That They Nevertheless Professed a Good Confession

Nevertheless, these Taborites, because of their aversion to war and to the superstitions, had separated from the Hussites, and in those times they also truly held, as cannot be concluded otherwise, the true confession of the Waldenses, although, as it is thought, some tried to force infant baptism in among them; however, their confession on this article, delivered in the year 1431, at Prague, in Bohemia, to M. John Rockenzahn, makes no mention of it at all; indeed, they use such expressions in it as cannot possibly be applied to infant baptism.

In J. Mehrning's History of Baptism, page 611, we read these words: “I have before me the confession of the Taborites, drawn up in the year 1431, which agrees in all respects with our doctrine, and which I intend to have printed at the proper time.”

Concerning the difference between the Hussites proper and the Taborites, who were united with them, D. Balthazar Lydius gives this explanation: “The followers of John Huss were divided into two sects, the one called Praguers, the other Taborites; of whom the Taborites were the stricter. Tract entitled: ‘Where the church was before the year 1160; or before the time of the Waldenses;’ printed in the year 1624, chapter 25.” [n497-1]

Their confession is as follows: “First, concerning the sacrament of baptism, which is the first sacrament by which God imparts, above all, the first sacramental grace, if we are spiritually regenerated; because it is a sign of the spiritual regeneration that proceeds from God, we hold, according to the tenor of the holy Scriptures, and sincerely confess from the heart, that the sacrament of baptism is the washing of a person, performed by another with water, who pronounces the words prescribed by Christ, which effectually signify the washing of the soul from sin, which is expressly founded in the Gospel; for Christ, by words as well as by deed, taught that those who believe in Him should be baptized in this way. He taught this with words when He said to the apostles, ‘Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.’ Matthew 23, verse 19. He taught it by deed when He Himself was baptized by John, in the Jordan. Matthew 3. Baptismal History, second part, pages 743, 744, from B. Lyd. Wald., pages 10, 11. [n497-2]

In the year 1431. At this time Scotland also, though otherwise very superstitious, experienced no small reformation in the true worship of God, which was brought about by various persons zealous for the honor of God and the welfare of His church. So that some resolved and tried to reform not only the article of baptism, which was shamefully abused by the Roman church, and not a little to the harm of many innocent souls, but also various other articles which, out of sheer superstition, were maintained by them according to human opinion. They were determined to keep the good, and abolish the evil.

Among those who at this time undertook the reformation of the same, one Paul Craus is especially mentioned, who also opposed auricular confession, the invocation of the saints, the idolatrous sacrament, and so on. For this he was condemned as a heretic; but how he finally ended will be shown at the right time and place. Compare the account in the fifteenth book van den Ondergang, page 796, column 1, with Tine. Cal., folio 368, Georg. Pac. chapter 11. Herm. Mod., folio 274.

NOTE. Whether this Paul Craus was fully enlightened in all the other articles pertaining to the worship of God, we cannot definitely prove; just as, on the other hand, we have found nothing that would tend to detract from his belief; though we have sought in good faith for what would count against him, as well as for what would speak for him; hence we have thought it well to grant him too a place among the good confessors of the evangelical truth.

In the year 1455. About this time there were many Waldenses (wrongly called Wandois) in Germany, in the bishopric of Reichstadt, of whose orthodox confession an account was given for the year 1170. They had among them twelve preachers, or teachers, of their religion, who, each in his own district, went out secretly, because of the severe persecution, to preach. P. J. Twisck, Chronicle, page 829, column 2, from Henr. Boxh., folio 27. [n497-3]

NOTE. In the year 1460. At this time Roderic Simotensus severely reproved the human institutions and abuses of the papists, such as excommunication, fasts, feasts, auricular confession, and the mass, as appears from his book, entitled The Mirror of Human Life. Chronicle, van den Ondergang, page 835, column 1.

Again, the same year as above; Nicholas Siculus said at this time that a believing person who rightly brings forward the holy Scriptures should be believed more than the pope, and a whole council that rejects the holy Scripture. He further said that a council may err; also, that some of the popes lived as though they did not believe that there would be a resurrection of the flesh after this life. See the aforementioned chronicle, in the place indicated, taken from Joh. Munst., folio 190.

Also, the same year, Dionys. Rickel, a learned man, said that in the primitive church the Sacrament (or Supper) was given to believers under both forms, that is, with bread and wine; to which the Roman church acted contrary at this time. Compare the author first indicated with Joh. Fabr., folio 164.

In the year 1465. Nicholas Casanus now vehemently attacked the pope with the Word of God; he called him antichrist, rejected human institutions, and so on. In his book on the Peace of the Faith, compared with P. J. Twisck, Chronicle, page 841, column 1.

In the year 1467. Anthony Rosellus, an Italian doctor, writes that the pope is not to be regarded as the lord of the world; that he neither can nor ought to command the Emperor; that he neither may nor ought to wield the secular sword. P. J. Twisck, Chronicle, page 845, from Joh. Munst., folio 295.

In the year 1470. At this time a book was issued, entitled Spiegel des heiligen kercken Regements, without the name of the author, in which the mendicant monks and the pope were particularly censured. The author brings forward Anthony the Hermit, and says that the monks have departed from the Word of God, and, out of hypocrisy, have adopted all sorts of human institutions. Catal. Test. Verit., folio 884, compared with P. J. Twisck, page 847, column 2.

In the year 1471. At this time, says a celebrated author, there were not very many Waldenses in Bohemia, because of the violent persecution; but in Austria there were still some, who had also been scattered for the most part, through the cruelty of the torments, and the terror of persecution.

But how they were afterwards united, as it is alleged, by one Peter Textor, or (as Mellinus explains), Peter the Weaver, in the city of Landskron, in Bohemia, with the Moravian and Bohemian brothers; so that afterward they held no separate church meetings, except only with the Bohemian and Moravian brothers, is described by Mellinus, in the second book of the Persecutions, folio 592, column 4, and folio 593, column 1.

NOTE. The Bohemian brothers must not be understood here to mean the Hussites, to whom the name of Bohemian brothers was also given; unless it is said that the Waldenses had separated from them.

But that, in spite of this opinion of Mellinus, many Waldenses still remained scattered and persecuted in Germany and France, as well as elsewhere, who, unchanged in faith and worship, steadfastly sought to serve their Savior according to the rule of Christ and His holy apostles, appears from various other authors. Indeed, Mellinus, as though he had forgotten himself, writes that in the year 1475, in the bishopric of Eichstaedt, in Germany, a great number of Christians were discovered and arrested, who professed the doctrine of the Waldenses. Second book, folio 590, column 4. Indeed, that even sixty-nine years afterwards, namely in the year 1544, the Waldenses of Merindol and Cabriere delivered a confession of faith, at Paris in the parliament, to the King of France, in defense of their innocence. Same book, folio 446, columns 1, 2, and so on.

Moreover, that this confession does not conflict with, but agrees well with, that of the Anabaptists, may be found in the same place.

NOTE. In the year 1472. J. Guitode, . . . now greatly reproved the papal haughtiness and idolatry; the running of pilgrims after images, and miracles invented by greed. [n497-4] He said plainly that they were vicegerents, not of Christ, but of antichrist; indeed, that they were possessed with the presumption and pride of Lucifer. Chronicle van den Ondergang, page 852, from Catal. Test. Verit., 883.

In the year 1481. It is stated that in this year King Matthias, at the urging of some evil disposed persons, issued a decree against the Moravians or Moravian brothers. Large Book of Christian Martyrs, folio 597, column 2, from Joach. Camer. Narr. Hist. Boh., page 118.

These Moravian brothers are called Old Waldenses by Jacob Mehrning, who also shows that various excellent and learned men counted among the Anabaptists came out from them. His words are: “From among these Bohemian and Moravian Old Waldenses several excellent men afterwards came; as, among others, Hans Koch and Leonhard Meister, who were both put to death at Augsburg, in the year 1527. Also, the very learned Michael Sattler, who ministered to his church, in the year 1527, at Horb, in Germany. Also, Leonhard Keyser, who, in the year 1529, was martyred in Bavaria; to whom, while in prison, Dr. Luther addressed letters of consolation, although he (Keyser) did not agree with Luther in regard to infant baptism. Baptismal History, second part, page 748.