Infant Baptism Asserted and Vindicated, Part 2 · Chapter 7 · Section 5
How the Anabaptiſts of former times did Symbolize with the Novatians and Donatiſts.
1. The Novatians & Donatiſts denyed Original Sin.
2.†Ex Novatianorum ſontibus Ortum eſſe hunc Errorem non dubito. Danaeus in Opuſculo ſuo; de Pelag. Errore, p. 678. The Novatians & Donatiſts confined the Church of Chriſt to their Sect only. Magdeb. Cent. 4. C. 5. p. 376. Eccleſiam dixerunt nullibi, eſſe quam in Africa & quidem tantum eſſe in parte Donati. No true Church but of their own party, and all others eſteemed Heathens.
3. If any were Converted, or rather Perverted to the Donatiſts, they Rebaptized them. Magd. Cent. 4. C. 5. p. 376.
4. The Novatians held every man had Freewill; ſo did the Donatiſts, and from the Novatians Pelagius ſuckt in that Error. And ſay the*The Donatiſts hold — cum arbitrio libero homo creatus eſt; & ſi vult credit in Chriſtum, ſi non vult, non credit, ſi vult perſeverat, ſi non vult, non perſeverat. Magdeb. Cent. 4. ut ſupra. Magdeburgenſes, the Donatiſts hold, if a man will believe, he may; if not, he may not believe; if he will perſevere he may, if he will not he may chuſe.
5. The Novatians and Donatiſts both held that upon the commiſſion of a great Sin, a Man was not to be Communicated with, though he repented. Magdeb. Cent. 4. ut ſupra.
6.*d The Magdeburgenſes ſpeak the ſame of the Donatiſts. Cent. 4. Ʋt ſupra. Non ſine peccato volunt videri, ſed etiam juſtificatores eſſe hominum, &c. Zanchy tells us, that the Donatiſts putant ſe eſſe puros, & ab omni peccatorum labe immunes eſſe, adeo ut nihil neceſſe habeant veniam peccatorum ſuorum a Deo poſtulare. They are ſo pure and free from Sin, that they have no need to ask pardon of God. And Beza upon John 1.3, 8. ſays, the Donatiſts and Anabaptiſts hold the ſame—Ita que ; non homines ſed monſtra hominum ſunt. Pelagiani, Cathari, Donatiſtae, Anabaptiſtae, qui ex hoc loco perfectionem illam ſomniant aqua abſunt ipſi omnium hominum longiſſime. The Pelagians, Novatians, Donatiſts, and Anabaptiſts, do from this place dream of perfection &c.
1.*Dr. Prid. calls the German Anabaptiſts: Evangelii opprobrium, and ſaith, iſti ut Paedobaptiſmum prorſus tollerent, peccatum negarunt Originale, ut non ſubeſſet cauſa, cur Inſantes Baptizarentur. So did the Anabaptiſts heretofore in Germany, and ſome ſtill in England. Pontan. Catalog. Haeret. Dr. Prid. de Pec. Origin. Lect. 22. p. 331.
2.*Dr. Prid. calls the German Anabaptiſts: Evangelii opprobrium, and ſaith, iſti ut Paedobaptiſmum prorſus tollerent, peccatum negarunt Originale, ut non ſubeſſet cauſa, cur Inſantes Baptizarentur. Anabaptiſts judg none of the true Church, but thoſe of their way and Practice.
3. So if any be admitted into the Churches of the Anabaptiſts, they muſt be Rebaptized; ſo formerly in Germany. Pontan. Catal. Haeret.
4. The Anabaptiſts in Germany and ſome in England have held the ſame, viz. Free-will— thence they are known by the name of Free-Willers. Pontan. Catal. Haereſ.
5. As the Novatians heretofore at Rome, ſo the Anabaptiſts now, ſaith Zanchy, hold there is no hope of pardon for him that falleth into a great ſin after Baptiſm, upon a miſunderſtanding of that place, Heb. 6. It is impoſſible to renew them again by repentance. Zanchy Tom. 7. Loc. 8. de Symbolo Apoſtolorum p. 756. So Sleidan tells us the ſame p. 529. denying abſolution to Men ſinning after Baptiſm, though they repented.
6. Alſted in his Compendium ſays, The Anabaptiſts held they were pure, and without Sin. Beza ſaith the ſame upon John 1.3, 8.
Let not the Reader miſtake, as if I deſigned to repreſent thoſe who are called Anabaptiſts amongſt us, were all of them tainted with the forementioned Errors of the Novatians and Donatiſts, for I ſuppoſe the generality of them here in England do abhor the owning of ſuch Tenets; not but that ſome are tainted with ſome of them, but others I know to be as Orthodox in judgment (the denying Infant-Baptiſm excepted) and holy in converſation, as any other Chriſtians that I know.
I ſhall conclude this with this obſervation of the vain attempt of my Antagoniſt, in bringing in thoſe Ancient Hereticks for a Teſtimony againſt Infant-Baptiſm, which I perſwade my ſelf was never before done by any man; and then I cannot but ſmile to ſee how neatly he hath dreſt them up, and in ſuch a comely habit, that they look juſt like thoſe called Independents; yet it is certain they have no affinity with them. For:
1. He tells us, They were for purity of Churchmembers, and that none ought to be admitted into Churches but viſible Saints.
This is very good, but Beza (whom I ſhall believe before the Author) ſays otherwiſe in his Annotat. upon Epheſ. 5.27. That he might make unto himſelf a glorious Church not having ſpot or wrinkle, &c. From this place, ſaith he, the Donatiſts gather, that the Orthodox Churches were not worthy of the name of Churches,Donatiſtae ex hoc loco colligebant Orthodoxorum Eccleſias nomine Eccleſiarum indignas eſſe, & perfectionem juſtitiae volebant in hac vita conſtituere. Beza in Epheſ. 5.27. and that from hence they conclude a perfection of Holineſs in this life. In this then the Author hath miſrepreſented the Donatiſts, and abuſed his Reader.
2. He ſaith, they were for purity of Church-Diſcipline, and keeping-out ſuch as apoſtatized or ſinned ſcandalouſty, when we find they were for keeping-out all that ſo ſinned, although they repented. So Novatus and Donatus, and their followers held, that after Baptiſm there was no Reconciliation, or readmittance to the Church, though never ſo penitent.
That they both agreed in Aſſerting the power, rights and priviledges of particular Churches againſt Antichriſtian Encroachments, of Presbyters, Biſhops, Synods: When Novatus from an ordinary Prieſt was ſo ambitious to be made a Biſhop; oppoſed Cornelius the lawful Biſhop of Rome, and by ungodly means ſet up himſelf Biſhop, after he had alſo diſturb'd the Biſhoprick of Cyprian; and for his wickedneſs was at laſt condemned by a Synod. And for the other Donatus, he ſet himſelf againſt the lawful Biſhop of Carthage, and he, and his adherents were found lyars, and afterward turned cruel Perſecutors, deſtroying all Churches that were not of their mind.
4. That they Baptized again thoſe whoſe firſt Baptiſm they had ground to doubt, but not becauſe they were againſt Infant-Baptiſm, but for other reaſons.