Author's Introduction

This work is made up of two books, each of them containing a different and independent topic. The first is a treatise on holy baptism and on what belongs to it. The second is a historical account of the holy martyrs who suffered on account of baptism, or, in general, for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

These two topics have been treated briefly, yet no less clearly, throughout, in every century, from the days of Christ up to our present time; and this order has been followed: in every century an account is first given, from faithful and authentic authors, of the subject of holy baptism, and of the proper administration of it during that time; to this we have each time added our own comments, explanations, refutations of objections, and so on. Then every century is taken up again, and an account is given of the holy martyrs who suffered during that time. So each century that deals with holy baptism is followed by a century that deals with the holy martyrs; and so from beginning to end.

This, then, is a summary and the order of the work that follows; which we shall shortly explain more fully, and give our reason for doing so.