Defense Against the Opponents by Thomas van Imbroeck

In the first place, our opponents say, it is written: "Suffer little children to come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19, verse 14). Now, if they have the promise, why should they not also receive baptism, which is less than the promise?

Answer. We believe and confess that infants are saved on account of the promise; but that salvation depends on baptism, we do not confess; for when Christ promised the children the kingdom of God, they were not baptized, nor did He baptize them, but He embraced them, and spoke kindly to, or blessed, them. Mark 9, verses 36 and 37. Christ also states the reason why the children are acceptable to God, since He sets them as examples for adults, and admonishes us that we should be like them; for He says this to His disciples: "Truly I say to you, except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18, verses 3 and 4).

Hence, since we are admonished to become as children, it cannot be denied that as long as they remain in a state of innocence, God holds them guiltless, and no sin is imputed to them; and although they are of a sinful nature, sharing the nature of Adam, there still remains something in them which is pleasing to God, namely, innocence and humility; yet they are saved only through the grace of Christ.

But if some condemn infants when they die without baptism, it is a despising of the blood of Christ; for the sin of Adam and of the whole world is reconciled through the sacrifice of Christ, and no sin from Adam is imputed to children. How then can children be damned?

Who will accuse the children, for whom Christ shed His blood? Who will condemn them, to whom Christ has promised the kingdom of God? Who will deny the holy Scriptures, which declare so emphatically that the sin of Adam and of the whole world has been taken away; that the handwriting of the law, which was against us, has been blotted out and nailed to the cross; and that grace has abounded over sin, and the life of Christ has conquered death?

Hence, he who says that children are condemned, or accuses them on account of original sin, denies the death and blood of Christ. For if the children are condemned because of Adam's death, then Christ died in vain, Adam's guilt is still upon us and not reconciled through Christ, and grace has not abounded over sin through Christ. God forbid.

For the grace of God has richly appeared to all men. Titus 2, verse 11; Romans 5, verse 18. All malediction, curse, and the sin of the whole world have been taken away through Christ; and as adults are saved through faith, so children are saved through their innocence; but all through grace.

An answer, then, still remains to be given: why, if they are saved, they should not be baptized.

In the first place, because we have no command from Christ for it. Abraham had received a command from the Lord to circumcise all males on the eighth day. Now, he had received no command concerning females, nor did he follow his own opinion, but according to the command of God caused only the male children to be circumcised; and circumcision was the sign of the covenant which God had established with Abraham; and still the women were included in the covenant as well as the men.

And afterwards, when Israel was in the wilderness and had grossly sinned against the Lord, so that God said they should not enter into the promised land, and this on account of their unbelief, He (the Lord) said: But your children, who now know neither good nor evil, they shall possess it.

Now, if the children, whom the Lord had commanded to be circumcised on the eighth day,* obtained mercy from Him, and He promised to give them the land and that they should possess it, how much more should His grace now be upon the children for whom Christ died?

In the second place, our opponents say that the Lord said to Nicodemus: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3, verse 5). From this, they say, it follows that no one can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is baptized with water.

Answer. These words of Christ must not be understood with reference to children; for the passage which the Lord spoke to Nicodemus, namely: Truly, truly, I say to you, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God, declares otherwise; for here we hear that Christ set before Nicodemus regeneration, which takes place only through the Word of God, as has been sufficiently explained above in my confession; and then Nicodemus said: How can a man, when he is old, enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born again? [n525-1]

Note that he says, when he is old;* from which we clearly perceive that the Lord did not speak of children. And then Christ says: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

That this is not spoken of children, the following words prove, namely: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from, or where it goes: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit."

By these words Christ indicates that the regenerated man becomes spiritual, and is born of the Spirit, and of a spiritual nature; as Peter says: "We have become partakers of the divine nature, if we flee the corruptible lusts of this world." By this everyone may know whether he is born of the Spirit, namely, if he has the nature of the Spirit, even as one that is born of the flesh has the nature of the flesh, each in his order. Birds have their peculiar nature; so also wild animals; likewise man; each is minded like him of whom he is born.***

Thus he that is born of the Spirit is also spiritually minded; hence Paul says: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

Finally Christ says to Nicodemus: "If I have told you earthly things, and you cannot comprehend or believe, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?"

Here the Lord deems it greater to comprehend heavenly things than earthly things; but children comprehend nothing of earthly things, how much less of heavenly things.

Hence Paul says: Do not be children in understanding; in malice, however, be children, but in understanding be men. For faith cannot be comprehended without understanding, even as Paul says to the Hebrews: [n525-2] "Faith is a sure confidence of things hoped for, and conforms itself to things not seen; so that faith has such power in itself, that it always conforms to heavenly things, and seeks those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God." Hence, if infants are truly regenerated of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit must be evident in them from the workings of their nature. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and so on. Galatians 5, verse 22.

That children do not have such faith, experience and the holy Scriptures teach, though some say God can easily give children this faith. So say I; and not only faith, but also understanding, by which faith is comprehended; indeed, even language to confess it; but what sort of faith children have, they show by their life and fruits. But though God is almighty, and does according to His will, which none can resist, He nevertheless observes order in all His works, according to His pleasure. Hence let everyone take good care that he does not prescribe to God according to his own opinion; for He has made all things well. To Him be eternal praise and honor. Amen.

Since these are the most important passages* with which it is sought to prove infant baptism, I have, in my weakness and simplicity, answered them. But that you, my noble sirs, may not become weary of my long writing, I will conclude; nevertheless, if my noble sirs desire a fuller answer, I am willing and ready to answer, as much as lies in my power. May God give His grace to us all. Amen. Your humble servant,

THOMAS VAN IMBROECK. [n525-7]

In the year 1569. Now when the papists sat in such darkness that they immediately put to death those who, having been baptized in infancy, were baptized upon faith when they came to riper years and understanding, a God fearing teacher of the church of Jesus Christ, named Jacob de Roore, nevertheless did not hesitate to make a salutary and good confession on this matter, writing in his bonds and imprisonment at Bruges, in Flanders, the following words: "Furthermore, I confess a Christian baptism, according to the tenor of the Word of God, as Christ commanded His apostles, saying: " Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them," and so on.

Afterwards he relates how the apostles carried out this command of Christ, saying: "Thus did the apostles, according to their Lord's command," and so on.

Continuing, he explains the words of Peter, Acts 2, verse 39: "For the promise is to you, and to your children," and so on; from which the opponents frequently used to prove (in their manner) infant baptism, or at least to give it some plausibility. Thereupon he says as follows: "By this the apostle shows that the gift of the Holy Ghost was to be given, not only to the Jews and their children, but also to the Gentiles, who were far from the kingdom of God, and whom God should also call, as the prophet Joel had foretold.**

Thus, he finally says, baptism must be received upon faith, for a burial of sin, a washing of regeneration, a covenant of the Christian life, a putting on of the body of Christ, an ingrafting into the true olive tree and vine of Christ, an entrance into the spiritual ark of Noah, of which Christ is the true householder, as is written of Him (this He says of His church): [n525-5] "Behold, here am I, and the children (the true believers) whom you have given me." See in Martyrs Mirror, page 537, columns 2 and 3, and afterwards, in the Account of the Martyrs, for the year 1569.

It is not necessary to say anything more here, since the views of this man on this matter are well known and in the memory of almost everyone. Hence we will conclude this, and proceed to others of like confession.

In the year 1572. At this time there was imprisoned at Dort, in Holland, a man of great virtue and piety, named John Wouterss van Kuyck, who, in a letter written to his wife, relates what happened to him in prison on account of the faith. Among other things he speaks of what the bailiff, in his presence, demanded of the judges, namely: That pursuant to the decree of the king he should be burnt alive at the stake, because he had departed from the Roman Catholic faith, and had (as he said) been rebaptized by the Anabaptists.

Thereupon this pious witness of Jesus answered, as he further writes, saying: "Then I replied: I have never departed from the Christian faith; and I know no Anabaptists. I have been baptized only once upon my faith; infant baptism I do not consider a baptism; and when I was a child, I did as a child, as my parents led me. See in the last-mentioned Martyrs' Mirror, page 692, column 2, also in the following account of the martyrs, for the year 1572.

In another letter delivered by him to the bailiff and the council of that city, he makes this confession of his own baptism: "Faith and inward baptism constrained me to obedience toward His word, to fulfill His righteousness. Hence I confess that I was baptized upon my faith, and this at my own request, according to the command of Christ, renouncing the devil, the world, and so on." Same book, page 701.

Thus this witness of Jesus openly, boldly, and without pretense declared the truth of God in this matter, according to the testimony of the Word of God and his conscience; to show which has here been our sole aim.

In the year 1586. At Ingolstadt, in Bavaria, one Christian Gasteiger, after suffering much onset and opposition from the Jesuits, was also assailed, among other things, in regard to his belief concerning baptism; since he held that it should be administered to none but the believing and penitent. On a certain day, therefore, there came to him, where he was imprisoned, two of that order, saying: That a child had to be baptized or it would be damned. But he contradicted them with arguments and the authority of the holy Scriptures. This belief he held fast to the end, since he died thereupon, as shall appear more fully in the account of the martyrs, regarding his death, for the year 1586. Also, in Martyrs Mirror, page 886, column 2.

In the year 1592. We find that, besides a disputation held against some papists who maintained infant baptism, Bartholomew Panten, a pious brother, also left, before his departure from this world, a testament, as a last farewell, to his little daughter; in which he, among other things, admonishes her how she should act in this matter when she came to maturity, saying: "My dear child, take this to heart, and when you attain your understanding, my paternal request to you is, to join those who fear God, who are by far the least among all people, but who are nevertheless the true congregation and church of God; who practice their rule according to the ordinance of the Lord, and the practice of the apostles, namely, a baptism which is founded upon faith, and must be received as Christ has commanded, and as is written in Matthew."

Then, treating of the words of the holy evangelists concerning the unprepared condition in which the Pharisees came to the baptism of John, and how John rebuked them, saying: "O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits fit for repentance," he says by way of explanation: "Here it is to be well understood that confession is not sufficient, but that sorrow of heart and good works must also be shown. For all outward actions, without a renewing of the spirit, cannot please God." See the before-mentioned Martyrs Mirror, page 924, column 1. This matter will be shown more fully in the account of his martyrdom, for the year 1592.

NOTE. We could have filled this century with a very great number of salutary confessors on this article, had we not deemed it unnecessary and to no purpose; for no one who has but a little experience in history will doubt it; since this was not one of the least points on account of which an almost countless number of persons lost their lives in the last persecution, early in this century, and throughout to the close.

Now, in order to bring this account to a fitting conclusion, we deem it not inadvisable to add here a certain Confession of Faith, which very probably was once contained in the History of the pious Anabaptist Martyrs, and is declared to have been the summary of their faith; though it may be (which we would not contradict) that they did not confess all these articles in precisely this form, but held more or less with regard to this or that point; which, however, if the true foundation of it is retained, ought, according to the nature of love, to be borne with; especially in such persons as did not spare their dear lives, but gave them to death for their God and Savior. Nevertheless, we do not find that any of them held contrary views, much less that they opposed that confession; which moved us the more to insert it here, hoping that it will be productive of at least some profit or good in these latter sorrowful and perverted times; the more to confirm the steadfast in the faith, as well as to give the weak an occasion to prove themselves, wherein they have become weak, and how that weakness can be removed.

About the year 1600. The time when this confession, which we have just mentioned, was originated, we have not been able definitely to ascertain; but as it is stated concerning it that, as far as the sense is concerned, it was believed, taught, and practiced by those called Mennonites already many years ago, even as at the time when it was committed to the printer, namely, when the last persecution was almost over. We have therefore given it a place about the year 1600; that is, about the close of this century. The title of it is

Confession of Faith according to the holy Word of God.