Page 273none else, can these things be undertaken, and, with God's blessing, carried out. In another place Rupert relates what customarily took place as regards the candidates, baptism itself, and some of the circumstances pertaining to it. He says, "All the youth of the church, whom they had sought to win to God, during the year, through the preaching of the word, gave in their names, on the fourth day of the week in lent, when Easter approached; and when each of them, in the subsequent days till Easter, heard the rule of faith, in which he had been begotten and had grown up, he finally died (that is, he put to death sin), and rose with Christ (that is, to a new life), confessing the faith with full confidence, at baptism." Bapt. Hist., page 706, D. hicecom., lib. 2, ca-Q. 14, from Rupert, lib. 4, cap. 18. Upon this, a certain pedobaptist, D. J. V. (same page), once said, "But the Christian fear of God pleases us better, since the baptism of the ancients, and with it the ancient custom (namely, of baptizing upon faith), are abolished, and the believers now give to their children their names, at baptism, before the eighth day after their birth; for this agrees best with the practice of the Jews, who gave to their children their names on the eighth day of circumcision, and with the custom of the heathen, who did the like to their children, on the eighth, ninth, or tenth day after their birth."; This is certainly plain language. He says that the baptism of the ancients (that is, the baptism according to the institution of Christ, Mark 16:16), and with it also the ancient custom (namely, of baptizing upon faith), are abolished (that is, by those who have introduced infant baptism), and lie praises this as a Christian fear of God, saying, that it pleases him better. How would any one dare speak with greater presumption and shamelessness of the commandments of Jesus Christ? It grieves me to say more about this and I will leave it, adding, however, the remarks of Jacob Mehrning in referring to these words, "A fine arrangement this I Christians are no longer to conform to the baptismal ordinance of Christ, but Christ is to accommodate Himself with His baptism, to the practice of the Jews and the custom of the heathen. Fie, Satan! how brazenly dost thou here disclose thy cloven footl"; P. J. Twisck and H. Montanus quote the following words from the writings of Rupert, "Formerly it was customary to renew the children, throughout the year, with the Word of God, in order to present to them, on the approach of Easter, the faith, which they had to confess at baptism; but, that Christianity might grow, and the net of the Gospel become full, it pleased the church (that is, the Roman church), because of the danger of temporal death, that the children of Christians should be baptized immediately." Chron., page 443, col. 2, Nietigh., page 83, from Rupert, lib. 4, de Dizrinis Oficies, cap. 18. "With Rupert," writes Twisck,"several learned men of the Roman church in this last century agree, as is adduced from their books. John Bohemius says: 'Formerly it was customary to administer baptism only to those who had previously been instructed in the faith, and who were examined seven times in the weeks preceding Easter and Whitsuntide; but when baptism was afterwards deemed essential to eternal life, it was ordained that new-born infants should be baptized, and that sponsors should be provided, who, in their stead, confessed the faith, and renounced Satan."' Same page, from.I. Boh., lib. 2, de Gent. Morib., Loop der Werelt, page 41., "This is confirmed by Ludovicus Vives, who says: 'No one was brought to baptism among us, until he had reached his years, and when he knew what the mystic water signified, and himself desired to be washed with it."' Same page, from Lud. hiv., in Annat. C~vit. dei Augustini, lib. 1, cap. 27, also, H. Mont., page 88. But, to return to Rupert, Twisck says, he wrote not only on baptism, but also composed many other books, against the papal views, of the holy Scriptures, of justification, of two sacraments, of the Supper under both forms, and of the spiritual presence of Christ. He also says of antichrist, that he will send his messengers and preachers throughout the whole world; he will first convert (that is, turn to himself) and overcome the kings and princes, and then, through their instrumentality, will raise persecution over all the nations who will sincerely confess Christ. Chron., page 444, col. 1, from RuQert, in Apoc., lib. 3, cap. 13, Johan. Fobri., fol. 158, Anth. Jac., fol. 113, John Munst., fol. 140. A. D. 1126.-At this time, there were many Christians at Arles, Narbonne, Toulouse, in Gascony, and at different other places in France, who were afterwards called Petrobrusians, after one Peter Bruis,* their most prominent teacher, and who also neither sanctioned nor practiced infant baptism. This is attested by Peter, abbot of Cluny, who says, in the beginning of his tract against the Petrobrusians, "They deny that infants who have not yet attained the years of understanding, can be saved by the baptism of Christ; and say that the faith of another cannot help those who cannot use their own faith; for, according to their view, not the faith of another, but each one's own faith saves with baptism, because the Lord says: 'He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.' " Bapt. Hist., page 598, H. Mont. Nietigh., page 83, from Biblioth. Patr. Torn. 12, part 2, fol. 206. Also, Baron., A. D. 1126.
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