ordering, as Zwingli himself reports, that any person who administered anabaptism should be drowned; and still more shocking that, at the time when Zwingli wrote, this cruel decree should have been carried into effect against one of the leaders of the Anabaptists, Felix Mantz, who had himself been associated with Zwingli, not only as a student, but also at the commencement of the work of Reformation. No doubt the wild fanaticism of some of the opponents of infant baptism seemed to the Reformers to justify their severity. In 1537 Menno Simonis joined himself to the Anabaptists and became their leader. His moderation and piety, according to Mosheim, held in check the turbulence of the more fanatical amongst them. He died in 1561, after a life passed amidst continual dangers and conflicts. His name remains as the designa tion of the Mennonites, who eventually settled in the Netherlands under the protection of William the Silent,
Prince of Orange.Of the introduction of Baptist views into England we have no certain knowledge. Fox relates that " the registers of London make mention of certain Dutchmen counted for Anabaptists, of whom ten were put to death in sundry places in the realm, anno 1535 ; other ten repented and were saved." In 1536 King Henry VIII, as " in earth supreme head of the Church of England," issued a pro clamation together with articles concerning faith agreed upon by Convocation, in which the clergy are told to instruct the people that they ought to repute and take " the Anabaptists opinions for detestable heresies and to be utterly condemned." The document is given in extenso by Fuller, who further tells us from Stow s Chronicles that, in the year 1538, "four Anabaptists/ three men and one woman, all Dutch, bare faggots at Paul s Cross, and three days after a man and woman of their sect was burnt in Sinithfield." In the reign of Edward VI., after the return of the exiles from Zurich, Hooper writes to his friend Bullinger in 1549, that he reads " a public lecture twice in the day to so numerous an audience that the church cannot contain them," and adds, "the Anabaptists flock (confluunt) to the place and give me much trouble." It would seem that at this time they were united together in communities separate from the Established Church. Lati- mer, in 1552, speaks of them as segregating themselves from the company of other men. In Philpott s sixth examination in 1555 we are told that Lord Riche said to him, "All heretics do boast of the Spirit of God, and every one would have a church by himself, as Joan of Kent and the Ana baptists." Philpott was imprisoned soon after Mary s accession in 1553 ; and it is very pleasing to find, amidst the records of intense bitterness and rancour which charac terized these times, and with which Romanist and Protes tant alike assailed the persecuted Baptists, a letter of Philpott s, to a friend of his, " prisoner the same time in Newgate," who held Baptist opinions. His friend had written to ask his judgment concerning the baptism of infants. Philpott in a long reply, whilst maintaining the obligation of infant baptism, yet addresses his correspondent as, "^ dear brother, saint, and fellow-prisoner for the truth of Christ s gospel ;" and at the close of his argument he says, " I beseech thee, dear brother in the gospel, follow the steps of the faith of the glorious martyrs in the primitive church, and of such as at this day follow the same." During the whole of the 16th century, and through the greater part of the 17th, whatever changes took place in the state church, the Baptists in England, together with other dissenters, continued to suffer persecution. Archbishop Sandys, about _the year 1576, says : "It is the property of froward sectaries," amongst whom he classes Anabaptists, " whose inventions cannot abide the light, to make obscure conven ticles;" and though he admits that " when the gospel is persecuted, secret congregations are allowed," he declares that as the gospel, " strengthened with the civil hand," is now publicly and sincerely preached, " such stray sheep as will not of their own accord assemble themselves to serve the Lord in the midst of this holy congregation, may law fully and in reason ought to be constrained thereunto." There is no doubt that a large number of the Baptists in England at this time came from Holland, but there is little reason to think that Fuller is correct when, after speaking of certain Dutch Anabaptists being seized in 1575, some of whom were banished and two burnt at Smithfield, ho adds, "we are glad that English as yet were free from that infection."
About the beginning of the 17th century the severe laws against the Puritans led many dissenters to emigrate to Holland. Some, of these were Baptists, and an English Baptist Church was formed in Amsterdam about the year 1609. In 1611 this church published "a declaration of faith of English people remaining at Amsterdam in Holland." The article relating to baptism is as follows : " That every church is to receive in all their members by baptism upon the confession of their faith and sins, wrought by the preaching of the gospel according to the primitive institution and practice. And therefore churches consti tuted after any other manner, or of any other persons, are not according to Christ s testament. That baptism or washing with water is the outward manifestation of dying unto sin and walking in newness of life ; and therefore in no wise appertaineth to infants." They hold " that no church ought to challenge any prerogative over any other ;" " that magistracy is a holy ordinance of God ;" " that it is lawful in a just cause for the deciding of strife to take an oath by the name of the Lord."
The last execution for heresy in England by burning alive took place at Lichfield, April 11, 1612. The con demned person, Edward Wightman, was a Baptist. Much uncertainty rests on the history of the Baptists during the next twenty years. It would seem that many members of the Brownist or Independent denomination held Baptist views. An independent congregation in London, gathered in the year 1616, included several such persons, and as the church was larger than could conveniently meet together in times of persecution, they agreed to allow these persons to constitute a distinct church, which was formed on the 12th September 1633 ; and upon this most, if not all, the members of the new church were baptized. Another Baptist church was formed in London in 1639. These churches were " Particular " or Calvinistic Baptists. The church formed in 1609 at Amsterdam held Arminian views. In 1644 a Confession of Faith was published in the names of seven churches in London " commonly (though falsely) called Anabaptist," in which were included the two churches just mentioned. The article on baptism is as follows : " That baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament given by Christ to be dispensed only upon persons professing faith, or that are disciples, or taught, who, upon a profession of faith, ought to be baptized." " The way and manner of dispensing this ordinance the Scripture holds out to be dipping or plunging the whole body underwater." They further declare that " a civil magis tracy is an ordinance of God," which they are bound to obey. How well they understood the distinction between the rights of conscience and the rights of the civil magis trate is shown with remarkable clearness:—
" We believe," they say, " that in all those civil laws which have been acted by them [the supreme magistracy], or for the present are or shall be ordained, we are bound to yield subjection and obedience unto in the Lord, as conceiving ourselves bound to defend both the persons of those thus chosen, and all civil laws made by them, with our persons, liberties, and estates, with all that is called ours, although we should suffer never so much from them in not actively
