Although this century, in the beginning, seemed to be doomed to darkness, as regards the true docPage 227 Trine, especially with reference to the matter of baptism upon faith, yet the sun of truth rose to a considerable altitude, so that his beams shone out in every direction, illuminating the face, that is, the people, of the earth. For not only the separate Christian communities, but even many of those who still adhered to the Roman church, observed baptism, to say nothing of different other articles, according to the original Christian and apostolical custom. P. J. Twisck, in the conclusion of the eighth century, though greatly deploring the manifold human inventions which were then increasing in the Roman church, through the power of the pope and of the councils, declared nevertheless that the baptism of adults still obtained in some measure among them; his words are, "The ancient custom of baptizing adult believers and penitents appears still to exist in some measure in the church."* Page 274. From this we can judge how much more this practice must have flourished among those who entirely free themselves from the Roman superstitions, and who had fled as from Babel,-I mean the members of the true Christian church, who had to hide themselves as doves before the eagle, as shall be shown. With this we will conclude our account of baptism in the eighth century. AN ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY BAPTISM IN THE NINTH CENTURY: SUMMARY OF BAPTISM IN THE NINTH CENTURY [This account begins with a sad lamentation, that nearly all the learned and celebrated men were corrupted through the Roman superstitions.
|
