that the new kingdom of Christ, which they expected, was to be exempt from every kind of vice, and from the smallest degree of imperfection and corruption, they were not satisfied with the plan of reformation proposed by Luther.They looked upon it as much beneath the sublimity of their views, and consequently undertook a more perfect reformation-or, to express more properly their visionary enterprise, they proposed to found a new church, entirely spiritual, and truly divine." Now,

When we observe, with reflecting minds, the history and condition of the true church of Christ, from the days of the Apostles down to the time of the Reformation, and consider attentively the many bloody persecutions, and the sufferings which its truest members had to endure, and then weigh, with attention and candour, the contents of the foregoing paragraphs, may we not reasonably infer, That the witnesses of the truth abovementioned, who were composed of different names and sects, such as Waldenses, Albigenses, Petrobrusians, and many others who adhered to the religious doctrines which these advanced, and who were dispersed. and lay concealed in almost all the countries of Europe, that these were the same denominations of Christians with those of a yet more ancient date, who resided in the valleys of Piedmont, or even as ancient as those stated by the authors of note, mentioned by that bloody inquisitor, Reinerus Sacco, whose antiquity remount to

the apostolic age? For it is evident that the church of Christ, which he builded, and against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, was at no time left destitute of its true witnesses and holy members. Now, as these witnesses of the truth, and members of the true church of Christ, were persecuted with the greatest severity by that anti-christian power, the church of Rome, and were dispersed in different places and countries, to which they had to flee for safety, and thus lay, as it were, concealed, till the dawn of the reformation--it is no wonder, then, that at this time the drooping spirits of these persecuted sufferers revived, when they were informed that Luther, seconded by several persons of eminent piety, had successfully attempted the reformation of the church. Animated with the lively hopes of accomplishing a reformation in the church, and of seeing better times, well might they speak with openness and freedom-start up at the same time in the different countries to which they had fled, according to the word of their Lord and Master, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another." (Matth. 10: 23.)-assume their Christian liberty, and evince their sincerity by aiding in the reformation. But as their doctrine, in some points, differed from that of others, particularly in that they protested against infant bap tism, they were consequently denominated Anabaptists.

It is beyond a doubt, that the Anabaptists

took their rise and derived their name from those ancient sects above described, who were opposed to infant baptism and re-baptized those who had baptism administered in a state of infancy. Hence the name Wieder-taeuffer; i. e. Anabaptists. For it is evident that many of those sects were opposed to infant baptism; and, though Dr. Mosheim says nothing, that we can find, of the baptism of the Waldenses, yet, in the large German work above referred to, it is proved to a demonstration that they maintained adult baptism. Some tribes, however, of this seet, in after times may have revolted and joined themselves to other denominations. And here it will also be necessary to state, that some of those who were called Anabaptists, were desperately spurious in their religious faith and practice; insomuch that they resorted to arms, and attempted by war and bloodshed to accomplish their ends-a principle which was always disavowed and held in the utmost aversion by the Mennonites, the orthodox Waldenses, and .other ancient sects from which the Mennonites took their rise. These perniciously spurious Anabaptists were a grievance to those who were genuine in their religious doctrine, faith and practice, inasmuch as a proper distinction was not made between them. "The Mennonites," says Dr. Mosheim, "have preserved voluminous records of the lives, actions, and unhappy fate of those of their sect who suffered death for the crimes of rebellion or heresy, which were im

puted to them. Certain it is, that they were treated with severity; but it is much to be lamented that so little distinction was made between the members of this sect, when the sword of justice was unsheathed against them. Why were the innocent and the guilty involved in the same fate? Why were doctrines purely theological, or at worst, fanatical, punished with the same rigour that was shown to crimes inconsistent with the peace and welfare of civil society? Those who had no other marks of peculiarity than their administering baptism to adult persons only, and their excluding the unrighteous from the external communion of the church, ought undoubtedly to have met with milder treatment than what was given to those seditious incendiaries, who were for unhinging all government and destroying all civil authority.". "....."It is true, indeed, that many Anabaptists suffered death, not on account of their being considered as rebellious subjects, but merely because they were judged to be incurable heretics; for in this century (the sixteenth) the error of limiting the administration of baptism to adult persons only, and the practice of rebaptizing such as had received that sacrament in a state of infancy, were looked upon as most flagitious and intolerable heresies."

From the foregoing quotations of Dr. Mosheim, it is plainly seen how wrongfully the Mennonites suffered, when they were so violently persecuted, from different powers, and

with the utmost severity tortured and put to death, for professing doctrines purely scriptural and orthodox. For, can it be said with integ rity, that it is heresy or fanaticism to be opposed to infant baptism, when at the same time we cannot find a single command of our Saviour's or his Apostles to ratify and establish the authenticity and practice of it? Neither is it unscriptural to exclude the unrighteous and unholy from the external communion of the church, but in perfect concordance with it. For Christ saith, If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Matth. 18: 15, 16, 17.-If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked parson. 1 Cor. 5: 11, 13.-Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that