The Radical Reformation Tradition: Anabaptists, English Separatists ...

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94 Divergent Rivers... shalt be acknowledged as a member of the body of Christ, and a brother (orsi ster) of the church: 33The rite of the Evangelieal Mennonite Chureh, published in 1949, is very similar instructure, and in substance. The reeent study by Danie1 B. Lee examines the ritual ofbaptism of the Weaverland Mennonites as eontained in their Confession of Faith of1996. 34 Candidates study the Eighteen Articles of the Dortreeht Confession of Faithof 1632. They are asked three long interrogatory questions. The first is a paraphraseof the Apostles' Creed; the second is a renunciation of Satan, and the third asks themto aeeept the diseipline of the ehureh. The bi shop then prays over them, and reeilesthe Lord's Prayer. He lays hands on the head of eaeh eandidate, saying:'Upon thy confession of faith, which thou hast confessed before God and manywitnesses, thou art baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Sanand of the Holy Ghost:As the bi shop says 'baptized with water,' the deacon pours a small amount ofwater on the head of each candidate.When all are baptized, the bishop then approaches the first baptized person andextends hirn the right hand of fellowship and says, 'In the name of the Lord, inthe name of the church, I offer Ihee my hand; arise, 10 a new beginning, to a newlife. The Lord strengthen you that you may be able to finish your newly startedwork, and be his disciple; acknowledge the truth and the truth shall make youfree:The rite concludes with the giving of the kiss of peace to the eandidates, the bishop' swife greeting the women. 35Thus, we find a stable ritual: instruction, eonfession of faith, laying-on of handsand baptism with the trlune formula, and the kiss of peace. The words spoken by thebi shop vary from eommunity to eommunity, reflecting a time when the rite wasprobably extemporized but had been eommitted to textual summary in the variousgroups. It is interesting that the main differenees tend to be over the mode of baptism.However, the intrieate theologies of the founding teachers do not seem to be artieulatedin the rite - for example, there appears to be no referenee to a baptism of suffering.On the whole the emphasis is on baptism as ecclesiological - admission to aeommunity of faith.33 Given in Toews, American Mennonite Worship, pp. 178-9.34 Daniel B. Lee, Old Order Mennonites. Rituals. Reliefs, and Community, Bumharn Ine., Chicago, IL,2000.35 Ibid., pp. 68-71.
The Radical Reformation Tradition95English Separatists and BaptistsAlthough some members of the Church of England feit that the English Church wasin need of further Reformation, they nevertheless remained members. A few, however,feit that it was so like the Roman Catholic Church that it was not a church at a11, andthey seceded to form their own small churches. Those of the sixteenth century aregenerally known as Separatists, and amongst their leaders were Robert Brown, RobertHarrison, Henry Barrow, John Penry and John Greenwood - though the groupscertainly did not always recognize one another. Their teaching was regarded asseditious, and they were prosecuted by the authorities. In A Booke which sheweth thelife and manners 0/alt true Christians (1582), Robert Brown expounded his theologyand beliefs. On baptism he certainly supported infant baptism, and defended it byreference to covenant. The minister was to preach the word, and then apply the sign:The bodies of the parties baptised must be washed with water, or sprinckled ordipped, in the name of the Father, and of ye Sonne. and of the holy Ohost, untothe forgevenes of sinnes, and dying thereto in one death and burial with Christ.The preacher must pronounce them to be baptised into ye bodie and govemementof Christ, to be taught & to professe his Iawes, that by his mediation & victorie,they might rise againe with hirn unto holines & happines for ever.The church must geve thankes for the partie baptised, and praye for his furtherinstruction. and traininge unto salvation. 36According to the deposition made by Daniel Bucke to the magistrate, the BarrowistChurch which had removed to the Netherlands practised baptism as follows:... they had neither god fathers nor godmothers, and he tooke water and washedthe faces of them that were baptised: the Children that were there baptised werethe Children of Mr. Studley Mr. Lee with others beinge of severall yeres of age,sayinge onely in the administracion of this sacrament I doe Baptise thee in thename of the father of the sonne and of the holy gost withoute usinge any othercerimony therin as is now usually observed accordinge to the booke of Commonpraier ...37The Separatists were isolated congregations, but their radical separation from thenational Church set a precedent for others to follow. By the seventeenth century anumber of groups had seceded to covenant together and advocate believers' baptism.The two main groups were the General Baptists and the Particular Baptists.The leaders of the General Baptists included John Smyth, Henry Denne, ThomasGrantharn and Joseph Wright. The name 'General' reflects their belief that Christ'sredemption extended to a11, and humans have not lost the faculty of willing the good.36 Robert Harrison and Robert Browne, The Writings 0/Robert Harrison and Robert Browne, AlbertPeel and Leland H. Carlson (eds), Allen and Unwin, London, 1953, p. 260.37 C. Burrage, The Early English Dissenters, 2 vols, Cambridge University Press, Carnbridge, 1912.Vol. I, p. 143.
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