Of Two Followers of the Aforesaid Martyrs, Named Samson and Sydonius

Samson was also a Scotchman by descent, and an elder and companion of the said Clement. He and Sydonius, Bishop in Bavaria, and others of like purpose and belief, were as one heart and soul in opposing, with the Word of God, Boniface, the papal legate, who proposed to oppress the people with manifold superstitions and burdens. Not only Samson, but also Sydonius and the others, boldly did this. They taught by word and pen that the apostolic embassy (as it was called) of Bishop Boniface bore a closer resemblance to paganism, or antichristendom, than to christendom, and that he had deformed rather than reformed France and Germany. Again, that he was a sycophant and flatterer of the pope of Rome, to whom he had not only bound himself, but completely sold himself, as a sworn slave.

This they were able to prove, since by a solemn oath he had sworn to the two popes, Zacharias the First and Gregory the Second: that he would also bring all the persons whom he should draw to him into obedience to the Roman see. These things were known from documents written by himself and sent to the said popes.

They also censured him for his evil practices in the administration of baptism (that is, infant baptism), which consisted in the saying of certain words, by way of exorcism. In this, several questions were generally put to the infants, who could not understand them, namely

"Do you believe?" and so on, whereupon the sponsors, in the child's name, answered: "Yes, I believe," and so on; which things certainly deserved no little censure, though without them infant baptism had very little virtue or respectability.

They were also greatly offended because he would forbid them to marry, as being contrary to the institution of God, Genesis 1, verses 27 and 28, indeed, as being a doctrine of devils, First Timothy 4, verses 1 to 3.

Finally it is stated that these persons, and others, unable in Germany as well as in France to bring about any improvement by their doctrine, were greatly oppressed, partly by the tyranny of the popes of Rome, and partly by the authority of the kings of France; indeed, they were condemned in open synods, deposed from their ministry, and shut up in prisons and dungeons, guarded so closely that they could not escape. But as to what finally became of these persons, and others of like belief, A. Mellinus states that the papistic historians are ashamed to tell. Compare Aventin. 3, Annal. Centur. Balaei., 14, chapter 31, and in Appendix, volume 2. Concil. in Decret. Greg. 2, Epist. Bonifac. ad Zachar. Citante Balaeo. Hist. Boj., book 3, with A. Mell., 2nd book, folio 329, columns 1, 2.