Christian Baptism: Teachings of the Holy Apostles Concerning Baptism, Part 1

Again, we are moved by the pure, chaste teaching of the holy apostles to teach and receive this Christian baptism so diligently. First, because it is written, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter,” “Men and brothers, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Acts 2, verses 37 and 38.

Most beloved, bear this in mind, now and all the days of your lives, not only concerning baptism but concerning all doctrine you may hear, so that you are not deceived by false teaching: just as all the true prophets of God who lived between Moses and Christ conformed their teaching to the doctrine of Moses, so the holy apostles also conformed their teaching to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, as he had commanded them, saying, “Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you,” Matthew 28, verse 20.

Therefore consider and ponder well what shall be taught you, by the grace of the Lord, from the word of God, and you will clearly perceive from these words of Peter how the words of Jesus to Nicodemus concerning the new birth should be understood: “Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” John 3, verse 5. Beloved brothers, the new birth came about through the word of God. When this word was taught by Peter at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the multitudes heard it from his mouth and from the mouths of the other apostles; their hearts were pierced, for they accepted these words by faith, and therefore they said, “Men and brothers, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is the same as Christ said to Nicodemus when he first taught of the birth from above, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

See, my chosen brothers, how harmonious master and disciples are in their teachings, namely: first, the birth from above, by which we become children of God; secondly, the water, by which the obedience of the children of God is shown; thirdly, the communion of the Holy Spirit, by which we are assured in our hearts of the grace of God, of the remission of sins and of everlasting life through Christ Jesus our Lord, John 1, verse 14; John 3, verse 2.

The holy Peter, who is the apostle of God, a true witness sent by Jesus Christ with the word of everlasting life, enlightened and taught by the Holy Spirit, has thus taught and commanded us that we shall allow ourselves to be baptized upon the confession of faith, according to the command of the Lord, Mark 16, verse 16, in the name of Christ for the remission of sin. Therefore we must receive this baptism just as it is commanded us in the Holy Scriptures, or else we cannot obtain remission of sins or the Holy Spirit. For who has ever received remission of sins contrary to the word of God? Surely it is impossible for us to rob God of the remission of sins and of his Holy Spirit. If, then, we desire the remission of our sins and the Holy Spirit, we must do and fulfill all that God, the almighty Father, has taught and commanded us in all spiritual matters through Christ Jesus, his beloved Son, and through his holy apostles.

Here it avails nothing that some teach and say, contrary to the holy Scripture, “that the little children are born of Adam with a sinful or wicked nature, and that therefore they should be washed of their inherent guilt and sin by baptism.” To teach and believe this, my brothers, is first of all a fearful idolatry and an abominable blasphemy against the blood of Christ. There is no remedy in heaven or on earth for our sins, whether they are inherent or worldly, except the blood of Christ alone, as we have often shown in our first writings, First Peter 1, verse 19; First John 1, verse 7; Ephesians 1, verse 7. If we ascribe the remission of sins to baptism and not to the blood of Christ, then we mold a golden calf and put it in the place of Christ. For if we could be washed or cleansed by baptism, then Christ Jesus and his merits would be of no effect; otherwise we must admit that there are two means for the remission of sin, which is not and never can be: first, baptism; second, the blood of Christ. For the most holy and most precious blood of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ must and shall have the praise, as has been so clearly prophesied and testified by all the true prophets and apostles throughout the Scriptures.

The believing receive remission of sins not through baptism but in baptism, in this way: as they now sincerely believe the lovely gospel of Jesus Christ which has been preached and taught to them, which is the glad tidings of grace, namely, of the remission of sin, of grace, of peace, of favor, of mercy and of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, so they become of a new mind, deny themselves, bitterly lament their old, corrupted life, and look diligently to the word of the Lord who has shown them such great love, to fulfill all that he has taught and commanded them in his holy gospel, trusting firmly in the word of grace, in the remission of their sins through the precious blood and through the merits of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

They therefore receive the holy baptism as a token of obedience which proceeds from faith, as proof before God and his church that they firmly believe in the remission of their sins through Christ Jesus, as was preached and taught them from the word of God. Therefore they receive remission of their sins in baptism, as the lovely promise of grace proclaims and represents, just as the literal Israelites received remission of their sins by their offerings. For if we sought only outward baptism and trusted in the literal practice, and yet continued in our old, corrupted walk, then indeed all would be in vain, just as in such a case it was a vain offering among the ungodly and carnal Israelites. For the Lord of lords so often complained through his holy prophets that their offering did not please him, that it was nothing but a corrupt abomination and stench before his holy eyes, since they despised the law, love and the commandments of God and lived according to the lusts of their flesh, Isaiah 66, verses 4 and 5, and other passages.

Secondly, we are not cleansed in baptism of our inherited sinful nature which is in our flesh, so that it is entirely destroyed in us, for it remains with us after baptism. But since the merciful Father, from whom are all good and perfect gifts, has graciously given us the most holy faith, we show in the baptism we receive that we desire to die to the inherent sinful nature and to destroy it, so that it will no longer be master of our mortal bodies, Romans 6, verse 12. Although such true believers are often overcome by sin, as John observes, “Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God,” First John 3, verse 9.

Brothers, I repeat it: the Israelites received remission of their sins through the promise with which their offerings were joined, when they offered with contrite hearts; not through the offering itself, for then it would be merit, but only through the word of promise, for it is grace and not merit. So we receive remission of our sins, when we are true believers and are washed and cleansed in baptism, through the promise; not, I say, through the washing of water, for it is not merit, but through the promise, for it is grace; and with this promise the Holy Spirit of God has joined the baptism of the believing in the gospel, as Paul teaches, saying, “Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church,” Ephesians 5, verses 25 to 27.

See, most beloved, from this it is plain that we are not cleansed by the washing of water but by the word of the Lord, as the holy Paul clearly teaches us in the words just quoted. The little, unconscious children are incapable of comprehending and understanding the preaching of the holy gospel, by which alone faith comes, Romans 10, verse 17; and by this faith alone God purifies our hearts, Acts 15, verse 9, and not by the outward baptism, as has been said before. And the express command and word of God, which joins the promise to baptism, refers solely to those who are begotten of this same word and are thus cleansed in their hearts by faith. Therefore it follows beyond dispute that these little children, although they are baptized under a false pretext and a false explanation of the divine word, are not cleansed by it, if they ever were unclean, which, however, is not the case. Why? Because the promise is not joined to their baptism. Therefore their baptism is not done according to the word, but in every respect contrary to the word. For the word requires faith, and they have no faith. Therefore their baptism is without doubt a baptism of their own choosing, without God, without promise; indeed, idolatrous, useless and vain.

Whoever now wants to oppose this, and will not believe the ordinance and word of God, let him take heed to what he does. For by infant baptism he nullifies the command of the Lord and tramples upon his precious blood (for he seeks righteousness in this baptism); and he establishes, contrary to the unchangeable ordinance of God and out of his own carnal choice, a false baptism which God never commanded. Therefore it is not his holy will either, as has been said above and as will be shown more extensively below.

Again, the apostle Peter writes that as Noah in his day was saved in the ark from the waters of the flood, so “baptism also now saves us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” First Peter 3, verse 21.

By this passage of Peter the baptism of the believing is again clearly affirmed and the baptism of infants nullified. For it is impossible for anyone to have a good conscience except those alone who believe, and whose hearts are regenerated and converted; who acknowledge the divine word, which teaches that God the almighty Father, whose enemies we were before, Romans 5, verse 10, is now reconciled again through Christ Jesus, his beloved Son, so that from now on, through the merits of our beloved Lord, neither hell, devil, past sins, eternal death nor the wrath of God will hurt or hinder us. All who truly believe this shall receive and obtain a joyful mind and a good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as Peter says; because he has so gloriously triumphed over all his enemies, visible and invisible, for our benefit, and has seated himself again in heaven at the right hand of his Father. Such people are first inwardly baptized with the Spirit and with fire, according to the word of God, and so are taught in their hearts by this Spirit and are led in all divine truth, righteousness, obedience, and evangelical fruits and works. They are so inwardly kindled with this fire of love, having become aware through the word of God that such great grace (I repeat it, grace) has been bestowed on them through Christ Jesus, that they regard neither lords, princes, philosophers, learned men, councils, long usages, women, children, flesh, blood, decrees nor any other threats, neither life nor death, but remain glad in spirit, and maintain at the risk of their homes not only the outward baptism but also all the works of love and the fruits of righteousness which the true mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ has taught and commanded us in his holy gospel, either himself or through his holy apostles.

See, beloved brothers, it is in this way that baptism saves us, as Peter teaches: not the outward, literal baptism, but the inward, spiritual baptism, which has led us as obedient children of God, through the power of faith, to the outward, literal baptism. For the outward, literal baptism is nothing more than obedience to the divine word, and so it is a seal or proof of the righteousness from which the true, fruitful faith comes, just as literal circumcision was to the believing and obedient Abraham, Romans 4, verses 10 and 11.

Since Christ Jesus has commanded that we should baptize the believing, Mark 16, verse 16, the holy Peter followed the commandment in his teaching, and taught that baptism is a work of faith, namely, the answer of a good conscience toward God, which answer no one can experience except those alone who have faith. There is only one literal baptism taught in Scripture, a baptism which shows and is proof of the answer of a good conscience toward God, as Peter teaches; and so by this Scripture of Peter infant baptism is prohibited, for infants cannot have this awareness as the believing do. Therefore take heed, kind reader, whoever you are, that you do not offend God. For all those who so lamentably oppose this evangelical baptism of the believing, a baptism so pointedly commanded by Jesus Christ and so taught and practiced by his holy apostles, whether by doctrine, word or sword, must confess and acknowledge that until now they have been neither rightly believing, regenerated, obedient, nor inwardly baptized with the Spirit and with fire. Again, let every one of you beware and take heed, for it does not concern anything temporal; it concerns your poor, naked souls, which have been so dearly bought and delivered with such a precious treasure.

Beloved children in the Lord, however indisputably our cause is confirmed and founded in the word of God, some are still not ashamed to write, talk and slander against us persistently and continually, advising and stirring up persecution, slaughter and bloodshed against us, partly, I suppose, out of ignorance, partly out of partiality, and because they are enemies of the cross of Christ and do not desire the lovely, spiritual life which is of God. And they say, “Although infants do not have the answer of a good conscience as the believing have, this should be no reason for not administering baptism to them; they ought to be baptized so that they may the better receive instruction in the word and commandments of God.”

Most beloved brothers, when an idolatrous, stubborn and disobedient person does not have the word of God with which to defend his cause, he still cleverly invents something with which he can so beautify and adorn his invention and carnal righteousness with a semblance of divinity and holiness that it seems quite right, just, spiritual, holy, divine and blameless in the sight of those who are not versed in the spiritual matters of faith; and all the more so because their unchristian hearts and carnal minds are inclined to trust in outward works, indeed, through their own choice and opinion, as I understand it. If I write wrongly, then rebuke me according to the word of God. For the greater part of them have always sought righteousness in ceremonies they have made, and not in Christ, as is evident from the fact that, as now, the unintelligent teachers and bishops began the practice of infant baptism in the days of the apostles or soon after, contrary to the command of God and the doctrine of the holy apostles, as may readily be seen in the book of Tertullian called “Corona Milites.” He writes that among the ancients the adults were almost invariably baptized with the washing of regeneration. Understand me rightly, brothers. Tertullian lived one hundred and eight years after Christ; some say one hundred and forty years. As early as the days of these ancient writers, the true, evangelical baptism, which was commanded by Christ and taught and practiced by his holy apostles, had degenerated with many; a baptism which he clearly testifies the ancients almost invariably practiced upon adults. Now, brothers, suppose it were so that the ancients who were before him already baptized infants, as it appears and as we grant, because he says “almost invariably”; and in another place in the same book, as the Strasburg philosophers write of him, he says “that both children and adults were baptized in the same font or water-bath.” Nevertheless, infant baptism was no apostolic institution or practice, nor a divine command; for if Christ had commanded it and the holy apostles had taught and practiced it, then Tertullian’s forebears would not have baptized some infants, but all the infants of upright, believing parents without distinction. [Note 1]

That it is no divine command or apostolic institution was well known and shown by the beloved, aged father Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, who was a particular opponent of Arrius; for he, so long after the days of the apostles, did not baptize the infants of his church, as may be plainly seen and understood from the Church History of Eusebius, volume 10, chapter 14, translated by Ruffinis, on “The Play of Children,” by Anthanasius. Therefore the intelligent and learned Erasmus of Rotterdam, who had read and understood all the noteworthy writers of the world, says, as Sebastian Franck writes of him, that the ancient fathers disputed about infant baptism but never settled it. [Note 2]

See, kind reader, since the ancients were not unanimous in this matter from the beginning, and since they did not all practice infant baptism, as appears from Tertullian and Alexander, and since those who practiced infant baptism have always sought righteousness in it, as may be seen from their writings, we will not lay our foundation on what is uncertain, but on what is certain, which is Christ’s word. Nor will we seek our righteousness in the outward baptism or in any other works, as the world does, but in Christ Jesus, as all the Scriptures teach us. With this we desire to present our cause to the consideration and judgment of all the world, and let them tell whether they have ever read in the word of God (I say, in the word of God, or in his gospel) that Christ Jesus and his holy apostles taught two different baptisms in water: namely, that one baptism should be administered to the believing, a baptism which represents death to sin, a new life, the answer of a good conscience toward God and the washing of regeneration, Romans 6, verse 12; Colossians 2, verse 12; First Peter 3, verse 21; Titus 3, verse 5; and that the other baptism should be administered to infants, which signifies nothing except that they are outwardly washed with water.

Brothers, judge rightly and do not deceive your souls. We know that they say, first, “that infants are cleansed of their inherent sins, and that therefore their baptism is not in vain.” To this we reply with the word of God that such a belief is abominable idolatry; for in this case the blood of Christ avails, and not the outward baptism, as has been shown above.

In the second place they say, “that by it they are received into the covenant of God.” To this we reply again that this is not because of baptism, but only through the gentle election of grace, Ephesians 1, verse 6; for it is grace and not merit, Romans 11, verse 6.

In the third place they say, “that children should be baptized so that they may the better be trained in the word of God and his commandments.” To this we reply again that we desire to know where this is expressed and written in the holy Scriptures. Give a discreet answer, we pray you who assert that infant baptism is right, just and necessary, and who so lamentably slander and defame us on account of baptism, so that we may no longer be deceived in our hearts, but may know for certain from the word of God where to find this infant baptism. For however diligently we search, day and night, we still find only one baptism in water pleasing to God which is expressed and contained in his word, namely, baptism on the confession of faith, commanded by Christ Jesus, and taught and administered by his holy apostles, which is administered and received for the forgiveness and remission of sins in the manner we have fully proven above from the words of Peter, Acts 2, verse 38. But of this other baptism, that is, infant baptism, we find nothing.

Because this infant baptism is nowhere commanded or implied in the divine word, we take issue with you and all the world, in that we regard it not only as vain, but believe and proclaim it to be idolatrous, useless and unavailing, and that not merely with words but at the cost of our lives, as has been proven by events in many lands of Germany. The reason is this: because it is administered without the word and commandment of God; because righteousness is sought in it; and because the true baptism of the believing must be so lamentably rejected and trampled upon as a heretical baptism by the whole world, as far as the name of Christ is named. Therefore, brothers, it is nothing but opinion and human righteousness to teach, without the word of God, that infants should be baptized so that they may the better be trained in the word of God and his commandments. For we find the contrary: although these parents have their infants baptized, from youth on they are trained by these same parents in this Adamic nature, in all manner of pride, pomp, greed, vanity, lying, cursing, swearing, dancing, singing, foolishness, craftiness, hatred, enmity and revengefulness, and in the accursed life of this world, just as the heathen, who never confessed God, have done from the beginning.

What does the baptism they have received profit them? Is it not mere folly, deceit, mockery and shame in the sight of God? Certainly. Beware. There can be no greater hypocrisy, mockery or blasphemy in his sight. Since perhaps you do not yet rightly understand the secret horror which is hidden in infant baptism, I will briefly present the matter, so that you may the better distinguish between truth and falsehood. I will present to you what has happened daily for many centuries, as all men may have seen, and what, alas, still happens daily.

In the first place, let us imagine an utterly corrupt, ungodly, carnal knave who is nevertheless called a priest, pastor, vicar or prebendary by the world. This same unchaste man, full of all manner of roguery and deceit, covers his damnable knavery with so pleasant an appearance that no one suspects him, as the ravening wolf does in sheep’s clothing, Matthew 7, verse 5. His head is often shaven, perhaps as a proof that he wants to shave off and destroy so violently all the lusts and desires of his wicked, sinful flesh. He likes to walk in long robes, as Christ says, Luke 20, verse 46, as if he were pious, holy and venerable. He reads his prayers daily with folded hands and bare head, as if he were very ardently inspired. He kneels and burns incense before blocks of stone and wood which he calls Peter, Paul, Mary and the worthy crucifix of the Lord. I tell this truly and without joking, as God is my witness. Judge now whether this is not the case. [Note 3]

Besides this, he buys a hundred wafers for a stiver, takes them one at a time, consecrates each, as he says, and that silently, without saying a word, nods to it, worships it, implores it and eats it; and this same thing he believes and teaches to be the true flesh and blood of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the almighty and living God. Besides, he must be so pure and chaste in his walk that he is not allowed to have a lawful, wedded wife; the Holy Scriptures allow it, but the pope has forbidden it. All these and other abominations he calls and teaches to be the holy worship and the most holy Christian faith. Such fruits are begotten and produced by this evil tree, by the faith that is in him. And after he has properly, sumptuously and well performed his carnal holiness, he proves his inward holiness by seeking the best female company, wine and beer. He drinks, sings, dances, laughs, shouts, scolds, fights, curses, swears, boasts, gambles, courts, and defiles himself with his maidservant, his neighbor’s daughter, or a wife whose husband is perhaps at sea or in some other place, trying to earn a living by the labor of his hands. So he lives in shameful adultery until it can no longer be concealed because of its fruits; then the blame is cast on someone else, and the fruit (understand what I write) is disposed of, and their shame and adultery are concealed by falsehood and deception. [Note 4]

See, brothers, those of whom such illegitimate children are born were baptized in their infancy, and claim by it to be Christians; they boast of Jesus Christ and of his precious blood. But we may see by their fruits what kind of Christians they are and what kind of faith they have.

I tell you these things, O kind reader, so that you may know, in the first place, what kind of Christian parents these are and what kind of faith they have, of whom some children are born who, notwithstanding all this, are carried to baptism and baptized on the faith of their hypocritical parents, and are therefore called Christians. O abominable mockery!

In the second place, I find in many places throughout the world numbers of vain and abandoned characters, some of them sanctified, others not, some claiming nobility in a worldly sense, some of large means, some of middling means, some poor; in short, of all classes; who live in the same way in all manner of debauchery, vanity, drunkenness and uncleanness, according to their shameful, disorderly lusts and devilish desires, and in all manner of fornication and adultery. They seduce all they can, even though they are baptized. And when by their recklessness they have succeeded in bringing about the ruin of such simple and unwary souls, who are also born of Adam and who are perhaps deceived by false promises and gifts and led into it by their accursed actions, then it must still be considered by those of their class a great honor and respectability, as the prophet says. Yet, notwithstanding all this, these same people likewise carry the children who are thus illegitimately born of such defilers, rogues and abandoned women to baptism, so that they may be called Christians and be trained up in the same works and fruits as their adulterous parents, in whom and by whom they were conceived and begotten in accursed and damnable adultery. O unbelief!

In the third place, I find almost everywhere, among both men and women of whatever class or condition, noble, rich, poor, townsman or farmer, who were baptized in infancy and are called Christians on that account, that they nevertheless lead such sinful lives that we can form no idea of it. Their pride, unchastity, greed, fraud in buying and selling, quarreling, hatred, unrighteousness, unmercifulness toward the tenant and the poor, their cursing, swearing, lying, cheating, pomp, debauchery, drinking, vanity, foolery, bloodthirstiness, cruelty, hypocrisy, tyranny, transgressions, idolatry and all manner of wickedness know no bounds.

If there are some who are not guilty of all the vices mentioned above, because they are not naturally inclined to them, it must still be admitted that there is not one in a thousand who diligently seeks and desires to walk according to the commandments of God or to live according to his blessed will. Nor do they ask after the right way to eternal life, that they may be saved; yet they must be called the right Christian church. So God, the righteous Judge, has darkened the understanding and natural intellect of those who reject his holy word and who make and honor things of their own choosing as an idol.

Notwithstanding the heathenish life of both father and mother, their infants who are born of them must, without the word of God and merely by their own choice, be exorcised, blessed, rubbed with spittle, anointed, signed with the cross and baptized. And after this has been done at the request of their parents, although contrary to the commandment of God, they are called believing, Christian people, no matter how ungodly, inhuman and devilish a life they lead, and they are admitted and received into the church as full and proper members.

O Lord, Father, how very broad, easy and pleasing to the flesh is the entrance into this miserable, carnal church! For it is all as has been said: no matter who or what he is, or how he is, it is all right if he has only been sworn before a font, and washed and baptized in it by an idolater. But how wonderfully narrow, O Lord, is your way, and how very strait is the gate which leads into your poor and holy church! Indeed, so narrow that on its posts gold and possessions, flesh and blood, and all the lusts and inclinations of those who desire and sincerely seek to enter in at this narrow gate are stripped off, so that by your grace they may rest and remain forever in your holy church, Matthew 7, verse 13.

See, kind readers, I have referred to this in this way, first, so that you may the better grasp and understand what kind of Christians those are, what kind of faith they have and what kind of life they lead, to whom infant baptism has been administered and who now have it administered to their children; so that the true, divine knowledge may increase in you; so that you may rightly comprehend by the word of God what abominable mockery and hypocrisy infant baptism is before the almighty God; and that there is no other fruitful, pleasing and availing baptism before God than the baptism alone which is administered and received according to the command of Christ, Mark 16, verse 16, namely, baptism upon the confession of faith, as has frequently been remarked. Secondly, I must show you in the same way how wonderfully far the custom of godfathers, who lift the child over the basin and answer for its confession of faith, differs from the Spirit, commandment and word of Christ, so that by all these facts falsehood, unbelief, abuse and satanic imposture may be exposed to you and demolished, and that on the other hand truth, faith, the right practice and the divine will may be made known and acted upon.

Christ commanded that the baptized should first believe, Mark 16, verse 16, before baptism should be administered, Acts 8, verse 38; and the world well knew that infants had no faith; and notwithstanding this, they wanted to have unconscious infants baptized, just as human righteousness has always looked upon the righteousness of God as useless, imperfect and foolish, and has defamed, persecuted, despised and rejected it. Therefore the ninth or tenth pope, named Higinius, without any commandment of God, hit upon a happy idea with which the world has been well satisfied until now, and by means of which they baptized their infants; and those who feared God more, and therefore understood the word of God better, were for the most part excommunicated as heretics because of it. The means was this: that some persons should be chosen from the church, whom they called godfathers, who should lift the children up to the font to be baptized, and who should care for and answer for the faith of the child. Most beloved reader, it is true that this matter has a fine appearance and show, but it is not in accordance with Christ’s Spirit and meaning, because the practice of godfathers is a human institution, as history plainly shows. Therefore I am at a loss to know why all the learned of the upper and eastern countries still keep this practice of godfathers, since they have so bravely and incessantly written, taught and battled with the word of God against all human institutions and teachings. For nowhere in the divine word are we taught the practice of such godfathers in any manner whatever; but everywhere in the Scriptures where baptism is spoken of, it is shown in very plain letters that the baptized must believe for themselves, must confess it with their mouths and by their works, and so desire and receive baptism as a commandment of God, Mark 16, verse 16; Acts 2, verse 38; Acts 8, verse 36; Acts 10, verse 48; Acts 16, verse 33; and other passages.

Again, even if the practice of godfathers were in accordance with the word of God or the commandment of Christ, which, however, it is not, O how extensively and closely, and with what great care, we would have to search in town and country for a suitable person to discharge the duties of such an office! For how can one blind man lead another? How can one fool make another wise? How can one poor person be surety for another? Understand what I write. In the same way, one unbelieving person can be no surety for the faith of another; “For every man shall bear his own burden,” Galatians 6, verse 5. Nor can he teach or advocate the faith of another so long as he himself has no true Christian faith; for whatever I am to teach another I must understand myself; and prayer must be the prayer of faith, James 5, verse 16, in spirit and in truth, John 4, verse 24.

The unbelieving cannot be surety before God for the faith of another, nor teach him faith, nor advocate it, even if the practice of godfathers were founded on the ordinance of God, which, however, it is not. So it must be acknowledged and admitted that the practice of godfathers in infant baptism is entirely vain, useless and unavailing. I will leave it to every intelligent Christian to judge what faith there is in the godfathers.

I know that I will be asked whether there are no right, believing godfathers who hold the infants to the basin with good consciences. To this I briefly answer: No. For, in the first place, it is human righteousness, contrary to the word of God and without the ordinance of Christ, and therefore it cannot be practiced with a good conscience. In the second place, I admit that there are godfathers who are honorable and virtuous; but truly, I do not know that they are truly believing; for if they were true believers it would be impossible for them ever to be led to practice such abominable shame with infants without the word of Christ. For no word is to be found in all the apostolic Scriptures which in any way teaches and commands us such a thing; to say nothing of the impurity, greed, pomp, ignorance of divine matters, idolatry, foolishness, vanity and stubbornness against God and his blessed word, and of the accursed, carnal life of most of those who are called to this office by the church, so that the faith of the parents and of the godfathers alike, upon which they baptize these infants and through which the infants are thought to acquire faith themselves, may pass over to them. For we have too often seen that one adulterous knave calls upon another, one drunkard upon another, or one proud person upon another. By their works they show plainly that it is not of God, but that it is deceit, devilish hypocrisy, human righteousness, blasphemy, mockery, destruction of the ordinances of Christ, and in every respect contrary to the blessed word of God.