Relevant to the supposed physical dangers of immersion, it was pointed out to me that Daniel Neal (1678-1743; Congregationalist), in his famous
History of the Puritans, tells of a woman having died after being baptized by immersion. And in checking in out, in his section on
The Rise, Progress, and Suffering of the English Anabaptists, Neal does in fact briefly note:
And Mr. Oates in Essex, tried for his life at Chelmsford, assized for the murder of Anne Martin, because she died a few days after her immersion, of a cold that seized her at that time. [London: {s.n.}, 1736; 3:163]
After poking around some more, here’s what else I found:
It seems the original account comes from 1646, as told by a Rev. Thomas Edwards (1599–1647; Presbyterian controversialist
*):
There is one Samuel Oats a Weaver…who being of Lams Church, was sent out as a Dipper and Emissary into the Countreyes: Last summer I heard he went his progresse into Surrey and Sussex, but now this yeare he is sent out into Essex three or foure months ago, and for many weeks together went up and downe from place to place, and Towne to Towne, about Bocking, Braintry, Tarling, and those parts, preaching his erroneous Doctrines, and dipping many in rivers.
...A godly Minister of Essex coming out of those parts related, hee hath baptized a great number of women, and that they were call'd out of their beds to go a dipping in rivers, dipping manie of them in the night, so that their Husbands and Masters could not keep them in their houses, and 'tis commonly reported that this Oats had for his pains ten shillings apeece for dipping the richer, and two shillings six pence for the poorer; he came veriebare and meane into Essex, but before hee had done his work, was well lined, and growne pursie.
In the cold weather in March, hee dipped a young woman, one Ann Martin (as her name is given in to me) whom he held so long in the water, that she fell presently sicke, and her belly sweld with the abundance of water she took in, and within a fortnight or three weeks died, and upon her death-bed expressed her dipping to be the cause of her death.
...At last for his dipping one who died so presently after it, and other misdemeanors the man was questioned in the Countrey, and bound over to the Sessions at Chelmsford, where Aprill the seventh, 1646. this Oats appeared, and I had the relation I now speak of, from three persons that were eare and eye-witnesses, two godly Ministers, and the other Gentlemen of great worth and qualitie, viz. that Oats being brought before the Bench, the Coroner laid to his charge, that in March last, in a verie cold season, hee dipping a young woman, shee presently fell sick and died within a short time, and though the Coroner had not yet perfected his sitting upon her death, all witnesses being not yet examined, nor the Jurie having brought in their verdict (so that the full evidence was not presented) yet the Bench, upon being acquainted with the case, and other foule matters also being there by witnesses laid against him, committed him to the Jaile at Colchester.
[The first and second part of Gangræna, or, A catalogue and discovery of many of the errors, heresies, blasphemies and pernicious practices of the sectaries of this time…, (London: T.R. and E.M., 1646.), 121f.]
The Baptist historian Thomas Crosby (1683–1751) gives this expanded version of events:
The books written against the Baptists frequently represented the practice of immersion to be extremely dangerous; and some termed them a cruel and murdering sect for using it. Now if they could but have carry’d this point, it would have confirmed their censures fix’d an eternal odium on the practice. and frightened many timorous persons from complying.
...Great endeavours were therefore used that he [Oates] might be brought in guilty: Nay so fond were some of this story that they published it for a truth before it had been legally examined and added these circumstances to it [i.e. Edwards] viz. ‘That he held her so long in the water that the fell presently sick That her belly swell’d with the abundance of water she took in, and within a fortnight or three weeks died; and up on her death bed expressed her dipping to be the cause of her death.’
They did indeed carry it so far as to have him arraigned for his life at Chelmsford assizes. But upon his trial several credible witnesses were produced, among which the mother of the maid was one; who all testified upon oath that the said Anne Martin (that being her name) was in better health for several days after her baptism than she had been for some years before; and that she was seen to walk abroad afterwards very comfortably. So that notwithstanding all the design and malignity that appeared in this trial, he was in the end brought in not guilty…
…When the Presbyterians found they could do nothing to Mr. Oates by due course of law. they endeavoured to raise the mob against him; and in this they were more successful. For a little after, some who were known to be Baptists going occasionally to Wethersfield in that county, there was presently an alarm given, that Oates and his companions were come to that town; upon which the rabble were raised and seized those innocent people. And for no other crime but because they were ‘Anabaptists,’ they were dragged to a pump, and treated like the worst of villains; neither was Oates the person against whom they were chiefly enraged, amongst them.
Not long after this Oates himself went to Dunmow in Essex. When some of zealots in that town heard where he was, without any other provocation but that of his daring to come there, they dragged him out of the house, threw him into a river, boasting they had thoroughly ‘dipt’ him.
[Thomas Crosby, The History of the English Baptists: From the Reformation to the Beginning of the Reign of King George I, (London: [s.n.], 1737), 237ff.]
__________________________
* Other Puritans were not exempt from Edwards’ severe lambasting, including Jeremiah Burroughs (1599–1646; Independent), who wrote of him:
I doubt whether there ever was any in the Christian world who was looked upon as a man professing godlinesse in that height that he hath beene, that ever manifested so much boldnesse and malice against such as himselfe acknowledges to be godly, as he hath done; Were there nothing but the Presbyteriall opinion that made the difference betweene him and me, I should not abate my esteeme of his godlinesse in the least, for I beleeve there are as godly Presbyterians as Independents. But that fiery rage, that implacable irrationall violence of his, makes me stand and wonder at him, not so much for recording stories that he hears, but that hearing such vile reproachfull things against such as he ownes to be godly, and the persons thus reproched living neare him in the City, who it may be might satisfy him in the falsnesse of the reports, so as to keepe him from publishing them.
[Jeremiah Burroughs, A Vindication of Mr. Burroughes, Against Mr. Edwards, His Foule Aspersions, in His Spreading Gangræna…, (London: [s.n.], 1646), 2]