# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 09 03_S7
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

7

...er pupil got, who believed such blasphemous words.

98. For this thou shouldest well see, if the Anabaptists had first been obliged to prove their opinion with good ground, they would not have seduced nor drawn to themselves many people. For they have nothing steadfast nor certain on their side. But thereby they bring many people to themselves, that they use great, splendid words of blasphemy against baptism; for the devil knows well that when the mad rabble hears splendid blasphemous words, it falls in at once, and believes straightway, and asks no further after ground or cause. As, when they hear it said: Baptism is a dog's bath, and the baptizers are false and rascally bath-keepers; so they say: Aye, then let the devil baptize, and God confound the false bath-keepers, etc. That is then their ground, there they stand, and have nothing else more wherewith they assail baptism. For all those I have heard, yea, who have talked with me of such matters, when these splendid blasphemous words [dog's bath, bath-keeper, handful of water, etc.] were spent, stood there like shorn little men, and there was nothing more behind wherewith they could defend their error. *)

*) In the profanation of holy baptism the unhappy Methodists indeed now outdo the Baptists. Yet as a rule the bold, contemptuous bringing to nought of baptism received in childhood on the part of the Baptists does not fail of its devilish purpose among the poor, ungrounded people. Ed.

99. Altogether as the devil also deceives the blasphemers of the Sacrament. For because he feels well that he can bring forward nothing certain for his lies, he rushes in, and first fills the ears of the mad rabble with such splendid blasphemy, that our Sacrament is a fleshly eating and blood-drinking, and the like. When these same splendid words are spent, then all their art also at once comes to an end, and meanwhile they speak of Christ's ascension, etc.

100. Just so the Jews do at this day: in order to keep their children in their faith, they blaspheme Christ horribly, call him Tholah, and lie boldly about him. That then frightens an innocent, simple heart away, and seduces it, as St. Paul says, Rom. 16, 18. Therefore they all have an easy task, since with splendid blasphemy they can lead the people as they will, and need show no certain ground of their error. But if they had first established their affair steadfastly and well, then it would be well enough to give the lies a good drubbing, and paint them out with their proper colors.

101. But since we know that baptism is a divine thing, instituted and commanded by God himself, we look not at the abuse of ungodly men, but simply at God's ordinance; and so find that baptism in itself is a holy, blessed, glorious, heavenly thing, to be held in all honor, with fear and trembling, like every other ordinance and command of God, as is also meet and right. But that many people misuse it is not baptism's fault: else one might also blaspheme the Gospel as a foul prating, because there are many who misuse it.

102. Since then the Anabaptists have nothing on their side that I have yet seen and heard, but only splendid blasphemous words; every man ought justly to shun and beware of them, as of the devil's sure messengers sent into the world to blaspheme and pervert God's Word and ordinance, in order that people may by no means believe thereon and be saved. For they are the fowls that devour the seed which is sown by the way side, Matt. 13, 4.

103. And finally I say this: Even if someone had never been baptized, yet knew no otherwise, or believed firmly, that he was rightly and well baptized; such faith would nevertheless be enough for him: for as he believes, so he has it before God, and "all things are possible to him that believeth," [says Christ, Mark 9, 23]. And such a one could not be baptized again, without danger to his faith; how much less should one baptize again those who are certain that they have been baptized? God grant, they believed at that time or not. For the Anabaptists cannot be certain that their re-baptizing is right, since they found their re-baptizing on faith, which yet they cannot know, and so play in uncertainty with their re-baptizing.

104. Now it is sin and tempting God, to be uncertain and doubtful in divine things: and he who teaches an uncertain delusion for certain truth, denies just as much as he who openly speaks against the truth: for he speaks what he himself does not know, and yet will have it for truth. But if they would found baptizing upon God's command and commandment, they would soon see that re-baptism is of no use nor need, since the divine command had already been satisfied before with the first baptism.

105. Besides, they also blaspheme and deny God's command and work. For since the first baptism is God's command, and it has been fully satisfied in deed, and yet they say it is wrong and a dog's bath; what is that said otherwise than that God's command and work is wrong and a dog's bath? And they say this on no other ground, than that they would have faith in baptism certain, and yet cannot have it certain. That is, for an uncertain delusion, to deny and blaspheme God's certain command and work wantonly and shamefully.

106. But I suppose that the first baptism is without faith; tell me, which of the two is the greater and more eminent, God's Word or faith? Is it not true, God's Word is greater and more eminent than faith: seeing that not God's Word builds and grounds itself upon faith, but faith upon God's Word: moreover, faith is fickle and changeable; but God's Word abideth for ever.

107. Further, tell me, if one of these two is to be made over again *), which should more justly be made over again, the unchangeable Word or the changeable faith? Is it not so, that faith should justly be made over again, and not God's Word? It is indeed more just that God's Word make another faith, [if there was no right one there before], than that faith make the Word over again. Since then they must confess that in the first baptism it is not God's Word that is lacking, but faith, and that not another Word, but another faith is needful: why do they not rather act so that another faith may come about, and leave the Word unchanged? If God's Word and ordinance is to be called wrong because we do not rightly believe thereon: then it will be slow and seldom that a Word becomes a right Word.

*) repeated, again. Ed.

108. If they now would, even by their own conceit, do right, they should set up not a re-baptism, but a re-belief: for baptism is God's Word and ordinance, and needs no becoming again or becoming otherwise; but faith may well need a becoming otherwise [if it was not there]. Therefore they should justly be Re-believers, and not Re-baptizers, even if they had right, as yet they have not.

109. Since then such Baptizers are altogether uncertain of their cause, wherein they are also found to be liars, and moreover deny and blaspheme God's ordinance, out of an uncertain lying delusion, and turn the hindmost foremost, found God's Word and ordinance upon man's work and faith, seek also baptism where they should seek faith, and so are convicted as erring, uncertain, and perverse spirits: every pious Christian will, as he values his soul's salvation, well beware of them. This help and grant Christ, our Lord, Amen.

110. So much be pleased to take in good part now in brevity and haste; for at this time I have other things to do, and cannot give myself wholly to this matter: also, as is said, I do not yet wholly know their ground. For the devil is angry, and throws the hundred into the thousand, and raises so many kinds of confusion, that hardly anyone knows what he believes.

111. The Anabaptists hold with the enemies of the Sacrament, that it is mere bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. On the other hand the Sacramentarians hold otherwise concerning baptism than the Anabaptists. So also the Sacramentarians are not at one among themselves. In like manner the Anabaptists also are not at one among themselves: only against us and over against us are they one. Even as the papacy in so countless sects