Of Charles, Bishop of Milan

Bapt. Hist., page 740, D. Vicecomes, book 5, chapter 45, writes: "Charles, bishop of Milan, admonished the teachers to diligently explain to their hearers the mystery of holy baptism, and to earnestly exhort them to a Christian walk, so that the confession of the Christian name (upon which baptism used to be administered) might well become them."

What else does this indicate, than that the teachers should exhort their hearers to the baptism which ought to be administered upon confession of faith, and, consequently, not in infancy?

Galvaneus, in the History of Milan (B. H., page 741, D. Vicecomes, book 1, chapter 4), writes: "Saint Barnabas, when he first preached the Gospel at Milan, baptized in running water."

This manner and these circumstances plainly indicate, as stated elsewhere, that infant baptism was not then practiced in that place.

NOTE. For the year 1394, mention is made of a number of people in Bohemia who sided with the Anabaptists. Seb. Fr. Chron. der Rom. Kett., page 121, column 2, letter P., Picardy.

In the year 1400. It appears that when the last year of this century had come, various persons opposed popery, not only with regard to baptism, but also to many other articles; of which, among other things, mention is made in the fourteenth book of the Ondergang der Tyrannen, page 749, columns 1, 2, 3; where we have this declaration: "The pope has no absolute power or judgment, so that he cannot err; so all, even the papists, have taught for about fourteen hundred years. The ancient fathers, the Greek as well as the Latin, regarded Pope Honorius the First as a Monothelitic* heretic. Likewise the sixth synod, in which he was condemned as a heretic, and his letters burned. From Perkins, folio 421. [n468-1]

NOTE. If this condemning of the pope as a heretic, and likewise the burning of his letters, was done out of envy or bitterness, we would by no means defend it, much less praise it, but would far rather condemn it. But since, as the matter appears to us, it was done out of a good intention and godly zeal, we find nothing blameworthy in it. For the word condemn does not always mean eternal damnation, as the Holy Scripture uses it,** but it is also understood as meaning, to sentence or to pronounce guilty. [n468-2] So, too, the name heretic, when rightly considered, means only a schismatic, headstrong person who follows his own opinion instead of the Holy Scripture. Now, that the Pope of Rome was such a person will not soon be contradicted by those who give due honor to God, and allow themselves to be governed by reason. The burning of even his letters we regard as having been done out of carefulness, so that no one might be seduced or brought into error by them. This will satisfy the well disposed, who, imitating the bee, will extract honey from it instead of gall.