# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 08 19_S202
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

202

had received the Sacrament, then everything was done and the work accomplished.

65. So here also these Anabaptists press upon the work, that the people may trust in it: if they are thus baptized, then it is right and well done; of faith they ask in truth nothing, save that they extol it merely for show. For as was said above, if they were first to be certain of faith, they could never baptize any man. And if they did not trust in the work, or sought faith in earnest, they would not need to baptize again; seeing that in the first baptism the very same Word of GOD, once spoken, still ever abides and stands, so that they can afterward believe thereon, if they will, and the water poured over them, so that afterward also they may lay hold of it in faith, if they will. For though they should speak the words again a hundred times, yet they are the same words which were spoken in the first baptism, and have not their power from this, that they are spoken many times or anew, but that they are commanded to be spoken once.

66. For this is one of the devil's right master-strokes, that he drives Christians from the righteousness of faith to the righteousness of works; as he drove the Galatians and Corinthians also thus to works, who (as St. Paul writeth, Gal. 5:7) so well believed and ran well in Christ. So now, when he saw that the Germans through the Gospel knew Christ well and believed aright, whereby they also were righteous before God, he rushes in, and tears them from such righteousness, as if it were nothing, and leads them into rebaptizing, as into a better righteousness; he makes them thereby deny the former righteousness as unfit, and fall upon a false righteousness.

67. What shall I say? We Germans are true Galatians, and remain Galatians. For he who lets himself be rebaptized recants by the deed his former faith and righteousness, and makes them sins and damnable: which is horrible, altogether as St. Paul says, that the Galatians were fallen from Christ, yea, made Christ a minister of sin, "if they be circumcised," Gal. 5:2.

68. But Satan does all this on our account, that he may make our doctrine suspected, as though we could not have right spirit nor doctrine, because we are not rightly baptized. But by the fruits one can know the tree, Matt. 7:17, 18. For neither in the Papacy nor in all the factions do we yet see such men, who so mightily handle and expound the Scriptures, as are on our side, by the grace of God; which is not one of the least gifts of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 12:10.

69. So we see well enough among them the true fruits of the devil, namely, that some, for the sake of rebaptism, run away from wife and child, from house and home, will have no magistracy, and so forth; whereas St. Paul teaches: "If any provide not for his own, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel," 1 Tim. 5:8, and in 1 Cor. 7:13 he will not have a believing spouse depart from the unbelieving. And Christ also will have marriage undivided, except where fornication gives cause, Matt. 19:9. Our Spirit permits, yea, commands, all manner of estates to remain and be held in honor, and in peace to exercise faith through love, from which no uproar nor just complaint against our doctrine can arise: although the Papists with their lying lay all misfortune to our charge. But that has its Judge, and their own conscience here and hereafter.

70. Herewith is also refuted what they further allege, that baptism is nothing, because the priests or baptizers have not believed. For even though St. Peter baptizes someone, yet no one could know whether St. Peter at that very hour believes or doubts; for no one can see his heart. In sum, such a point moved the Donatists also in former times, so that they separated themselves and baptized again, since they saw how some preachers and baptizers were unholy, and began to found baptism upon the holiness of men, which yet Christ founds upon His Word and command.

71. Yea, it assails also our fanatics, the enemies of the Sacrament. For although they allege that the truth and Scripture compel them, they lie nevertheless: rather this is what drives them (as they also blurt out in some places): Whether every scoundrel may bring Christ into the bread; just as if the whole world were sure and certain that they themselves are believing and altogether holy, and were not quite as great scoundrels before God as those whom they so wantonly judge and call scoundrels, and forget "the beam in their own eye," Matt. 7:3.

72. We hold it, however, thus: that since St. John is not ashamed to hear God's Word from Caiphas, and even commends it as a prophecy, John 11:49, and since Moses together with the people of Israel accept the prophecy of the godless Balaam and hold it for God's Word, Num. 24:17, likewise St. Paul accepts the heathen poets Aratus and Epimenides, and praises their sayings (as God's Word), Acts 17:28, Titus 1:12, and Christ would have the godless Pharisees heard on Moses' seat, as godless teachers, Matt. 23:2, we ought much less to be squeamish, but let GOD judge their evil life, and yet let their divine Word please us. For if they are evil, they are evil to themselves. But if they teach aright, they teach us aright.

73. So did the pious Magi also, Matt. 2:4, 5, 9; they heard GOD's Word out of the Scripture of Micah, through the mouth of Herod, the horrible king, who again heard it from the godless chief priests and scribes. Yet they journeyed upon such Word to Bethlehem, and found Christ, and nothing hindered them at all that they heard GOD's Word only through Herod, the murderer of Christ.

74. We must confess, nevertheless, that the fanatics have the Scripture and GOD's Word in other articles, and whoever hears it from them and believes it will be saved, although they are unholy heretics and blasphemers of Christ. It is no slight grace that GOD gives His Word also through wicked knaves and the godless; yea, it is in a measure more dangerous when He gives it through holy people than when He gives it through unholy, because the unwise fall upon this, and cling more to the holiness of men than to the Word of GOD. Hereby greater honor is done to men than to GOD and His Word. Which danger is not where Judas, Caiphas and Herod preach. Yet thereby no one is excused in his evil life, though GOD may well use the same.

75. If now a godless man can have and teach the true Word of GOD, he can also much more baptize rightly and give the Sacrament: seeing that it is greater to teach GOD's Word than to baptize, as St. Paul boasts, 1 Cor. 1:17. And as was said, he who will not hold anything of baptism unless he knows that the baptizer believes must never hold anything of any baptism. For if I ask: Art thou baptized again? Yes. How knowest thou that thou art now rightly baptized? Wilt thou answer here that thy baptizer was a believer? then I ask: How knowest thou it? Hast thou seen his heart? Then thou standest like butter in the sun.

76. So now the ground of our baptism is the very strongest and surest, that GOD has made a covenant with all the world, to be the God of the Gentiles in all the world; as the Gospel says that Christ has commanded "to preach the Gospel to every creature": as also the prophets have manifoldly declared. And in token of this covenant He has instituted, commanded and enjoined baptism among all the Gentiles, as it stands in Matt. 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father," etc. Just as He made a covenant with Abraham and his seed, to be their God, and gave circumcision for a token of the covenant, Gen. 17:7, 11.

77. Here stands our sure ground and fortress, namely, that we let ourselves be baptized: not because I am certain of faith; but because GOD has commanded and will have it. For even if I should never become certain of any faith, I am yet certain of the command, that GOD enjoins baptism, because He has caused it to go forth publicly before all the world.