D. Vicecomes, lib. 1, cap. 23, quotes from Nicephorus Callistus, that in Thessalia baptism was administered only at Easter; on which account many died without baptism.
This harmonizes quite well with the foregoing; namely, that the Thessalonian churches were not accustomed, or at least did not deem it necessary to baptize infants, seeing they waited with baptism a whole year; on the other hand, those who consider infant baptism necessary, frequently dare not postpone it one month,- one week, yea, sometimes not one day, on account of the uncertainty of the infant's life; so that they appoint no definite time for infant baptism, as also, if necessity require it, no Page 367 Definite persons; so much that the papists as also the Lutherans allow not only priests or teachers, but also laymen, yea, women to baptize, so that no child may die unbaptized. Anthon. Jac. Babel der Kinderdoopers, printed A. D. 1626, p. 107, 8th chapter, quest. 5, from Bellarm de Baptism, col. 307. But that the Thessalonian churches had the custom of baptizing only on Easter, that is, once a year came as may be inferred, because they deemed it necessary first to instruct the persons for a long time, almost a year, and to teach them the faith, before they might be baptized; as has been shown from Rupert Tuiciensis, for the year 1124. NOTE.-Notwithstanding we might herewith close our account of Holy Baptism, since not only this article, but all that further belongs to it, has been sufficiently shown, and the known martyrs of our faith and their confessions have been plainly presented in our old book of the martyrs long before this time; yea, already in the year 1524, we nevertheless, in order to satisfy, if this be possible, the critical, will proceed to bring this article to the end of this century, in which the confessions of the martyrs will render us no small service, as will appear.
|