"Fulfil ye my joy, that
ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind."--Phil. 2:3.
1. The death of Domitian,
in 97, introduced Nerva, a tolerant emperor to the throne. In
98, Trajan became possessed of the sceptre, whose prejudices were
very strong against the followers of the Lamb. Persecuting edicts
were issued, and the commencement of the century was the
beginning of fresh trials to the professors of the gospel. Pliny,
the governor of Pontus and Bythinia, inquired of Trajan what
policy he should pursue towards Christians, as he felt convinced
their destruction would nearly annihilate the inhabitants of
those provinces under his governance. [Lib. 10, Epis. 97] Trajan
replied, they should not be sought for as heretofore; but if any
were known openly to profess Christianity, "let them be
punished." Under this emperor many Christians suffered
death, and numbers, even of the female sex, were racked, to
occasion their criminating each other. Adrian rather improved the
condition of Christians. Titus Antonius Pious, succeeded, and
proved himself a mild prince; but when Marcus Aurelius Antonius
ascended the throne, he issued his cruel measures, and Polycarp,
with many in Asia and France, were called to martyrdom. In 180,
Commodus became head of the government, and the condition of
Christians became tolerable; but on Severus succeeding, the
aspect was changed towards the churches: Asia, Gaul, Egypt, and
other provinces, were dyed with Christians’ blood.
2. All historians speak of
the Christian church sustaining, to an eminent degree, the
character of a pure virgin, for above one hundred years. The
severity of the times would check insincere persons making a
profession; the examples of the apostles and their successors
were still kept in view; besides, the churches were composed of
obscure persons in the estimation of the world; nor did learning
adorn her ministers, so as to awaken any fears of rivalship among
the philosophers or literati of the day. Yet their obscurity,
with their "excess of virtue," [Gibbon’s Hist. c.
15] was no guard to their lives or property. It was a maxim with
the Romans, to tolerate the religions of those nations they
conquered: but this indulgence they extended not to the
professors of the gospel. Various reasons and motives combined to
occasion an alteration in their wonted policy, though the true
grounds are assigned by Paul Rom. 8:7. Gal. 4:29. The first
Christians were poor; and their benevolence towards each other
was calculated to keep them free of worldly incumbrances, yet it
is equally evident they were numerous, and the success of the
gospel enraged the pagan priests, who reported to the governor
the vilest accusations against them. [Some causes assigned for
these calumnies by Mr. Robert Turner, are supported neither by
reason nor evidence, particularly on Christians eating their own
offspring, c. 4.] Those vile reports were ably refuted by
apologists, whose works were presented to the emperor. [W.
Reeve’s Apologies of the Fathers] The insinuations of
the enemy were but too credulously regarded, and often regulated
the policy of the presiding governor. The priests lived by the
altars. In the public games, merchants, tradesmen, mechanics,
servants, and the rustic who sold the sacrifices, were all
interested in maintaining the pagan worship. Hence that popular
ridicule, contempt, and persecution, which governments sometimes
durst not, or could not, control. Whenever religion influenced
the heart, whether of parent or child, it proved a kind of
restless leaven, which attempted, by every silent and lawful
means, to impregnate the whole body with which it stood
connected, so that, Christianity was often accused of disturbing
the previous harmony of families, and of infusing sectarian
principles into the inhabitants of towns and provinces. Nor did
Christianity feel in her proper station, in standing at a
distance, and surveying the region of misery with philosophic
apathy; but its advocates boldly advanced into the very centre of
infection, and endeavored to apply the only remedy provided for
its cure; yet such was the nature and desperate state of the
disease, that it urged the infected to aim the destruction of
every benefactor. "Beside, all other people professed a
national religion, and the multitude looked on each other’s
idols with indifference; but Christianity formed a sect of
distinct and separate character." [Gibbon’s Hist. c.
15] "It did not confine itself to the denial or rejection of
every other system: it carried on its forehead all the offensive
character of a monopoly, which, when understood, spread an alarm
over the Roman empire for the security of its
establishments." [Chalmers’s Evid. Christianity,
c. 4, p. 105] Every awakening providence, as earthquake, famine,
drought, plague, &c., was by pagans attributed to the anger
of their gods against the followers of the Cross; this view of
things being impressed on the minds of the multitude, often
occasioned the rabble to demand the blood and lives of valuable
men.
Christianity was observed to
give dignity, composure, serenity, and confidence, to its
possessor, which was supposed by heathens to be confirmed
obstinacy--which many consequently resolved to subdue. The
religion of the Cross has, in all ages, formed a bond of union
among its disciples, to which no heathen superstition made
pretensions. The enemies of the Lamb, being totally unacquainted
with the genius and spirit of Christianity, and the objects of
its followers in uniting together in social worship, misconstrued
their motives, attributed to them revolting crimes, and their
love and unity led to associations of a political character
formed against the government.
It was also seen that
Christianity ever maintained an uncompromising character; it
forbade its friends "to partake of other men’s
sins," or to pour out libations, or throw a grain of incense
on the pagan altars: and this unsociable, uncommunicable temper,
in matters of religion, could be regarded, by the best of the
heathens, in no other light, than arising from an aversion to
mankind. [Jones’s Ecc. Lect. v.i., p. 193] From these
circumstances, the pagans would never be destitute of materials
for misconstruction. As Christians would not themselves bow to
pagan rites, so they were alike careful to prevent any character,
however exalted, realizing the privileges of their communion,
without a strict conformity, in spirit and conduct, to the
requirements of divine revelation. They, consequently, at times,
became the objects of the most unrelenting fury, for maintaining,
in their ecclesiastical community, purity of principle, and
purity of practice.
3. The Christian
societies, instituted in the cities of the Roman empire, were
united only by the ties of faith and charity. Independency
and equality formed the basis of their internal constitution;
[Gibbon’s Hist. c. 15] and they were in every way
corresponding to churches of the Baptist denomination at the
present day, in the admission of members, discussing affairs,
dismissing brethren, or excluding offenders. [Mosh. Hist. C. 2,
p. 2, c. 2, S 4; Robin. Res. p. 123; Campbell’s Ecc. Lect.
p. 122; Jones’s Ecc. Lect. v.i., p. 299] Though the churches
sustained a primitive character for more than one hundred years,
yet, during this century, and particularly towards its close, the
scriptural simplicity of the institution became obscured, from
the introduction of various rites borrowed from the Old
Testament; and baptism was now supposed to convey some peculiar
advantages. to the receiver. [See Wall and Bingham] There being
persons of narrow capacities, the teachers of religion thought it
advisable or expedient to instruct such in the essential truths
of the gospel, by placing those truths, as it were, before their
eyes, under visible objects or images. [Mosh. Hist. C. 2, p. 2,
c. 4] By these and other expedients, the purity of the original
institutions became sophisticated; and when once the ministers of
religion had departed from the ancient simplicity of the gospel,
and sullied the native purity of divine truth by a motley mixture
of human inventions, it was difficult to set bounds to this
growing corruption. [Mosh. Hist. C. 6, p. 2, c. 3, S 1]
4. We shall now refer to
the writers of this century on the subject of Baptism; and the
first we notice is JUSTIN MARTYR, who was born of pagan parents,
but became a proselyte to the Jewish religion. Dissatisfied
with his profession, he embraced Christianity. His character is
obscured by his mixture of systems, and his figurative style was
calculated to lead astray. He taught, through natural objects, to
view spiritual things, viz., "The cross according to the
prophet (Moses), was the great characteristic of his power and
government; almost every thing we see resembles a cross; the
yards of a ship, the head of a plough, the handle of a spade,
&c. -- ‘nay, man erect with his arms extended, forms the
cross."’ [Justin’s Apol., p. 72; Reeve’s
trans. v. i, p. 96] He retained the leading features of
Christianity, and wrote ably in its defence.
In giving an account to the
emperor, Justin says, "I shall now lay before you the manner
of dedicating ourselves to God, through Christ, upon our
conversion; for should I omit this, I might not seem to deal
sincerely in this account of our religion. As many as are
persuaded and believe that those things which are taught by us
are true, and do promise to live according to them, are directed
first to pray, and ask God, with fasting, the forgiveness of
their sins: and we also pray and fast together with them. Then we
bring them to some place where there is water; and they are
regenerated by the same way of regeneration by which we were
regenerated: for they are washed in the name of the Father,
&c. After he is baptized, and becomes one of us, we lead him
to the congregation of the brethren, where with great fervency,
we pour out our souls together in prayer, both for ourselves and
for the person baptized, and for all other Christians throughout
the world. Prayer being ended, we salute each other with a kiss.
Bread, and a cup of wine and water, are then brought to the
president or bishop, who offers up prayer and thanksgiving in the
name of the Lord Jesus, the people concluding with a loud amen.
The deacons distribute the elements to those who are present, and
carry them afterwards to he absent members. [Wall’s Hist.
of Infant Bap. p. 1, c. 2, ~ 3] This food we call the
eucharist, of which none are allowed to be partakers, but such
only are as true believers, and have been baptized in the laver
of regeneration for the remission of sins, and live according to
Christ’s precepts."+ On this statement Dr. Wall
observes, this is the most ancient account of the way 0œ
baptizing, next the Scriptures, and shows the plain and simple
manner of administering it. The Christians of these times had
lived, many of them at least, in the days of the apostles.
[Wall’s Hist.]
[+ Justin’s Apol. S 79,
85, 86, Reeve’s trans. Justin’s Apology to the emperor
describes the dedication of believers in religion, but not of
infants! In section 36, he deplores the way the heathens trained
their children; and section 18, alludes to believers discipeling
their offspring to Christ. He does not refute the charge of
infanticide, by asserting that Christians dedicated their
children to Christ by baptism, though so favorable an opportunity
offered; at the same time, he evinces an anxiety not to omit to
his imperial majesty any circumstance or practice that would
lessen the force of prejudices against Christians. Justin has
committed an unpardonable fault in omitting the infant rite;
unless, as was the case, paedobaptism was unknown.]
Justin’s use of the term
regeneration, instead of baptism, with other figurative language,
led the simple and unlettered to conclude, that the import of the
word was conveyed in the ordinance. Too much dependence was, at
this period, placed on the eucharist; as is evident, in its being
carried to absent members after it had been prayed over. So the
simplicity of the supper was departing, by the mixture of water
with the wine: though the church still retained, in its members
and discipline, all the essentials of its original constitution.
Irenaeus, pastor of a
church at Lyons. He was a Greek by birth, and liberally educated.
Before he accepted the pastorate of Lyons, he lived at Smyrna,
under the religious instruction of Polycarp, one of John’s
disciples. During his residence at Lyons, the Christians were
called to realize death in every form. A creed is still extant
bearing his name, and much of early simplicity. [Le Clerc’s Ecc.
Hist. and Jortin’s Rem. on Ecc. Hist. v. ii., b.
2, p. 2, p. 25] The following passage from his writings is
supposed by some to allude to the ordinance: "Christ passed
through all ages of man, that he might save all by himself: all,
I say, who by him are regenerated to God infants, and little
ones, and children, and youths, and persons advanced in
years:" [Facts Opposed to Fiction, p. 17] but these
words refer to salvation, not baptism. The word regeneration
cannot, in this passage, be understood to signify baptism,
without attaching too much importance to that ordinance. The same
pious father regrets the conduct of some "who thought it
needless to bring the person to the water at all; but mixing oil
and water together, they pour it on the candidate’s
head." [Wall’s Hist. part 1, p. 406] How deeply would
Irenaeus grieve, did he live now!
Clement, the
schoolmaster and innovator, presided over a school at Alexandria,
to whom we shall again refer. He observes, on the ordinance,
"The baptised ought to be children in malice, but not in
understanding; even such children who, as the children of God,
have put off the old man with the garments of wickedness, and
have put on the new man." [Epis. 111. in Bap. Mag. v.i., p.
166]
5. Although unwarrantable
customs and ceremonies began to prevail at the conclusion of this
century in some churches, yet the ordinances of religion were not
diverted or altered from their scriptural subject, which is
supported by the best historians, as, "It does not appear by
any approved authors, that there was any mutation or variation in
baptism from the former century." [Mag. Cent. c. 2, in
Danver’s, p. 59]
"During this century,
the sacrament of baptism was administered publicly twice a year,
‘at the festivals of Easter and Whitsuntide. The persons to
be baptized, after they had repeated the creed, confessed, and
renounced their sins, particularly the devil and his pompous
allurements, were immersed under water, and received into
Christ’s kingdom, by a solemn invocation." After
baptism, various ceremonies ensued. [Mosh. Hist. e. 2, p. 2, e.
4, ~13] Immersion universally prevailed, since all the ancients
thought that burying under water did more lively represent the
death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. [Bingham’s Antiq.
of the Christian church, b. 11, c. 11, ~ 1]
The absence of infant
baptism, during the two first centuries, is fully acknowledged by
so many of the most learned among the Paedobaptists, that it is
quite unnecessary to copy their assertions. [Booth’s
Pedo. Exa., C. 4, p. 78; and c. 9, p. 194]
Justin Martyr, Athenagoras,
Theophilus of Antioch, Tatian, Minucius Felix, Irenaeus, and
Clement of Alexandria, constitute the Christian writers of this
second century; who so far from directly speaking of infant
baptism, never once utter a syllable upon the subject. [Dr. F.A.
Cox on Bap. p. 156]
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