NOTE.--It is stated that about this time, until the year 495, and afterwards, there were made in different councils held in Africa five hundred and five laws (called canons or rules), in which among other things it was resolved by the Roman church: 1. “That the children of the Donatists, (namely those Donatists who had renounced the doctrine of Donatus) shall not be re-baptized.” 2. “That those who say that a child is not to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, etc., are excommunicated.” 3, _Act. 23_. That the agitation about baptism should be suppressed by military force.” _Seb. Franck, Chron. der Roomsche Concilien, fol. 48, col. 2–4, etc._
NOTE.--From the third article it appears: 1. That at this time there were people who stirred up agitation about baptism, that is, infant baptism, for this was now practiced by the Roman church. 2. That these people were suppressed by military assistance or force. What views, besides this article, these people held, or in which manner they were suppressed, we have not been able to ascertain; hence we let this suffice.
THE BLOODY OPPRESSION OF THE BELIEVERS, WHICH, IT APPEARS, OCCURRED IN THE TIME OF THE TEACHER, FULGENTIUS, A. D. 498.
It appears that at this time the persecution and marytyrization of those who were baptized according to the ordinance of Christ was still in progress; of which the godfearing teacher Fulgentius makes mention to his contemporaries. _Bapt. Hist., 2d part, page 464, num. 12_, from _D. Vicec., lib. 3, cap. 3_, from _Fulgentius, lib de fide ad petrum, cap. 30_.
“Rest assured of this,” he writes, “and doubt not that those who, for the name of Christ are baptized in their blood, without which no man shall receive eternal life, that is, who has not previously been converted from his sins through repentance and faith, and redeemed through the sacrament of faith and repentance, that is, through baptism.”
When Fulgentius here speaks of those who, for the name of Christ are baptized in the blood, etc., he plainly indicates thereby, that blood was shed then inasmuch as people were baptized with it as it were, that is, such people as he speaks of further on, namely, “who are converted through repentance and faith, and redeemed through the sacrament of faith and repentance, that is, through baptism,” etc.
However, if to any one the above words of Fulgentius appear rather too obscure for the purpose in view, we leave him to the free and unrestrained enjoyment of his own judgment.
NOTE.--At this time, namely about the close of this century, those who opposed infant baptism were so hated by the Roman church, that in a certain council of Carthage, two persons, whose names we for certain reasons omit, were condemned, because they had denied infant baptism. _Bapt. Hist. 2d, part, page 436_, taken from the _9th chapter van de Doop gebruyken der Roomsche Kerke, fol. 460_.
As to the persons themselves that were condemned, we commit them to God, since our only aim is to show how exceedingly the aforementioned doctrines were hated, and those who defended them, oppressed, yea, condemned at that time. With this we conclude our account of the martyrs of the fifth century.