publication of this 126 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Confession, had found his way into a General Baptist pulpit in Leicestershire ; and quoted as " from the writings of Thomas Monk, and about fifty brethren besides, of the ' General ' faith, all stars of the first magnitude." The General Association in London in 1700, hearing of this assertion, as emphatically denied it ; sent a copy of Orthodox Creed to the Midland brethren, with a few comments of their own ; and advised that the minister should be dealt with, "asa preacher of false doc- trine, and as one who slandered his brethren." This incident illustrates the " uncertain sound " given by the Confession, and perhaps accounts for its want of general favour. The twentieth article touches on " The Free Will in Man :" — " God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice, that is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature, determined to do good or evil ; but man, in a state of innocency, had such power and liberty of will to choose and perform that which was acceptable and well- pleasing to God, according to the requirement of the first cove- nant ; but he, falling from his state of innocency, wholly lost all ability, or liberty of will, to any spiritual good for his eternal salvation, his will being now in bondage under sin and Satan, and therefore not able of his own strength to convert himself, nor prepare himself thereunto, without God's grace taketh away the enmity out of his will, and by His special grace freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, enabling him to will freely and sincerely that which is spiritually good, according to the tenure of the new covenant of grace in Christ ; though not perfectly, according to the tenure of the first covenant, which perfection of will is only attainable in the state of glory, after the redemption or resurrection of our fleshly bodies." In speaking " Of Vocation and Effectual Calling," the next article says : — " That general calling is, when God by means of His Word and Spirit, freely of His own grace and goodness, doth ministerially acquaint mankind with His gracious good purpose of salvation by Jesus Christ, inviting and wooing them BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 127 to come to Him, and to accept of Christ, revealing unto them the Gospel covenant, and that those that with cordial hearts do improve this common grace, He in time worketh unfeigned faith and sincere repentance in them ; and by His grace they corns to accept Christ as their only Lord and Saviour, with their whole heart, and God becomes their Father in Christ, and they being then effectually called, are by faith united to Jesus Christ by grace unto salvation." Like Smyth's Confession, and Grantham's, the Orthodox Creed also strongly insists on the salvation of children dying in infancy: Smyth declaring, "that being born in innocency, without sin, that they dying are undoubtedly saved ;" Gran- tham, that " all children dying in infancy, have not actually transgressed against the love of God in their own persons, and only subject to the first death, from whence they shall be all raised by the second Adam ; " and the Orthodox Creed, " that all little children dying in their infancy, viz., before they are capable to choose either good or evil, whether born of believing parents, or unbelieving parents, shall be saved by the grace of God and the merit of Christ their Redeemer, and the work of the Holy Ghost, and so being made members of the invisible Church, shall enjoy life everlasting." Smyth objects to the use of oaths (Article 88); but Gran- tham, in his Christ ianismus Primitivus, says, " that many Christians are doubtful in this case, but without sufficient grounds;" and the Orthodox Creed also declares " that an oath is to be taken in the plain and common sense of the words, without equivocation or mental reservation, in a solemn and reverent using of God's holy name ; and such an oath we believe all Christians, when lawfully called thereunto by the magistrate, may take ; but the foolish and monastical vows of Papists, and all idle and vain swearing is abominable and wicked profaning of the holy name of God." The articles on "The Civil Magistrate" and "Liberty of Conscience" may also be cited to illustrate, still further, the 128 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. uniform testimony of the misrepresented and falsely called Anabaptists. In the first, it is declared, " The supreme Lord and King of all the earth hath ordained civil magistrates to be under Him over the people, for His own glory and the public good. And the office of a magistrate may be accepted of and executed by Christians, when lawfully called thereunto ; and God hath given the power of the sword into the hands of all lawful magistrates for the defence and encouragement of them that do well, and for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the maintenance of justice and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each kingdom and commonwealth ; and they may wage war upon just and necessary occasions. And subjection in the Lord ought to be yielded to the magistrates in all lawful things commanded by them, for conscience' sake, with prayers for them for a blessing upon them, paying all lawful and reason- able custom and tribute to them, for the assisting of them against foreign, domestical, and potent enemies." Equally distinct and emphatic is the teaching of the second : — " The Lord Jesus Christ, who is King of Kings, and Lord of all by purchase, and is Judge of quick and dead, is the only Lord of conscience, having a peculiar right to be so ; He having died for that end, to take away the guilt, and to destroy the filth of sin, that keeps the consciences of all men in thraldom and bondage, till they are set free by His special grace. And, therefore, He would not have the consciences of men in bondage to or imposed upon by any usurpation, tyranny, or command what- soever, contrary to His revealed Word, which is the only rule He hath left for the consciences of all men to be ruled, and regulated, and guided by, through the assistance of His Spirit. And, therefore, the obedience to any command or decree that is not revealed in, or consonant to His Word, in the holy oracles of Scripture, is a betraying of the true liberty of con- science. And the requiring of an implicit faith, and an abso- lute blind obedience, destroys liberty of conscience and reason also, it being repugnant to both ; and that no pretended good BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 129 end whatsoever, by any man, can make that action, obedience, or practice, lawful and good, that is not grounded in or upon the authority of Holy Scripture, or right reason agreeable thereunto.' The closing part of this article, and the expres- sions used in others, arise from the Creed seeking, as the title- page declares, ' to unite and confirm all true Protestants in the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, against the errors and heresies of Rome.'' " The next most remarkable public Confession is now known as The Confession of the Assembly. It first appeared a year earlier than the Orthodox Creed, and has ever since been regarded as a just exposition of the senti- ments of the Particular, or Calvinistic, Baptists. It was issued anonymously, " by the elders and brethren of many congrega- tions of Christians (baptized upon profession of faith) in London and the country." A second edition appeared in 1688; and the following year it formally received the sanction of the General Assembly. The notice, " appended to many copies of the edition of 1688, and to all subsequent editions," was as follows: — "We, the ministers and messengers of, and con- cerned for, upwards of one hundred baptized congregations in England and Wales (denying Arminianism), being met together in London, from the third of the seventh month, to the eleventh of the same, 1689, to consider of some things that might be for the glory of God, and the good of these congregations, have thought meet, (for the satisfaction of all other Christians that differ from us in the point of baptism), to recommend to their perusal the Confession of our Faith, printed for and sold by Mr. John Harris, at the Harrow, in the Poultry, which Con- fession we own, as containing the doctrine of our faith and practice ; and do desire that the members of our churches respectively do furnish themselves therewith." Among other signatures appended to this "Notice" are those of Knollys, Kiffin, the two Collins' — Hercules and William, Keach, Tom- 130 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. kins, &c. They subscribed to it, as they assure us, " in the name and behalf of the Assembly." The Westminster Confession, made in the days of Charles the First, is followed nearly word for word, with such omis- sions or additions as their own opinions required. A few of the articles, or chapters, may be quoted, omitting the numerous Scripture references with which each of them is crowded. The third chapter thus deals with the subject " Of God's Decrees" : — " 1. God hath decreed in Himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and un- changeably, all things whatsoever come to pass ; yet so as thereby God is not the author of sin, nor hath fellowship with any therein, nor is violence offered to the will of His creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power, and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree. 2. Although God knoweth what- soever may, or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such condi- tions. 3. By the decree of God for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated and foreordained to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, to the praise of His glorious grace ; others being left to act in their sin to their just con- demnation, to the praise of His glorious justice. 4. These angels and men thus predestinated, and foreordained, are par- ticularly and unchangeably designed ; and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be increased or diminished. 5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good plea- sure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love ; without any other thing in the creaturo as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 131 6. As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto, wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified and saved, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation ; neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. 7. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care ; that men, attending the will of God revealed in His Word and yielding obedience thereto, may, from the cer- tainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election ; so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, rever- ence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel." The article on "free will" is very similar to that which appears in the Orthodox Creed; but the one on " effectual calling" is very different. " Those whom God hath predesti- nated unto life, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call by His Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ ; enlightening their minds, spiritually and savingly, to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving them a heart of flesh ; renewing their wills, and by His Almighty power deter- mining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ ; yet so as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace. 2. This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, nor from any power or agency in the creature, co-working with His special grace, the creature being wholly passive therein, being dead in sins and trespasses, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it, and k2 132 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. that by no less power than that which raised up Christ from the dead. 3. Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who worketh when, and where, and how He pleaseth ; so, also, are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. 4. Others not elected, though they may- be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet not being effectually drawn by the Father, they neither w T ill nor can truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved : much less can men that receive not the Christian religion be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess." We give another of these articles, that on " the perseverance of the saints," since this article, and the one on " personal election " are specially pointed out as distinguishing them from the other Baptists then existing: " Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly'persevere therein unto the end, and be eternally 6aved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (whence He still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy, and hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality) ; and though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation and rock which by faith they are fastened upon ; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sensible sight and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet He is still the same, and they shall be sure to be kept by the power of God unto salva- tion, whence they shall enjoy their purchased possession, they being engraven upon the palms of His hands, and their name having been written in the book of life from all eternity. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 133 free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father, upon the efficacy and merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, and union with Him, the oath of God, the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the cove- nant of grace ; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. 3. And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of cor- ruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sin, and for a time con- tinue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves, yet they shall renew their repent- ance, and be preserved, through faith in Christ Jesus, to the end." There is an appendix to the Assembly's Confession, entirely devoted to a more careful examination of the arguments com- monly advanced in favour of infant baptism. The Confession itself has been frequently reprinted since its endorsement by the Assembly in 1689, and four years after that date it was "ordered to be translated into Latin with all convenient speed ;" but it is not known whether this was actually done. The Somerset Confession. A brief Confession was published in 1691 by some churches in Somerset, and the neighbouring counties. It consists of twenty-seven articles, and agrees, in all material points, with Grantham's Confession. The original title is, " A Short Con- fession, or a Brief Narrative of Faith." In the introduction they say, " It is not for any ambition of our attainments above others, neither for want of understanding that there has been sufficient said to these things already, by such pens as we prefer and honour, as being far more able to set forth the i 3 4 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. great truths of the Gospel than ourselves. Neither do we hereby pretend to be bringing forth new things, but to bear our testimony to the faith once delivered to the saints, in which we trust, through grace, we are established ; but our reasons why we thus publish are, — (1) We are, on these articles of faith, united together as one people to worship and serve God, with one mind and consent (until we see just cause to relinquish), holily and resolvedly, in the strength of the Lord, to persevere thereunto to the end. (2) Because we are looked upon as a people dege- nerated from almost all other baptized congregations, at least in other parts of our nation ; so that they arc not only unfree, but are even afraid to have any affinity with us in the work, worship, and service of the Lord ; which did incline us to appear in public after this manner, to give a short account of our faith in the great things of the Gospel ; so that, if possible, we may have more acquaintance, acceptance, and fellowship with those churches of Jesus Christ that we believe are one with us in the most material things of the Gospel, both rela- ting to matters of faith and practice, who, it may be, do carry themselves strange for want of right understanding of our faith. But if, when all is done, it do not answer the end for which it is intended, but we must notwithstanding be looked upon as a bye-people, to be rejected, or laid aside, we trust we shall keep close to the Lord in the things that we at present understand, until we are by some divine authority convinced of some religious mistakes therein, &c. ; and now we shall proceed to explain ourselves by those brief articles of faith following." In the fourth article on " the extent of the death of Christ," the Confession declares, " Concerning the extent of the death of our dear Redeemer we believe, that suitably to the great end of God the Father in sending Him into the world, He gave Himself a ransom for all mankind, for the world, the whole world, and that thereby there is a way of reconciliation, acceptation, and salvation opened to all men ; from whence we BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 135 conclude, that if any man came short of obtaining reconcilia- tion, acceptation, and salvation, it is not for want of grace in the Father, nor a sacrifice in the Son." In the article on " God's decrees," the Confession says, "that the Word of God is God's decreed will, and that there is no secret or decreed will in God, contrary to His revealed Word and will ; " " that whatever God absolutely decrees will come to pass ; but that many things that do come to pass are not decreed of God. ... It might suit the nature of the devil, or wicked men, to decree wickedness; but far be it from the righteous God so to do. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" And in the article on "election," after repeating the words of the Assembly's Confession, and declaring that they do not hold this doctrine, but " that the infinitely wise and holy God, suitable to His name and nature, did elect and choose unto Himself from all eternity, and (merely of His own good pleasure), out of the whole body and bulk of mankind, an entire species or sort of men, namely, those that in time do believe and sincerely obey Him, patiently continuing in the way of well doing to the end ; " that, moreover, " this election is in Christ Jesus, of God's eternal purpose and grace, before the foundation of the world," and " extends to the whole number of the godly in all nations, throughout all ages, under the various dispensations under which they live." It does not appear what was the result of this desire for closer union with other Baptists, or whether the authors of this Confession were still thought to be a " b} r e-people ; " but Adam Taylor says that the Confession itself was not much known in other parts of the kingdom. Besides the various public expositions of Baptist opinion in the Seventeenth Century already mentioned, there were others published by private individuals, or for the use of particular congregations. John Bunyan's and Vavasour Powell's are illustrations of the first ; the Confessions of the Keachs, father and son, are illustrations of the second. When Benjamin 136 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST PI I STORY. Keach published his short Confession in 1697, for the special use of the congregation at Horsley Down. Among other reasons assigned for its issue is this — that the larger Con- fession was out of print. He adds to his abridged version a brief treatise on "the true glory of a church and its dis- cipline." The Confession published by his son, Elias Keach, for the use of the congregation meeting at Tallow Chandlers' Hall, on Dowgate Hill, is similar to the father's, except in the preface and dedications. It only remains for us now to notice the brief Articles of Religion agreed upon by the first " Assembly of Free-grace General Baptists," in June, 1770. They are rather a declaration of their views on those points which had been the chief subjects of difference between themselves and the older branch of the General Baptists, than a full Confession of Faith. We give the articles entire : — " 1. On the fall of man. — We believe that man was made upright in the image of God, free from all disorder, natural and moral ; capable of obeying perfectly the will and com- mand of God his Maker ; yet capable also of sinning : which he unhappily did, and thereby laid himself under the Divine curse ; which, wo think, could include nothing less than the mortality of the body and the eternal punishment of the soul. His nature also became depraved, his mind defiled, and the powers of his soul weakened — that both he was, and his pos- terity are, captives of Satan till set at liberty by Christ. " 2. On the nature and perjietual obligation of the moral la Wm — We believe that the moral law not only extends to the outward actions of life, but to all the powers and faculties of the mind, to every desire, temper, and thought ; that it demands an entire devotion of all the powers and faculties of both body and soul to God ; or, in our Lord's words, ' To love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength;' BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 137 that this law is of perpetual duration and obligation, to all men, at all times, and in all places or parts of the world. And we suppose that this law was obligatory to Adam in his perfect state — was more clearly revealed in the Ten Commandments, and more fully explained in many other parts of the Bible. u 3. On the person and work of Christ. — We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is God and man united in one Person ; or possessed of Divine perfection united to human nature, in a way which we pretend not to explain, but think ourselves bound by the Word of God firmly to believe : that He suffered to make a full atonement for all the sins of all men, and thereby He has wrought out for us a complete salvation, which is received by, and as a free gift communicated to, all that believe in Him, without the consideration of any works done by us in order to entitle us to this salvation : though we firmly believe that no faith is the means of justification but that which produces good works. "4. On salvation by faith. — We believe that as this salva- tion is held forth to all to whom the Gospel revelation comes, without exception, we ought, in the course of our ministry, to propose or offer this salvation to all those who attend our ministry ; and having opened to them their ruined, wretched state by nature and practice, to invite all, without exception, to look to Christ by faith without regard to anything in, or done by, themselves ; that they may, in this way alone, that is, by faith, be possessed of this salvation. " 5. On regeneration by the Holy Spirit. — We believe that, as the Scriptures assure us, we are justified, made the children of God, purified and sanctified by faith; that when a person comes to believe in Jesus (and not before), he is regenerated, or renewed in his soul by the Spirit of God, through the instrumentality of the Word, now believed and embraced ; which renewal of his soul naturally produces holiness in heart and life ; that this holiness is the means of preparing us for the enjoyments and employments of the heavenly world, and 138 BYE- PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. of preserving in our souls a comfortable sense of our interest in the Lord, and of our title to glory, as well as to set a good example before men, and to recommend our blessed Redeemer's cause to the world. " G. On baptism. — We believe that it is the indispensable duty of all who repent and believe the Gospel, to be baptized by immersion in water, in order to be initiated into a church state ; and that no person ought to be received into the Church without submission to this ordinance." CHAPTER VII. PUBLIC DISPUTATIONS ON BAPTISM. BAPTISTS have been compelled to be controversialists. Their position, among all the varieties of Christian belief, is solitary and peculiar ; and on them, therefore, is rightly thrown the burden of proof. Nor have they ever shown any reluctance to accept the responsibilities of their position. But in the Seventeenth Century, when they started afresh into such prominence in England, there were many other reasons than their isolated position for taking up the weapons^ of con- troversy — they were misunderstood, misrepresented, defamed ; the most frivolous and the most scandalous charges were made against them from the pulpit and the press ; they were literally "the sect everywhere spoken against." Episcopalians, Presby- terians, Brownists, Independents, much as they might differ from each other, all agreed amazingly in this — their denuncia- tion of the Baptists. Various methods were adopted for removing this general dis- like, and answering the wicked accusations made against them. They issued pamphlets in defence of their opinions. They subscribed to numerous Confessions of Faith. They were ready, in season and out of season, to meet their opponents. They challenged them to public disputations ; now in London, now in the country. Ordinary buildings proved too small and in- convenient for the excited and eager crowds who attended these 140 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. disputations ; and the largest accommodation being afforded by the parish church, to the parish church they commonly hurried. The occasion of these discussions was often the fierce opposition of local clergymen, but was sometimes the uneasy consciences on the subject of baptism of some members of their congrega- tions. The victory, as in all such public discussions, was usually claimed by both sides. The disputations themselves illustrate the habits and the ferment of a former age. It is unfortunate that most of the reports of these public debates are from the pens of opponents. There were no news- paper reporters in those days; but some friend of the disputants dotted down a few rough notes during the debate, which were afterwards filled up from memory. Large room was, therefore, left for partiality and unfairness. In some cases the opponents of the Baptists not only published these one-sided versions of the debates, but enriched or disfigured them by marginal com- mentaries ; one of them thought to secure wider success for his cause by publishing, with his report, a scandalous frontis- piece in which fifteen different sorts of Anabaptists are sup- posed to be depicted. The history of all the public disputes between the Baptists and their opponents, from the outbreak of the Civil War to the Restoration of Charles the Second, would alone fill a bulky volume. But these only represent a tithe of the discussions which have been held. An account of some of the most famous debates will illustrate the rest. Perhaps the most notorious was one of the earliest. This dispute was held with Dr. Daniel Featley, in Southwark. The only account of it which has come down to us is supplied by the doctor's own book, entitled, The Dippers dipt : or, the Anabaptists duck'd and plung'd over head and eais, at a Disputation in Southwark. Together with a large and full Dis- course of their original, several sorts, peculiar errors, high BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 141 attempts against the State, cap itall punishments, with an applica- tion to these times. London 1645. The scene of the dispute was " somewhere in Southwark; " but where, does not appear. Most probably, however, it was in the parish church. Sir John Lenthall was present, " with many knights, ladies, and gentlemen." There were also not a few of the illiterate people on whom Dr. Featley looked down with such bitter disdain, people who were then being stirred into great excitement by other matters besides those in dispute. The discussion was held in the year that Charles the First had broken with his Parliament. Two months before it began the royal standard was unfurled at Nottingham, and a week after it had closed Charles fought his first battle. The disputants can hardly be regarded as fairly matched. Featley was already a veteran debater. He was now sixty- two ; and had long before won his spurs in various encounters with the Jesuits in Paris, when chaplain to the English ambassador. The wily followers of Ignatius Loyola, so Dr. Featley's most intimate friend assures us, " contemned him for ihat he was low of stature, yet admired him for his ready answers and shrewd distinctions." During his residence in the French capital he had not only converted " a Spanish Frier," but had earned for himself a great reputation as a polemic. Featley's name was to be found on the tables hung up in Conti- nental seminaries, and was bracketed with the great school- men Bonaventura, Duns Scotus, Aquinas, and others. If the first was styled " the Seraphic," the second " the Subtle," and the third "the Angelic," Featley was known as "the Sagacious and Ardent." It is also cheering to know that, despite his vilification of the Baptists, his friend of " thirty- seven years' duration," had found him " meek, gracious, affable, merciful." The opponents of Featley were four Baptists, one of whom the Doctor calls " a Scotchman," and the other " Cuffin." It is hardly necessary to say that the last was William Kifiin, who had now been for two years pastor of Devonshire-square chapel, 42 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. London. Of the other disputants we have no information. Kiffin was a vigorous young man of six-and-thirty, who had yet fifty-nine years of pastoral and chequered life before him. " The company being placed, Dr. Featley made a short ejacu- latory prayer to God to give a blessing to the meeting." The Scotchman opened the debate. " Master Doctor " — (perhaps he did not know he was " acutissimus acerrimusque," or he would have given him his full honours) — ''Master Doctor; we come to dispute with you at this time, not for contention's sake, but to receive satisfaction. We hold, that the baptism of infants cannot be proved lawful by the testimony of Scrip- ture, or by Apostolical tradition. If you, therefore, can prove the same either way, we shall willingly submit unto you." The doctor feigns surprise at this simple question. " Are you, then, Anabaptists ? I am deceived in my expectations. I thought the end of this meeting had been to have reasoned with you about other matters, and that my task would have been to have justified our Communion Book, and the lawful- ness and necessity of coming to church, which I am ready to do. Anabaptism, (which I perceive is the point you hold,) is a heresy long since condemned both by the Greek and Latin Church." After this declaration the "sagacious and ardent" polemic insults his opponents before he has tried their calibre, by adding, "I could have wished also that ye had brought scholars with you, who knew how to dispute, which I conceive you do not, so far as I can guess by your habit [dress] , and am informed concerning your professions. For there are but two ways of disputing : by authority, and by reason." If they elect the first method, the doctor tells them that they must be prepared to produce the Scriptures in the original languages ; since " translations are not authentical," because they contain errors, and " in the undoubted Word of God there can be no error." This production of the original Scriptures, he inti- mates, is out of the question, since none of them understand either Greek or Hebrew. If they elect the second method. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 143 they are no better off. He will have them, in that case, " conclude syllogistically, in mood and figure, which," he adds, " I take to be out of your element." The doctor now expresses his desire, — since they had earnestly sought this meeting, " and are so well conceited of themselves that they take upon them to teach others," — to put them through their catechism. He begins by asking the Scotchman some questions on the doctrine of the Trinity; and informs us, in his marginal comments on his own answer, " The venturous Scotchman was so stunned with this blow, that he gave in, and spake no more for a good space." The doctor's keen eyes observed, however, "that he wrote some- thing, and gave it to some there present." Mr. Kiffin now speaks ; " declares," says Featley, that " he has not come to dispute, but to receive satisfaction of some doubts, which, if the doctor can answer him, he shall submit." " This Cuffin," adds the marginal note, "is said to be one of the first that subscribed to the Anabaptist Confession, printed in 1644." But neither Kiffin' s answers nor the Scotchman's please Sir John Lenthall, who breaks in upon the discussion to "bid the doctor resolve the doubts himself;" when Featley avows that his sole purpose in putting his questions was, " to make it appear to the auditors how unfit these men were to take upon them the office of teacher," since they were " so imperfect in the fundamental points of Catechism." Kiffin, taking advantage of the doctor's invitation, "to pro- pound what question he pleased," asks — "What is the nature of a visible Church ? — what, the matter and form of it ? — or what the visible Church of Christ made up of, by authority of the Scripture?" evidently seeking to bring the debate back again to its original purpose. The doctor replies, " The Protestant Church has but two ' notes,' and both are found in the Church of England, namely, (1) the sincere preaching of the Word, and (2) the due administration of the Sacraments." Kiffin contends that neither of these are discernible, and denies 144 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. that the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer are agreeable to God's Word. Featley even makes him say, that he (Kiffin) had " never seen the Thirty-nine Articles, and knew not what they were!" — a statement as incredible as it is audacious. Again the volatile doctor is brought back to the chief point of the debate, "whether baptism can be rightly administered, agreeable to God's Word, if given to children;" but while he was on the point of proving it, "out of Scripture," "another Anabaptist interposed with a question, whether the Church of England was a true Church, since she compelled men to come to her, and persecuted those who refused to come." Featley quotes the example of King Josiah to prove that kings ought to "compel their subjects in matters religious," and "so blankt this third Anabaptist, that, to save his credit, he started up another question," to which the doctor replied syllogistically, and was instantly answered by "the blankt Anabaptist:" " But the Word of God does not command us to come to your steeple-houses, and the King hath nothing to do to com- mand us in this kind." Again Featley answers by a syllogism : *' The King hath power to command you in all things that are lawful ; it is lawful, and noways repugnant to God's Word, but most agreeable thereunto, to come to our steeple-houses, as you call them ; therefore, the King hath power to command you to come to our Church." The Baptist declares he (the doctor) makes an idol of the church ; but assures him that if " one of our society should preach in Olaves, or Mary Overis Church, he (the Baptist) would hear him." This is construed by Featley into " the Anabaptist yielding his buckler, namely, that the magistrate ought to be obeyed, when he commanded men to hear God's Word in the church ! " The debate now wanders off to the question — whether the Baptists or the Church of England have true pastors ? — Featley contending that since the Anabaptists have no sending, no calling, no imposition of hands upon them, they had not BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 145 lawful pastors ; and one of the Baptists declaring that, " none among us teach but they have ordination, for they are elected, examined, and proved ; " but if the doctor wishes to know whether they have imposition of hands, " if he will come to his (the Baptist's) church, he will see for himself." Kiffin grows impatient at the frequent digressions of Featley, and says, " I pray you, Master Doctor, come to the point ; how prove you the baptism of children to be lawful by the Word of God ? " A little more skirmishing on Featley's part follows this distinct and definite question, and at length he affirms that " the Scripture proofs are of two sorts : some pro- bable, some necessary." The "probable" are, the baptisms of households; and the "necessary," circumcision and the declaration, that except men are born of the water and the Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Kiffin reminds the doctor that "men" are here spoken of, not chil- dren ; and the Scotchman suggests, that, according to Featley's showing, only children baptized are saved. Featley accepts both conclusions, but says, in regard to Kiffin's objection, " that in Christ there is no difference of age or sex," and in answer to the Scotchman's, "that the children of the faithful are holy" (1 Cor. vii. 14), and therefore they enter heaven. The last reply did not satisfy one of the Baptists, and he instantly put in, " But the Apostle meaneth, that such are not bastards, at which," says Featley, " the company laughing, as a ridiculous answer." Another opponent now appears, an Anabaptist who has caught the doctor's trick of syllogizing, and who boldly denies that either Featley, or others like him, ought to preach. " They that persecute good men are ungodly men," says this fourth disputant ; "but all your bishops persecute good men ; there- fore, the bishops are ungodly men." The doctor claims that at least two bishops did not deserve that censure, the primate of Ireland, and Bishop of Potter ; but the Baptist declares, that when he himself was dragged before the High Commission, the L 146 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Irish primate " sate there, and by his silence gave consent." Featley wriggled out of this home-thrust by saying, u that the Archbishop of Armagh, had no power to give sentence in the High Commission of England, and if he (the doctor) truly knew for what cause the Anabaptist had been brought up before the High Commission, he had no doubt he should be able to prove that the sentence was just, " since you are one of those who do not come to church, and will not hear our preachers, but only some of your own sect, and those no better than mere laymen." The debate here turns upon the question of lay preaching, the Baptist contending that the division of people into laymen and clergymen is Popish ; that the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem all preached, and yet they were all what the Popish Church called laymen. To this Featley replies, that neither the word " Trinity, sacrament, nor other like terms," were in the Scriptures, " yet the sense of them is there," and so is the distinction of clergy and laity ; that the law was to be learnt from the priest's mouth ; " and that his own priest- hood, and that of his brethren, was the same in substance, " but not for ceremony and manner of worship ; " and as for the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, " they were all men upon whom the Apostles had laid their hands." "Prove," said he, triumphantly, "prove that any preached who had not imposition of hands." To this Kiffin replied by quoting the passage in the Acts of the Apostles which describes how " they that were scattered abroad went everywhere, preaching the word," and preaching, not without great effect; and that Peter had also declared (1 Pet. iv. 10), " as every man hath received the spirit, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." Kiffin adds to this reply, " If God have given us a talent, it is our duty to improve it." Featley rejoins, that all the men scattered abroad, were 11 such as the Apostles had laid hands on ; " and that Peter's BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 147 words refer not to public teaching and preaching, but to private admonition, " such as every godly master of a family useth in his house, instructing his children and his servants the best that he can." But he concludes the point in dispute by ending with this remark : " It is true, in time of persecution, we read of one Frumentius, a layman, who, in his travels converted some to the Christian faith, confirming the truth of the Christian religion by the Scriptures." " That," said Kiffin, "is all we desire to do." But Featley was "sagacious," if he were also " ardent ; " and he therefore instantly replies, that " that was no preaching publicly by virtue of a pastoral function or expounding Scripture." It is hard to see what else it was ; and the fact that the bishops afterwards sent ministers to reap the fruit of the labours of Frumentius, or, as Featley expresses it, " to accomplish that work which he had so happily begun," does not alter the character of his preaching. Further discussion follows on the question of public and private worship, and the value of the G-eneva version or the King's translation, during which Featley states two reasons against lay preaching: — (1) "None ought to take upon them the office of pastor, or minister of the Word, who are not able to reprove and convince heretics and all gainsayers, a thing that lay preachers are unable to do from then ignorance of the original Scriptures ; and (2) Since the office of a minister is a holy office, none may meddle with it but those that have a lawful calling thereunto," the last point being supported by the judgments upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, upon Uzzah, Uzziah, and the husbandmen and herdsmen whoni the Prophet Zechariah reproved. " So you artificers may be ashamed of your prophesying, and say, ' I am a tradesman ; I am no prophet; men taught me to exercise a handicraft from my youth.' " It is now Kiffin's turn to speak, since this last arrow was levelled at him. "Being angry at this," says Featley, he said, " Master Doctor, I am more lawfully called to preach the l2 148 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Word than you, and that I will prove by Scripture." To which Featley, with equal ill-temper, rejoined, " You will have a hard task of it, for neither my name nor yours are found in Scripture, neither is there any colour in all God's Word for any layman's preaching, much less for such an illiterate arti- ficer as you are." Kiffin next charges the bishops with living in known sin, and Featley retorts by referring to a scandal which had recently occasioned trouble in the Devonshire- square church, and appealing to Kiffin whether he was not himself in the habit of asking God's forgiveness for sins of conscience and ignorance, or whether he had not idle thoughts of earthly lusts and desires ? Of course Kiffin, as an honest man, con- fessed that he had ; but contended that that was not approving of known sin. Featley asserts]that " the learned, grave, and reli- gious bishop," b)' whom he himself had been ordained, " died without spot or stain" ; and thinking of him he was prompted to say to Kiffin, " I cannot sufficiently admire [wonder at] your boldness;" to which Kiffin replied, that "whosoever the bishop was, he was but a particular man ; and Christ gave the power of ordaining to His Church, not to any particular man." The doctor answers, that after all, " some particular men ought to execute this power of ordination." " Here," says the marginal note, "it grew late, and the Conference broke off." But, adds Featley, "the issue of the Conference was," (mark the self-complacency of the doctor), "first, the Knights, ladies and gentlemen gave the doctor great thanks," [privately, of course] ; "secondly, three of the Ana- baptists went away discontented, the fourth seemed in part satisfied, and desired a second meeting; but the next day, conferring with the rest of that sect, he altered his resolution, and neither he, nor any other of that sect ever since that day troubled the doctor, or any other minister in this borough with a second challenge." On reviewing the doctor's own version of the debate, it is difficult to see wherein he succeeded in confounding his op- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 149 ponents. The debate itself was not published until two years and a quarter after it was held, when other and more exciting events had well-nigh obliterated all recollection of it from the minds of " the auditors," and when the doctor himself was in custody at Peter-house, London, suspected by the Parliament of being a spy. Shortly after his imprisonment, another victim was brought in, not for being a spy, but for daring to preach againstTinfant baptism. This was Henry Denne. Up to this time Denne had not seen Featley's version of the dispute, nor his further charge against the Baptists in the same book. At once, however, Denne challenged Featley to debate with him the whole question ; but after going over the first of the ten arguments in his work, Featley declined all further discussion by word of mouth, on the plea that it was not safe to dispute without a licence from the Parliament. He, nevertheless, agreed to carry on the controversy by writing. Featley issued his savage attack on the Baptists on the 10th of January, 1644, and in little less than a month Denne's reply was ready, under the title of Antichrist Unmasked. Not long after, Samuel Richardson took up the challenge thrown down by " the saga- cious and ardent" polemic, and published Some Brief Con- siderations on Dr. Featleifs Book, in which the doctor gets a severe handling. Richardson's reply to the chuckle with which Featley ends his own very one-sided version of the dispute in Southwark is as follows : — " The knights and ladies thanked him, but he cannot say he deserved it. The Anabaptists went away discontented and grieved. It seems they were very sor- rowful to see his great blindness and hardness of heart. He saith, none of them ever after that troubled him ; it seems they could' do him no good, and so they resolved to leave him to God, till He should please to open his eyes." Featley's great friend and admirer exultingly refers to "all his sermons in a great book in folio," to his " supplement to Sir Humphrey Linde's book;" to his work against Arminius, and all of his rabble;" to his "Sea-Gull, a tract against a 150 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. gross imposture ; " to his "Meditations," and his " Handmaid to Devotions ; " but he did not foresee that his bosom friend would hereafter be chiefly remembered for "his book against the Anabaptists," however " seasonable and necessary " he might deem it " for those unsettled and wanton times." "As Elias, being carried up in a fiery chariot, did let fall his mantle from him for Elisha's comfort and behoof; so," says Dr. Leo, in his funeral oration, " our Featley, burning with zeal for God's glory, and for the good of His saints, hath left behind him several tokens of his learning and love to divers friends." : The Baptists, however, can neither be reckoned among the number of his " friends," nor can his legacy to them be regarded as a token of His " love." The year after the Southwark dispute Mr. John Batt and Mr. Thomas Lamb held a public discussion at Tabling, in Essex, with three Pasdobaptists, Messrs. Stalham, Newton, and Gray; and Benjamin Cox and Richard Baxter held another at Coventry. Cox was the son of a bishop, and for some time minister at Bedford. A number of people in Coventry having embraced Baptist opinions sent for Cox to form them into a distinct society. The Presbyterians took alarm ; the pulpits in the old city rang with cries against the Anabaptists ; and Baxter, who was then hiding in Coventry, challenged Cox to dispute with him on the subject of baptism, by word of mouth and by writing. Cox accepted the challenge, and worsted his antagonist ; but no account of the dispute is preserved except by Baxter. The Committee heard of the dis- cussion, and ordered Cox at once to leave the city and never more to return. On refusing, he was committed to Coventry goal. Baxter was reflected upon at the time for conniving at this hard usage of his opponent, since Baxter was then living * A sermon preached at Lambeth, April 21, 1615, at the funeral of that learned and polemical divine, Daniel Featley, Doctor in Divinity, late preacher there. With a short relation of his life and death. By William Leo, D.D. London. lG-io. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 151 as a friend in the Governor's house, had great influence with the Committee, and might have secured his release by a single word. It is, however, only fair to mention that Baxter him- self denied the charge of ever urging this arbitrary act ; but it is plain enough that Baxter might have prevented the im- prisonment altogether, if he had been so minded. He secured his speedy release on being asked to obtain it by Mr. Pinson. The Presbyterian party being now in power, checked for a time the free discussion on infant baptism, but left unlimited license to abuse the Baptists in the hands of their ministers. One of the most virulent and unscrupulous of these was the man whom Milton styled "The shallow Edwards," author of Gangrcena. He lectured in Christ Church, London, on Tuesday mornings, and took occasion in nearly every sermon to speak evil of his Baptist neighbours. On one occasion Kiffin was present, and smarting under the scurrility of the preacher, he sent up to the pulpit the following moderate and dignified letter, to which he never received any reply: — " To Mr. Edwards. " Sir,— "You stand as one professing yourself to be instructed of Christ, with abilities from God to throw down errors, and therefore to that end do preach every third day (Tuesday). May it therefore please you, and those that employ you in that work, to give them leave whom you so braved, as publicly to object against what you say when your sermon is ended, as you declare yourself. And we hope it will be an increase of further light to all that fear God, and put a large advantage into your hands, if you have any truth on your side, to cause it to shine with more evidence ; and I hope we shall do it with moderation, and as becometh Christians. " Yours, " 1646. " William Kiffin." 52 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. In the following year a public disputation was held in the parish church of Newport Pagnell. A great company of ministers and people were present. Mr. John Gibbs took the side of the Baptists, and Mr. Richard Carpenter defended the principles of the Paedobaptists. Carpenter published an account of the dispute under the following title : — The Anabaptist ivasht and uasJit, and shrunk in the washing ; or a Scholastic-all discus- sion of the much-agitated controversy concerning Infant Baptism, occasioned by a publick Disputation, before a great assembly of Ministers, and other persons of worth, in the church of Newport Pagnell; betivixt Mr. Gibba, minister there, and the author, Richard Carpenter, Independent. From Carpenter's account of the origin of this discussion it is evident that he had indulged in many unneighbourly and bitter remarks about Mr. Gibbs and the Baptists. Speaking of his having " baptized a child, after preaching in the Newport Pagnell Church, before a numerous auditory, congealed and consisting of the more solid and sapid part of the town and country;" he adds, "in the sober performance of which mysterious work, the minister unsettled in place, and (it seems) in person, professing for Anabaptism, and suddenly rapt into a vertiginous motion, interrupted me; and presently summoned me, by a challenge in the face of the congregation, to give him and his brethren of the Separation, a meeting there in publick, after his twelve clays' prepara- tion, Parasceve, to his intended victory." In another place, Carpenter thus- speaks of the learned and conscientious Mr. Gibbs : " This heady enthusiast, having now in his own head, the head of the universe, w r as insooth sometimes a member of the university, (for which he did evaporate his grief, and cry out in the pangs of his inward remorsement before the country), and had been somewhat vexatious to the Protestant ministers in the circle about him. His friends and allies fixed all their eyes, with all their lies, upon him as the Carry Castle, or Behemoth of the country." Another specimen of the style of Carpenter's book will suffice. "Anabaptism," says BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 153 "Carpenter, "is not exempted from the sacred mysteries that these are set and rooted together as unclean creatures, or Creatures. Lev. xi. 17. The owl, the cormorant, the great owl. The little owl resembles the unbaptized child ; the great owl is the Anabaptist parent ; and Corvus Marinus, the cormorant betwixt them, is the wide-throated preacher that divides the ehild from the parent, dives into them and swallows their souls." Baxter and Tombes, at Bewdley. In 1649 Richard Baxter and John Tombes held a public dis- cussion on baptism at Bewdley. Baxter was a personal friend of Tombes, and had introduced him to the church at Bewdley, some three miles from Kidderminster. During their residence in London, Tombes and Baxter had frequently conversed on the subject of infant baptism, and Baxter was then so far shaken in his opinions, that he not only thought ^and spoke favourably -of Baptists, but for some time discontinued the practice of infant baptism. It is needless to say how entirely his mind and conduct were afterwards changed. Some of the most foolish things ever uttered against Baptists came from the lips of Richard Baxter. Tombes had preached a series of sermons at Bewdley on the subject of baptism, which still occupied his thoughts, and some of Mr. Baxter's friends, having walked over to hear them, brought back notes to the "painful preacher" at Kidderminster, urging him to reply in writing to Tombes' arguments. Many letters now passed between the two friends. Baxter says, rather tartly, that Tombes' " doc- trine did not prevail, at least, not to his desire. At this the man grew angry ; and began to charge it so sharply on their -consciences, that the poor people were much troubled. He told them in the pulpit, that let men budge it how they would, it was their hypocrisy that hindered them from receiving the truth." Referring to himself, Baxter says, " I perceived my- self in a strait, and that my forbearing ever to preach for infant baptism, or to baptize any, would not serve my turn to 154 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. continue my peace." At last Baxter yielded to the request of his friends, and consented to dispute with Tombes in the chapel at Bewdley. They met on the 1st of Jan. 1649, before ten o'clock in the morning. Great crowds of people from Kidderminster and the neighbourhood flocked to hear the two friends dispute on this much-vexed question. Hour after hour sped away, and yet the discussion still continued. It had been some time dark before the debate was brought to a close. During the whole of that wordy war, lasting the greater part of the dull, cold, wintry day, neither combatant had broken his fast, so that physical exhaustion had a good deal to do with the actual termination of the dispute. Both sides claimed the victory; but Wood declares, " That all the scholars then and there present, who knew the way of disputing and managing arguments, did conclude that Tombes got the better of Baxter by far." Here are a few specimens of Baxter's arguments : " (1) All that are Christ's disciples ordinarily ought to be baptized ; but some infants are Christ's disciples, therefore some infants ordinarily ought to be baptized. . . . (21) That doctrine which maketh all infants to be members of the visible kingdom of the devil, is false doctrine ; but that doctrine which denieth any infant to be a member of the visible Church, doth make them all members of the visible kingdom of the devil; therefore it is false. . . . (23) If an infant were head of the visible Church, then infants may be members; but Christ, an infant, was head of the Church ; therefore, in- fants may be members." Here also is one of Baxter's slanders : " My seventh argu- ment is also against another wickedness in their manner of baptizing, which is, their dipping persons naked, as is usual with the modestest of them, as I have heard. Against which I argue thus : If it be a breach of the seventh commandment (Thou shalt not commit adultery) ordinarily to baptize naked, then it is an intolerable wickedness, and not God's command- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 155 ment; but it is a breach of the seventh commandment ordi- narily to baptize naked ; therefore it is intolerable wickedness, and not God's commandment." The remarks he makes, in his published account of the controversy, about his old friend and neighbour's loss of modesty, in baptizing people naked, &c. &c, were scarcely, one would think, uttered to his face. They are the afterthoughts of bitterness, originating in his conscious defeat. It can hardly be supposed, by the most credulous believer in Baxter, that Baxter really accepted this popular calumny against the Baptists, which Gangrcena Edwards did his very best to circulate. Many other public disputes took place during this period, of which we have only the briefest record. Kiffin, Knollys, Pendarvis, and many other Baptist worthies, both in London and the country, entered the lists in defence of their opinions. The latter minister, the founder of the church at Abingdon, from his celebrity and success provoked Dr. Jasper Mayne, of Christ's Church, Oxford, who resided at Pyxton, near Wat- lington, to oppose him on the subject of baptism. A public dispute was accordingly held between Pendarvis and Dr. Mayne in the parish church at Watlington. " There was present," says Wood, " an innumerable company of people on each side ; but through the scum of the people, and the party of Anabaptists who backed Pendarvis, behaving themselves insolently, the dispute came to nothing." Wood adds, that the Baptists printed this dispute to their own advantage ; but both state- ments must be received with caution, considering the animus of the writer. Tombes, with. Vaughan and Cragge, at Abergavenny. A more notable dispute took place in the same year (1653). Tombes, who was then vicar of Leominster, was again the Baptist champion ; Hemy Vaughan, called by his contem- poraries, "The Silurist," and John Cragge, were his opponents. The discussion was held in St. Mary's Church, Abergavenny. 156 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. The writer, who records the discussion, speaks in no very com- plimentary terms of the Baptists. " They inveigled the poor, and simple people especially." " Women, and inferior trades- men, which in seven years can scarce learn the mystery of the lowest profession, think half seven years enough (gained from their worldly employments), to understand the mysteries of divinity, and whereupon meddle with controversy, which they have no more capacity to pry into than a bat to look into the third heaven!" The writer also gives us his version of the public discussions of Tombes elsewhere. " The disputes at Bewdley, Hereford, and Ross," have been successful to astonishment ; and in this last, at Abergavenny (though tumultuary, and on a sudden), hath appeared the finger of God. He hath, with spittle and clay, opened the eyes of the blind, overthrown the walls of Jericho with the sound of ram's horns ; with these weak means hath wrought strong effects, that no creature may glory in an arm of flesh." There are two accounts of the origin of Tombes' visit to Abergavenny. One is that he had been importuned, for several months together, to come into Wales "and water what Miles Prosser and others had planted." Another account states that his object in coming was to confirm a child lately baptized in London. The first seems the more probable explanation. "When he entered the pulpit," says the reporter, whom we quote, " great expectation was what mountains would bring forth." His text was Mark xvi. 6 — "Whence he concluded, that infant baptism was a nullity, a mockery ; no baptism but dipping or plunging was lawful ; all that would be saved must be re-baptized, or baptized after profession ; that there was no such thing as infant baptism in primitive times, but that it came in with other corruptions, upon unsound grounds ; and challenged the whole congregation to speak, if they had anything to say on the controversy." A great excitement was thereupon created. Some of the people were offended. With Mr. Tirerand Mr. Smith. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 157 Others were "staggered or scrupled; and some, not know- ing what to think of their own, their children's, or their ancestors' salvation." Many "well-learned" heard Mr. Tombes, and heard with amazement. Among them were Vaughan, " schoolmaster of the town, formerly fellow of Jesus College, Oxford," and Mr. Bonner, an aged clergyman of the neighbourhood. No one spoke after the service in answer to Tombes' challenge ; but Bonner " closed with him on the way to his lodging." Tombes "slighted the grave old man," but promised he would confer with him on the following day." " That night, and especially next morning, the Anabaptists triumphed, saying, Where are your champions now?" Morning came, but only to redouble the excitement already created in the quiet little Welsh town. Cragge, Vaughan, and Bonner went to the house where Tombes was staying ; but the crowd which followed them surged into the house, filled the street, and prevented any discussion. It was, however, agreed that a public debate should be held in the parish church at one o'clock. At that hour the ancient and spacious church of St. Mary's was crowded. Tombes took the pulpit, with his friend Mr. Abbetts, a resident Baptist minister ; his three opponents fixed themselves in a seat hard by. Bonner was " preparing to give the onset," when some gentleman near dissuaded him, " lest in his aged and feeble state he should impair his health." For six long hours the debate continued, without any apparent flagging of the interest. Vaughan began by urging that infants may be lawfully baptized, since baptism has now taken the place of circum- cision, and is the ceremony by which children are admitted into the covenant of grace. He confesses that baptism was anciently practised by plunging. Tombes begs the people ta observe this concession of his antagonist ; and Vaughan retorts by charging Tombes with his " overuncharitable speech in his sermon," to the effect that " infant baptism was a nullity and 158 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. mockery, and concluded them and all their ancestors, even all the Western Church for fifteen hundred years, under damnation." Although "plunging was the ancient way," says Vaughan, "yet the Church has power, upon the sight of inconvenience, of order and decency's sake, to alter the circumstantials and externals of any ordinance. Had she not changed the time of celebrating the Lord's Supper from the evening to the morning ? " Vaughan ends by appealing to Tombes to cease to embroil the Church of God, so infinitely torn already, and to submit to the judgment and scarcely inter- rupted practice of the Western Church for fifteen hundred years. Cragge, the clergyman of the parish, next enters the lists. He begins by an apology. The task forced upon him is "on a sudden," and finds him " unprovided." Moreover, his anta- gonist is "an experienced champion." If he (Cragge) should fail in his part, he hopes the cause he has at heart may not suffer. He asks liberty to premeditate, aud promises to treat upon the subject of the debate hereafter. Still, "if he were to study the matter in dispute as many hours as Mr. Tombes had studied it days, or days as he had done weeks, or weeks as he had done months, or months as he had done years," the truth was so evidently on his (Cragge's) side " that he could not fear (inaugre all opposition) to make it clear. In the meanwhile, trusting to God's assistance (whose cause it was), he would attempt, beginning with his enthy- mena : ' Some infants may not be baptized, therefore some infants may be baptized.'" Tombes denies this; but Cragge at once replies : " Subcontrary propositions in a contingent matter may be both true. But these (viz., some infants may not be baptized, some infants may be baptized), are subcon- trary propositions in a contingent matter ; therefore they may be both true." The narrator of the debate tells us that "Here Mr. Cragge appealed to the judgment of the people!" but what "inferior BYE-PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. 159 tradesmen," who had " no more capacity to pry into" theology ''than a bat to look up into the third heaven," knew about " sub-contrary propositions in contingent matters," is more than he chooses to tell us. He, however, makes abundantly evident that there was in the audience, from the very first, a strong sympathy with their own local champion, and assures us that Tombes would, after Mr. Cragge's appeal to them, have waded into "a large discourse to wind himself out" of his difficulty. Cragge thereupon complains that Tombes, " like a lapwing, is carrying the hearers far from the matter in dis- pute;" and Cragge's remark smacking of tartness, a certain " C. P.," a local apothecary, who had already interposed, spoke out, and got snubbed for his pains, a "gentleman of authority telling him that it was not fit for a man of his place and calling to speak!" " C. P." took his snubbing meekly, and remained silent the rest of the debate. Tombes method of expounding the passages he quoted did not please some of the audience, and they cried out that he was wasting time. "A learned gentleman" also had his fling at Tombes, evidently a soldier, from his similes : " This- is but to spend time in parleying, that you may avoid the gunshot ; for you are afraid of the great thunderbolt that is behind." Cragge now quotes Ambrose's saying, " That he who bap- tized all nations, excepted none, not even infants ; " but, shocking to say, Tombes " pished at it, and slighted Ambrose's authority," to the great scandal of the Abergavenny folk. Here was an opportunity for an appeal to the " inferior trades- men " which even Cragge could not resist ; and hence he cries, " Whether will you obey Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, and the Scriptures, or Mr. Tombes, vicar of Leominster, against the Scriptures, judge ye!" The applause which greeted this appeal showed that the questioner had rightly gauged his audience. According to the account of the debate, from which we have 160 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. quoted, evidently written by a bitter hater of Baptists, and no friend of Tombes, the Leominster vicar, who set himself above Ambrose, " would now have broken through the pales to rove abroad again ; but he was pressed to keep within the lists." He still denied " that children were holy," or " in the cove- nant;" and so " gave but little satisfaction to the greatest part of the hearers." Nay, he was even " nettled, as if something in Cragge's argument had galled him." " Children are holy," retorts Cragge : "you do not like that saying, because it cuts the throat of your tenet." " Nay," replies Tombes; "it does not so much as touch its skin." Here a voice from under the pulpit shouted to Tombes, " You answer nothing at all ; but shift and deny all." Tombes, stooping down, looks at the man, and says, " Thou art an impudent, brazen-faced fellow, whosoever thou art. I have answered all ; confuted all my adversaries' books ; and amongst them one of my greatest adversaries. I have turned Mr. Richard Baxter the most of his argument." " A little while after this, Mr. Tombes, looking upon his watch, said, ' I am weary of this pedantry. I promised but one hour, and it is four hours.' With that he clapped his book together. ' Good Mr. Tombes,' said an Anabaptist, ' continue a little longer for the satisfaction of the people.' He gave no answer ; but put on his hat." The reason of Tombes' chagrin is patent enough. Cragge's congregation backed up their minister, even where they could not understand him ; and Tombes accordingly said, when leaving the church, that he would have no further dispute with him, except by writing. The following Sunday Mr. Cragge, at the request of his many sympathisers, preached from the same text as Mr. Tombes, and no doubt abundantly satisfied the people who had been " staggered," or " offended," and " grieved," by the eloquent Baptist. Tombes was now safely out of the way at Leominster, and peace was once more restored to the quiet little town on the Usk. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. i6r Denn8 and Gunning, in London. Five years after the Abergavenny dispute, a still more famous discussion took place in London. Its origin was this : some gentlewoman in the metropolis, having become a Christian, was in great trouble about the lawfulness or unlawfulness of infant baptism. In order to remove her doubts, Mr. Henry Denne, the indefatigable General Baptist minister, and Dr. Gunning, afterwards Bishop of Chichester, agreed to discuss the subject in public, and St. Clement Dane's Church, London, "without Temple Bar," was selected as the place in which the discussion should be held. Thousands of people were attracted to listen. The dispute began on the 19th November, 1658, and was renewed on the 26th of the same month. On the first day, Henry Denne occupied the pulpit, Dr. Gunning fixing himself in a gallery opposite. Entreating the multitude to be silent, and behave themselves civilly and orderly, Mr. Denne thus began: "One there is, who desireth to be informed whether the baptism of infants be lawful or unlawful. I declare that the baptism of infants is unlawful." To this Dr. Gunning replies, from his seat in the gallery, " I will prove the baptism of infants to be lawful. Thus : that which the Supreme Lawgiver of the Church hath given in command to His immediate officers of the Church, by a per- petual sanction and unalterable decree, to be by them practised, is lawful. But the baptism of infants is, by the Supreme Law- giver of the Church given in command to His immediate officers, by a perpetual sanction and unalterable decree, to be by them and their successors practised. Therefore, the bap- tism of infants is lawful." Denne " denies the minor ;" where- upon Gunning adds, that "it is Christ's will that infants should be saved, and that, as they cannot be saved without baptism, or desire for baptism, in their parents or friends, therefore it is Christ's will and command that they should M 1 62 BYE -PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. be baptized." Denne readily grants the first part of Gunning's assertion, "that Christ will have infants to be saved ; " but altogether demurs to Gunning's statement, "that baptism is the condition of salvation, and therefore lawful." The future bishop now quotes John iii. 4, and urges that, " to be born again of water, is baptism." Denne's reply is very shrewd. " The place of Scripture you have brought is allegorical," said Denne; " and therefore not so proper to be a ground of faith. Against this gloss, or expla- nation, three things may be urged : (1) That Scripture '_must be considered to whom and of whom, they speak ; and not to be applied to any other concerning whom it doth not speak. This Scripture (John iii. 4) is addressed to Nicodemus, seeking to learn the way of God, and is neither spoken of children, nor to children. (2) By being born again of water is not meant baptism, but a mystical, and not literal water. (3) If it were granted that the text did include children, and that by water baptism were intended, yet it will not follow that children can- not be saved without baptism, because here is only mention made of entering into the kingdom of God. You know the kingdom of God hath manifold exceptions [meanings] in the Scriptures ; sometimes it is taken for Gospel preaching, some- times for a visible church, sometimes for that happiness which men and women (not infants) do enter through believing." The dispute next turns upon whether the Greek words in the commission are intended to include " children" as well as men and women, Gunning, of course, contending that they do, and Denne quoting passages to show that they do not. "Have you a Greek Testament ? " asked Gunning, with a sneer. Denne, who can quote Greek as readily as the doctor, passes over the sneer, and refers to the passage quoted. A further contention arises as to whether Tertullian or Justin Martyr was the first to mention infant baptism, and Gunning "appeals to the Christian auditors" with something of a triumphant flourish. BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 163 Gunning's second argument in favour of infant baptism is the following : — " That which is no sin for parents to require, and for ministers to perform, being required, is lawful. But it is no sin for parents to require baptism for their infants, neither for niinisters to perform it, being required. Therefore, the baptism of infants is lawful." Of course, Denne again "denies the minor," and contends that " it is a sin;" to which Gunning rejoins, "that being confirmed by an everlasting law, and standing commission, not to be altered to the end of the world, it is no sin." Then follows a bit of word- quibbling on " the commission;" Gunning thinking he had his opponent on the hip, because he spoke of " children being unwilling," whereas, "it is impos- sible that they should be unwilling, seeing they know not any- thing of the matter ; and Denne replying, with some sharpness, "You might have spared this labour, for I did not say that children were unwilling, but I said that they were not willing. There is a vast difference between the two. You know, for example, how willing Constantius Copronymus was to be bap- tized when he was an infant, and how he came to have the name Copronymus. I forbear to tell the story before this audience ; but come, point me a syllogism out of the words of the ' commission.' " " The Apostles are commanded to make disciples of all nations," replies Gunning. " Now infants, who are part of the nations, cannot be made disciples in any other way than by baptism ; therefore, they are here commanded to make disciples by baptism." Gunning further contends that infants are "called," "predestinated," "God's servants," "given to Christ by the Father," and were therefore pro- perly regarded as " Church members ; " but Denne, holding Arminian views, objects in toto to his statements. The doctor now quotes Austin's opinion, namely, that the baptism of infants was held by the Church from apostolic times, and that he (Gunning) is prepared to prove this, "by several testimonies from the Ancients." But Denne rejoins, m 2 1 64 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. that although that might be Austin's opinion, Erasmus, " who laboured much in Austin, and Ludovicus Vives, who was very skilled in his doctrine," were neither of them convinced by his opinion, and both believed the contrary to be true of the early churches. " Moreover," adds Denne, "you know what I have already told you out of Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen. I think it needless to repeat the same things again." After much debate, in which the former arguments were again repeated by both opponents, the first day's discussion ended, they mutually agreeing to meet on that day week. The two opponents on the second day changed places — Gunning is the respondent, and Denne the opponent. It is not stated, however, whether Gunning now occupied the pulpit and Denne the seat in the gallery opposite. Gunning leads off in precisely the same manner as Denne had previously done, and Denne opposes. "One desires," says the doctor, "to be informed touching the baptism of infants, whether it be lawful, or unlawful. I affirm the baptism of infants to be lawful." "And I will prove," rojoined Denne, " the baptism of infants to be unlawful. If the baptism of infants be lawful, it is either from some reason delivered by you, or some other ; but not by any reason delivered by you, or any other ; therefore, the bap- tism of infants is not lawful." He argues that it is neither supported by tradition nor Scripture ; and as Denne pours out text upon text in support of the last statement, Gunning loses his self-control, and after telling Denne that "he (Gunning) does not carry a Concordance in his head," asks him, "whether he (Denne) knows what is the Ethiopic word to " teach.'" A closer wrestling ensues from this point. Gunning affirms that "infants who are unbaptized are shut out of heaven;" and Denne retorts, " that, if they are, then God punishes some creatures for that which they cannot help ;" but that this is con- trary to the Divine conduct, and "therefore unbaptized infants are not shut out of heaven." With some heat, Gunning in- BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 165 stantly exclaims, " I deny the consequence ; " to which, as warmly, Denne replies, " Then shutting out of heaven is no punishment." This appeared a bold statement, and greatly startled some of the vast assembly who were listening to the word-wrangling with breathless attention. " Bear witness! bear witness!" some eagerly cried out ; "he saith, ' It is no punishment to be shut out of heaven.'" Others affirmed, "That he plainly in so many syllables had said so, as they were ready to witness." Gunning appears not to have taken notice of this reply, or of the clamour it raised, and goes on to say, " That as the potter hath power over the clay, to use it at his pleasure, so God might do what He would with His own." Denne 's reply is cautious, and was repeated three or four times, without the least notice being taken of it by his opponent. " I do not say," said Denne, " what God may, or may not do, but what He doth. Now, we know that God cannot do contrary to His oath; but to punish creatures for what they cannot help, is contrary to His oath ; therefore, God cannot do it. Moreover, this I argue : If God punish creatures for that they cannot help, then He doth not leave all the world without excuse. But He will leave all the world without excuse ; therefore, He will not punish any creature for that which he cannot help." Not only did not Gunning give any answer to this argument, but he now began loudly to complain of " the injury that was being done to him by the disorder of the auditors." Denne also confessed his sorrow at the uproar, but protested that it was altogether without his approbation." " He had still," said Denne, " many other things to propound, but the time allotted to the dispute was spent, and his own infirmities began to press upon him, and he should therefore cease." The upshot of the debate was, that five days after, the lady, at whose instance the discussion began, was publicly immersed. The day, we are told, "was cold and sharp, and it seemed strange that a gentlewoman should endure, at that season of 166 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. the year, and in such weather, to go into the water and be dipt all over;" but as "fantastical ladies have a proverb, ' Pride feels no cold,' so it may be said of faith and zeal : they also feel no cold." As to the general result of the debate, "the success was estimated according to the different affections, rather than the judgments of some men and women." The writer closes his account by a fact which is recorded for the special benefit of the Yicar of Kidderminster, who had declared that baptism by immersion was not much better than murder, since it was frequently attended with great bodily risk. " I can show Mr. Baxter, an old man in London, who hath laboured in the Lord's pool many years, converted by his ministry (as an instrument in the hand of the Lord) more men and women than Mr. Baxter hath in all his parish. Yet, when he hath laboured a greater part of the day in preaching and reasoning, his refection hath been, not a sack-posset or candle, but to go into the water and baptize converts." The inference intended to be conveyed by this circumstance is too obvious to need statement ; but we greatly question whether there are many who would now endorse that inference. The Portsmouth Debate demands more than a passing notice, since it was the last public disputation of an}' consequence on the subject of baptism in England. It arose out of these circumstances : Mr. Samuel Chandler, a Presbyterian minister of Fareham, established a fortnightly lecture in the town of Portsmouth. Following out a certain plan of his own, he was led to treat on the subject of " Sacraments," and uttered some harsh things in the course of this discussion against the principles and practices of the Bap- tists. A gentleman, not a Baptist, who attended these lectures, took them down in short-hand, and showed them to several of his friends, amongst others, to Mr. Thomas Bowes, the General Baptist minister of the town. Mr. Bowes thinking the cause BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 167 of truth might suffer if these strictures were allowed to pass unnoticed., waited upon his friend, Mr. Webber, the Particular Baptist minister of Gosport. Mr. Webber coinciding with Mr. Bowes' opinion, a number of Baptists attended Mr. Chandler's next lecture, in which he undertook to answer the objections urged by his opponents. At the close of the service, Mr. Bowes stood up before all the congregation, and charged Mr. Chandler with preaching false doctrine, challenged him to meet publicly an ordained minister and discuss the question of bap- tism. The lecturer at once accepted the challenge, only stipu- lating that his opponent should be " a man who understood the laws of disputation." The Presbyterians applied to the magistrates of Portsmouth to obtain for them a licence from the King, " publicly to vindicate the common cause of the Keformed churches, and settle the wavering in the belief and practice of those truths which tend very much to the advance- ment of early piety and religion." The licence was granted, and both parties looked out for the ablest champions. At first the Baptists thought of Mr. Matthew Caffyn, but being suspected of heresy, he was passed over. They next turned their eyes to William Bussell, M.D., the well-known General Baptist minister of London, and procured his consent to defend their cause. With Dr. Russell, in the position of "junior counsel" and "moderator," were Mr. John Williams, of East Knowle, and Mr. John Sharpe, of Frome, both Particular Baptist ministers. The Presbyterians selected Mr. Samuel Chandler, the lecturer, whose words had given such offence ; Mr. Leigh, of Newport ; and Mr. Robinson, of Hungerford, the last gentleman acting as moderator for their party. The day agreed upon for the disputation was February the 22nd, 1698-9 ; and the place, the Presbyterian Meeting-house, High Street, Portsmouth. The assembly was worthy of the debate. The governor and the lieutenant-governor were pre- sent, the mayor, and the magistrates of Portsmouth. A large and well-to-do class of people filled the chapel, and, as one 168 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. authority tells us, the military and the civil power attended, at the command of the King, to preserve peace and good order. The debate began between nine and ten in the morning, and continued without cessation for nine hours. Mr. Chandler commenced by delivering a "Prologue," and repeating the questions to be disputed, namely, " (1) Whether, according to the commission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, adult believers are only the proper subjects of baptism, and not infants ? (2) Whether the ordinance of baptism, as appointed by Christ, is to be administered by dipping, plunging, or overwhelming only, and not otherwise ? They affirm, and we deny." Dr. Russell, after a few preliminary questions and answers, leads off the debate. He affirms that Christ nowhere requires any of His ministers to baptize infants, and therefore the baptism of infants is not according to His commission. Mr. Chandler replies, " If you will allow good consequences drawn from Scripture, I will deny your minor." "Then you must suppose that Christ hath required some of His ministers to baptize infants," said Dr. Russell. Mr. Chandler answers, " We distinguish between consequential truths and express words." " So do we," answers Dr. Russell; " but I hope our Lord's commission about holy baptism is delivered in express words, and not in consequentials. The term in my argument is very lax ; I do not say there ' command,' but ' required;' and if you prove the baptism of infants anywhere ' required ' by Christ, it is sufficient." Mr. Leigh here interposes to ask if the doughty champion of the Baptists "will allow good Scripture consequences in the case, or whether he expects plain Scripture words?" "If you can prove it without an express command, prove, that is, that Christ 'required' it, that will suffice;" but, adds the doctor, " you must remember that you are to prove it accord- ing to Christ's commission (for those are the terms of the question), and I believe you will find it a difficult task to do BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 169 that by consequence." "What! from the commission?" asked Chandler in amazement ; whereupon the Presbyterian moderator, Mr. Robinson, declares that Dr. Russell must prove his position by a universal negative. Nothing loth, the doctor asks that Mr. Chandler should deny some part of his argument, a thing he had not yet prevailed upon him to do, and presently says: " If the requiring of infant baptism be anywhere recorded in Holy Scripture, either Mr. Chandler, or some other person, is able to shew it. But neither Mr. Chandler, nor any other person whatsoever, is able to shew it ; therefore, it is not any- where so recorded in Holy Scripture." Mr. Chandler, being thus pinned in a corner, seeks to escape by " denying Dr. Russell's minor ;" upon which the doctor appeals to the Pres- byterian moderator, that he (the moderator) had asked for " an universal negative," that one had now been given, and that Mr. Chandler was therefore bound, in all fairness, to give a single instance where it was so written that infants should be baptized. Conscious of his own mistake, the moderator replies : " Suppose Mr. Chandler cannot give an instance, nor anybody in the company, you cannot thence infer that none in the world can." But this evasive answer calls for a biting reply from Dr. Russell. "What is this," said he, " but in effect to give away your cause, when so many men of parts and learning are here present ? If you all refuse to give a single instance, the people will think that you have none to give." The doctor, begging the audience to notice that his first argument stands until the instance asked for is given, now marshals his second, which is as follows : "If infants are not capable of being made disciples of Christ by the ministry of men, then they cannot possibly be the subjects of baptism intended in Christ's commission ; but infants are not capable to be made disciples of Christ by the ministry of men ; therefore they cannot possibly be subjects of baptism intended in Christ's commission." A dispute at once followed as to whether Dr. 170 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Russell meant by " making disciples," " actual and complete disciples," Mr. Leigh urging, "I thus distinguish: infants may be entered into the church in order for learning, &c, and they are disciples before baptism ; yet, in a more visible sense, they are made disciples by baptism." This does not satisfy Dr. Russell: " infants have, as infants, no knowledge of good and evil, and therefore they are not capable, while they are infants, to be made disciples by the ministry of men." Chandler here complains that Russell " tricks all this while ; that what he (Chandler) means by infants being disciples, is their being solemnly invested by baptism ;" but Russell declares he is discussing " pre-requisites for baptism," and was not speaking of " investiture." A second time the debate falls into a dispute about " complete " discipleship ; and Chandler, confessing that infants were not, as infants, capable of that, Russell claims to have maintained his second argument. " It is now, therefore, high time that I descended to a new one." The "new argument" should be specially observed, from the shuffling method by which Mr, Leigh sought to meet it. "If the Apostle Paul did declare all the counsel of God, and kept back nothing that was profitable for the Church of God, and yet did never declare the baptism of infants to be a Gospel institution, according to Christ's commission, then it is no Gospel institution, nor any part of the counsel of God, nor profitable for the Church of God ; but the Apostle Paul did declare all the counsel of God, and kept back nothing that was profitable for the Church of God ; and yet did never declare the baptism of infants to be a Gospel institution, according to Christ's commission ; therefore it is no Gospel institution, nor any part of the counsel of God, nor profitable for the Church of God." Mr. Leigh's method of replying to this argument is, by suggesting that Paul wrote divers Epistles upon many sub- jects ; that evidently some leaves were cut off' from one of his Epistles, that to the Epkesians; and that, for anything that Dr. Russell might know to the contrary, Paul might have advocated BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 171 t infant baptism in one or other of these missing leaves ! The doctor replies to Mr. Leigh's miserable shift by asking him pointedly if he believes, with the Assembly of Divines, that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule to direct us in matters of worship ; and by demanding that Mr. Leigh, or some of his friends, should produce these siv missing leaves of the Epistle of Paul (of which he had never before heard), and prove that they were really written by Paul ; and then, if such a thing as infant baptism were contained in any of them, he would allow it. "Hereupon Mr. Leigh was angry ;" and no wonder. He still, however, reiterated his statement in another form. " Paul's writings are not the hundredth part of what Paul preached ; we cannot suppose that in these six chapters to the Ephesians, he could contrive to put down the whole of his preaching in them." Here Dr. Kussell sarcastically twits Leigh with favouring the Popish notion of the value of tradition, in his talk about "Paul's ser- mons, not written." "I have heard," he says, " of some unwritten traditions that are locked up in the Pope's breast, to be delivered out as he finds occasion to serve a turn ; but I never knew that the Presbyterians were ever entrusted with any such treasure /" Triumphing over his opponents in his third argument, Dr. Russell now adduces his fourth: "Christ's commission doth show who are to be baptized ; but it doth not show that infants are to be baptized ; therefore infants are not the subjects of baptism, according to Christ's commission." Mr. Leigh objects ; again cites his former statement, that children are included in the term " all nations ;" and a second time repeats the opinion, that there is no necessity for persons to be disciples, in the doctor's sense, before they are baptized. Then Dr. Russell, a little piqued by the stale repetition, replies, "I will read my Master's commission ;" and forthwith slowly reads Matthew xxviii. 19. Here the Presbyterian moderator " bawls very loud, saying, i;2 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. j Mr, Williams, will you suffer him to preach ? " But the doctor is not to be put down by clamour, nor yet by the insinuation that he is going to preach Arminian doctrine, and so offend his Calvinistic colleague Mr. Williams. " What," said Dr. Russell to the Presbyterian moderator, " do you talk of preaching ? Are you afraid of the commission ? Are you not in danger of earning Tertullian's reproach of one of the Fathers, that he was Lucifuga Scripturarum, iOc, flying from the light of the Scrip- tures, as bats from the light of the sun '? " and declares that if his opponents (who are sticklers for the Institutes of the Genevan Reformer) should oppose what he (Dr. Russell) had said, they would at the same time oppose Calvin himself, who had not only declared that there was no mention made of infants in the commission, but had further said, that we might as well apply these words to little infants : "If any will not work, neither shall he eat " (2 Thess. iii. 10), and so keep them from food until they starve ! This apt quotation from Calvin displeased the Presbyterian moderator, who asked, in querulous tones, " What have we to do with what Mr. Calvin says?*' To which the doctor slily rejoins, " I did not know but you might have had a veneration for Mr. Calvin; but seeing it is otherwise, I will thus argue from the commission :" and then proceeds to give his own view of it. A squabble presently arises between Mr. Leigh and the moderator of his party ; and Dr. Russell thinks that the two had better change places, Mr. Leigh become moderator and Mr. Robinson disputant. After this escapade on the moderator's part (who seems to have been very unfit for his respoDsible post), the wordy war proceeds, Russell afiirniing, Leigh denying, now in one way now in another, that the commission only warrants the baptism of believers. Mr. Leigh touches by-and-by upon dangerous ground. He argues that " if believing be previous to baptism, it must be necessary to salvation ; and so you must say, that all not believing are damned ; and so all infants are damned." Russell BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 173 declares that this is a non sequitur, as he has already shown that 'infants are not at all intended in the commission ; ° but," he solemnly adds, " as touching infants, I am far from believing that God hath decreed them, as such, to eternal damnation. I uill rather believe that all infants, dying in their infancy, are elected " — (a great stretch of belief for this valiant General Baptist) — " than conclude that any of them were damned.'" He asks, moreover, that as he has so freely expressed his opinion upon this subject of infant salvation, the Presbyterians should be equally outspoken concerning their opinions on the same subject. But he asks in vain. Mr. Williams next suggests Erasmus' reading of the com- mission — " Go, teach all nations, and when they have learned, dip them;" but the Presbyterian moderator again forgets his duties, and appeals to the audience : " You see, sirs, this gen- tleman grounds his opinion upon the authority of Erasmus ;" " who is well known to have been between a Papist and a Pro- testant," chimes in Mr. Leigh. But both Russell and Williams argue that, whatever his opinions, Erasmus was a man not to be despised for his skill about the etymology of a Greek word ; that it was his judgment, as one of the best scholars of his time, and not his authority, that led to his being quoted; "but," says Russell, with some exhibition of temper, " anything serves your turn at a pinch." Mr. Leigh again makes an unfortunate slip, which Dr. Russell, as a controversialist, quickly takes up, and makes merry over, — namely, in speaking about eunuchs and " the eunuchs' 1 children." Russell at once recollects an amusing story of another Presbyterian minister who had made the same blunder, and cannot forbear telling it with the evident gusto of an " M.D. of the famous University of Cambridge." Mr. Williams, " the junior counsel," now relieves Dr. Russell of the leading part in the debate. He (Mr. Williams) argues, that since infants are incapable of denying themselves for Christ, they are incapable of being made disciples of Christ. 174 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. Of course Mr. Leigh, who has been left by Mr. Chandler to do the hardest part of the work, objects to this, and asks " if infants are not as capable of believing in Christ, as of coming to Christ ; and yet they were said to come when their parents brought them." Mr. Williams denies that the parents' faith was imputed to the children, as Mr. Leigh suggests. Again a rather dangerous concession was made by the leading Presby- terian disputant ; Mr. Leigh said, in effect, that infant baptism might be practised in the apostolic or early times, though no instance was recorded in the New Testament. At this Dr. Russell wakens up again, and asks if he (Leigh) will grant that no case is recorded in the New Testament ? " We will suppose it," he replies, " but not grant it." " yes," adds the doctor, " you suppose it because you cannot prove it ; for you are not so free of your concessions." This stirs up Mr. Leigh's anger, and he replies, with tartness, "It is not recorded in the New Testament what you practice ; namely, that grown children of believers were baptized. I challenge you to give one instance of any one, born of believing parents, baptized at age." Dr. Russell here repeats his former challenge, for a single instance in the New Testament of any one infant that was ever baptized ; and as Mr. Leigh presses for an example of a child of be- lieving parents who was baptized, he refers to Constantine, whose mother Helena was a Christian, and declares that he does not recollect a single instance of any one of the Fathers, or eminent bishops of the Church during the first five hundred years of the Christian era, who were baptized until they were between twenty and thirty years of age ; and if any of his opponents know an instance to the contrary, he shall be glad if they will quote it. " What do you tell us of Fathers? " asks Mr. Leigh: "we are not bound to abide by their testimony." " Well then," asks Mr. Williams, " was not the mother of our Lord a believer when Christ was born ? " Mr. Leigh is angry that such a question should be asked ; and declares, with some exhibition of impatience, " that everybody knows that she BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 175 was." " But do you believe it?" rejoins Mr. Williams, follow- ing up the advantage he had gained by this adroit question. "Yes, I do believe it: what then?" "Then, this," replies Mr. Williams, "here is an instance for you, from Scripture, of a child-believer, that was a believer before he was born ; and yet he was not baptized till he came to years ; and this we can prove." A general titter ran through the crowded assembly at the skilful manner in which Mr. Leigh was caught ; and Mr. Leigh grew pale and troubled, as a man might be expected to do under such uncomfortable circumstances ; but he presently recovered his self-possession, and replied, "Our discourse was grounded on the commission; now was this before the commission, or after it?" — a skilful parry, but losing its effect through coming rather as an after-thought than as a prompt and instantaneous reply. Of course Dr. Russell now came to the rescue of his "junior," showed that Mr. Leigh was mistaken, and that he really had received " a pertinent answer already, every way suitable to his question." There must have been a little more laughter among the audience at this point, since Mr. Leigh " made no reply." He is nothing daunted, however ; and proceeds to show that, in his judgment, " infants are visible Church mem- bers," the proof-passage being the words of Christ, " Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Mr. Williams' reply to this is, that infants are neither members of the universal Church, nor yet of a particularly constituted Church, and therefore they are not members of the visible Church at all. His opponent does not notice his argument, but again declares that infants are part of a nation, and therefore might be baptized. Mr. Williams answers, " Though children are part of a nation, yet not of the nation modified by Christ's commission." Upon this the Presbyterian moderator rather rudely calls the attention of the audience to the fact that Mr. Williams "has no academical learning;" Mr. Williams rejoins with a touch i;6 BYE-PATHS IX BAPTIST HISTORY. of sarcasm, "lam warned by that word to have a care of vain philosophy;" and at once asked "what was the ante- cedent to the relative them in the commission ? " The moderator now found it wiser to be silent ; but both Dr. Russell and Mr. "Williams answered for him, " all nations discipled." They both again ask for a single instance of infant baptism from the Word of God ; and no reply being forthcoming, Dr. Eussell said: " If infants are capable to be made disciples of Christ by the ministry of men, without the use of reason, then the beasts of the field are also capable ; but the beasts of the field are not capable ; therefore infants are not capable." This reply greatly agitated the irritable Presbyterian moderator. " He stood up and threw himself about, making a noise like one in a delirious paroxysm, and bade the people take notice that Dr. Russell had ranked their infants among the brute beasts ; and that, if they became of his opinion, they must look upon them as dogs, or cats, or hogs, Sec, with much more of the same sort of rhetoric, endeavouring all he could to enrage the multitude of unthinking persons against him, and put the people into confusion." " Hold, hold." cries Dr. Russell. " Mr. Robinson, I have already told you how great an esteem I have for your little infants. ... I now bring this illustration to show the absurdity of your opinions : Suppose there were twenty or thirty new-born infants in a room, and you should choose out the most able and learned persons amongst you to preach to them, in order to make them disciples, according to Christ's commission, I believe he would have no better success than St. Anthony had, as the story goes, when he took upon him to instruct the pigs ; or, as some others have done, even Popish saints, who have taken upon them to preach to the fowls of the air," Sec His remark about the beasts, is. after all, he says, not such an out-of-the-way " conceit," since the Romish Church baptizes bells, which are certainly passive in their baptism, and on that account, says Augustine, " the fittest subjects, since children show their BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 177 resistance by crying! " " And now," said he, "I demand of any of you to take off the retortion, and show the disparity if you can." A general silence ensues, which is at length broken by the undaunted Mr. Leigh, who exclaims, "It is time to proceed to the other question : whether the ordinance of baptism, as appointed by Christ, is to be administered by dipping, plunging, or overwhelming only, and not otherwise." Dr. Russell meets this by saying : " The Holy Scriptures shows us the right way of baptizing as appointed by Christ, but it doth not show us that it ought to be done by sprinkling'; therefore sprinkling is not the right way of baptizing." This did not satisfy Mr. Leigh, who at once exclaimed, " Sir, you must bring in that dipping is absolutely necessary : what do you talk of sprinkling for ? " Here is another opportunity for a smart retort, and Dr* Russell could not resist it : "I hope you are not ashamed of your practice ; but if you will disown sprinkling to be the right way of baptizing, I am contented. I will not then insist upon it.'' Mr. Robinson, the moderator, felt the force of this retort ; and as Mr. Leigh was silent, Mr. Robinson said : " We are not discoursing upon that now; you are to prove dipping to be the only way; and you must and shall -prove it." " Must and shall," replied Dr. Russell ; "must and shall is for the king, and not for Mr. Robinson." The debate next turns upon the meaning of the Greek word translated " baptize," and Mr. Chandler, who had been silent during the greater part of the day, now opens his lips. He con- fesses that baptizo means to dip, but it means also " to wash ; " and declares that there is great probability that many in the Scripture times were baptized by pouring a little water on the face. Dr. Russell meets his new antagonist by quoting " what Astedius saith in his Lexicon Theologicum," showing that it was only in a secondary and remote sense that the word baptizo can mean " to wash; " and quotes, in confutation of the other part of Chandler's statement, the baptism of Christ N 178 BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. by John, and the Eunuch by Peter, where both administrator and " person baptized " went into the water. A good deal of " confused jangling and noise " followed Russell's reply, when a new opponent suddenly starts up, a Presbyterian minister, who thinks ''that there had been little said to purpose ;" whereupon Russell at once says that, on the contrary, he thinks a good deal has been said to the purpose, and more than his opponents have answered. " But," said he, looking the new combatant full in the face, "if you are not satisfied, we will waive all that hath been said, and I will dispute it over with you, de novo." The Presbyterian minister shrugged his shoulders at this unexpected challenge, declared, that " he did not feel very- well ;" and, in fact, declined to pick up the gauntlet. The debate came to an end between six and seven o'clock. Mr. Leigh returned thanks to the governor and maj'or for their civility, which the Baptists very promptly endorsed. A brief prayer was offered by Mr. Leigh, and the assembly were dismissed. Two "scribes" were employed to take short-hand notes of the debate ; but when the Baptist " scribe " went to the Pres- byterian "scribe" in order to compare notes with a view to publication, the Presbyterian declined ; pleaded that he had never before been engaged in such work, and that his account was very imperfect. Nor did any one of the Baptists after- wards "procure so much as a sight of his copy." Neverthe- less, three days after the debate, the following advertisement appeared in the Postman newspaper : — " Portsmouth, Feb. 23. — Yesterday the dispute between the Presbyterians and the Anabaptists was held in the Presbyterian meeting-house. It began at ten o'clock in the morning, and continued till six in the afternoon, without intermission. The theme of the dispute was, the subject of baptism, and the manner in which it is to be performed. Russell and Williams were the opponents for the Anabaptists, and Mr. Chandler and Mr. Leigh for the BYE-PATHS IN BAPTIST HISTORY. 179 Presbyterians ; Mr. Sharpe was moderator for the former, and Mr. Robinson for the latter. Mr. Russell opposed infant bap- tism with all the subtility and sophistry of the schools ; and it was answered with good reason and learning. Upon the ivJiole, it was the opinion of all the judicious auditory, the Presby- terians sufficiently defended their doctrines, and also worsted their adversaries, when they came to assume the place of opponents." It afterwards appeared that Colonel John Gibson, the Lieu- tenant-Governor of Portsmouth, was the author of this para- graph ; and, from Mr. Chandler's asking his permission in the following June to print it, with the endorsement, " that he was still of the same opinion," it is not unfair to suppose that Mr. Chandler " inspired " the writer himself. Another and fuller account appeared in the Flying Post in April, but so unfair and one-sided thatDr. Russell was provoked to publish the narrative of the debate from which we have quoted. This led to a second version by the Presbyterians a few months later, which was shown by the Baptists to be full of inac- curacies, or, as one writer more stingingly describes them, " of insertions, transpositions, falsifications, and additions." At the close of his "prologue," Mr. Chandler asked the audience to join him in the prayer, " that God would grant that truth might prevail." We are not told by Mr. Chandler whether he regarded it as an answer to his prayer, that some of " the judicious auditory," notwithstanding Colonel Gibson's opinion, were convinced of the propriety of the Baptists' sentiments, and a few days after the debate were " dipped in water." A good deal of bitterness on both sides grew out of the debate, and much angry recrimination, little tending to promote Christian fellowship. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at, that the Baptist historians who record the debate itself should all, without exception, rejoice that this was the last of the kind ever held in this country : a sentiment in which every reader will heartily agree. n2 "^3*-> .^;:.;.;.;^v^.-... : , , - .:;:/:::■ ^:-:-.[^:-::--^. k ^-^-„\ %M^M; SJK|§|p; *