To Heinrich Genesius, pastor at Ichtershausen. July 9, 1530.
Grace and peace in the Lord! It is unnecessary, dear pastor, to remind you that you first teach the person to be baptized diligently for some time what the summa is of the Ten Commandments, the Christian faith, and the Lord's Prayer; item, what baptism is, what it is useful for, and what it means.
But as far as public baptism is concerned,
I would like her to be covered with cloths, like the women in the bath, sitting in a tub in the water, reaching up to the neck, dressed with the bath towel, I would also like the tub to be covered with wallpaper, completely covered, as a sweat bath in houses usually is, and dipped by the Baptist with the head three times in the water with the
*De Wette considers the German text of this letter to be a later free adaptation of the Latin original. Since the differences between the two are very significant, the following is a literal translation of the Latin original:
To the venerable Heinrich Genesius, Bishop of Jchtershausen, grace and peace in Christ.
Concerning the baptism of the Jewish girl, my dear Heinrich, I agree with you that she should be baptized completely covered with linen cloths, in the manner in which linen cloths are used in our baths, which are
is called a "bath towel. Therefore, my advice would be that she, standing in a large, wide tub full of water and covered with a sheet, would be doused with water in a respectable manner, or, sitting up to her neck in the water and clothed with the same cloth, her head would be submerged by being immersed three times. Yes, it
The words used are: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Therefore, I think, the old custom and habit has remained in the church until now, that after baptism, a vestment is thrown over the body of the infants, who are baptized naked without all shyness, namely, that in the beginning of Christianity all Christians were baptized covered with such a garment. Therefore, it remains that the next Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti) is still called Dominica in albis (White Sunday), because they wore the same garment or vestment from baptism throughout the week.
In addition, the dead are also clothed with a white garment or death gown to remind us of our baptism, through which we are buried together with Christ into death etc. So that both, through baptism and death, the resurrection of the dead is signified and indicated; because baptism is nothing else but a passage through death into the future eternal life.
Nevertheless, see to it that things go right with the prostitute, that she is serious about baptism and the Christian faith, and that nothing is done about her.
think differently in my heart than it can be heard in words. Not that I doubt that there are and will always be some from the lineage of Abraham who belong to Christ, but that many Jews have so far in many ways mocked our faith with their fictitious baptism, yes, without ceasing to revile and defile Christ, our Lord and Savior. For "their doctrine is vile sin," saith the 59th Psalm, v. 13, and they preach vile cursing and contradicting; and Isaias saith, Cap. 8:21, "They rage and curse their King and God."
Therefore, admonish her seriously so that the wretched human being does not deceive herself. If you find her to be true and righteous, I sincerely wish her the grace and gift of constancy, so that she may also accept my greeting in Christ and the service of Christian love. Be well in the Lord. From my wasteland, 1530.
Here the reader can also look up those writings of Luther, which he wrote about rebaptism and against the Anabaptists, e.g. Schwenkfeld, Krautwald and similar people, in the chapter of the dogmatic-polemical disputes against the reformers and the enthusiasts.
The tub itself should also be concealed by drawing curtains around it on all sides, in the same way as household bathrooms are curtained.
I believe that this is the reason why the custom from the old church has come down to us, namely that we clothe the children, who are still baptized naked, with such a linen cloth, the so-called "Western shirt", because in former times all Christians were baptized in such a dress, therefore even today the Sunday after Easter (Quasimodogeniti) is called the "White Sunday" or the Sunday in white clothes, because the baptized had to wear this dress for eight days from their baptism (at Easter). Also, it is not believable that the Jewish people were so badly furnished and that Christ himself in his apostles was so dishonorable that they baptized the adults naked.
In addition to this, we also have the deceased
Put on such a garment in remembrance of our baptism, wherein we are baptized into the death of Christ; so that thereby both in death and in baptism the resurrection from death is foreshadowed, since baptism is nothing else but a death to the life to come.
But see to it that the girl does not feign faith in Christ, for this generation is full of dissimulation and deceit; not as if I doubted that there is still a seed of Abraham who belongs to Christ, but because until now the Jews have only mocked our faith. Therefore admonish her not to deceive herself unhappily; but if she should be found true, I wish her grace and perseverance; and you may report to her in my name my greeting in Christ. Fare well in the Lord. From my hermitage, July 9, 1530.
Your Martin Luther.