Twelfth Century
How the Waldenses were Called Anabaptist by the Romanists Themselves
This is stated by Jacob Mehrning in several places, after he has declared, on the testimony of ancient writers, that they were called by the particular names of those who had before this already been called Anabaptists. "From Berengarius," he says (Bapt. Hist., page 666), "they were called Berengarians; from Peter de Bruis, Petrobrusians; from Henry, Henricians; from the apostles, Apostolics; from Peter Waldo, Waldenses, and so forth. Among us Germans," he writes (pages 695, 696), "the papist, Lutheran, and Calvinistic pedobaptists still contemptuously call them Anabaptists; in the Netherlands they are called Mennists, from Menno Simons, one of their principal teachers."
Thus, according to this testimony, the ancient Waldenses agreed in faith not only with Berengarius, Peter Bruis, Henry Tholossanus, and the Apostolics, of whom we have given an account before, but also with the Mennonites or Baptists of the present day, who by nearly all the rest of so-called Christendom are branded with the contemptuous name of Anabaptists, just as their earlier brothers, the Waldenses mentioned above, were called by those from whom they had separated, namely, the papists.
On pages 677 and 678, these Waldenses are several times called Anabaptists, with the statement that long before the time of John Huss they lived in Poland and Bohemia, as well as in France, as is noted in that place. From Hagecus, Dubravius, Micchovius, Cromerus, Jacob Usserius, Jounetus, M. Glaneus, Keyser's Car. Edict.
It is true that by some of these papistic authors these people are represented in a very bad light, with regard to their faith as well as their life; but the writer of the History of Baptism refutes that representation, saying (page 679, from M. Flaccius and Cent. Magd.), that they were slandered by their accusers, and that in doctrine and life they were very pious, orthodox, and godly Christians.
Although we might stop here, having sufficiently proved that the ancient Waldenses were one people with the Baptists of the present day, yet, since this is a much assailed point, we will add, for further confirmation, a few more testimonies from papistic writers. Abbot Peter Cluniacensis, in the first article of Peter Bruis and Henry Tholossanus, mentions the belief of the Waldenses, and says that "they (together with those two men) denied that infants in the years of their irrationality can be saved by the baptism of Christ, and maintained that the faith of another cannot help them, because they cannot use their own faith." Therefore they said: "Though the infants are baptized by the papists, yet, since they cannot believe, their infancy preventing them, they are by no means saved by baptism. But we choose a proper time of faith, and we do not rebaptize men, as is alleged against us, since they know their God and are prepared to believe on Him; but we then baptize them rightly, so that it may not be said that they are rightly baptized who, though baptized in infancy, are not baptized with the baptism by which sin is washed away." This is what the Waldenses usually say, says the writer. Bapt. Hist., page 687.
The writer of the History of Baptism makes the following comments on the twelfth of the Magdeburg Centuries, pages 428, 429: "Concerning the origin of the Waldenses, who sprang from Peter Waldo, Mellinus relates all that has been given above from Flaccius. So it came about that all his disciples, followers and adherents were at that time called Anabaptists by the malicious papists, and also Poor Men of Lyons, a name of which they did not need to be ashamed for Christ's sake, who also, for our sakes, became poor, so that through His poverty He might make us rich. But when they afterwards, through persecution, became scattered from France into other countries, such as England, Poland, Livonia, and so on, other names were given them." B. H., page 695.
Here it is expressly stated that the Waldenses from ancient times were designated by the papists by the name of Anabaptists, doubtless because they baptized those who had been baptized in their infancy again, or at least rightly, afterwards, when they had come to the faith; for these are the words of the Waldenses themselves, as has been shown above. Moreover, that these people were scattered from France not only into England, Poland, and Livonia, but also into many other countries, indeed, almost over the whole known world, has already been proved in part, and shall hereafter, if necessary, be demonstrated still more fully.
Bapt. Hist., page 710. D. Vicecomes (book 2, chapter 2) gives evidence from Bernhard that the Waldenses were anabaptists, as the ungodly now call the Christian baptists (the Baptists), who did not believe in infant baptism.
It is certainly clearly and plainly said that the Waldenses were anabaptists, or at least that they were called by that name; the reason why is also shown, namely, because they, like the Baptists of the present day, did not believe in infant baptism.
Jacob Mehrning, having noted that the Waldenses were called anabaptists, says (page 696)
"But their right, proper, and true name is, and by rights should be, Christians and Christian-baptists; because they, according to the command and ordinance of Christ, baptized none but those who, according to Christ's baptismal ordinance, know Christ from His holy Gospel, believe on Him, and, upon such faith, are rightly baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."