This history of the martyrdom of D. Barnes has already been reported in this volume, Col. 2542, No.2743.
XV. The 29th Psalm, interpreted by Johann Bugenhagen, Pomeranian, therein also of infant baptism, au Christian, King in Denmark. Item, of the unborn children, and of the children that cannot be baptized. Anno 1541.
This writing first appeared in a single edition, as Bugenhagen himself states (in the Wittenberg edition
[1559], vol. XII, p. 200d), in 1541 (according to which the date of the letter to the king: "1542. Christmas" is to be understood as: Dec. 25, 1541). A second, enlarged edition came out in 1552; a third in 1557. According to the second edition, printed in the Wittenberg edition (1559), vol. XII, p. 179; without the later additions, namely "of baptism in the house, that baptism is called a water bath in the holy Scriptures, and of the godparents," in the Altenburg, vol. VIII, p. 48; in the Leipzig, vol. XXII, p. 402 and in Walch, vol. XXI, 198*. Luther's addition for this writing of Bugenhagen: "Trost für fromme, gottselige Frauen, denen es unrichtig in Kindesnöthen ergangen ist," is already found in the St. Louis edition, vol. X, 730, which, according to what is said above, is not to be placed in the year 1542, but 1541. The bracketed piece there (Col. 733 f.), from a letter of Luther to Lauterbach of 8 Feb. 1536, is a later addition.
To the most illustrious, magnanimous Prince and Lord, Lord Christian, of Denmark, Norway, the Wendish and Gothic Kings, Dukes of Schleswig, Holstein, Stormarn and the Ditmarschen, Counts of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, my most gracious Lord.
1. grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord forever. Most Serene, Most Great King, Most Gracious Lord! I have promised to write in the Psalms of David, as I have preached some of them before Your Majesty. However, there is so much business before us above our commanded service that I have had to slacken the work now into the next year. 1) But now I will let the 29th Psalm go out from the same work.
2. in the first place, that Your Majesty sees that I have been at work, and intend to return to it one day, God willing. Everyone also sees that this booklet is taken from another book, because the previous Psalms or writings are often remembered in it, with these or the same words: As it is said in the other or third Psalms, as it is elsewhere before in other Psalms etc. This proves that this booklet is not a special one. For by God's grace I have written in all the previous psalms, which, God willing, M.E. should see once, if I cannot take the work any further.
3 For this reason, I should have rewritten this booklet in a different way, so that the reader would not be directed here (as I said) to the interpretation of the previous Psalms, which he has not yet read.
1) Bugenhagen was in Denmark from 1537 to 1539. This also serves to confirm the time determination we have given. Bugenhagen had already returned to Wittenberg in early July 1539. Cf. Corp. Ref,
can get. But because I saw that the sentences or teachings referred to in this booklet are also found in other books (which exist), and that it is not in our power to rewrite our books all the time, I let it happen as I have written in the Psalter I have just begun. It is also not my intention to let a Psalm's interpretation go out, otherwise I might have taken another Psalm before me. It has been my intention to do something else, as I will now say.
4. secondly, most gracious king, I let this booklet go out only because I have diligently written in it from the holy Scriptures or God's word about the unborn children, and about the children who cannot be baptized, for the comfort of all Christians who will gladly read this from the heart, against the shameful error which has been taught until now, not from God's word, but from human dreams (where else should error come from?).) and under the name Sancti Augustini, as one may see in the pope's decree de consecratione, Distinct. quart, Firmissime etc. And in Magistro sententiarum, lib. 4, Dist. 4, where the children whom we cannot baptize, and yet would gladly baptize them, if it could come to us, are condemned to hell fire and eternal torment, without proof, without God's word, only because Augustine should say so.
(5) In the Pope's teaching, they have held that nothing of such children is written in the Holy Scriptures, and have known nothing of the Word of God, and of the Scriptures, until this day, which I write in this booklet, for the good and salvation of such of our children. I write, praise God, so clearly, without a doubt, that even many papists will take pleasure in it, and gladly suffer that this their error of human doctrine is condemned from God's Word, for the blessedness of such children.
It is possible that St. Augustine did not know about the book de fide ad Petrum and did not write it. It is not very Augustinian: Firmissime tene et nullate.
nus dubites etc. And the pious, learned Augustine would have written a little more diligently about the little children, and not badly so blurted out without God's word, without any proof, which we now find to be also against God's word, to condemn the Christians' children thus. And even if Augustine had written it, as there is much good in the book, we Christians should not accept anything for Augustine's sake that is not in the holy Scriptures, much less that which is contrary to the
Holy Scripture or God's Word is, as the pope does with his antichrist teachers, without faith, with their hypocrisy and incandescent conscience, 1 Tim. at 4, v. 2.
(7) For we Christians should give thanks to all Christian doctors or teachers who have prepared for us with their work and have written something good, according to the writings of the prophets and apostles, whether Augustine or another, but with the rule of Saint Paul, 1 Thess. 5:21: "Test everything, and keep what is good. We believe in Jesus Christ, that (according to the Gospel) through Christ alone we are free from our sins, pious, children of God, and eternally blessed. By faith we can soon test what it is when a teacher wants to preach or write a sanctification to us. Then I say, this is an antichristic teaching, I do not accept it, you be as holy and learned as you can. For this we have the Holy Scriptures, the dear Word of God, from which we can well test in the teachers what is good, which rhymes and agrees with God's Word.
(8) Above the word of God we are to leave life and limb and everything; even if an angel from heaven or St. Peter himself wants to teach something different and against it, we are to curse him, as St. Paul harshly commands, Gal. 1:8.
(9) Thus the pious and truly learned doctor St. Augustine often writes what one should think of his own books and writings and of all other teachers' writings, yes, even of the Conciliis, if one holds and examines them against the holy Scriptures, against the dear Gospel and Word of God, so that the rule of St. Paul is kept: "Examine everything, and keep what is good. This is well known to the scholars who know St. Augustine's books. But we have been such ruffians in the teachings of St. Pope that we have not had to know it, and we have been such godless people that we have not wanted to know it even when we read such words of St. Augustine, as we had to read several such sayings of St. Augustine in the decree of St. Pope.
(10) Therefore this is an abominable thing, that men (in an anti-Christian way) have sat down in the throne of God, and without the word of God, even against the word of God, who does not want any of these little ones to be lost, Matth. 18:14, have pronounced a judgment: that even the children of Christians, who cannot be baptized, and yet would gladly, even those who are already carried to baptism, and die on the way, shall be eternally condemned to the hellish fire. Where is the Scripture or God's Word here? etc. They answer, "We do not need it. St. Augustine says so. And if he
if he had not said it, then he should have said it. And it shall be an article of faith whether God has not said it, yes, even whether it is found to be contrary to God's word. Alas, we have been good Christians under the Antichrist, and have not heeded that the Father from heaven says, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; him shall ye hear," Matt. 17,5. and Deut. 18,19.: "He who does not become the prophet" etc.
Because this error has caused great distress in Christendom (which is called Ecclesia Christi), especially among the parents, who were unhappy with the children who could not be baptized, I have recognized myself before God to comfort the Christians against it with God's word, which I have done most diligently, according to my understanding. Praise be to God in Christ forever.
(12) But I let this go out under Your Royal Majesty's name, not only because it is taken from the book promised to Your Majesty. Maj. name, not only because it is taken from the book promised to Your Majesty, but also and mostly because I have taught this doctrine of the infants in Your Majesty's kingdoms and in the maritime cities, so that Your Majesty and whoever reads it may know how I confirm and protect this doctrine with God's word. What more I can serve Ew. Maj., to this I acknowledge myself guilty. For Your Royal Maj. Maj., for the Queen, my most gracious wife, for Prince Fridericum, my most gracious lord, for the young lords and ladies, for Your Maj. country and people, I offer my Pater noster to God every day. Christ be with us all forever. Given at Wittenberg, Anno Domini 1542. Christmas [25 Dec.
1541 Your Royal Majesty
menial servant
Johannes Bugenhagen, Pommer, Doct.
Johannes Bugenhagen, Pommer, Doct.
4. We in the ministry of preaching, and teachers of the holy gospel of Christ our Savior, are to study diligently in the holy Scriptures, and always call upon our heavenly Father, in the name of Christ his Son our Lord, which cannot be done without the Holy Spirit, who prays for us in our faith, with unspeakable groaning: Abba, dear Father, that we may become understanding and skillful in the word of God, yet in the fear of God, to counsel poor sinners in all sorrowful things before God, wherein they know no counsel, but must otherwise despair and perish.
2 To this end, the Father of all mercies has restored to us His pure gospel at the end of the world.
and in the gospel he gave us Christ, his dear Son, our Lord, that he alone should be our righteousness and eternal life before God, that is, he should be for us the tree of life, from which Adam and Heba, after sin, were thrown into eternal death; and not a tree of bodily life, as that was in paradise, but a tree of eternal life, which he gave to the wretched, condemned sinners, in addition to the punishment, out of grace in this gospel: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," so that sinners, condemned by judgment, may eat of it, that is, believe in Christ for eternal life, as Christ says in many words, Jn. 6 etc.
3 Thus the Son became obedient to the Father even unto death, even the death of the cross; the Lamb of God, who took upon Himself the sin of the world, gave Himself to our death. 1 Petr. 1, 19-21: "You have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as an innocent and unblemished lamb, who was provided before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for the sake of you who believe in God through Him" etc. Revelation 13:8: "The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world." Rom. 8, 32. ff: "He also did not spare His Son, but gave Him for us all, how shall He not with Him give us all things? Who will accuse the elect of God? God is here, who justifies; who will condemn? Christ is here, who died, but rather who was also raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, representing us" etc.
Since God has restored everything to us in His Son, and since all the treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ, and since all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily, and since we poor Christians on earth are complete in Him, Col. 2:9.How is it then, my dear Lord Jesus Christ, that in your poor Christianity things are found that affect the salvation of souls and the conscience of men, for whom you died, in which no one knows counsel, especially for the innocent part, which can do nothing about it, and would like to have it better, even before God? Yes, no one wants to know counsel in some burdensome matters, and the scholars, who should give counsel from God's word, have so far had foolish and nonsensical consciences, out of human doctrines and wrong understanding of some words in the holy Scriptures, and have burdened the innocent part, just as with God's right, even more, and, with their judgment against God, in harm and
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Danger to body and soul. This is against all rights. The afflicted shall no longer be afflicted. What one does not want from others, one should not do to others. "Give justice to the poor and the fatherless, and help the wretched and the needy to justice" etc. Ps. 82, 3.
(5) How is it so wicked that such blindness and such unrighteousness are among those who want to be Christians, and who are the leaders of the church of Christ today? If they are the church of Christ, where is the word of Christ which he says to his church? John. 15:15: "I do not say henceforth that you are servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but to you I have said that you are friends. For all things whatsoever I have heard of my Father, these have I made known unto you." This is all that you should know for eternal life etc. As Paul also clearly tells the Christians in 1 Cor. 1, 4. ff.I thank my God always for the grace of God which is given you in Christ Jesus, that through him you have been enriched in all things, in all doctrine and knowledge, as the preaching of Christ has been strengthened in you, so that you have no lack of any gift, waiting only for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, for God is faithful, through whom you have been called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." How could the bride of Christ, gifted with the Holy Spirit in the Gospel, full of wisdom, and called to the fellowship of the Son of God, not know counsel on some things, in which people would so gladly have counsel, for the sake of their conscience before God, have had to perish so far, in body and soul? God truly does not want that. Matth. 18,14. Christ says: "It is not your Father's will in heaven that any of these little ones should perish.
But lest anyone think that I am speaking darkly into the common, I will give two examples of such foolishness and grievousness, which were not in the apostles' days, nor could they be in the bright light of Christ's gospel, but came on after the apostles' days, and have lasted until now, almost to the twelve hundred years. The first is adultery, where no reconciliation can take place, and the unchristian running away, when someone leaves his wife, so that there is no hope of coming back. Not only has the innocent part not been helped, but it has also been made more burdensome, against the natural right of God, as the child Donatus says: In adulterum et in
desertorem Mider the adulterer and the abandoner. Against these two pieces, and how we do it in our churches, according to God's word and right, I have written a booklet to HM of Denmark, Christianum tertium. The other is about the children whom we cannot baptize, and yet would like to: there has been no counsel or consolation, they must all be damned. Against this I have written in this booklet in these last times certain consolation, from God's word, of which no one has wanted to know until this time.
7. may God grant that we may not be found ungrateful of the unspeakable grace of God, which has come to us in Christ our Savior, and for such enlightenment, that we may comfort all who are in all kinds of distress with the consolation that we may be comforted by God. To Christ, the Lord of glory, be praise and glory forever, Amen.
(8) Now there is a complaint against some lords and sovereigns that they do not want to act or let act in adulterum et in desertorem; and they rather let the innocent part, which has suffered the greatest affliction, perish in body and soul, with house and property, with children, with honor and goods, etc., than that they wanted to provide justice, which they owe according to all rights. Some have conscience of it from some words of Christ. Then one should be careful not to do violence to the Lord Christ and his words, as if he had commanded the shameful wrong, to let the guilty part go free, and to weigh down the innocent part; to let Barrabam go, and to crucify Jesus. No, indeed, you should not look for such things in the words of the Lord. We know very well that even holy people have erred in this out of ignorance; unrighteous rights have been made out of this, just as out of Christ's word, so that the innocent people have also been most highly burdened before God. Christ speaks of the letter of divorce, which Moses allowed the Jews, because of their hardness of heart. Out of ignorance, this was later applied by force to other things, as is clear from the measure of adultery, in the words of Christ: "He who divorces his wife, except for the sake of fornication," etc. How finely the unrighteous rhyme with the word of Christ! Then you see that your conscience is not based on Christ's word, but on error and unrighteousness. Dear sirs, from another's skin is good to cut. You shall not let the innocent be weighed down with your erroneous conscience, but save them, as you desire in your distresses, that God may provide us all with the
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Holy Church of Christ. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." This is God's natural right, against which no right or law shall be valid, as it is held in our Consistoriis in adulterum et in desertorem, namely with a divine and Christian Proceß Juris, so that no one thinks that we handle these two casibus desolately, and that he wants to be the pious ruler, so that he lets the guilty go free and the innocent perish. O delicious law etc.; this may be read in the booklet,2) which I have written about it.
(9) But of the children whom we cannot baptize, I exhort all preachers to bring this doctrine to the preaching stands, and see to it that this booklet is in every home. The students and pious people among us are also guilty before God to send the booklet to other countries. You all know why.
The 29th Psalm.
A Psalm of David.
Summa D. Martini Luthers,
This psalm is a prophecy of the gospel, how it should resound with power in all the world, and put to shame all kings, princes, rulers, nations, wisdom, holiness and glory, and Christ alone should be the king, whom one should serve and honor with right wisdom and holiness. For this purpose he also causes the flood of sin of baptism, in which the old Adam is drowned and the new man arises.
(2) He called the deserts, the forests, the hills, the countries of the world, which were among the Jews and the Gentiles, all of which he opened, and converted to the gospel. It belongs in the third commandment and in the other petition.
V. 1. 2. Bring unto the Lord, ye mighty ones, bring unto the Lord glory and strength. Bring glory to the Lord for his name, worship the Lord in holy adornment.
1) Instead of "but" it should be read "allhie". See Wittenberg edition (1553), vol. VI, p. 286, where it is explained how it is done in Wittenberg.
2) Bugenhagen's book: "Von Ehesachen. Vom Ehebruch und weglaufen," dedicated to King Christian III of Denmark, 1539, is printed in the Wittenberg edition (1553), vol. VI, p. 284.
3 The Holy Spirit cries out here with the gospel of Christ into the whole world, among Jews and Gentiles, that all kingdoms and principalities, that is, the powers that be, without doubt, with their subjects, should honor and praise God for His grace and mercy shown to us in Christ, calling upon Him and praying in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the right worship in spirit and truth, John 4:23. And the right honor of God and His name is when we pray, "Hallowed be Your name," that we believe that God is our Father, who provides for us in body and soul, and that we preach this about Him, and call upon Him with faith and confidence that He will hear us and graciously do all things for us, for Christ's sake.
(4) So we give him glory and strength when we rely on his grace to do all things, and our works, righteousness, ability, and merit are nothing to save us or to blot out sin, as Mary sings, "He has done great things for me, who is mighty, and whose name is holy." Yes, that we may give him perfect glory and strength, we must heartily confess that we are condemned for sin, that no creature in heaven or on earth can help us, and that our merit belongs to hell.
5. But no one can come to give glory and strength to God unless he alone receives Christ, the Son of God, who died for us, with faith. If you have the Son, you have the Father also. Otherwise, what is said about God, written and performed in worship over the whole world, is only a dream and blasphemy without Christ and outside of Christ, as we have often written before in other Psalms. For so Christ says John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me." We Christians have also experienced this. For through faith in Christ we receive a good conscience before God and the Holy Spirit, but through our understanding, ability, actions and wills we will never be able to do so for eternity.
6 Therefore the Holy Spirit here demands of the whole world that they believe the gospel of Christ and accept Christ, with these words: "Give glory and strength to God and his name. For the gospel is nothing else but a preaching of God's glory in Christ, as it is said in Psalm 19:2: "The heavens tell the glory of God." See Rom. 3, 21, how Paul testifies to all this clearly and gloriously: "The righteousness that is valid before God is now open.
without the help of the law, and testified by the law and the prophets, but I say" etc.; read from now on. You see that here too. For the whole world is called here to praise God, they have law or no law, they are circumcised or uncircumcised, have God's sacrifice or not. Thus the Old Testament is abandoned, and there is no longer a difference of persons, as St. Paul says, Gal. 3, 26: "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus" etc.
(7) But how the mighty, the wise and the self-sanctified stand by the gospel when it comes to them is stated in the other psalm. That God nevertheless wants to have some of them (though not many, 1 Cor. 1, 26.) is indicated by this Psalm, and also by the other Psalm, item, the 72nd Psalm and many other writings of the prophets, which also say of all kings and peoples, not that all people should come, but that no people should be excluded, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, Whales, Indians, Poles, Germans etc.
But that the Holy Spirit says here to the mighty, and to the whole world, who give God glory and strength through faith in Christ: "Pray to the Lord in holy adornment", is publicly an abrogation of the old priesthood in the Law. For the priests of the law had special clothing when they performed their duties, and it was especially a great pomp when the high priest was to pray and sacrifice publicly before God, as it is written in the 2nd book of Moses, chap. 28, 3. ff., which are called the holy garments or the holy ornaments.
But here the Holy Spirit calls all the world, without distinction of persons, young, old, woman, man, etc., and invites them into the temple, that is, into the Christian church, or kingdom of heaven, as Christ calls it, as it says: "And in his temple everyone will give him glory," that is, preach, praise, give thanks, pray, as it is said in Ps. 23, that we are in Christ, the eternal King and Priest, in God's kingdom.
But in the kingdom of the world there is now another form with kings and lords, and we must have priests in the spiritual government, who preach the gospel to us, and also interpret the holy scriptures to us. But of spiritual kings and priests, that is all orthodox Christians, Peter says 1 Petr. 2, 9. from 2 Mos. 19, v. 6: "You are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, the people of ownership, that you should proclaim the virtue of Him who called you from darkness to His marvelous light" etc. And the faithful say to the Lamb of God, Revelation 5,
9. f.: "Thou hast slain, and hast bought us with thy blood out of all kindreds and tongues, people and nations, and hast made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall be kings upon the earth."
(11) The royal and priestly garments, or holy ornaments, are that we be Christians, with the righteousness which we have in Christ Jesus, as it is written in the 132nd Psalm, v. 16: "Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints rejoice. And again, "Their priests will I clothe with salvation, and their saints shall rejoice." Paul also says Rom. 13,14: "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ", and Gal. 3, 27: "As many of you as were baptized have put on Christ" etc. This garment could also be put on by Annas and Caiphas. Caiphas, and other godless priests; but this no one puts on, unless he is pious and righteous before God. Yes, the dressing is the piety before God and before the people, that we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, and lead thereafter, as the dear children of God, an honest and Christian life, as it is said of the kingdom of Christ, that is, of the Christians Is. 60, 21: "Your people shall be righteous in all things, and shall inherit the earth forever, as the branch of my planting and the work of my hands, to my praise."
(12) When we are thus clothed with the sacred ornament, whether we are men or women, we come forth publicly, and perform the proper priestly office: we confess Christ, and preach and teach our children, servants, and assistants. For St. Augustine says to his citizens: "What we are in the church, you are also in your homes, that is, we are bishops or preachers in the community, and you are required to be bishops or preachers in your homes. Therefore, you must take care of your household by the word of God, as we do for the whole church, as Paul admonishes parents in Eph. 6:4: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in discipline and admonition to the Lord." Item, we come before God, our dear Father, in the name of Christ, and pray with faith, believing that we will be heard, as Christ promised us John 14 and 16.
(13) Dearly beloved, let me be lord and priest, which are the children and heirs of God; not of Aaron, but of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God, the everlasting King and everlasting Priest, who filleth all things in all, Eph. 1. To such graces and divine honors, as I have said, the whole world is here required.
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V. 3-9. The voice of the Lord goes on the waters, the God of honor thunders, the Lord on great waters. The voice of the Lord goes with power. The voice of the Lord goes gloriously. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars, the Lord breaketh the cedars in Lebanon, and maketh them lick like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of the Lord heapeth as flames of fire. The voice of the Lord stirs up the deserts. The voice of the Lord thrills the deserts of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord stirs up the winds and strips the forests bare.
(14) The gospel comes first like a thunder and tempest, which is especially terrible on the sea and the waters, which breaks the trees of the forest, even the tall cedar trees of Mount Lebanon in Syria, and the trees of Mount Hermon, which the Zidonians call Sirion. But the Amorites call it Senir, as it is written in Deut. 3, 9, that the pieces and splinters leap and jump like calves and young unicorns. This is a horrible dancing, since also at times the weather lights a fire and burns and skins wherever it hits. The deserts also tremble from the thunderclap, as the great desert of Kadesh, Genesis 16, where the dogs, as stupid animals, tremble and run, so that they also tend to go unadvised with the fruit of their bodies in such a terrible storm.
(15) The forests are also stripped bare when thunder and weather strike and make a terrible mess.
God has also often brought such terrible judgment upon the wicked, the despisers of God, by His voice. For He judges all things by His word alone, Ps. 33, 6. When, in the Red Sea against Pharaoh and his army, the voice of the Lord went strong and glorious over the waters that were divided, letting the children of Israel pass through, and drowning the Egyptians, Ex. 14, 28. How horribly He destroyed the proud trees of Lebanon and Sirion, that is, the kings and mighty men who dwelt there, 5 Mös. 3 that the children of Israel might take their land! How he punished the godless apostate Jews in the wilderness, Deut. 21:5 ff, and in the desert of Kadesh, Deut. 15.
17) All this is nothing else than that the voice of the Lord, that is, the gospel, comes only with the preaching of the law, or with the preaching of repentance, so that people recognize their sin, inability, error and condemnation, by which they are terrified, know no counsel and fall from all presumption before the judgment of God.
These are vain thunderbolts and terrible storms in their consciences, so that they must perish completely, unless a gracious rain and God's grace, or the sermon of grace, that is, the forgiveness of sins through Christ, follows soon after. This is what Christ thus says John 16:9: "When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, shall come, he will punish the world for the sin of unbelief, and for righteousness, and for judgment." And St. Paul Rom. 1, 18: "God's wrath from heaven will be revealed against all ungodly conduct and unrighteousness of men who hold up the truth in unrighteousness. "etc. Thus, God's judgment must first come upon us with the preaching of the Holy Spirit, as you see in Acts 2. 2. otherwise God's righteousness in Christ cannot be given to us, Rom. 3.
18. the voice of the Lord is glorious and splendid, God's judgment and punishment pierces through, it wants to be unnoticed, everything must be under the feet of Christ, whether with grace or without grace, Ps. 110. As St. Paul also says Rom. 3,19: "That every mouth may be stopped up and all the world may be guilty of God, so that no flesh may be justified before Him by the work of the law, for through the law only comes knowledge of sin. Item, v. 23: "They are all sinners and lack the glory they should have in God" etc. The sermon is opposed, but it prevails and triumphs over the great men, priests and bishops. Summa, it causes great noise, as Christ says Matth. 10, 34: "You shall not think that I have come to send peace on earth" etc. Now follow the sermon of grace with the Gospel.
And in his temple everyone will say honor to him.
19 Secondly, the gospel with its proper nature comes to such frightened and afflicted hearts as a rain of grace and sunshine after the thunder and cruel storm. For it preaches Christ and in Christ forgiveness of sins, a gracious God, gives the Holy Spirit and eternal life, as Christ says Matth. 11,5. from Is. 61: "To the miserable or poor the gospel is preached." This is actually the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, where one has forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Christ, which also the children of Christians have, whom we baptize into Christ, as Christ says: "The kingdom of such children is the kingdom of heaven" etc. This is where the glory of God first comes to people when they believe in Christ, recognize forgiveness, and are saved.
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of sins, know that they are blessed and children of God, have the Holy Spirit and a gracious Father; so they confess such grace of God in Christ, give thanks, preach and praise God's name that He does everything, that we may be enlightened from our error, be freed from our sins, be provided for this and that life, and henceforth live well and Christianly etc., as is said at the end of the 22nd Psalm, praying and calling on God, our dear Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: this is the right worship and honor, which honor is demanded of all in the beginning of this Psalm; but here the Holy Spirit prophesies that it will be rendered by all.
But mark all the words:
20) First, he says, "Everyone"; for here there is no distinction of Jews or Greeks, of pious or lost sheep or sinners, of priests or laymen, etc. as said before.
21 Secondly, he says: "Everyone will say glory", confess, praise, preach and call. There he gives everyone the priestly office to come before God; as also said before.
(22) Thirdly, by the word "him" all our glory is excluded from free will, from the works of our wisdom and righteousness, for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. That we may say, as it is written in the 115th Psalm [v. 1], "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy grace and truth"; as we also desire and ask, "Hallowed be thy name" etc.
23) Fourth, he says, "In his temple," so that he may lead everyone into the priesthood in a bad way. For to preach and praise God publicly in the temple is certainly a priestly office.
24) But the temple of God is no longer the temple at Jerusalem, since one stone did not remain upon another, Matth. 24, 2, much less another temple, but the temple of God is the holy church, that is, Christianity, or the true Christians, who believe forgiveness of sins through Christ alone; which temple is called in the Gospel the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of heaven; as St. Paul says 1 Cor. 3: "The temple of God is holy. Paul says in 1 Cor. 3: "The temple of God is holy, which is you"; and in 6>, v. 15.19.: "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make whores' members of them? Be it far from me. Or do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and are not yourselves, for you were bought with money" etc.
The Lord sits to cause a flood of sin.
(25) Here is the way it is to be done in the kingdom of heaven on earth, and how men are to enter (as he says) into the temple of God, that they may come in, praising and glorifying Christ the King who sits and reigns forever; namely, not with circumcision, as before the infants of the Jews, Genesis 17, nor with sacrifices, as before the maidens of the Jews, Genesis 12, but with the blessed flood of sin, that is, with water baptism, sanctified with Christ's word and command. 17, nor with sacrifices, as before of the Jewish maidens, Deut. 12, but with the blessed flood of sin, that is, with water baptism, sanctified with Christ's word and command, Eph. 5, 26, "which is a regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom God has abundantly poured out in us through Christ", Titus 3, 6.
In this flood of sin, as Peter says 1 Petr. 3, 21. and St. Paul Rom. 6, 4. the old condemned man is drowned with all his sins, and becomes a new man, accepted by Christ, and trusts Christ with a covenant of grace, as a bride trusts a bridegroom, so that there is a good conscience with God through the resurrection etc. Christ tells Matthew in the last v. 19: "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And Marci at the last, v. 16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" etc. and Joh. at the 3rd, v. 3: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" etc. This is a better flood of sin over the whole world (as Christ says: "Go into all the world" etc.) than the one that happened in Noah's time, when the whole world was destroyed and only eight souls were saved, as it is written in Genesis 7.
With this blessed flood of sin we are taken into the kingdom of Christ, that we may have forgiveness of sins with the Holy Spirit, and be children of God, eternally blessed through Christ alone. Which is entirely the kingdom of heaven on earth. For here the text says: "The Lord", that is, Christ, as Moses, the prophets and psalms say, Luke last of all, "sits", that is, he is King and reigns, as in the 110th Psalm, v. 1: "Sit at my right hand" etc. Where? "In the temple", as said, that is, in Christianity, where unfortunately the Antichrist has also sat down in these last times, to deceive even the elect, if it is possible, as Christ prophesied Matth. 24, 24. and Paul 2 Thess. 2,4. as if he says that the evil one sits in the temple of God etc.
But for what purpose is Christ seated and king in his temple or kingdom of heaven? Answer: "to cause a flood of sin". This must be a flood of grace, so that the Lord will reign as a king.
a king to help his people and make them blessed, and not as a tyrant or judge to destroy the people. Yes, as it says here, his kingdom will be this flood of sin, so that no one will be taken into the kingdom of heaven or Christ's kingdom who does not enter this flood of sin, as has been said. This is why Christ's baptism is called a door or entrance to the kingdom of heaven, because all who are baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Gal. 3:27.
(29) Into this holy flood of sin we also lead and bring our children, baptizing them with the baptism of Christ in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; let not the Anabaptists hinder us. We do right, and it would be wrong and sinful if we did not.
For Christ rebukes those who would not bring the little children to him, saying plainly, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such (that is, the children who are brought to me) is the kingdom of heaven," Ma2c. 10, 14, that is, they have forgiveness of sins, righteousness, the Holy Spirit. Christ is their own, and in Christ they have a gracious Father in heaven, and eternal life.
(31) To this Christ gives utterance and swears, v. 15: "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter therein. Further, Christ is also most kind to children who are brought to Him, as you read Ma2c. 10:16: "He favors them, and lays his hands on them, and blesses them." So that he makes it clear that the promise of God, which God swore to Abraham, Gen. 22:18: "Through your seed (that is, through Christ, Gal. 3) shall be blessed," that is, get forgiveness of sins and blessedness, "all nations on earth." It also belongs to the children. For the children do belong among the nations; indeed, if we had no children, whence would we get nations? Otherwise he would have to have said: Through Christ all nations on earth shall be blessed, except the little children. No, devil! Christ cherishes and blesses our children, whom we bear and sacrifice to him.
(32) Then he received the children with such ceremonies, ways, and sacraments as he pleased, and as it pleased him, namely, with hearts, kisses, laying on of hands, and blessing, which is beatification. But now he accepts them with his baptism, and makes a covenant with them, as he did before with the infants in circumcision. He himself commanded us such a sacrament, that by it men should be received into the kingdom of heaven.
For here it is written: The Lord Christ "sitteth to make a flood of sin". If a flood of sin drowns the great, then the children are truly drowned with it, yes, first of all. Now the flood of sin goes over the whole kingdom of Christ, into the whole world. For unless someone is born again through water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. The Anabaptists say: Where is it written that one should baptize children? Yes, dear, where is it written that one should not baptize them? Christ says in the last verse of Matthew 19: "Go ye into all the world, and teach all nations, and baptize them. Should there not be children among all nations?
(34) Yes, they say, little children cannot yet be taught as Christ says, therefore they should not be baptized. Answer: Since Christ is not preached, and since Christ's name is unknown, neither the great nor the small should be baptized; they should first be taught, and then baptized, as it was in the world, to which Christ sent his gospel, saying, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" etc. But where Christ's name is preached and known, and people are baptized with the baptism of Christ, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Christians should also bring their children to Christ, teaching and baptizing them as Christ commanded, and not neglecting any of them; teaching when we can, and baptizing when we can. We can baptize the little children when they are newly born, but we cannot teach them before they grow up. So Abraham had his children, who could not yet learn, circumcised on the eighth day for an eternal covenant with God, but did not teach them until they were grown, as God says of him, Gen. 18:19: "I know that Abraham will command his children, and his household after him, to keep the ways of the Lord, and to do that which is right and good, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He promised him."
35. Christ says that the kingdom of heaven is entirely for the children who are brought to him, and these fools want to shut the door to the kingdom of heaven for them, that is, to forbid the baptism of Christ. Should I not speak here like Peter, Apost. 10:17: "May any man forbid that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost, even as we also?" St. Peter saw the Holy Spirit fall on the Gentiles and heard them speak with tongues; therefore, baptism should not be forbidden to them, but given. Here we hear Christ Himself speaking, who cannot lie that the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God has come.
He knows very well that they cannot yet hear or learn, as the Anabaptists pretend; therefore, the door of heaven, that is, the baptism of Christ, should not be forbidden to them.
They are not without God's word, as the Anabaptists proclaim. For this is first their word, the promise of God, so that they may be blessed by Christ: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of God" etc. For this purpose they also received and accepted God's word and eternal covenant with Christ when they received and accepted baptism. For baptism is not without the Word of God, therefore it is also not without the Holy Spirit and without Christ, as St. Paul says Eph. 5, 26: that "Christ has cleansed His church (where there are also children inside) by the bath of water in the Word" etc., and Gal. 3, 27, as it is often said: "All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ", since there is no difference etc.
37. They say: The children have no understanding, they cannot speak etc. Yes, dear one, the children of the Jews, who were circumcised, could not do all these things, but were nevertheless taken into the covenant of God. And see thou make not a human merit of thy understanding to hear, to learn, and to speak, or to confess Christ, as though thou wert therefore accepted, and the children were not accepted, because they could not do these things. Christ says, "Truly, unless one accepts the kingdom of God as a little child, he will not enter it." That is, it must be recognized that there is only grace in Christ, that we are accepted by God; so that you should not do or seek any work or merit, not even that you learn the gospel and confess Christ, although you should learn and confess Christ, just as you see an example of grace in the little children accepted by Christ, who do not yet learn or confess with their mouths, and bring nothing to Christ but sin. In addition, you will also hear whether the Anabaptists do not understand that Christ freely and obviously confesses that the little children accept God's kingdom with the word: "Unless someone accepts the kingdom of God as a little child" etc.
(38) The devil would gladly put out of our sight the example of grace in the infants (since no work or merit can be conceived) by the doctrine of the Anabaptists, who say, "The infants must wait until they become like us; they cannot yet hear or speak. But Christ pushes them back, turns them around and says:
No, dear fellows, you must become like the little children, otherwise you will not enter. If the children have no understanding, they cannot speak, but Christ has understanding enough, and speaks for the children with right earnestness: "Let the little children come to me" etc. Let the man speak, he has a good language, better than all the Anabaptists.
39. as circumcision was a covenant with God, when God said to the child, You are mine, I am yours, though you cannot speak nor have understanding, so also baptism is a covenant with Christ, when Christ says to the child, You are mine, I am yours etc. But, as I said, our children are not without God's promise and word, even though they do not yet learn, just as the children in the circumcision were not without God's word. And even though the children cannot confess Christ with their mouths, they still confess Christ with the sign, with the sacrament or baptism, that they will suffer and die in Christ, and in Christ have forgiveness of sins and eternal life; just as the children of old confessed God's covenant with circumcision, and that they were God's people. For thus it is written Gen. 17:14: "My covenant shall be in your flesh, and the soul of the child that is not circumcised shall be cut off from among his people. For he hath made void my covenant." An Anabaptist would say: "Well, the child does not know about it, what can he do about it? How can the child break the covenant of the Lord, who knows nothing about it? This means mastering God's word and grace with our reason.
(40) I ask the Anabaptists: Shall we not bring our children to Christ in baptism, that they may be born again through water and the Holy Spirit, as said, because Christ commanded us such manner and sacrament, that he might make a covenant with us of eternal life: what then are they in the meantime, or where do they go if they die before they grow up? To this question the Anabaptists do not all say one thing. For some say: the children have no sin, therefore they are not damned. This denies original sin, contrary to Scripture, as it is said in the 51st Psalm, and contrary to our experience. The others, who confess original sin, say: "The judgment of the children must be entrusted to the secret judgment of God. Thus the devil wants us to put God's gracious promise out of our sight, so that we are assured and grope in darkness with God's secret judgments.
41 But we say that children are conceived and born in sins, and cannot be saved.
We are to become one with Christ, to whom we carry them in baptism. Here we have a salvation of grace, sure and certain: "Let the little children come to me" etc. We do not want to be deprived of this. This does not mean God's secret judgment and dark delusion, but God's gracious promise that the kingdom of heaven is our children's own if they are brought to Christ. For without Christ there is no salvation. Therefore the Turkish and Jewish children are not blessed, for they are not brought to Christ.
From the unborn children.
(42) I say more, upon the same promise of Christ: that the parents, or others who are with them, may and should, while the child is still in the womb, with thanksgiving, commend it to Christ, take it up in prayer, and offer or offer it to him with this or that kind of prayer: We give you thanks, dear heavenly Father, that you have blessed us with fruit of the womb. Dear Lord JEsu Christe, let this child be yours, as you have said: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such is the kingdom of God." On this promise of yours we bring this child to you with our prayer, and when it is born and comes into our hands, we will gladly bring it to you and carry it to you in baptism etc.
(43) The prayer may be made in other words, but there is nothing to it; if it comes only from Christ's promise of the child, then we should certainly believe that Christ accepts the child, and not leave it to the secret judgment of God.
44 For we have two strong assurances of Jesus Christ, which he hath not withheld from us, that we may firmly believe these things. One is that he called us to pray in his name and graciously promised an answer, swearing: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, it will be yes," John 16:23 and many other times. The other is of the little children, "Such is the kingdom of heaven, let them come unto me." Here we Christians should know, when we bring the children to Christ in baptism, or with our prayer, that we bring them to Christ personally, and that he also accepts them personally. For Christ is in his word and promise, in his sacrament, and in our commanded prayer, yes, even in ourselves powerful, present and essential. O an inexpressible grace of God!
45. Christ swears and tells us to answer our prayer, but we should ask "according to God".
So the other promise of the infants assures us that we ask according to His will when we ask that He accept our children and let them be His, and gives them the kingdom of heaven, that is, forgiveness of sins, and the Holy Spirit. What is lacking here? Is this not clear enough for true Christians, that we do not need to entrust it to the secret judgment of God? Shall we throw to the wind and despise such a rich promise of the infants?
46. that Christ also wants to accept the children before they receive the commanded sacrament externally, he proved in John the Baptist, to whom he gave the kingdom of heaven, that is, the Holy Spirit, in the womb before he was born and circumcised, Luc. 1, 44. and Jacob was pleasant before he was born, Rom. 9, 13.
(47) Yes, you say, Christ nevertheless says, "Unless one is born again of water and the Spirit," etc., the unborn children do not receive the water of baptism. Answer: Because Christ accepts them, which we bring to him with our prayer, as I said, the Holy Spirit is there with forgiveness of sins, but the water is there in desire; we heartily desire that [it] may come about that we also bring them to Christ in baptism. The desire and good will (because it cannot be otherwise now) Christ accepts for full. For then Christ is given faith and glory in his promise of the infants and his order and command of baptism, that it is true and right for salvation. Therefore he himself baptizes with the Holy Spirit, just as he received the infants through the Holy Spirit with his blessing, without the outward baptism of water, when he said, "Let the infants come to me"; there is certain blessedness and the kingdom of heaven.
48 Again, he that can have baptism, and thus saith, What shall a handful of water profit? cannot be saved. For he despises the word of God and the ordinance of Christ, and thinks Christ a fool who commanded and ordained useless things. How easily should the fanatic have despised circumcision, and not have accepted God's covenant, because it was very mocking in the sight of reason? We can bring our children to Christ with our prayer alone, because we cannot baptize them, which would not be enough if we could baptize them. For then we must bring them to Christ in baptism, according to his ordinance, that he may make an everlasting covenant with them in baptism, as he made an everlasting covenant with them in circumcision, Genesis 17:11. For this we do not do,
if we can, would be nothing else but a contempt of divine word and order, and the judgment of God went right, as said of circumcision, v. 14: "The soul of the child that is not circumcised shall be cut off from his people." And of baptism: "Whoever is not born again of water and the Holy Spirit" etc. Joh. 3, 5.
49. But if you say here: The Scripture says Eph. 2, 3: "We are all born children of wrath", how then can the unborn children be accepted by Christ in God's grace? Item, Christ says Joh. 3: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, ye must be born elsewhere"; how then can be born elsewhere by the Holy Spirit, who is not yet born of the flesh? so I answer: St. Paul says thus (though it is commonly spoken in other words, there is no great matter): "We were all children of wrath, even as the others." When? Even while we were still in our mother's womb, conceived in sins, Psalm 51. But the word "born" in Scripture does not always mean the outward birth, when the child comes from the womb, but also when it speaks of our incarnation, it is called "born" in Scripture, when the child comes to life in the womb, as it is clearly stated in Matth. 1, 20: "That which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit. This was Christ. But we were not conceived and born of the Holy Spirit, but of Adam out of the flesh in sins and damnation, even when we were not yet born into the world out of our mother's womb and came into the day, but were still in our mother's womb; then we were born, that is, became real natural and living human beings with body and soul, condemned in Adam. Therefore the poor children also in the womb need to be born again with the Holy Spirit through Christ, as we now speak of them, who were previously born of Adam through the flesh to condemnation, that is, men with body and soul in the womb, and cannot be saved without Christ, to whom we bear the children according to His word.
(50) Here I will put a question to thee, answer me aright: If I were an undoing Gentile or Jew, and a prisoner under the Turks, where I could get no water, as some are left to starve and thirst to death. But a Christian would be caught in the same distress, and he would hear and preach Christ to me; and the Holy Spirit would come into my heart, that I might believe the gospel. But because I also heard,
that I also should be baptized with water, I desired with all my heart that I might be baptized with water baptism according to Christ's command. Should I be condemned because I cannot have water? Should not Christ, in whom I believe, be forgiveness of sins and eternal life to me, because I do not despise water baptism, but desire it with all my heart? Yes, dear one, in times of need Christ himself baptizes with his Holy Spirit, through faith, as Peter says of the Gentiles who received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized, in the house of Cornelii, Apost. 15, 9: "God cleansed their hearts through faith."
(51) If this is true, why should it not apply to these unborn children whom we cannot baptize, and yet carry them to Christ with our prayer on His promise: "Let the children come to Me" etc.? Our children are no more joined to baptism before they are born, than the children of the Jews are joined to circumcision before the eighth day, and yet they are not without the baptism of Christ, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, if we bring them to him, upon his promise, as I said, for without Christ there is no kingdom of heaven or salvation.
The Anabaptists make excuses and say: Christ says nothing about baptism, since he says about the infants. But thanks be to Christ in eternity, who has given us such a promise of the infants, without the annex of baptism, that we may also accept the promise for our children who are still in their mother's womb. He says badly: "The kingdom of heaven is the children that are brought to me. Now we can also carry the children in the womb to Christ with our prayer, as said. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is also for these children, that is, they are accepted by Christ, baptized with the Holy Spirit according to His promise, have forgiveness of sins in Christ, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. What else could be called "the kingdom of heaven"?
God also proved this in St. John the Baptist, whom He accepted, sanctified and baptized with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb, Luc. 1, 44, who later, by God's command, Luc. 3, began to baptize other people, even Christ Himself wanted to be baptized by him. Who had baptized the Baptist with water before?
(54) The unholy Anabaptists do not see that the word and promise through the ministry of preaching in Christianity, and the prayer of Christians for the promise, is so powerful, and that one can bring an unborn child to Christ as well as a born child. Item, they also do not see how warmly Christ takes care of the children who are brought to him,
and desires and demands of us that the children should be brought to him. Oh how often he looked at the poor children while he was still here on earth, and he lamented about the children and the whole human race's fall and damnation.
55. But that he was and still is of this mind, he has well proved by deed. He became man and redeemed us with his precious blood; he not only became great for the sake of the great, but also a child, so that the children who are brought to him may also be his fellow men. Yes, he was also borne in a virgin's womb, so that the children in the womb who are brought to him should also be his fellow men, as Isa. 9, 6. It is written of Christ: "A child is born to us" etc. What does "us" mean? I mean yes, it means us humans, as in the symbol Niceno is sung: Qui propter nos homines &c. [which for us men etc.]. A foolish man may say that our children are not men, but Christ is born, not only when he is placed in the manger in Bethlehem, but also, as I said, in the womb, as the angel says Matth. 1, 20: "That which is born in her is of the Holy Spirit.
(56) A corrupt flood of sin drowns not only the great, but also most of the small children, even the children in their mother's womb. So also this blessed flood passes over all, young and old people. Yes, says a scoffer, cows and horses also drown in a destructive flood, should cows and horses also belong to this blessed flood of baptism? Dear, do not scoff, we are well protected and insured with God's word. The Psalm, or the Holy Spirit in the Psalm, does not prophesy that this salvific flood belongs in the cowshed, but will be nowhere but in the temple of God, that is, in the kingdom of Christ, where everyone gives glory to God, where the Lord Christ will sit and remain King forever, as the text clearly says. So that one cannot understand here a corrupt flood of sin, but only a flood of grace in the temple of God, in the Kingdom of Heaven, since the people are not killed with the flood of sin, but they are made alive and saved, since the old Adam with his sins and death is drowned, and the people are born anew, without sin in Christ JEsu to eternal life; since people (who were previously godless and damned, and knew nothing of God's grace and mercy) praise and glorify God, and always give Him glory, as St. Paul says Rom. Paul says Rom. 3, 23: "Here there is no difference, they
are all sinners, and lack the glory they should have in God" etc.
In the temple or kingdom of Christ are all the people who come to Christ. But also the little children come to him, who are brought to him, as he himself says: "Let the little children come to me" etc., and says Joh. 6,37: "All that my Father gives me comes to me, and whoever comes to me, I will not cast out" etc. These all belong to this wholesome flood of sin in the temple of God, accepted by Christ, as he also says of the little children, "Such is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are outside and do not come to Christ are not concerned with this blessed flood of sin.
58 Item, St. Paul 1 Cor. on the 10th Cap., v. 1.2, says: "Our fathers all passed through the Red Sea, and were all baptized under Moses, with the cloud and with the sea" etc. Dearly beloved, see well what Paul saith, whether he also exclude the children, when he saith, "All our fathers were all baptized under Moses." When they went through the Red Sea, many of the fathers (since Paul says, "All our fathers" etc.) were still children, even many of them, as little children, were carried through on their arms; in addition, many of the fathers were still in their mother's womb, and were thus carried through still unborn. Yes, the children, born and unborn, who were carried and led through the Red Sea, are the very fathers who came into the Promised Land after forty years; the men who were redeemed from Egypt all perished in the wilderness, without Joshua and Caleb; they saw the water and death (because Pharaoh followed them) behind and in front, and on all sides: Nor did small and great, born and unborn, have to pass through such death and terror, and God delivered them thus. This was God's sacrament and miraculous deed, against all reason and human hope; this is what Paul means, that they were all baptized in Moses (that is, on Moses' teaching, which was God's word) with the cloud and with the sea, as Christ says: with the water and the Holy Spirit.
59 Here a scoffer says: They also drove cattle through the sea, and cows, were they also baptized? Dear, the cows are not our fathers, Paul says of our fathers. Yes, say the Anabaptists, the little children did not understand the passage and baptism, much less the children in the womb, therefore such baptism, as Paul says, was of no use. Oh, you swarmer! It is God's command, it is God's work and salvation, nor do you say that it was of no use to them. Is it not useful, as the whole
How can the world see that God has redeemed them with His word and miraculous work and brought them to life, who otherwise, young and old, born and unborn, would have been miserably killed by Pharaoh? Do not swarm to death.
60. see what happened before in Egypt, Exodus 1:22. the infants that Pharaoh drowned before the eighth day, uncircumcised, are both holy martyrs and the others drowned after circumcision. We must also confess the same about the children whom Herod had killed and put to death for the sake of Christ etc. Matth. 2, 16.
61 Let the enthusiasts go. God is especially fond of children and has provided for them to be brought to Him, and He accepts them warmly, as He proves by His promises and works. If the Jews had not wanted to lead some of the children into danger, into the sea, but had left them on the shore, the poor children would have been betrayed and lost, and Pharaoh would have eaten them up. But when they have to go by God's command, no matter how hard it is for them, they take their children with them and leave no man behind, and God takes care of the children as well as the old ones, and knows nothing at all about the foul talk of the Anabaptists, so that they say that the children know nothing and have no understanding. Oh, dear one, let our dear God have knowledge and understanding, who is pleased with the children, to accept them, and to make an everlasting covenant with them. Of whom now Christ says: "Let the little children come to me" etc.
62 Lastly, I will leave it as it is read in the Acts of the Apostles, that the apostles baptized the whole house, since there is no doubt that children belong to it, most of all; for without children no house or family will remain. Also I will leave the histories, as one finds in the writings of the fathers, that the Christians baptized the children, from the times of the apostles on, as is often written in other books. Behold, I will shew thee (against all re-baptizers) how careful the Holy Ghost hath been for the children of the Jews and Gentiles, that they also might belong unto the grace and baptism of Christ. Just on the day of Pentecost, when the apostles had received the Holy Spirit that the gospel might go forth into all the world, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, appears with the first sermon, and preaches of Christ and his baptism to the Jews, from Joel; but he does not forget us who are born Gentiles, as Joel also remembered us.
Thus Peter says, as it is written in Acts 2:38 ff. 2:38.ff.: "Repent, and be thawed every man.
If you pray in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are feme, whom God our Lord will call" etc. So also Joel said, "It shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be salvation, as the Lord hath promised, even among the rest whom the Lord shall call."
64 In the first sermon, when the Gospel was to go out into the whole world, you hear that the Holy Spirit Himself promises the promised blessedness in Christ in clear, unambiguous words, saying: "For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are far off" (that is, to the Gentiles, Eph. 2. Isaiah 57), "whom God", our Lord, "will call with the Gospel. Is it our children alone who have grown up? No, indeed, they are also our children, who are still in the cradle, yes, who are still begotten by us, and are carried in their mother's womb, they are our heirs. Ask all reasonable men, ask all right men, and they will say that they are children; ask Christ Himself, and you will hear: "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" etc.
Let us see how the matter stood. Peter, through the Holy Spirit, speaks to the Jews. Now the Jews had hitherto had such a church of God, and had been such a people of God, since not only the great ones were God's people, but also the little children, with whom God made a covenant to be their God, etc. as said before. For the little children were also Abraham's seed, and God's promise is to Abraham and his seed.
66. Now if Peter, or another apostle, on the day of Pentecost or after, had said to the Jews (like the Anabaptists): Dear people, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, but let not your little children be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; but let them remain in their sins, condemned and reckoned among the devil's people, until they grow up and come to their senses: what would the Jews have answered?
67 They would have spoken freely: What Messiah or Christ is preached to us? Shall our cause be less and worse with this Christ than we have had hitherto?
Our Moses, and all the prophets of the Scriptures and preachers, prophesied and announced to us that all things would be much better for us through the Messiah than before. Until now, whoever of us has not despised God with his word, but has feared God and called upon Him for mercy, has given his children to God according to God's will, in due time with circumcision or sacrifice, and our little children have been God's people as well as the great ones. For God has been their God, according to His promise, sanctifying them with forgiveness of sins, of which it is written in Ps. 51:7: "Behold, I am begotten of sinful seed, and my mother conceived me in sins." Neither did we think that our children, who died before the time of circumcision or sacrifice, should be lost. For they were Abraham's seed, to whom God's promise belonged, and had not neglected God's covenant, Gen. 17. For we waited with the same children for the time of circumcision or sacrifice, and did not want to neglect anything in the dear children that God commanded us. Although the children did not live until that time, we brought them to God with His gracious promise, which He promised to the seed of Abraha, and in God's grace and mercy commanded such children to wait for His promise, and for the future Christ, who was promised to us, of whom we were Messiah's people, and waited for Him to come and make everything better with us, according to God's promise and promise. In this way, the little children were also God's people with us.
68 What then do they preach unto us? That the great shall be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; but our children shall remain in their sins, and be the devil's people, until they grow up, become great, and understand; but if they die first, they may go to the devil. And according to this preaching it will happen that in our homes, even though father and mother are God's people, five or six of our dearest children will be the devil's people in their sins and damnation. There we will have more devils than holy angels in our homes; there we will toil, drag, cradle, suckle with our children, the devil's limbs. What kind of being does that want to become for us? Yes, we have improved through such a Messiah, as is now preached to us!
69) Tell me who can, what the pious Jews wanted or could have said differently when Peter or another apostle, as
I would have said, preaching, "Until now, you have also brought the children to God; this shall no longer be done. Fie on you, you Anabaptist devil. No, no, the Holy Spirit in Petro knows well, and says it better from the prophet Joel [Apost. 2, 39.]: "Yours and your children is the promise." God be praised!
70 Therefore we Gentiles, who receive Christ by faith, shall also have this grace of Christ with our children, whom we bear unto Christ, nothing less than the Jews. For "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female" etc., Gal. 3,28. If you are Gentiles of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. And Peter also soon speaks of us Gentiles, for he not only says to the Jews, "Your children and yours is the promise," but he also soon adds, "and the promise is also to all who are yet afar off, whom God our Lord will call," no doubt including their children. For the Jews should not and do not have to have it better in Christ than we do. Peter also speaks of this in Joel, who says of Jews and Gentiles: "For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2) there will be salvation, as the Lord has promised, even among the other sticky ones whom the Lord will call," that is, the Gentiles whom Isaiah, Peter and Paul say have been far away, far from God, not God's people, like the Jews, Rom 9:4, etc. With such an opinion of the children, and with the promises of God, promised by Moses and the prophets and preached by the apostles, Christ agrees, and says: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them" etc.
(71) I have said all this about this salvific flood of baptism, about all who are in the temple of Christ, that is, in Christendom, the church or kingdom of Christ, in which everyone gives glory to him (as the Psalm clearly prophesies here) with their children, born and unborn, if they bring these children to Christ. For without Christ there is no forgiveness of sins, sanctification or blessedness. No man can be saved, but must remain eternally lost and damned, who does not come to Christ. "But all that comes to Christ," as He Himself says John 6:37, "He does not cast out." Even the little children who are brought to him come to Christ. As he says of the little children brought to him: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for such (not the children of the Jews or the Turks, but these children who are brought to me) is the kingdom of heaven.
(72) And they also are brought to Christ, and come to Christ with our prayers, the little children whom we cannot baptize, and yet would gladly baptize them with all our hearts, if it comes about that we can baptize them; and Christ also accepts them, according to his promise: "All that you ask shall be yes. Item: "Let the little children come to me." Item: "Whosoever cometh to me, him will I not cast out." If they accept Christ, whether they cannot come to the water baptism of Christ; for Christ baptized them with his Holy Spirit, as he baptized infants, not with water baptism, which (as it is written in the Gospel) he accepted, embraced, and blessed, saying, "Such is the kingdom of heaven." Dearly beloved, if the kingdom of heaven be theirs, then are they well baptized, free from sins, and eternally blessed in Christ.
(73) It is not always necessary to carry people to Christ in the arms and on the shoulders, as the infants were carried, of which the evangelists write; as the gout-ridden man was carried to Christ on a bed, as if there were no other way to carry or carry someone to Christ. No, we can also bring or carry people (great or small) to Christ in distress with our prayer, as is seen in the Gospel histories, as Matth. 8, 7. There you read that the centurion (whose faith was highly praised) brings his gout-ridden servant to Christ with prayer, and yet leaves the servant at home in bed, and does not want Christ to come there; and Christ also accepts the servant, even though he does not come to him physically and visibly. This is proven by the deed. For Christ pronounces the servant well at the same hour, just as he pronounces the children blessed who are brought to him, saying: "Such is the kingdom of heaven.
74 Jn 4:50 You read that Jesus will not go down to the king's son, but soon heals him with the word. So that he will make it clear that those who come to him, and are accepted by him, are brought to him by prayer alone.
(75) Why should we not offer our unborn children to Christ with our prayers? We want to baptize them gladly and also bring them to Christ with his baptism, if it will be possible for us, and we do not despise baptism at all, which we hold high and valuable. The promises of Christ are strong and certain, that the young children whom we bring to Christ will surely come to Christ, be accepted by Christ, and be blessed. For he says, "Let the little children" etc. When he accepts them, he will know how to baptize them and wash them from all sins.
with his Holy Spirit, if it came to the point that we could not baptize them, as he himself baptized his baptizer John in his mother's womb, with his Holy Spirit.
76. not only was he made great according to his flesh, even as he would have received only the full-grown, but he was also born a little child, even borne in the womb, that such little children also, born and unborn, should be his fellows, if they come to him, that is, if they are brought to him. For he promises them forgiveness of sins and eternal life, saying, "Such is the kingdom of heaven."
This is all grace with the child, and no work or merit; there can be no dispute about merit and works, as the ungodly reason does, since there is no faith, since God's grace is not recognized in Christ. Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God, like such little children who are brought to Christ, will not enter it, says Christ.
Item, is this not also a strong and clear promise of Christ, which we cannot miss, John 6:37: "All that my Father gives me comes to me, and whoever comes to me I will not cast out"? Now the children also come to Christ who are brought to him, as he himself says; therefore he does not cast them out, but lets them go into the kingdom of heaven. For he clearly says, "Such is the kingdom of heaven."
79. but if it comes to the point that we cannot bring them to him in any other way than with our prayers, as we would also like to bring them to Christ in baptism if it were possible, we should know that Christ accepts them (no matter how weak our faith is) for the sake of his promise, since he swears to us, "Truly I tell you, whatever you ask in my name," etc. But we are to ask according to His will, as John says in the 1st epistle Cap. 5:14. Now it is proven enough that Christ's will is, and that he wants the little children (to whom he has become like) to be brought to him, and says Matth. 18, 14: "It is not your Father's will in heaven that any of these little ones should perish.
80 And if any man say, Christ speaketh of children born, and of great children, let him know that the unborn children are also lost sheep, that is, conceived in sins and condemned. Therefore we bring them to Christ, their Savior, who died for all people; he wants them, and promises them the kingdom of heaven, that is, forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life. There they are
baptized by Christ Himself and washed of all sins, taken out of the devil's kingdom and set in the kingdom of heaven.
(81) This doctrine of children, born and unborn, who are men, that is, having body and soul, who are lost in Adam, Romans 5, I hold to be true. For it is God's word and Christ's gracious promise, and I offer to answer for the doctrine if anyone will challenge and rebuke it. Human doctrine and opinion shall not be valid against such words and promises of Christ, so that salvation is promised to the little children.
(82) Therefore we Christians should not bury the children whom I would like to baptize, and cannot (as they are not yet born, and yet live in the womb, or otherwise perish in childbirth), in other places, where Christians are not buried, so that we have hitherto meant that such children are lost, as we have been taught. But if we have brought them to Christ, sacrificed and commanded them with our prayers, according to the teaching and clear promises of Christ, as you have heard, it is right that we bury them as Christians, so that we confess that we believe the strong promises of Christ, who also became a child in the womb, and John! Baptistam in his mother's womb, and baptized with his Holy Spirit in such a way that he would not baptize others with water afterward, or baptize them differently, even Christ himself.
The promises are, as often said: "Let the little children come to me".etc. The unborn children are also little children: "All that you ask, let it be yes" etc. "What comes to me, I do not push out" etc.
In order that we may further understand that the children, sacrificed to Christ and accepted by Christ, also belong with their bodies to the joyful resurrection. For St. Paul Rom. 5:18 says: "As through one man's sin condemnation came upon all men (the children who live in the womb are also men, yes, that is where all men come from), so also through one man's (Christ's) righteousness justification of life came upon all men." The children who live in the womb are also men, no doubt in the number of all men, who also receive justification of life when they are brought to Christ. For he says, "Such is the kingdom of heaven." And without Christ there is no blessedness.
85 Similarly, St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:20: "Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have died.
(who is a man in his mother's womb and became a little child), because through one man (Adam) comes death, and through one man (Christ) comes the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam they all die (even the children who live in their mother's womb), so in Christ they will all be made alive," even the children who are brought to Christ, and so come to him etc.
But what ceremonies are to be held over this burial, how much one should sound or sing, that every Christian congregation will know well. For I hear that some pastors and preachers quarrel and argue about this. Which is free, however, to do otherwise or differently, in a Christian way.
(87) About all this we ask the Anabaptists: from which church or congregation of Christ they come. For they have cut off the church or Christianity of Christ, which has come down to us from the time of the apostles, by rejecting infant baptism, calling us unbelieving Gentiles, and condemning and denying the church or Christianity as not having existed before, and only after a thousand and a half years have they raised up a church or Christianity which has not existed before. Who has called them that? The wretched devil. There you see what they are looking for. We do not want to allow them to do that. Such gates of hell do not have to overwhelm the church of Christ, Matth. 16, 18.
And the Lord sits a king forever. The Lord will give strength to his people.
It is said before that this flood of sin, which Christ as a king causes for his reign, is a flood of grace. For the text and the prophecy say that it will be in the temple of Christ, that is, in the kingdom of heaven here on earth, where everyone will give him glory. The fact that there will be a gracious flood also proves that it says here: "and the Lord sits", that is, he reigns "a king forever".
89. with this flood of sin he will be king forever, that he may graciously wash away his people in his temple from all their sins, as St. Paul says Eph. 5:27.Christ loved his church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, and cleanse it by the washing of water in the word, that he might fashion it unto himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
90 Thus Christ will reign with this flood in his temple, that is, church or kingdom of heaven, and be king forever. The Jews must not wait for another Messiah. The Antichrist with his priests and monks shall not make us any other righteousness. The Anabaptists shall not change it either. This blessed flood of sin shall pass over great and small who come to Christ in his temple. Yes, God Himself does not want to change or alter such things. This shall be the last supper, where all people are invited, with the preaching of the gospel: "He who believes and is baptized" etc. This is to remain. The Jews' circumcision and worship has been changed, but this shall never be changed.
91. "The Lord will give strength to his people." Christ, the King, will not kill his people, that is, those who believe in him, with this flood of sin, but will deliver them from death, as he delivered the children of Israel in the Red Sea, and Noah with his own in the ark. He will give them strength. First, that they may become children of God, John 1:12. He will also make them strong with His Holy Spirit against sin, the devil and the world, so that they will do much good and overcome evil with patience. He will give them grace to do much good in spiritual and temporal government, that they may abide in truth and righteousness. As this is often said in other psalms.
In addition, he says, the Lord Christ will also "bless his people," that is, provide them with various gifts both physically and spiritually; "with peace," that is, so that they will prosper, so that even the evil will prosper them for the best, for happiness, salvation and blessedness, Rom. 8:28: "We know that all things are for the best to those who love God, who are called according to the purpose." etc.
This is a gracious king and a lovely kingdom, where everything is given to the people, and the people are abundantly provided for here and forever, and must not give anything to the king, but only honor and thanks for his unspeakable grace. Praise be to God forever and ever, amen.
94 When I had written this about the infants, our dear father D. Martin Luther read it and was pleased with it, since his reverence had also ordered me to write it. He also wanted me to add a consolation to the women, who have had a bad time with childbirth before this time, and think that they have not prayed in such distresses, and have not commanded God the matter. For it is certain
True (though they did not know in such fear that they were praying) that they had prayed with unutterable groaning [Rom. 8:26], and would gladly have staked their own lives on it and lost it, that their poor little child might have been baptized; which prayer is enough when there is no other prayer.
95. But I answered my dear Father and Lord, "I have written in this scripture what God has given me, as I have forewarned, of the children; which some will think is something new. But I have, by God's grace, given this writing the guidance, and have reinforced it with God's Word in such a way that a Christian reader will take pleasure in it and thank God. I will not go further into this matter this time. But if you want to write such consolation on a note yourself, according to the understanding and grace given to you by God, I will add the same consolation with your name to my booklet. This D. Martinus did gladly, and wrote as follows?)