Jarrel - Baptist Church Perpetuity - Landmark Baptist

“formerly no person was brought to the holy baptistry till he was of adult age,
and when he had both understood what the mystical water meant, and desired
to be washed in it; yea, desired it more than once,”
alluding, presumably, to the Waldenses, adds:
“I hear in some cities in Italy the old custom is still in a great f405 measure
preserved.” f411
In an old Waldensian tract we read:
“Those that believed they baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” f413
Prof. George P. Fisher, D.D.:
“There had been opposition to infant baptism in earlier days among the
Waldenses and other sects.” f414
I have quoted this overwhelming amount of testimony because Pedobaptists, to
prove the Waldenses did not hold to only believers’ baptism, have made a
desperate fight. Possibly some Waldenses who had just come out of the
Romish church, or who were yet within it — who were never of the original
Waldenses, which had continued from apostolic times — may have been
adherents of infant baptism. Possibly, to avoid the fiery ordeal of persecution,
having no faith in it and thinking it would be harmless to their children, some
Waldensian parents consented to have their children baptized. f412 But that
infant baptism was generally detested by the ancient Waldenses is certainly, in
this chapter, demonstrated.
The Waldensians of the Reformation and the Post-Reformation period, by the
reformers, were converted from only believers’ baptism. Says Armitage:
“A great council of the Waldensians was held at Angrogna, in Savoy, 1532, to
which the Swiss Protestants sent Farel and Olivetan, and then a new departure
was taken. Henceforth the Piedmontese Waldensians were joined to the Swiss
Protestant Pedobaptists.” f415
Robert Baird says of modern Waldenses:
“That there was a falling off in relation to sound doctrine towards the close of
the last century, and in the beginning of the present, cannot be denied. This
was brought about by the influence of Geneva and Lausanne, especially the
former, whither the Waldenses have been in the habit of sending their young
men to pursue their studies for the ministry. When Calvin established the
academy at Geneva provision was made for the education of two students
from the valleys. At Lausanne provision was made for five in the academy or
university of that city. In consequence of this there have always been seven
Waldensian students of theology prosecuting their studies in those institutions
during the last three hundred years.” f417