Further Remarks Concerning Baptism in This Century

From the writings of Walafridus Strabonus we can clearly see what kind of baptism was practiced at this time, in the first as well as in the second century, and also long afterwards: namely, that no infants, but adults, reasonable and believing persons, were baptized, and this according to the example of Christ and His holy apostles. Jac. 1, chapter 4. Walafridus Strabo (in the book de Rebus Mehrn., Bapt. Hist., page 524, D. I. Vicecomes, book Eccles., chapter 26) writes: [n132-1] "We must know that originally believers were baptized very simply in streams and springs; for our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in order to sanctify such washing for us, was baptized by John in the Jordan; even as we read elsewhere: 'John was baptizing in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there.'"

Page 525, from D. Vicecomes, book 1, chapter 30; also, chapter 26, Strabo speaks in this way concerning baptism: "We must know that in those first times baptism was administered only to those who, in body as well as in soul, were washed clean and white, so that they could both know and understand what benefit was to be obtained in baptism, what was to be confessed and believed, and, finally, what had to be observed by those regenerated in Christ."

He then tells of Augustine, that he was instructed in the faith before he was baptized (of which we shall speak in the proper place); but that afterwards, for the sake of improvement, as it is called, the church, that is, the Roman church, practiced infant baptism, intending by this means to free infants from the punishment of God for original sin. Then the followers of the true faith (this is what he wrongly calls the Romanists), so that the children might not be lost if they should die without the means of regeneration, that is, baptism, decided that they should be baptized for the remission of sins. From this arose, he writes, the custom of having godfathers and godmothers, who stand for the child at (literally, lift the child from) baptism, and answer for them all that they themselves, because of the weakness of their infancy, are not able to confess. Thus far Strabo.

Note well. Concerning these words, D. Vicecomes writes in this way: "Since Walafridus Strabo removes the custom of infant baptism from the primitive church, he also recognizes no earlier origin for godfathers than a time after the days of Augustine." Bapt. Hist., pages 525 and 526.

So, in the first two centuries, and long afterwards, infant baptism was not even known among the Romanists, according to the testimony of W. Strabo mentioned above. To be brief, we shall conclude with a statement found in the H. Doophistorie, at the end of the second century, page 211, chapter 7, de Ratione Gubernationis Ecclesiae: [n132-3] "Since the administration of the Sacrament also belongs to the government of the church, we see from the history of that time that the bishops and teachers did not consider it a burden to baptize, not bells and altars, but men whom they had instructed in the chief articles of the Christian religion; and to them they also administered the holy Supper." We shall now go on to the martyrs, who during this time suffered for this same faith.