Page 222This is a noble example of Paulinus, who preached the word of God to the people, before he baptized them; nor is it less remarkable, that those who believed were baptized, and that the sons of Edwin, though exiles, yet the scions of a great race, having accepted the faith, humbled themselves to baptism. It was to be lamented, however, that these two youths, who might long have been lights and ensamples in the church, were taken out of this life so suddenly, even while they yet had on their white garments, which it was customary to wear immediately after baptism, as a sign of purity. In the meantime we must rejoice that even in those benighted times, so much light of the faith shone forth, that not only some of the common people, but also the children of the great were enlightened by it, so that they willingly bowed themselves under the yoke of Christ, through baptism: Bede, on John 4, says, "Take away the water, and there is no baptism;take away the word of God, and there is also no baptism." Bapt. Hist., p. 505. By this he indicates that the water cannot be separated from the Word, neither the Word from the water; that is, that the doctrine cannot stand without baptism, and baptism not without the doctrine; thus his meaning is, that both doctrine and baptism must go together. But how this applies to infant baptism, in which the Word is separated from the water, or the doctrine from the baptism, any one that has understanding can judge. That all believers must be baptized, Bede teaches in his exposition of job 1, "Through the obedience of faith all believers must come to baptism," and on chap. 2 he says, "No one is worthy to enter into the kingdom of God, unless he is born again of water and of the Spirit."; In the first sentence he indicates that the believers must come to baptism; of others he makes no mention; even as Philip said to the Ethiopian, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." Acts 8:37. In the second sentence he speaks of the regeneration of water and of the Spirit; concerning which Christ spoke to Nicodemus, who was not an infant, but a man of years, yea, a master in Israel. John 3:1, 10. Hence, it can or should be sufficiently understood, what kind of baptism it is of which he speaks in said place, namely, such a baptism as belongs not to children, but to the reasonable and regenerated. That which is adduced, in lib. 4, Cantic., of his belief respecting the faith of children, we do not accept as his work, but as the production of some one who chose to publish it under his name; because, in the first place, its tenor throughout does not accord with the style of his writing; and in the second place, because we know neither the writer nor the authenticity of said work. We will conclude this subject with the account given by P. J. Twisck, in his Chronijk., 8th book, page 254, col. 2, "Bede, formerly a learned priest* and monk in England, died this year, A. D. 736 (Meruia says A. D. 734), aged 70 years. He wrote.many good books, as history testifies. He says, "All who came to the apostles to be baptized, were instructed and taught by them, and having been instructed and taught concerning the sacrament of baptism, they accepted the holy administration of baptism." On Acts 19, Histor. hinc., lib. 24, Leonh., lib. 2, Grond. Bewijs., letter A. Again: He calls the Lord's bread a sacrament and figure of the body and blood of Christ, and says, "Since bread sustains the body, and wine makes blood, Christ has compared the bread to His body, and the wine to His blood."** From Seb. Franck, fol. 65. Thus Bede declared against the pope and the Roman church, and, as can be inferred, in favor of the belief of the Anabaptists, not only in the matter of baptism, but also in regard to the holy Supper, and other points, which we have not mentioned.
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