Christian Baptism

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Cor. 3 : 11.

Read and consider carefully the words which I speak, ye learned, who appear to be distinguished in mind and doctrine above others. I have added this my little German work for the celebration of the rite of Baptism. For I am not well able to promote this cause in Latin, and if able, am unwilling that this, my labor, should perish in the hands of the few, but desire that it may become known to every christian and yield the greater advantage. That there are, in this work, no interpolations of Scripture, nor satires, nor falsehoods, judge for yourselves. Moreover I know it is not the spirit of a christian to lead in any way deceitfully, especially in an affair so serious. Indeed the christian does not know deceit. It becomes the evangelical teacher to set before himself nothing except these most illustrious precepts of the evangelist—such as faith, charity, patience, life, gentleness, peace, mildness, truth, moderation, and finally to so live that no one is able with justice to thrust against him any taint of baseness, that he may teach not only by word, but also by example, following the teachings of Paul who says, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway,” 1 Cor. 9: 27. And elsewhere, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers,” “they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ,” 1 Pet. 2 : 12; 3 : 16. For in the midst of these things it behooves one to repress such ignorance and stupidities, lest that saying of the Savior be turned against us which says, “Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye,” Luke 6: 42. For how can I induce others to become christians when I myself am not a christian.

Read therefore, and if any thing be found in this work that has not the flavor of evangelical purity and spirit, I am confounded, not you. For I have written from a sense of pious affection, not that I may injure any one, but for the benefit of all men. Nevertheless, such are my thanks from you for this my kindness toward you, that I know it is not enough except I, with my sanctified Leader, having indeed received Christ as my reward, endure all evil, ignominy and tortures. No wonder. They indeed do not spare me while I seek the truth and declare openly the offered sacrifice, when almost all teachers of righteousness, who were from the beginning, have yielded to death in the same way. This is indeed gratitude, when the world displays its subjection to God. Would that in very truth they were christians who persuade themselves that they are christians. May grace abound with all the diligent through our Lord Jesus Christ, with sincerity.

Beloved readers, in our first publication of the writings concerning Baptism, we have, with christian truth, satisfied the desire of every pious christian. Yet, there are some light minded, rebellious, contentious and carnal persons who, without cause and Scripture, and in every respect without the fear of God, teach, write, admonish and cry out against us, with partial hearts, saying, “It is heresy and deceit; for it is written and taught adverse to the learned, and against the doctrine of the holy, christian church.” Although I had not intended to reply to such perverse, rebellious, disobedient and contentious persons, according to the word of the Lord, Matt. 7, but solely to write to the humble, meek, God-fearing and penitent. For the wise will hear wisdom; will love it and become wiser; but the fool will hear folly, praise it, persist and die in it—yet to such contenders and gainsayers, who speak so hard against the word of God, I would ask two questions; and request them to examine and ponder them well, and return a discreet and becoming reply to me. In the first place: What are properly heretics and deceivers? Secondly, Who are they that admonish and teach against the doctrine of the holy church? If they answer these questions fairly they must themselves pronounce the sentence, that with us the upright truth of Jesus Christ is found and not with them; on the contrary, that all manner of heresy, deceit and false doctrine are abundantly taught and practiced by them, and not by us. Which of the two parties, then, are heretics and imposters, I will leave to the judgment of the reader. For hereticus means: one who sorts out, one who chooses, one who gleans. Quia heresis Grece ab electione vocatur, inquit Beda super acta Apostolorum, one who selects such as will suit his own opinion. If these, then, are truly heretics, who, according to their own meaning, without Scripture, form themselves a faith, then I truly do not know where to find more miserable and more deplorable heretics than those who ever combat, upbraid, betray and persecute us, poor, scattered and rejected christians, as damnable heretics. For there is no worse, or more abominable heresy under heaven than is found among our gainsayers and contenders; while they so shamefully change and garble the word and the perfect ordinance and institution of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, as to baptize such things which God has neither commanded nor ordained to be baptized, namely: The little, unconscious children and bells; and do not baptize those whom God has commanded to be baptized, namely: Those who believe, while they worship and honor a mouthful of bread and a drink of wine as the Son of God; while they ascribe to themselves, without the word of God, the power over the living and the dead; and while they place in Christ’s stead a sinful man, a child of perdition, whose natural pride, pomp, greed, cruelty, uncleanliness and idolatry are beyond description, 2 Thess. 2: 4.

Truly, I do not know how a worse heresy could be invented. Notwithstanding these miserable men cruelly cry against us, Heretics, heretics, drown them, slay and burn them. And this for no other reason than that we teach, according to the holy gospel of Jesus Christ, the new life, Baptism on the confession of faith, the Supper as representing both a holy and unblamable church; because we rebuke all false doctrine, idolatry and the accursed carnal life; and point alone to the blessed Christ Jesus, and to no other means of salvation, neither in heaven nor on earth.

If this is heresy, beloved reader, then, indeed, the true Being is not in Christ; then he is not the true way, the truth, and the life, John 14: 6. Be not frightened by their upbraiding and slandering; for from the beginning it has been the case that the unbelieving, hate, slander and persecute the believing; the wicked, the good; the unrighteous, the righteous; the carnal, the spiritual; the heretics, the christians. It was the case with Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob and with the false prophets and the true prophets; as Christ Jesus has told us before, namely: “Ye will be hated of all nations, for my name’s sake,” Matt. 24: 9. If they were the true disciples of Christ Jesus as they boast themselves to be, they would persecute, betray or murder no body for the sake of their faith; but with Christ Jesus, they would diligently seek to reclaim that which was lost, Matt. 18: 11, if we were lost, as they claim. If they were the bride of Christ, they would not be spiteful, cruel and blood thirsty, but meek, mild and merciful, yea be thus minded as is the good and faithful bridegroom, Christ Jesus. But they plainly manifest themselves, by their works, not to be the bride of Jesus Christ, but rather to be the bride of him, who, from the beginning was a murderer, that is, the devil, Jn. 8: 44.

If they were the body of Christ, they would not crucify and persecute any one for the sake of the truth of the Lord, but would themselves, with Christ Jesus, and his church, be crucified and persecuted for the sake thereof, Matt. 5: 11; Jn. 16: 1, 2; 2 Tim. 3: 12. For the innocent lamb does not kill, but from the beginning it was killed. Behold, kind readers, what miserable, bloody, tyrannical and murderous heretics our gainsayers, opponents and persecutors are found to be before God, in all their teachings, admonitions, instructions, life and tyranny. But this they do not acknowledge. For it would not do to acknowledge this. If they did, how could they then crucify and persecute the chosen children of God, the children of the kingdom and promise, the brethren and sisters of Jesus Christ, the angels of peace, and the children of the eternal, imperishable life?

But now their minds are so obscured, their eyes are so bedimmed, their ears are so closed up that they cannot understand; for their evil-doing and wickedness have obscured and blinded them. The table of the divine word is to them “a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense,” Rom. 11: 9. The righteous judgment and awful wrath is come upon them, because they so industriously seek falsehood, and so obstinately combat and reject the lovely truth of Jesus Christ.

Christ Jesus says, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled,” Matt. 5: 6. But these hunger and thirst after unrighteousness, with which they, according to Paul, are abundantly filled, 2 Thess. 2: 12.

Christ Jesus says, “Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,” Luke 11 : 9. But these seek diligently, night and day, not after the right way, but after the wrong; hoping yet to find something, either in the word or in our lives, which may be so twisted, bent or applied as to trample upon and nullify, the right, evangelical truth, even as if the eternal Truth, the blessed Jesus had spoken and taught with two tongues; and if they can find any errors in our walk, as there often are (for we are all of the sinful, failing flesh of Adam); then the evangelical truth is all deceit, as if we had no help from God but only human aid. Inasmuch as they so assiduously seek after unrighteousness and delight in falsehood, therefore God smites them with such great blindness that they can neither comprehend nor judge of the teachings of God; yet they desire to clothe their cause, however shameful it is, in the garment of the Scriptures, that they may, under this scriptural, holy appearance, the better deceive the foolish, ignorant populace that desire to be deceived and seduced. And thus they remain, both teacher and disciple, in the service of their perishable flesh which they have chosen as their God, Phil. 3: 18; Rom. 16: 17.

Again, kind reader, they cry and foam with rage against us, saying that we write against all the doctors, and also against the teachings of the holy christian church. I affectionately and freely admit and acknowledge that we write against the greater part of the doctors or the learned men. For whenever or wherever they write, admonish and teach contrary to the word, ordinances, statutes and institutions of Jesus Christ, we do not consider their famous names and have nothing to do with their human philosophy. But if they teach rightly we do not contradict nor write against them.

I trust, by the most merciful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the oldest, most pious, most upright, truest and most able doctors of the church of Jesus Christ, who were long before all other doctors, are received and believed by me and my beloved brethren, in every word and doctrine. These are, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Christ Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude. If any body can show me a word in all my writing that I have taught or written contrary to the doctrine of these doctors, then I am willing to be abashed, instructed and taught better; but I trust that it can never be truthfully done. If I should write and teach against these pious, unblamable doctors, then my writing and teaching would be against the teachings and admonitions of the christian body, community or holy church.

I acknowledge and know well that I admonish, teach, instruct and write contrary to the instructions and teachings of some communities and churches, in regard to some articles, such as the Papists, Lutherans, and the corrupted sects; but not contrary to the teachings of the holy, christian church. May the merciful Father, whose divine will I industriously seek to obey, save me from teaching, instructing and writing contrary to the doctrine of the holy church; for else woe would be unto my soul forever.

Lest you be ensnared by the word holy church, you shall learn and know from the word of God that the holy, christian church is no collection of unbelievers, carnal or willful sinners; notwithstanding they falsely claim to be of Christ Jesus, and think themselves to be the true, christian church. No, kind readers, no. They are not all Abraham’s seed who are born of Abraham, “But the children of the promise are counted for the seed,” Rom. 9: 8. Thus, also, the holy, christian church must be a spiritual seed, an assembly of the righteous, and a community of the saints; which church is begotten of God, of the living seed of the divine word, and not of the teachings, institutions, and fictions of man. Yea, they are those who are regenerated, renewed and converted; who hear, believe, and fulfill all the commandments and will of God; who “have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts;” who “are all one in Christ Jesus.” “Joint heirs with Christ,” and heavenly and spiritually minded with him, Gal. 5: 24; 3: 28; Rom. 8: 17.

These are the holy, christian church, the community of God, the body and the bride of Christ, whom he hath trusted, cleansed and sanctified; but “they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” This holy, christian church has a spiritual Prince over her who rules her with the unbroken rod of his divine word; a Master, or Teacher who teaches the commandments of eternal life; and a Bridegroom whose voice she is ever ready to hear, that is, Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 6: 11; Rom. 8: 8; Ps. 2: 9; Jn. 6: 68; 3: 29.

If, now, I contend against his scepter, trample upon his commandments and teach or write aught against his heavenly doctrine, then I teach and write against the doctrine of the holy, christian church. For this holy, christian church has but one doctrine which is fruitful and godly, which is the limpid, pure and unmixed word of God, the lovely gospel of the grace of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 15; 1 Pet. 1: 25. All teachings and decrees which do not accord with the doctrine of Christ, are but teachings and commandments of men, be they teachings and opinions of doctors, decrees of popes, councils or any thing else; they are doctrines of the devil, and are accursed, Matt. 15: 9; 1 Tim. 4: 1; Gal. 1: 8, 9. Since we write and teach nothing but the pure, heavenly word, and the perfect ordinances of the holy gospel of Jesus Christ and of his apostles; therefore we do not teach and write against the teachings of the holy church, but we sustain them.

Beloved readers, let the light minded run their course to the end, which is certain death. They will nevermore concede the truth, however powerfully they are vanquished, but they will ever delight in hatred, upbraiding, discord and disputation and never be satisfied, because they will not go into the strait way of the Spirit; taught of Jesus Christ and his holy apostles; notwithstanding they want to be considered the children and the church of God, without obedience. Not so kind readers. Ever remember that there is no holy church of Christ other than the assembly of the righteous, and the church of the saints, which ever acts in harmony with the word and ordinances of the Lord, and to no other doctrine. She neither will nor can accept any other doctrine or ordinances in divine matters, forever.

Because, beloved brethren, the divine ordinance of baptism in the water has thus been destroyed for many centuries, and as a strange baptism has been practiced, contrary to the true doctrine of the holy, christian church, namely, contrary to the word of God, from which evil custom so much false doctrine, disbelief and fruitless, carnal life have resulted—therefore I have again clearly pointed out from the holy gospel, how we should practice the true, scriptural, christian baptism; that the hearts and faith of the wise may be affirmed and assured, and the mouths of the fools may be stopped, and that God may have the glory in his holy word. Read and see if we have not rightly taught and written according to the meaning of Jesus Christ. And because the whole, wide world so shamefully blaspheme and oppose the word of God, and despise his commandments and ceremonies as useless, saying, What good can water do us? never considering that the kingdom of God and the will of God do not consist in external ceremonies, but in the willing obedience to the word of God—therefore we have, in the following writings, so extensively shown from the holy Scriptures, who should be baptized, according to the word of God, namely, the believing, or the regenerated, Mark 16: 16; Jn. 3: 5; Tit. 3: 5.

Besides we have also shown how very weak, useless and groundless all the arguments of the world are, by which they defend infant baptism, that the beforementioned despisers of God may know and understand that they are not baptized according to the evangelical commandment of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. From which it follows that they are not in obedience to the divine word, and if they are not in the obedience which has the promise (I speak of those of understanding minds), then they cannot inherit nor obtain the promise, so long as they do not believe the word of God, and obediently fulfill it in all respects. Let every one beware, and save his own soul; for our God is a consuming fire.

May the merciful Father, through his blessed Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant you all a true knowledge, and his affectionate grace for your edification, Amen.

Hear ye, O, illustrious, noble, wise lords and princes! Hear ye all judges of the land, where the sword of God is given to the destruction of the evil doers, to the protection of the good, and to the punishment of the wicked! Hear, ye wise and intelligent, you, who think that you bear the vessels of the Lord! Hear ye, all people, of whatever state, condition, trade or class, who call yourselves christians, and who boast of his bitter death and precious blood! Rom. 13: 1; Tit. 3: 4; 1 Peter 2: 13, 14.

Since we, for the sake of baptism, are so miserably profaned, slandered and persecuted by all mankind, and as we are ever suspicioned by the ungodly sects (who are to you very shameful, perilous and abominable, as may be plainly seen); therefore we say and testify in Christ Jesus, before God, before his holy angels, before you, and before the whole world, that we are solely urged by a God fearing faith which we have in the word of God, to baptize and to be baptized, as the only means; nor will it be found otherwise neither in this life, nor in death, nor in the last judgment of God.

Beloved, we verily seek nothing in this baptism other than to obey our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, who has taught and commanded us this with his own blessed mouth, Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 16. Consider, once, we pray you, that we cannot possibly seek carnal profit in this our actions; neither gold, nor silver, nor honor, nor ease, nor long life on earth. For you may plainly see that we are made a prey to the world on account of it. But we are urged solely by the love of God, by an upright, fruitful faith, which faith industriously examines all the words of Christ, giving ourselves in willing obedience to God; knowing to a certainty that if we oppose, and do not obey that which our Lord has commanded, we can never receive nor inherit the heavenly blessing and divine promise. For through obedience every thing is received, as has been mentioned in the preface, Matt. 3: 6; Acts 19: 18; 2: 38; 9: 6; 10: 48; 16: 30.

How could Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, together with all the beloved fathers and patriarchs, have obtained the consoling promise of God, if they had not done, be it ever so little, that which God had commanded them through his holy word? But they heard the word of God; firmly believed and obeyed it; and therefore they became joint heirs of righteousness, Heb. 11: 8.

On the contrary, however, all those who did not obey God, undoubtedly, must have borne the punishment of the Lord, as did Adam and Eve; Nadab and Abihu; Korah, Dathan and Abiram; as Saul; as the man of God who reproved Jeroboam the king, for his idolatry, and was deceived by the old prophet in Bethel, and other instances, which may be read of in Moses and other scriptural writings, Gen. 3: 17; Lev. 10: 2; Num. 16: 32; 1 Sam. 15: 23.

Since we are so pitiably opposed by all mankind in our doctrine and practice of the christian baptism, and since they do not realize that their opposition tends to eternal death, for they oppose Christ and his word; therefore I will again briefly show them and all persons, from the word of God who shall read, see or hear these my writings, how wonderfully, powerfully, nay, how incontrovertibly this our doctrine and practice are contained and founded on the holy gospel of Jesus Christ, although we have fully shown and proven this before, in our writings on baptism.

Most beloved, there are necessarily three reasons why our faith accepts this baptism under such a heavy cross and anxiety.

First, because of the divine commandment of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, which can never be broken. Secondly, because of the teaching of the holy apostles. Thirdly, because of the practice of these same apostles. And first of the commandment: After Christ Jesus had risen from the power of death and was going to ascend to his heavenly Father, he thus commanded his disciples, saying, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” Matt. 28: 19. Again, at another place, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved,” Mark 16: 15, 16. While, now, Jesus Christ, the eternal wisdom who cannot err, the eternal truth who cannot lie, has commanded this, namely, that we shall first preach the gospel, from the hearing of which comes faith, Rom. 10, and that we shall baptize those who believe, who will or who can, now, explain this divine commandment otherwise, or make it of more value than the eternal, wise, perfect, blessed Christ Jesus, has made and commanded it?

Brethren, it was not allowed to apply one single word of the Mosaic ceremonies different from what they were contained in the law. For the Almighty God will not that we should follow our own inclinations with regard to the ceremonies which he has commanded us, but alone desires us to observe his good will and pleasure; for that purpose he has commanded them. In the outward ceremonies alone God finds no pleasure; but he has commanded them because he requires of us faithful obedience. His wrath has often come on those who practiced his ceremonies differently from the commandment, as in the case of Nadab and Abihu and many others. For he will, yea, he will that we should not follow our own opinion, but that we should hear, believe and obey his holy voice, Jer. 7: 5—7.

If God would have his ceremonies under the law (which were numerous, and in one respect attended with trouble and expense, and which he commanded not through Christ, his Son, but through his servant Moses), kept thus strictly and unchanged until the time of Christ; how much more so will he have the few ceremonies of the New Testament kept strictly and unchanged, which are but two in number, being baptism and the Supper, which he has commanded, not through his servant but through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and which are neither attended with trouble nor expense.

Consider how troublesome and expensive it was to the Israelites to travel a long distance over hill and dale, to appear two or three times a year before the Lord, at Jerusalem, with their offerings of bullocks, rams, goats and tenths, which they were bound to offer of all their goods, to the Lord. But the christian ceremonies of the New Testament, baptism and Supper, which are commanded us of God, are not at all attended with trouble or expense; although the meaning or representation of these ceremonies to true believers, is attended with great vexation to the flesh. This however is not caused by the ceremonies themselves, but alone through the faith which leads us to these ceremonies, out of love and obedience to the divine word. Most beloved, since the ordinance of Jesus Christ is unchangeable and the only one that is acceptable to the Father; and since he has commanded that we shall first preach the gospel and then baptize those who believe; it follows that all those who baptize and are baptized, without the teaching of the gospel and without faith, baptize and are baptized on their own opinion, without the doctrine and the ordinance of Jesus Christ, and therefore it is idolatry, useless and vain. For had Israel circumcised their females because it was not expressly forbidden, they would yet have circumcised without the ordinance of God, for he had commanded that the males were to be circumcised, Gen. 17: 10. The same it is in this instance. If we baptize the unconscious children, although Scripture has not expressly forbidden it, just as it was not forbidden to circumcise the females, we yet baptize without the ordinance of Jesus Christ; for he commanded to baptize those who should hear and believe his holy gospel, Gen. 17: 10; Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 16; Acts 2: 38; 9: 18; 10: 48; 16: 33.

It avails nothing that some say that these words of Matthew and Mark extend the holy church to the Gentiles, and that thereby the baptism of infants is not excluded. Beloved reader, it is true by this commandment the holy church is also extended to the Gentiles, to the fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures which long before had seen this through the Spirit, as Paul proves, Rom. 15. Yet the word stands firmly with regard to both Jews and Gentiles, namely, whosoever believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. Faith is before baptism. For faith is the beginning of all righteousness which avails before God, from which faith, baptism is the result as a sign and token of obedience. If the children, then, have faith, their baptism is not forbidden by the alleged words of Matthew and Mark.

Again, neither does it avail any thing that some allege and say, that the resurrection of the dead was not expressly written in the books of Moses, yet it was implied as Christ Jesus proved to the Sadducees from Exod. 3: 6, namely: I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. As in these words of Moses the resurrection is not expressed, yet it is implied, as God is no God of the dead but of the living, as Christ teaches, Matt. 22: 32; thus they say, infant baptism is not expressed in the gospel, yet it is implied. To this we reply: That the resurrection of the dead is no outward ceremony which God has commanded us to do; but it is something which God himself will accomplish in us by his Almighty power, therefore it is an invisible consolation in the hearts of all believers, which is comprehended by faith alone. But the baptism of unconscious children is an outward ceremony. If, then, it is an ordinance and word of God which has the promise, it must be plainly expressed in the Scriptures. If not, it cannot be called a ceremony of Christ.

Thirdly, neither does it avail that some allege and say, “Although the believing women have no express word of invitation to the Lord’s Supper, neither were they at the celebration of the last Supper of the Lord, yet they are, for good reasons, admitted to the Supper, and it is the same with unconscious children. Although there is no express command for their baptism, neither were they baptized of the Lord nor of his disciples so far as we can learn from the Scriptures; yet they are, for good reasons, admitted to baptism, the same as the believing women are admitted to the Supper.”

Kind reader, this is a very crafty argument to deceive the simple and ignorant, for it savors highly of subtlety, but is not at all according to the example of Jesus Christ. Because the Holy Supper represents the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of our neighbors; both of which are known and practiced by the believing women as well as the believing men. If, then, the unconscious children have that which is represented by baptism, namely, death unto sin, the new life, Rom. 6: 4; the new birth, Jn. 3, the putting on of Christ, Gal. 3: 27, the moving, quickening Spirit by which we are baptized into the body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12: 13, and a good conscience, 1 Pet. 3: 16, as have the believing women of what is represented in the Holy Supper, then they should be baptized for the same reason that believing women are admitted to the Supper; but it neither will nor can ever be found in unconscious children.

Fourthly, it avails nothing that some allege from Ecclesiasticus 1: 14, that “To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and it was created with the faithful in the womb,” and will be with the chosen women. If then, they say, “The fear of the Lord is created with the believing in the mother’s womb, which fear is a fruit of faith, and as the fruit can not be before the tree, therefore the children from their mother’s womb have a fruitful faith; if they have faith, then their baptism cannot be hindered according to the Scriptures.” Not so, beloved reader, but judge every thing according to the word of God and his Spirit. For I do not doubt but that you will confess that the faith which avails with God, is a gift of God, from whence all righteousness proceeds, comes by the hearing of the divine word. If, now, it comes by hearing the divine word, as Paul teaches, how will it be found in unconscious children; for it is plain that they can not be taught, admonished or instructed, nay, they are more senseless and helpless at their birth than the irrational creatures; so unconscious that they cannot be taught any thing about carnal things, until their hearing, comprehension and understanding have commenced to develop themselves. If they cannot be made to understand any thing visible, how can they, then, prematurely, that is, before they can comprehend things, be taught and instructed in invisible, celestial matters of the Spirit?

Secondly, you know and acknowledge that where there is a true faith there is the true knowledge of the difference between good and evil; the fear of God, the love of God and also of our neighbor, and the obedience to God and the desire after righteousness. It can not be otherwise than that a good tree bringeth forth good fruit. Faith works all manner of righteousness, as it is written, “The just shall live by faith,” and “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,” Matt. 7: 18; Rom. 1: 17; Heb. 11: 1.

Say, dear reader, If faith ever begets good fruits, all manner of righteousness is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen—what fruits and righteousness do our little children beget, which are evidence of faith, and what do they hope for, and seek after but eating, drinking, laughter, crying, warmth, play, &c., as has been the nature of children from the beginning. Besides, they often show the growth of the evil, Adamic seed; and as they advance in youth they manifest it still more; but the fruits of faith, or of the new birth they do not show, as may be plainly observed, and if you do not observe it by daily experience, then believe the word of God, which will never deceive you. Thus Moses says, “Your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil,” &c., Deut. 1: 39. They had no knowledge between good and evil, as it appears—where, then, is their faith which has the knowledge between good and evil?

Thirdly, you will acknowledge that all righteousness comes by faith as our controverters themselves allege and adduce in their opposition, Rom. 4: 5. Without faith there is no godly righteousness; therefore Paul says to the Hebrews (speaking of those of understanding years), that “Without faith it is impossible to please God,” Heb. 11: 6. Inasmuch as the children, then, have no faith by which they can realize what God is and that he is a rewarder of both good and evil, as they plainly show by their fruits—therefore they have not the fear of God, and consequently they have nothing upon which they should be baptized, yet they have the promise of everlasting life, out of pure grace. This is all that the Scriptures accord to them, and all that the word of God says of them, as will be shown below.

Inasmuch, then, as faith must be first and afterwards the righteous fruits which come by faith—such as the fear of God, the love of God, &c., which fruits do not appear in unconscious children, as has been often said; therefore we must presume that Ecclesiasticus does not teach that the fear of God is not in little children immediately after conception; but we are taught here that the fear of God is to the believing in the womb, that it will be given them in due time; because his eyes of fire, those eyes which from the beginning to the end foresaw all things; foresaw when they were yet in their mother’s womb, that they in time would hear his holy voice, truly believe, and through faith fear God; and become righteous before him; for true faith cannot be without its fruits, as has been often proven.

If then, faith were in the little, unconscious children from conception, as our opponents say, it would be a fruitless faith, for they do not bring forth fruits; and therefore their preaching in this regard is in vain. For, if that were the case, faith would come by the creation, or conception, of the believing, and not by the preaching of the divine word. Not so, beloved reader. This is a sure, eternal, imperishable and an enduring rule of the divine truth, to fulfill all righteousness, namely: First, the true preaching of the holy gospel of Jesus Christ. Secondly, a desire to hear and understand. Thirdly, to cordially believe this gospel and to fulfill it in fruit. This being the case, it follows that the little, unconscious children have no faith, for they can not understand and learn. If they have no faith, they cannot have the fear of God. Therefore our opponents cannot prove the justice of baptizing little, unconscious children, from this passage of Ecclesiasticus; but they must wait according to God’s word until they can understand the holy gospel of grace, and sincerely confess it; then it is time, no matter how young or old they are, to receive christian baptism, as the infallible word of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ has taught and commanded all true believers, in his holy gospel, Matt. 28: 19; Mark 16: 16. If they die before maturity, that is in childhood, before they have come to years of understanding and before they have faith, then they die under the promise of God, and that by no other means than the precious promise of grace, given through Christ Jesus, Luke 18: 16; and if they become of understanding minds and have faith, they should then be baptized. But if they do not accept or believe the word when they shall have arrived at the years of understanding, no matter whether they are baptized or not, they will be damned, as Christ himself teaches, Mark 16: 16.

I know that there are a great many who will ask, “Why I, unlearned man, am not satisfied in regard to this matter with the doctrine of Martin Luther and other renowned doctors, who are versed in the Scriptures and many tongues and sciences—who teach, and particularly Luther, that faith lies dormant in little children the same as in a sleeping believer?”

To this I answer: In the first place, if there were such a dormant faith in little children (which, however, is nothing but invention), then it would not be proper to baptize such children so long as they would not verbally confess it and show it by their fruits. For the holy apostles did not baptize any believers while they were asleep, as we have shown in our former writings.

Secondly, I acknowledge and confess from my inmost heart, before you, and the whole world, that they and many others are well gifted with learning, eloquence, subtlety, languages and science, and that I, poor, ignorant man, am in comparison to them, as a fly is to an elephant; therefore I am heartily ashamed to write and speak against them, with my dull pen and awkward speech. Yet every reader should know that however learned the beforementioned philosophers are, and however ignorant I am, yet our opinions avail the same with God and before him, for, without the command of the holy Scripture, nothing righteous can be done and nothing pleasing to God can be practiced, let him be whosoever he may. The holy Scriptures do not refer us to them nor to any other learned person, but to Christ Jesus, alone. Whenever such highly renowned men, by their subtle acuteness and artful philosophy try to take from us and garble the plain ordinances of Jesus Christ and of his apostles, we must, surely, consider their doctrine, in that respect, as doctrine of men and false; for Christ Jesus is not under them, but above them. Neither has he received his holy doctrine from them, but from his wise Father, Jn. 7: 24; 8: 26; 12: 46; 16: 13.

Since they, by their philosophy, assert that there is a dormant, unfruitful faith in unconscious children, evidently against all Scripture and truth, and that the children should be baptized upon such human phantasy; now, judge for yourselves, you who oppose me, which of the two I would better do—hear the holy word and ordinance of Christ Jesus, to whom the Father, together with all the prophets, have pointed me, or hear the learned, who, against his holy word and ordinance, would have me follow their opinion, which they have formed by garbling the Scriptures. Eradicate from your carnal hearts all partisanship and contention so that you can fairly judge of spiritual matters. God grant that all the learned and those that are taught of them, may acknowledge and teach truth, and fulfill it in their works, Amen.

Inasmuch as Christ Jesus has commanded his holy apostles that they should first teach the holy gospel of grace and then baptize those who should believe; we are, for the same reasons, urged by the love of God, to teach this christian baptism according to the word of God, and afterwards obediently receive it, and, by the grace of the Lord, to save it, to the honor of God, both in life and death; notwithstanding all the world opposes us.