Christian Baptism: How the Holy Apostles Practiced Baptism

Paul, a preacher and apostle, also baptized on the confession of faith and truth. He required faith before baptism so completely that he regarded the baptism of the holy John the Baptist as useless and vain among the disciples at Ephesus, because they did not know the Holy Spirit, saying, “Into what then were you baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. Then Paul said, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied; and all the men were about twelve,” Acts 19, verses 3 to 7.

Hear, most beloved readers; for I would here present to you and to all the world three points, which you should consider impartially and judge according to the word of God. First, was the baptism of John not of God? I know you will answer yes. Now if the baptism of John is of God, as it indeed is, and if Paul still considered this baptism, which was from above, insufficient and imperfect in these disciples because they did not acknowledge the Holy Spirit, and if, after preaching Christ to them, he baptized them again with the baptism of Jesus Christ, as Luke records, then what are we to think of the baptism of children, who by nature are unable to understand the divine word, and who therefore acknowledge neither Father, Son nor Holy Spirit, and cannot distinguish between truth and lies, righteousness and sinfulness, good and evil, right and wrong? Does this not prove infant baptism to be useless, vain and unfruitful, and administered and received without the ordinance of God? And if we acknowledge this by the word of God through faith, is it not therefore necessary to be baptized with the baptism of Jesus Christ, as Christ has commanded and as Paul administered it to these disciples? I say, truly, if we do not, there is, according to the word of God, neither faith, regeneration, obedience nor Spirit in us, and therefore no eternal life, as we have often shown above.

Let all the learned garble this invincible Scripture and practice of Paul as cunningly as they please; yet it will never be shown by the word of God other than that these disciples, even though they had been baptized with the baptism of John, were baptized again with the baptism of Jesus Christ after Paul had taught them, because they did not know that there was a Holy Spirit; that is, if baptism is to be baptism according to the word of God. But, brothers, the preaching of the cross is always opposed, because to those who perish it is foolishness, First Corinthians 1, verse 18.

Again, judge for yourselves, kind readers. Christ Jesus himself, and also the holy apostles Peter, Paul and Philip, have commanded and taught no other baptism in all the Scriptures of the New Testament than baptism on the confession or proof of faith; and the whole world, against this, teaches and practices a different baptism, namely infant baptism, which is founded neither on the command of Jesus nor on the teaching and practice of the holy apostles, and asserts it not by the word of God but solely by the opinion and long usage of the learned, and forces it on the world with the cruel, bloody sword. Judge, then, I say, which of the two we should follow: the divine truth of Christ Jesus, or the lies of the ungodly world? If you answer Christ, your judgment is right; but the consequence according to the flesh is anxiety, being robbed, arrest, banishment, poverty, water, fire, sword, the wheel, shame, cross, suffering and temporal death; yet in the end eternal life. But if you answer the world, then truly you judge wrongly; though on the other hand, according to the flesh, the consequence is honor, peace, ease, liberty, temporal life and such perishable advantages; yet the end is eternal death.

Third and last, judge rightly whether the ordinance of Jesus Christ, which he commanded in his church, and which the holy apostles learned from his blessed mouth and administered, can ever be changed and broken by human wisdom or excellence. If you answer yes, you must prove it by the divine and evangelical Scriptures, or else we should not believe it. But if you answer no, as you should, you must acknowledge that those who say that the apostles baptized infants, no matter who they are, even if they lived in the time of the apostles and were their own disciples, shamefully misrepresent the apostles and load falsehood on them; indeed, that they speak their own opinion and not the word of God. For the most holy apostles, the true witnesses of Christian truth, never taught two different baptisms in water; nor did they act against the command and ordinance of Christ, nor administer baptism contrary to their own doctrine.

O, if the educated and learned men, Origen, Augustine, Jeronimus, Lactantius and others, had not soared so high in their cleverness and philosophy, and had been satisfied with the clear, chaste and plain doctrine of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and had conformed their intelligence and subtle reasoning to the word of God, then the heavenly doctrine and unchangeable ordinance of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ would not have been subjected to such shame and change! And in particular the great Origen has handled the Holy Scripture so shamefully with his philosophy and self-conceit that Martin Luther, in his book called Servum Arbitrium, calls him Spercissimus scripturarum interpres, that is: The falsest explainer of the Scriptures. And besides, it is noted in the Lutheran New Testament that this Origen is the great star which fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and that his name is Wormwood, Revelation 8, verse 11. Therefore we will leave it to God who and what he is. Though he has treated the word of God so shamefully and erred so terribly, yet because he pleases the world in regard to infant baptism, the holy doctrine of Christ Jesus and the apostles must stand back, and Origen is heeded, accepted and followed as a sure testimony for this idolatrous ceremony. O abominable blindness! O shameful foolishness! That we do not believe the sure word of our Lord Jesus Christ, the word of truth, and the true witnesses whom he sent, but would rather follow, to the loss of our souls, those who teach to please us, even though it is plain from their writings that they have so often stumbled and erred and been mistaken about the truth of Almighty God! [Note 1]

Therefore I beg you all, beloved brothers in the Lord, by the grace of God, to open your understanding, so that you may no longer be deceived, and so that you who are made uneasy by the writings of the learned may see that all the writers, both ancient and modern, have always sought righteousness in ceremonies they have made, when we should seek it only in Christ Jesus. And again, that because they do not have the word of God on their side, they do not follow the same path in this matter, do not speak with one accord nor write in agreement. For as their writings show, some seek the washing away of inborn sin. Others teach that infants should be baptized because of their faith. Others, again, to train them in the word and commandments of God. Still others, to have them included in the covenant with God; and others again, to baptize them into the church of Christ. See, kind readers, so each of the writers mentioned follows his own course and does not keep to the same way. If they were supported by the word of God in this matter, they would all be in agreement. But because they do not have the word of God, each one follows his own inclination, thinking that under a scriptural appearance he can pass off pernicious falsehood as the truth. Indeed, he tickles his vision so long with garbled Scriptures that his mind becomes so darkened that he can no longer see that he teaches, follows and administers accursed falsehood in place of the blessed truth of God.

So, most beloved children, because the learned have always sought, and still seek, righteousness in infant baptism, you can easily guess that these infant baptists brought in this innovation for that reason. For among the ancients it was not the common practice, I say common, as may be gathered from Tertullian, Ruffin and others; but as it appears, just after the death of the apostles, or perhaps even in their time, they began to abuse the true Christian baptism, which belongs solely to the believing. As some of the Corinthians, already in the time of Paul, let themselves be baptized for the dead, First Corinthians 15, verse 29, so also, through the false doctrine and opinions of foolish bishops, the abominable serpent of infant baptism crept in, and was so confirmed by long usage that at last all the world thought it and accepted it as an apostolic institution, for the sake of the righteousness which they all seek in it. Therefore you must acknowledge, beloved brothers, that although infant baptism is of old date, it still does not come from the command of Jesus Christ or from the teaching and practice of the holy apostles, and is therefore idolatrous, useless and vain.

And because the true Christian baptism has such a great promise, namely the forgiveness of sins, and other promises, Acts 2, verse 38; Mark 16, verse 16; First Corinthians 12, verse 13; First Peter 3, verse 21; Ephesians 4, verse 5, the pedobaptists apply that same baptism to infants, never once observing that these promises belong solely to those who show obedience to the word of God; for Christ Jesus has so commanded it. Since infant baptism is not commanded, it is not required of children as obedience. For where there are no commandments there are no transgressions. Again, God has not commanded baptism to infants, and therefore they have no promise in their baptism; from which it follows that infant baptism is idolatrous, vain, useless and void before God, as was said above. For God the Lord has no pleasure in ceremonies unless they are administered according to his divine and blessed word.

But little children, and particularly those of Christian seed, have a special promise, which God gave them without any ceremony, out of pure grace, through Christ Jesus our Lord, who says, “Suffer little children, and do not forbid them, to come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 19, verse 14; Mark 10, verse 14; Luke 18, verse 16. This promise gladdens and assures all the chosen saints of God concerning their children or infants, for they are sure that the true word of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ can never fail. He showed such great mercy toward the children who were brought to him that he took them up in his arms, blessed them, laid his hands on them and promised them the kingdom of heaven, and he neither did nor commanded anything more for them. Therefore they have in their hearts a sure and firm faith in the grace of God concerning their beloved children, that they are children of the kingdom, of grace, of the promise and of eternal life, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom alone be the glory, and not by any ceremony. Indeed, by this same promise they are assured that their beloved children, as long as they are not of the age of understanding, are clean, holy, saved and pleasing to God, whether they are alive or dead. Therefore they give thanks to the eternal Father through Jesus Christ our Lord for his inexpressibly great love to their children, and train them in the love of God and in wisdom, by correcting, chastising, teaching and admonishing them, and by walking before them with an unblamable life, until they are able to hear the word of God, believe it and fulfill it in their works. Then is the time, whatever their age, that they should receive the Christian baptism which Christ Jesus has commanded to all Christians in obedience to his word, and which his apostles practiced and taught in this way.

See, brothers, if it is said that in this way we rob the children of the promise and of the grace of God, you will see that they speak against us out of hatred and envy and do not tell the truth. Tell me, who has the strongest ground and hope for the salvation of his children? Is it the one who places his hopes on an outward sign, or the one who bases his hopes on the promise of grace, given and promised by Christ Jesus? Still, the evangelical truth must in every respect be blasphemed and lied about by the ignorant and light-minded. But in spite of this, the just and impartial Judge, Christ Jesus, will one day pass the true sentence between them and us, although they do not fear it now. I am forced to think that then many will acknowledge, too late, that they did not believe and follow the truth of Christ Jesus but the falsehood of antichrist. Take heed and watch.

Again, the pedobaptists sometimes assert, and very foolishly too, “That the apostles baptized whole households, as the household of Cornelius, Acts 10, verse 48; the household of Stephanus, First Corinthians 1, verse 13; the household of Lydia, and of the jailer, Acts 16, verses 15 and 33; from which, they say, it may be presumed that there were also small children among them.” By this allegation, beloved brothers, they show, though not intentionally, that they cannot produce Scriptures to prove infant baptism. For whenever we must follow (build on) presumption, there is evidently no proof of the assertion. [Note 2]

To such opponents I would reply in plain language like this: Three households, namely of Cornelius, of Stephanus and of the jailer, were all believing. Of the first household it is written, “There was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band; a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always,” Acts 10, verses 1 and 2. If they all served and feared God, as Luke writes, then they were not baptized without faith, as is plainly shown in the same chapter; for Peter commanded that those should be baptized who had received the Holy Spirit, as they had who spoke with tongues and glorified God; and these are all fruits of faith, as every intelligent person will admit.

Again, of the household of Stephanus it is written, “I beseech you, brothers (you know the house of Stephanus, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints), that you submit yourselves to such, and to everyone who helps with us and labors,” First Corinthians 16, verses 15 and 16. I repeat, to serve the saints is a work of faith. Since the house of Stephanus served the saints, as Paul writes, they showed by their fruits that they had faith. [Note 3]

Again, of the house of the jailer it is written that Paul and Silas spoke to him and said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house; and they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he (the jailer) took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house,” Acts 16, verses 31 to 34; or as Erasmus has it, “He rejoiced because he believed in God with all his house.” Beloved reader, observe first that they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. Second, he rejoiced with all his house. To hear the word belongs to those of understanding minds, and spiritual rejoicing is a fruit of the believing or of the spiritual, Galatians 5, verse 18. Since they all heard the word and rejoiced in God, it follows beyond dispute that the holy apostles did not baptize them without faith. [Note 4]

In the fourth place, regarding the house of Lydia, I reply: Because the world tries to establish its cause on presumption, we would say first that presumption ought not to establish faith; and even if it could avail before God, the presumption in the case of the house of Lydia would still not be in favor of the world but against it. For it is the custom in the Holy Scriptures, and also in the world, that a house is named after the man and not after the woman as long as the husband lives, because the husband is the lord of his wife and household. Since in this case the house is named after the woman, and no man is mentioned, it follows that she was not married at the time. If she was a young woman or a widow, as appears, then the presumption of the world is contradicted; and it is probable that she had no children, and still more probable that she had no infants, since she had no husband at that time.

Again, we would further say about this Scripture that even if Lydia had infants, they would not be counted among the baptized of the house. For Christ commanded that the believing should be baptized, and the holy apostles taught and practiced such baptism; from which it may safely be concluded that when the holy Scriptures speak of houses being baptized, or of houses being subverted, they refer to those of the age of understanding, who can be taught or subverted, as Paul shows in another Scripture, that some “subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake,” Titus 1, verse 11. If you take the term whole houses as including infants also, then since whole houses were subverted, as Paul says, it would follow that infants were subverted by false doctrine. No, beloved reader, no. An infant without understanding can be neither taught nor subverted; therefore infants are not counted in the number of the baptized, or of those who were subverted, of whom the Scriptures speak. But the Holy Scripture teaches and admonishes, both by words and by sacraments, as they are called, only those who have ears to hear and minds to understand, as we have often shown above.

If anyone would like more information about the ceremony of baptism and about the objections made to it, let him read our first treatise on baptism, which we published; and by the grace of the Lord he will be enlightened on the subject from the word of God.

Brothers, I conclude this treatise on baptism in water with these words: God, the merciful Father, has graciously sent his chosen, beloved Son, Christ Jesus, into this miserable, blind and erring world, and he has taught us the holy will of his Father with great clearness; in his great love he has offered up his precious and most holy flesh and blood for us; and the eternal Father has pointed us to him not only through his holy prophets but also from high heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him,” Matthew 17, verse 5. Therefore we say and testify that we should hear this Christ Jesus; that we should believe in him and follow him in all things which he has taught and commanded us; and that we should also hear and follow his holy apostles, who were sent out by his own divine command with the most precious word of grace, namely the holy gospel; or else we have neither God, promise nor eternal life, as is plain and understandable to all mankind from the New Testament.

This Christ Jesus has given us this express and indisputable command, in this way: first to teach the gospel and then to baptize those who believe, and those who are so baptized shall be saved, Mark 16, verse 16; Matthew 28, verse 19; Acts 19, verse 5; Acts 2, verse 38; Acts 10, verse 48; Acts 16, verse 33. And the holy apostles taught and used no other baptism than baptism on faith, according to the command of Christ, as is shown and proven by many reasons from Acts, chapters 2, 8, 10, 16 and 19; Romans 6, verse 4; Colossians, chapter 2; First Corinthians 12, verse 13; Titus 3, verse 5; First Peter 3, verse 21. Therefore we again declare before you, before all the world and before God, that we are moved by nothing but the fear of God, being so taught by his word, to teach this Christian baptism in this way and to receive it in this way on the confession of faith, for the forgiveness of sins, Acts 2, verse 38, as was said before; and so we are baptized with the washing of water by the word, Ephesians 5, verse 26, and by a Holy Spirit which quickens our hearts, into one body, First Corinthians 12, verse 13, of which body Christ Jesus is the head, Colossians 1, verse 18; Ephesians 1, verse 22. Nor do we know of any other baptism, as God is our witness, than this alone, of which by the grace of God we have taught and written so much.

I hereby beg you, kind reader, not to do as the angry, blind and bloody world does, which condemns everything with an envious, rebellious, refractory and raving heart before it has thoroughly read and understood it, and rejects all good Christian doctrine and usage, sometimes because of fashion, at other times because of the cross, and sometimes because of the plainness of the person. Do not do so; but judge this and all our writings according to the Spirit and holy word of the Lord, and you will plainly see whether we have written and taught you truth or falsehood; whether we teach two baptisms or one; whether we seek to save your souls or destroy them; whether we seek the praise and honor of the Lord or his dishonor. For I trust, by the grace of God, that if you desire your own salvation, and read what we have written and judge it with a spiritual judgment, you will find nothing in it but the teaching which is of God, the eternal, heavenly, true and saving will of God, and the very narrow way of truth which the ever-blessed Jesus Christ and his apostles have taught and shown all mankind in the most holy gospel.

Take heed, you illustrious, noble and pious lords! Take heed, you judges and keepers of the law, against whom your cruel, bloody sword is sometimes sharpened and drawn. I tell you in Christ Jesus that we seek nothing but what we have told you here, as you may clearly see in many, namely, that not one false syllable or deceitful word is heard from their mouths or found in them; and yet these are forced and led by you to the sword, fire and water, like poor, innocent sheep to the slaughter. And if you point me to the abominable actions of the corrupted sects, and say that you must therefore oppose baptism with the sword, so that such ungodly doings may be averted and hindered, then I would again reply, first: Christian baptism does not belong to corrupted sects; it is the word of God. Second, the holy Christian baptism does not cause mutiny or shameful actions; these are caused by the false teachers and false prophets who boast that they are baptized Christians, and yet before God are not. Third, there is nothing under heaven that alarms me more than the ungodly actions of the false, corrupted sects. They frighten me more than death, for I know that all men must die once, Hebrews 9, verse 27. More than the tyrannical sword, for if they take my body, that is all they can do, Matthew 10, verse 28. More than Satan, for I have overcome him through Christ. But if the terrible doctrine of the corrupted sects took hold of me, then I would truly be lost; eternal woe would come to my poor soul. Therefore I would rather die the temporal death (he who knows all things knows this) than eat, drink, commune, greet or converse with such people, if I knew that they would not be helped by my conversation or admonition; for the word of Christ forbids us to keep company with such, Matthew 7, verse 15; First Corinthians 5, verse 11; Second Thessalonians 3, verse 14; Philippians, chapter 3. And by the grace of God I know for certain that they are not in the house of the Lord, in the church of the living God and in the body of Jesus Christ. Therefore I say, if you find in me, or in my teachings, which are the word of God, or among those who are taught by me or by my brothers, any thieving, murdering, perjury, mutiny, rebellion or any other criminal acts, such as were formerly found, and are still found, among the corrupted sects, then punish all of us; for we would be guilty if this were the case. I repeat, if we are disobedient to God in religious matters, we are willing to be instructed and corrected by the word of God, for we mean diligently to do and fulfill his most holy will. Or if we are not obedient to the emperor in matters belonging to him, as he is called and ordained by God, I say in matters belonging to him, then we will willingly submit to whatever punishment you may inflict on us. But if we sincerely fear and seek our Lord and God, as I trust we do, and if we are obedient to the emperor in temporal matters, as we should be according to the word of God, Matthew 22, verse 21; Romans 13, verse 7; First Peter 2, verse 13; Titus 3, verse 1, and yet must suffer and be persecuted and crucified for the sake of the truth of the Lord, then we should consider that “the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. * * If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?” Matthew 10, verses 24 and 25. Yet you should know and acknowledge, O you beloved, noble, illustrious, pious lords, you judges and keepers of the law, that as often as you take, condemn and put such people to the sword, you put your tyrannical sword into the blessed flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ and break the bones of his holy body; for they are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, Ephesians 5, verse 30. They are his chosen, beloved brothers and sisters, who with him are born from above, of one Father, John 1, verse 13; they are his sincerely beloved children, who are born of the seed of his holy word; they are his holy, spotless and pure bride, whom he in his great love has wedded as his consort. Why? Because by the working of their faith, and led by the Holy Spirit, they have wholeheartedly committed themselves to the service of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and no longer live according to their lusts, but according to the will of God alone, as his holy, blessed word directs. Indeed, they would rather give up everything they possess and suffer envy, slander, scourging, persecution, anxiety, famine, thirst, nakedness, cold, heat, poverty, imprisonment, banishment, water, fire, sword or any other punishment than forsake the gospel of grace and the confession of God and be separated from the love of Christ Jesus, Romans 8, verse 35. But they will never accept the vain doctrine and commandments of men.

Therefore we pray you, as our beloved and gracious rulers according to the flesh, by the grace of God, to consider and realize, if there is any reasonableness in you, in what great anxiety and suspense we poor, miserable people are placed. For if we abandon Christ Jesus and his holy word, we fall into the wrath of God; and if we remain firm in his holy word, we are put to your cruel sword. O Lord! If it were true that this large church were your holy church, bride and body, as they boast it to be, then we might truthfully say that you are the prince, bridegroom and head of an abominable, detestable band of murderers, who thirst after the innocent blood of those who sincerely seek, fear, love and serve God. For the ignorant, blind people go about like a backsliding heifer, as the prophet says, seeking nothing but the persecution, imprisonment and destruction of God’s saints and children.

All the priests and monks, who seek and fear nothing but their gluttonous, greedy belly and their avaricious, pompous flesh, do nothing but upbraid, slander, lie and persecute. The judges and magistrates, who seek to live off the bloody labor of the miserable, take them and deliver them into the hands of the tyrants, so that they may become favorites of the rulers, as the prophet says, Micah, chapter 7, “The prince asks, and the judge asks for a reward.” The lords and keepers of the law, as a body, are after nothing but the favor and friendship of their prince, to whom they are sworn, and after authority, good wages and advancement. They are the ones who torture, banish, confiscate and murder, as the prophet says, “Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they do not gnaw the bones till the morning,” Zephaniah 3, verse 3. And in another place, “Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain,” Ezekiel 22, verse 27. O how true was the revelation of holy John, when he saw that the Babylonian woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, Revelation 17, verse 6.

O beloved lords and judges of the land, observe for once how all the righteous, the prophets, Christ Jesus himself, together with his holy apostles and servants, have been treated from the beginning; and today you still treat in the same way those who seek the truth and life eternal in purity of heart. Therefore we must run the risk; for if you do not fear God and do not sheathe your murderous sword against Christ Jesus and against his holy church, then we count it of less consequence to fall into the hands of worldly princes and judges than to fall into the hands of God. I repeat, take heed, awake and be converted, so that the innocent blood of the pious children of God, which calls for vengeance in heaven, may never again be found on your hands.

Take heed also, you wise and learned, and you common people! For such a people are they, and such is their doctrine and faith, whom you daily ridicule and mock as fools, whom you slander as heretics and deceivers, and whom you take and hand over and murder in your hearts as thieves, murderers and criminals. Yet God’s word will never be broken, First Peter 1, verse 24; James 1, verse 10; Psalm 90, verse 6. O you miserable people, what will become of you, that you are not ashamed daily to mock and ridicule the blessed Christ Jesus, to trample on him and so ravingly tear to pieces his most holy and glorious body, even though you boast of his divinity, word, death, grace, mercy and blood!

Tell me, beloved, if you are the church of Christ, why are you not obedient to him? If you are the body of Christ, why do you destroy its holy members? If you are the children of God, why do you trample on your brothers? If you are the servants of Christ, why do you not do the things he has commanded? If you are the bride of Christ, why do you not hear his holy voice? If you are the truly regenerated, where then are the fruits? If you are the true disciples of Christ, where is your love? If you are the true Christians, where are your Christian ordinances of baptism, Supper, deacons, ban and life, as commanded in his word? If you are the truly baptized of Christ, where is your faith, your new birth, your death to sin, your unblamable life, your good conscience, your Christian body into which you were baptized, and your Christ whom you have put on?

O beloved brothers, error has run wild long enough! Christ Jesus will no longer be mocked as a fool. I tell you, as truly as the Lord lives, that as long as you are so earthly, carnally and devilishly minded, as long as you oppose God and his holy word, as long as you live without the fear of God according to the lusts of your flesh, so long you are not the true church of Christ, even if you were using the true sacraments, which, however, is far from being so. Beloved brothers, first our hearts must be cleansed, and afterward our outward actions will show it; or else it is hypocrisy before the eyes of God. I repeat, as long as you live so ungodly, as you have done until now, Christ Jesus was truly born in vain, died in vain, arose and ascended in vain. He is no Lord, Deliverer or Savior of willful, obstinate, unrepenting and disobedient sinners; but he is a Lord, Deliverer and Savior of those who willingly hear his divine word, who sincerely renounce evil, and who walk diligently according to his holy commandments all the days of their lives.

May God, the gracious Father, who lives in mercy forever, grant you all true knowledge to comprehend all divine truth, and a heart, mind and will to fulfill what you now confess by faith from the word of God, through Christ Jesus our beloved Lord. To him be the honor, praise, kingdom, power and glory forever and ever, Amen.

Let the bride of Christ rejoice.

Here, reader, you have most devoutly what the mode of God’s baptism in the church ought to be, which perished through the long degeneracy of the ages and is restored whole by the unspeakable gift of God. Therefore let the writers oppose it as they please; let the learned oppose it with their shrewdness as best they know how; let all the world under heaven oppose it in every way they are able: this is the only mode of baptism which Christ Jesus himself instituted and the apostles taught and practiced.

The invincible truth will always abide, although many powerfully oppose it. Whoever reads the teachings of Christianity and considers them well will welcome this divine truth of Christ, for many ages lost and now made to appear in this way, because it is not without merit by its favor toward us.

May the reader give thanks to the infinitely great and good God.

May you be well; be humble, read, obtain, believe and live; and may the Lord be with you.