Nevertheless, as Noah and his family served God in the first world; Lot, in Sodom; Daniel and the three youths, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in Babylon; Elijah and the seven thousand who were hidden and had not bowed their knees to Baal, in the land of Israel, where the prophets of the Lord were slain, and his altars thrown down; even so there remained some, though but few, at this time, who, living in the midst of popery, did not adhere to the Roman superstitions, but abhorred them.
However, in order to avoid prolixity, we shall confine ourselves, omitting, as has been our custom, other points to the article of baptism, except where it may be found necessary to add something else; and shall show when and by whom this article, with the rejection of infant baptism, was maintained salutarily and in the fear of God, according to his words. Hence we will begin thus.
_A. D. 814._--In the days of Louis the Pious, the first of this name, who began to reign with the year 814, there lived and wrote the celebrated Haimo, of whom various praiseworthy things concerning baptism upon faith are still extant.
Haimo, on Matt. 28:19, (_Bapt. Hist. page 561_,) writes: “In this place the order how to baptize aright is pointed out to us; in which it is ordained, that teaching must precede baptism, for he says: ‘Teach all nations;’ and then adds: ‘baptizing them.’ He, then, that is to be baptized, must previously be instructed, that he may first learn faith, which he shall afterwards receive in baptism.
How could any one give clearer testimony concerning the true baptism of Jesus Christ? how, also, could anybody more plainly reject infant baptism, than by such a declaration? every word emphatically says it.
He begins with Matt. 28:19, where the Lord says: “Go ye therefore, and teach,” or, in other words make disciples of; which he explains thus: “_that teaching must precede baptism_;” for the Lord first says: teach, and then, _baptize_, and that therefore he that is to be baptized, must first be instructed, and learn the faith. Certainly, these are things which pertain only to the adult and intelligent; hence it would be sinning against the truth to apply them to unintelligent infants.
Haimo (_Serm. Domin. 12, Trinit., page 564_) says: “Since those who are baptized, must first be enlightened with the grace of the Holy Spirit, then instructed by the teachers, and finally called to confess the faith, hence arises the custom that,” etc.
This accords fully with the preceding; for he declares the same still more plainly, since here not only instructing is joined to baptizing, but the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the instruction of the teachers, and the confession of the faith are connected with, yea, required before baptism; which is so clear, according to the purport of the first declaration, that it is unnecessary to add another word; the impartial may judge. As to what he further says in the same place, concerning the touching of the tongue, the saying of the word _Hephphatha_, etc., we leave as it is, neither praising nor censuring it, since it is of little consequence, if the truth and the signification of the matter is rightly preserved.
Haimo, on Rom. 1 (_page 542_), writes: “At the time of baptism we confess that we believe on God the Father, and on the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Holy Ghost; likewise, that we renounce the devil and all his pomp and works. If we observe this thus, we belong to God in faith; but if we do not, we are convinced of unbelief.[137]
[137] A. D. 821 (writes P. J. Twisk), that is, in the time of the Roman Emperor Louis, there lived Christus Taurinensus, who wrote and taught against the invocation of the images, of the cross, of the relics, of the saints, and against the power of the Pope, and pilgrimages. _Chron., 9th book, page 280, col. 2_, from _Joh. Munst., fol. 132_.