of the glorious Gospel was obscured and darkened, by that harlot, and mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, the church of Rome, who was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and was drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.These ancient Christians, and faithful witnesses of the truth, being persecuted and dispersed into different countries of the then known world, were called by different names. Some were called by the names of their founders; others were called by the names of the different places of their residence; and again, others had a name given them in derision. As Waldenses, Albigenses, Paulicians, Henricians, Petrobrusians, Bohemians, Apostolics, Lollards, Arnoldists, Leonists, Insabbatati, Gazares, and many more such names, which are not necessary to mention. Now, it is probable that the above named tribes or denominations of Christians were, some more and some less, genuine in the confession of their faith, and in their practice; and that some, in consequence of the bloody persecutions having been dispersed into different countries, may have retracted from their first tenets; yet, 80 far as we can learn, their different creeds converge to this point; that wars of all kind are to be abolished among Christians; that adult persons are the only, fit subjects for the administration of Christian baptism; and that oaths of all kind are prohibited by Christ and his Apostles. THE CONFESSION OF FAITH, OF THE CHRISTIANS KNOWN BY THE NAME OF MENNONITES, IN THIRTY-THREE ARTICLES; WITH A SHORT EXTRACT FROM THEIR CATECHISM. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN, TO WHICH IS ADDED AN INTRODUCTION. ALSO, Nine Reflections, FROM DIFFERENT PASSAGES OF THE SCRIPTURES, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THEIR Confession, Faith & Practice ; BY PETER BURKHOLDER, Written by him in the German Language, and from his manuscript translated, together with the foregoing Articles, BY JOSEPH FUNK. "And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Eph. 2: 20. Winchester: PRINTED BY ROBINSON & HOLLIS. 1837. |