Arnald, a Lector at Brescia, in the Year 1145

In our account of those who opposed infant baptism in the twelfth century, we mentioned, for the year 1139, one Arnald, a lector at Brescia, in Italy, and stated that, having been taught by Peter Abelard, he, besides the doctrine he held against the mass and transubstantiation, also taught against infant baptism; and for this Pope Innocent the Second ordered him to keep silent. He then fled into Germany or Switzerland, where for a time he continued to teach. From there, after the death of that pope, he came to Rome. But when he gained an incredible number of followers there, and was severely persecuted by the Popes Eugenius and Adrian, he fled to the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, who handed him over to the pope; and so at last, at Rome, he was put to the stake, burned to ashes, and the ashes thrown into the Tiber, so that the people would not honor him. It is recorded that this happened in the year 1145, after he had, as it is reckoned, firmly maintained the above doctrine for about six years. Bapt. Hist., page 598, from Baron., the year 1139, number 3, and the year 1145, number 3; also, H. Montan., Nietigh., page 84.

Abraham Mellinus, writing of the belief of Arnald, says: "He also taught quite differently concerning the sacrament of the altar, and (notice), of infant baptism, from what was taught in the Roman church at that time. In this respect he doubtless held the views of Peter de Bruis and Henry of Toulouse (of whom we shall speak later), rejecting transubstantiation, and denying that the mass is a sacrifice for the living and the dead, and that (notice again) either baptism or the faith of others saves infants." Thus far, A. Mell., second book, page 425, column 3.

NOTE. Abraham Mellinus, who states this concerning the belief of Arnald, was a preacher of the Calvinistic church in Saint Anthony's Polder, and therefore himself an advocate of infant baptism. Nevertheless, he plainly says of Arnald, whom he acknowledged as a pious martyr, that he taught quite differently concerning infant baptism, and also that this baptism and the faith of others do not save children, and so on, the opposite of what the Romanists maintained.

Further Observation. As for the manner in which he maintained, spread, and impressed this doctrine, and kept it himself to the end, as well as what happened to him because of it; that is, all the circumstances, and also a summary of the matter, see Otto, Friesing, book 1, chapters 27 and 28, and book 2, chapter 20, de Gest. Frid. 1. Imp. Gunth. Ligur., book 3, de Gest. Frid. 1. Bernhard. Epist., 196, 189, 195. Sigon. de Regno Ital., book 11, from the year 1139 until 1146. Abent., book 6. Annal. Boio Gerhohus Reichersp., book 1, de Invest. Antichrist. apud Gretser in Proleg. [n399-1] Script. contra Walden., chapter 4, volume 4, Concil. edition 1612, page 23, compared with Bapt. His., page 686.