1. of the sacred sacraments.
2 Baptism and the Word are the greatest gifts of God.
3. whether to baptize a baby who is only half-born.
The power and effect of baptism.
5. the testimony of the Lord Christ to children.
6. of the final estate of circumcision.
7. of three kinds of baptism.
8) Holy baptism is followed by the cross.
9. arguments of D. M. Luther about infant baptism.
10. the benefits of infant baptism.
11. arguments from infant baptism.
12. warning of the sacraments to keep them well.
13. concerns of baptism, so in the emergency of women
14. that baptism is much more glorious than ordination.
15. a rule of D. M. Luther.
16. a form of D. M. Luther, Gevattern zu bitten.
17. from the baptism power.
18) Whether to baptize with warm water.
19 Of the uncertainty of baptism.
20. confirmation of infant baptism.
21) Whether the children believe and are baptized rightly.
22) Whether baptism is right, even if one does not believe.
(23) What is and is not to be done at baptism.
24. of the benefits and power of baptism.
25. an answer to D. Hieronymi Weller's question.
26) Whether a church servant who cannot use his left hand may baptize.
27. concerns of Kindbetterinnen, M. Anton Lauterbach, Pfarrherrn zu Pirna, given.
(28) That the baptism of infants should not be reproached nor despised.
' 29. a form of baptizing the Jews.
1. of the sacred sacraments.
God (said D. Mart. Luther Anno 1531) has often changed his sacraments and signs in the world. For from Adam's time until Abraham, the Church has had for sacraments the sacrifices, that fire fell from heaven, and set the sacrifices on fire and burned them. This has been much a glorious sign, because we have. After that Noah had the rainbow as a sign. Then Abraham was circumcised. From that time circumcision continued until the Lord Christ. From the time of the Lord Christ, baptism has lasted until this day. The signs have gradually diminished, but the cause and the work have increased.
But the sign and the promise are to be bound together, not torn apart. And he is far wrong who would let the sign stand and go, and thus say, God is the God of the Gentiles; therefore I will not let myself go. Or that a Jew would have said: I am the son of Abraha, therefore I will not be circumcised. For the promise is always that the seal and the letter shall be together; for the seal or signet that is on the letter
The promise is confirmed and reaffirmed and assured. None is valid without the other. One does not believe a blanket, since only on bad paper a seal is printed, and nothing is written on it; again, a bare writing or prescription, to which no seal hangs, is also valid nothing.
This is how it is with the sacraments, therefore one should strive for baptism, because the word and the sign are connected together. If you have the letter, have it sealed. The promise, joined with the water, makes a baptism. Abraham has God's word, and also circumcision: so baptism is also water, fasted in God's word, and gives baptism here as much as circumcision there. Abraham must say: I am circumcised, and in this circumcision the Lord Christ is promised to me. This promise, which does, we also have in the New Testament, that God says: I will be your God, and you will be baptized. But if the promise or the word is gone, then circumcision does not help and is not valid in itself: as, it does not help the Turk today that he is circumcised, because the promise is gone. If that also were gone from baptism, I asked nothing.
according to the water. Therefore the fathers received the promise that God would be their God, and they were circumcised.
2 Baptism and the Word are the greatest gifts of God.
(Cordatus No. 412.)
Since a challenged 1) answered: I do not know how I am, I answered him, Are you also baptized? O it is a great gift to be baptized, which neither the Turks nor other unbelievers receive. Moreover, love for the word of God is a great gift of God's grace. Thus Paul gives thanks for the pledge [Eph. 1, 14.]. Then, as he says to Titus [3, 3.]: That we should not serve the lusts and various pleasures, but trust in the living God, that should certainly comfort us.
3. whether to baptize a baby who is only half-born.
(Cordatus No. 935.)
Those who baptized a part of a child that came forth [in birth] were mistaken according to Aristotle, who said that the whole soul is in the body and in any part of it. If still something should be missing, then the child GOtte is to be ordered. For what is suitable for a bath is also suitable for baptism. 2)
The power and effect of baptism.
(Cordatus No. 1205. 1206. 1207.
When I once asked my wife if she believed that she was holy, she pondered for a long time and answered: "How could I be holy, since I am such a great sinner? So much has the pope stained our whole being, whose teaching has penetrated our innermost being, that we do not hear with healthy ears that Christ is our Savior, our righteousness, and our peace.
1) According to Aurifaber, this challenged person was D. Hieronymus Weller. Likewise Bindseil II, 184.
2) Luther to Leonhard Beier, Walch, old edition XXI, 1254: No one can be born again who has not yet been born. - Cf. also De Wette IV, 505 f. and Walch XXI, 1288 s.
It is wonderful that we believe that we are baptized, even Christians, and yet we do not believe that we are holy. For in baptism our sin is condemned and we are given the righteousness of Christ, but we do not believe that we have been made holy. As far as we are men, as far as we are sinners, but because we are baptized and believe, we are holy through Christ. Thus the woman answered. 3)
Rather, the whole Christian is also holy, because if the devil took away the sinner, where would the Christian be? Therefore, my wife's distinction is no good. He who clings to his baptism with firm faith is truly holy. That is what David calls himself a saint. The papists, who do not grasp the article of the forgiveness of sins, can neither believe nor understand this holiness, and are only annoyed when they hear such things from us.
Dear, tell me how God should do it with us. He has given the law, and we do not want to be sinners; he has given grace through the gospel and the forgiveness of sins, and they do not want to believe. He whistles and cries, yet it does not help. It is still said [Hab. 2, 4], "The righteous lives by faith." Therefore he who believes is holy.
5. the testimony of the Lord Christ to children.
This text speaks of the children, and not of old adult people, as the apostles were, but of the children it says Marc. 10, 14: "Such is the kingdom of heaven"; that is, I am their Christ also, I am promised to them, just as I am also promised to you old adult Jews; but you have become too wise, and do not want to have me. So infant baptism also has a promise and command. For when the Lord Christ says, "Go into all the world and teach the gospel to all nations, baptizing them," he does not mean by the word "nations" to exclude infants from baptism, for God wants to be God to them all, whether they are great or small, young or old.
3) The following paragraph contains Luther's answer.
Therefore we must not look at this saying, Marci 10:14, with the eyes of a calf, or look at it as a cow looks at a new gate; but do with it as one is accustomed to say at court: Letters of princes should be read three times; that is, read often and many times, for they are written carefully. So we should also consider the saying diligently, for there is a beautiful promise in it that the kingdom of heaven shall be for the children. Therefore they should also be baptized, for those who otherwise grow old generally fall from the childhood of God and become children of the devil. Just as God said to the children in the Old Testament, "I will be your God, and for a sign I will circumcise you. And so the circumcised are God's people. The children accepted circumcision in the Law, on the word: I will be your God; all this brings the alliance to the promised Seed, the Messiah.
6. from the end of circumcision.
Circumcision is no longer valid, for it alone was to last until Christ. But we are reproached that the day of circumcision was actually determined in the law as the eighth day on which the children had to be circumcised; but there is no certain time from baptism. To this I answer D. M. Luther: I am not interested in the work, but in the word. The eight days do nothing for it, neither the command nor the sign does; for Abraham was righteous before circumcision. But learn to uphold the word: Circumcision is a command, a commandment, which hath appointed eight days; is true. But say thou, Day by day, commandment by commandment, that is not the chief thing; but this, "I am thy God, and the God of thy seed"; upon which let yourselves be circumcised.
So this also does nothing; one is baptized old or young; but it does that God, the heavenly Father, says: I am the God of all the Gentiles, and have given my Son for them, on which let yourselves be baptized. Otherwise no Gentile may say, God is my God, unless he has first heard the divine word; whoever then does not have the word, does not have God either.
7. triple baptism.
(The first paragraph of this § in Lauterbach, Feb. 13, 1538, p. 29.)
He then spoke of the threefold baptism of water, the Spirit, and blood. 1) The Church of Christ has kept these three ways of baptizing. The catechumens were baptized with water. Others, who did not receive the water baptism, believed by the Holy Spirit and were saved by the Spirit, like Cornelius, in the Acts of the Apostles (Cap. 10.), before the baptism. The third were baptized by martyrdom and blood.
The papists fabricate and pretend that Emperor Constantine was baptized by Melchiade, the pope, while the histories indicate that he was baptized at Nicomedia by Eusebio, bishop there, in the year of his age in the fifth and sixtieth, and of his reign in the first and thirtieth, five years after pope Sylvester had died.
8. baptism is followed by the holy cross.
Because we are baptized, said D. M. Luther, and confess Christ, we must serve the devil and the world.
9. On infant baptism arguments of D. M. Luther..
The children, said D. Martin, they should be baptized and not left unbaptized, mostly because. Christ says Matth. 19, 14: "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them." For they are baptized at God's word, they accept the word, and nothing prevents them from this, neither childhood nor lack of understanding, for even in circumcision one did not look at childhood. John the Baptist heard Mary's greeting in his mother's womb, Luc. 1, 41, and it was not known that he was baptized, but he began to baptize at the first, even the Lord Christ. He went on to say: "Those who despise God's word must despise everything else, so they cannot see the majesty and glory of baptism.
1) In the original: fluminis, flaminis, sanguinis.
(The following at Cordatus No. 1148.)
That God gives His Holy Spirit to little children when they are baptized, we know from the great gifts of the saints who lived in the Church, like Bernard. Likewise, Christ says: Go and baptize all, and makes no mention of age. Here belongs circumcision, which has the same promise as baptism.
10. benefits of infant baptism.
(Cordatus No. 1149-1157.)
The Anabaptists conclude that no one should be baptized who does not confess his faith. They prove this with Cornelius and thus conclude from the particular to the general. Therefore, nothing follows from this and Peter did not baptize Cornelius because of his faith, but because of the justification of Christ and because of his word and the command of God, for if no one had to be baptized unless his faith was first certain, then no one could ever be baptized. And if I were baptized for the sake of my faith, faith would be greater than the word and command of Christ, by which He commands to baptize. Likewise, [God's] word would have no power at all unless our faith were added to it. This would be to measure the power of God according to our weakness, but this is blasphemy.
And they [the rebaptizers] say that the children have no reason, as if reason adds to faith. But it is precisely for this reason that children are most to be baptized, because they lack reason, and the less reason there is, the greater the ability to accept faith, because the objects are lacking which most greatly avert the wise.
Reason is the greatest obstacle in relation to faith, because everything divine seems to it to be inconsistent, that I do not say stupid. In short, if God can give His spirit to adults, He can give it much more to children.
Since faith comes from hearing the Word, and children also hear the Word of God when they are brought to baptism, they consequently receive faith. This becomes
proven by John the Baptist, who, hearing God's word, leapt in his mother's womb.
Infants were circumcised in the Old Testament, so they can also be baptized in the New: for both signs have the promise of grace and eternal life 2c. Christ commands the little ones to come to him, saying that theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So infants may be baptized. For to all those to whom grace belongs, the sign of grace also belongs. Therefore Christ also blessed them, which surely means to receive someone by grace and to present him to the Father to be sanctified and preserved. And the children who were killed by Herod, did they not belong to the kingdom of God?
The Anabaptists say that no commandment compels that infants be baptized; but Scripture has nowhere forbidden this, and we have examples which are just as valid as a commandment. And the children do not obtain the forgiveness of sins other than in the church, consequently they must be baptized. And since John the Baptist could be sanctified without the help of reason, God can do the same to others.
This reason: "The children do not understand the word, therefore the sacrament is not applicable to them", is to be resolved by holding up circumcision, which testifies that grace and faith in the promise is in some, in whom the understanding of the word is not; for its sacraments indicate that the forgiveness of sins belongs to the children.
Circumcision was a sign of Christ who was to come, but baptism is a sign of Christ who has come. But each of them is a sign of grace and forgiveness of sins.
When they counter: "If the kingdom of heaven is theirs, then they do not need baptism", one must say: the kingdom of heaven is indeed of the children, but they receive it only in baptism, not before.
11. argument from infant baptism.
Either there must not have been a church before, or the baptism is neither worth nor efficient
have existed. But it is impossible that no Christian church has existed for a thousand, four hundred years; therefore, the baptism of children must be strong.
12 Warning of D. M. Luther's warning about sacraments, to keep them well.
Heaven is given to me freely and is my gift, and I have letters and seals over it, that is, I am baptized and go to the Sacrament. Therefore, keep the letter so that the devil does not tear it, that is, live and remain in the fear of God and pray the Lord's Prayer.
God could not have assured me of salvation and the gospel higher and better than with the death, suffering and dying of His dear Son. And if I believe that he overcame death and died for me, and I see the promise of the Father; if I have the letter in full, and the seal of baptism and sacrament of the altar, of our Lord Christ's true natural and essential body and blood, attached to it, I am well provided for.
13) On the Baptism of Women in the Red, M. Luther's Concerns.
(This whole §, namely four concerns of emergency baptism and baptism of foundlings, is found Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. X, col. 2130-2135).
14. that baptism is much more glorious than ordination.
Since it was said that one had come from Hungary, where Ferdinand had to command, he should have been ordained in Breslau, so they sent him back here from Breslau. There spoke D. M. Luther: Why did the people of Breslau not ordain him? Philip: Ferdinand has forbidden them to do so. Martin: Do you think ordination in Hungary is such a big thing? Philip: Yes, Doctor, they consider it a great, glorious thing, even greater than when one is baptized, M. Luther: In the papacy, no one was allowed to attack the sacrament, for he would be ordained, but ordination is not such a great thing: baptism is much greater than ordination, for baptism makes holy,
forgives sin. I have baptized, administered the sacraments, preached, forgiven sin, these are the most glorious works and offices of the church. O baptism is a great glorious thing.
15. Doctor Martin Luther's Rule.
(Contained in § 17 of the Appendix.)
16 Doctor Martin Luther's Form of Asking Gevatterns.
(A letter of Luther to Magister Goritzin (De Wette III, 448, Erl. A. 54, 691, which will soon be printed in the St. Louis edition in the XXI part).
17. from the baptism power.
(Contained in Cap. 7, § 112.)
18. baptize with water.
One of them, who was absent, asked in writing through another: "Do you want to baptize with warm water as well? M. Luther: Answer the drip: Water is water, be it cold or warm.
19 From uncertainty of baptism.
If one is not sure whether a person has been baptized, whether he may be baptized under one condition, namely: If you have not been baptized, then I baptize you? Luther replied, "Such baptisms are not to be done out of the church, and are not to be suffered; but if there is any doubt whether a man has been baptized, he is to be baptized outright, without any condition or distinction, as if he had never been baptized. What the cause is, let it be read in an epistle, 1) so D. M. Luther wrote to D. Wenzel Link, preacher at Nuremberg, in the second volume of Luther's Epistles, printed here at Eisleben.
20. confirmation of infant baptism.
Now the Church has baptized infants from a thousand years until now, and God has given them the Holy Spirit, who are thus baptized in infancy 2c. And this final speech has taken place and is valid a posteriori, from the-
1) The letter in Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1194.
because of what follows. For thus concludes St. Peter, Apost. 10, 34, when he preached Christ among the Gentiles in Cornelius' house, saying: "Now I know with truth that God does not look at the person" 2c.; for God bears witness that He gives the Holy Spirit also to the Gentiles 2c. This is an argument and proof, taken from the fact, or from what follows, a facto vel a posteriori, namely: God has made believers of the Gentiles like Him, without law or merit; therefore, the works of the law do not make one righteous before God.
A priori, from that which goes before, thus: the Church has baptized infants longer than a thousand years ago: but because the Church is nowhere but among those who are baptized, and the Church must always have remained and been; therefore infant baptism is a true baptism, in which God is pleased.
Now I argue and conclude a priori: Christ commanded to teach and baptize all nations, Matth. 28, 19; among them will certainly also the little children have to be and be counted among them. Secondly, the person of the church minister does not baptize, but Christ, the Son of God, baptizes Himself. Since the child is baptized by Christ, how can I take it away from him and say that the baptism of children is wrong?
The pope still received the baptismal font and the altar out of carelessness, and God administered and gave the sacraments through the pope's priests, as through drowsy full people. The Anabaptists and Waldensians in Bohemia base the sacrament of baptism on the faith of the persons, therefore they destroy the baptism of children, because they say: One should teach first, then baptize. Answer: Christ does not speak of the institution of baptism, but of the effect, use and effect or fruit of baptism. But to suppose that the baptism of infants should be useless and in vain, it does not follow that they should run again when they have grown up and come to their senses, and believe the law. Should one therefore, if one believed afterwards, give and establish a law again? The effect, benefit and fruit are much different.
have; another, have the thing and the work itself. It is all a matter of distinguishing God's work from man's work, and that which God Himself works and does from that which man does. God's work is unchanging, it remains constant.
21) Whether the children believe and are baptized correctly, Luther's answer.
(This § is in the Large Catechism. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, Col. 129, § 231.)
22) Whether baptism was right, even if one did not believe? Answer Doctor Martin
Luther's.
(This § is in the Large Catechism. Walch, St. Louis Edition, Vol. X, Col. 130, § 232.)
(23) What is meant by baptism and what is against it.
First, it is to be considered certain that baptism is God's ordinance, which He instituted for this reason, so that we might know where to find Him. He seeks us, he comes to us, we cannot come to him from ourselves. Therefore, if your conscience makes you anxious and despondent, you have the Word, baptism, absolution, and the Lord's Supper to keep you and seek comfort. Do not go to St. James at Compostel in Hispania, or to any other saint, or to a monastery. So do not seek him, because you will not find him.
On the other hand, one should consider the effect and power of baptism: this is also from God, who has instituted and ordered it; just as the lakes and ponds bring fish, even if they are not occupied, by the power of the Word in creation. In the same way, do not look at the person of the Baptist, for his life does not give the baptism its power and effect: just as the sun shining in mud retains its essence and effect, as God created it; or if a woman grasps a veil with an unclean hand; and a prince's command and commandment is powerful, whether you accept it or not. Neither shall one consider the person of the one being baptized: if he confesses his faith, I shall be satisfied.
and be satisfied, even if I do not know whether he believes or lies; he will have to answer. So do many Jews who are baptized for the sake of money; as if I give one twenty guilders, he takes them, well and good; if not, the debt is not mine.
Third, what baptism is, namely God's word, water and power, Marc. 16, 16. Joh. 3, 5. 1 Joh. 3, 9. Tit. 3, 5. Eph. 5, 26. And here one must also remember those who call it a dog's bath; item, the Pabst's error. For the barefoot monks say from their Scoto: It is a true baptism, God stands by and baptizes spiritually. Which is darkly spoken. But we say: that he, God himself, baptizes. Item, against the monks who called their order a new baptism, and who wanted to persuade the dying to be buried in a monk's cap, because by doing so they earned the third part of the forgiveness of sins, and paid several florins into the monastery for the service, vigils and masses. Item, against St. Jerome, who says that apostasy is like shipwreck: whoever falls out of the ship grabs a plank, on which he swims out and comes to shore. And this is what the papists call repentance and personal satisfaction, since this is perhaps not what St. Jerome meant. Hence, in the papacy, come repentance, pilgrimages, purgatory, invocation of the deceased saints.
Therefore, it is dangerous to speak the Scriptures with other and foreign words, and not with their own words. Baptism, however, is water fasted in God's Word and connected with it, and is done by God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Himself. Therefore, it has been the custom for the baptized to walk along dressed in a white vestment eight days after baptism, since they were not all Christians, but most of them were pagans. And around the Easter feast they also went dressed in white. Therefore, the first Sunday after Easter is still called White Sunday; 1) as if they wanted to say by deed and deed and publicly
1) Cf. Walch, St. Louis Edition, vol. XII, col. 526, § 1.
confess that they have been baptized and cleansed by Christ. But because we are now all baptized, the custom has passed away, which I do not want to negate nor bring back; although still today in the custom is the Westerhemde.
24. another, of the benefit and power of baptism.
(This § is transferred to § 4 of this chapter, where it belongs).
25. to D. Hieronymus Weller's question answer.
(This § is Walch, old edition, Vol. XXI, 1299, No. 853.)
26. Whether a church servant who cannot use his left hand may baptize?
There is a chaplain who cannot baptize because he has lost his left hand or otherwise cannot help himself. Now the question is asked, "Can he also let the sacristan or sexton hold the child, and with the other hand, so that he is able, water it? Answer: If the priest preaches well and the congregation likes to hear him, he may well do so, especially if the common man is not annoyed by it: since they let them like it, it goes well.
Then another said, How if he fasted the child in both hands, and dipped it in the water with the feet alone? No, said D. Martin Luther, innovation is not good: if the chaplain cannot baptize, the priest should do it himself.
One of them said, "Yes, he would like to complain about that, and perhaps he would be too close to his dignity, because he would then be taken for a chaplain, and the chaplain for the priest. Answered D. M. Luther: "That is not fine, that the servants want to seek dignity and honor in God's works. What will one say much about dignity? No priest, bishop or angel in heaven is worthy to baptize a child for his own person, so it is a great thing about the church office; why would a priest be ashamed to baptize? I do not like to hear that they want to mix their dignity and honor into God's things.
27. concerns D. Martin Luther von Kindbetterinnen, M. Anton Lauterbach, Pfarrherrn zu Pirna, 1) given.
(This § is Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, 1442-1444, no. 62.)
(28) That the baptism of infants should not be reproached nor despised.
One evening, Martin Luther spoke about infant baptism and said: "In the past, many of them had spared the baptism of infants and raised them until they had grown up, out of this delusion and thought that they had seen that the children of Christians had fallen away from their Christianity again and had fallen into an ungodly, wild and desolate life of the world. Then they thought it would be much safer to bring up baptism until they grew up, so that they would not defile baptism with sins. But those who were devout Christians held baptism in high honor. Videbatur quidem pius error, sed occasio malitiae erat; for since St. Augustine and others were thus baptized slowly, they despised baptism altogether, so that they did not want to be baptized afterwards.
And D. Luther told a story ex Confessione Augustini, who had had a compatriot and playmate, who had also not been baptized; now, when he was deathly ill, he had been baptized.
1) The place where Lauterbach was pastor at that time is given by Luther Walch, old edition, vol. XXI, Col. 1441, Leisnig. Likewise with De Wette, vol. IV, 671 ff.
When the young man became sick and wanted to die, his parents hurriedly had him baptized. When Augustine, who was still young, visited him and heard that he had been baptized, he mocked and ridiculed him; but the same youth said: "Oh, dear Augustine, be quiet and do not attack holy baptism, God's covenant, in this way; I have been baptized and also want to die on it. With this speech he dissuaded Augustine to stop blaspheming and despising baptism. The safest thing to do is to baptize little children.
29. form to baptize the Jews.
(Cordatus No. 789.)
If I find any more pious Jews to baptize, I will lead them to the bridge, put a stone to their neck and throw them into the Elbe, because those boys mock us and our religion. To Justus Menius, who asked the Doctor for advice on how he should teach such a one, he replied: he would not be deceived by his deceitful words. The use [ritu8] had been until now that they were baptized in a bucket full of water and then dressed in a white robe. From this usage, the Sunday after Easter would be called "white Sunday" [Dominica in albis], and the dead would be clothed in white garments. But baptism means death, and I believe that Christ was also baptized in this way in the Jordan.