First half of January 1528 (Part 3)

Martin Luther interrupts composing a major work, the Confession Concerning Christ’s Supper to to dash off a nearly 15,000 word Letter to Two Pastors Concerning Rebaptism, Today’s Quotation is taken from paragraphs 46 – 49 of this letter, in which Luther addresses the question, “What about the baptism of children?”

Quotation:

[continued from the previous post] Let whoever wants follow his fancy. I still maintain, as I have maintained in the Postil, [1] that the surest baptism is infant baptism. For an old person may deceive, come to Christ like Judas, and permit himself to be baptized. But a child cannot deceive. He comes to Christ in baptism, as John came to Christ, and as the little children were brought to him, so that his word and work might be effective in them, touch them, and thus make them holy. For his Word and work cannot be without fruit. And yet it has this effect alone in the child. If it were to fail in this, it must fail everywhere and be in vain, which is impossible.

Neither can it be denied that the l06th Psalm, verse 37 speaks of girls and uncircumcised, [2] concerning which it says that they sacrificed their daughters to the idols of Canaan, and yet it calls them innocent blood. And doubtless Moses, in Lev. 12:5, also included girls in the regulation of offerings for purification and atonement. It is also obvious that only the boys suffered circumcision, but that girls also participated in the same covenant, by virtue of the declaration which God made to Abraham: “I will he the God of your descendants, and circumcision shall be a covenant between me and you and your descendants after you.” [Gen. 17:7] Surely girls are also the descendants of Abraham and, through that promise, God is indeed their God, though they are not circumcised as are the boys.

Now, if they believe that through the covenant of circumcision, God receives both male and female children, and is their God, why then should he not also receive our children through the covenant of baptism? He has in fact promised us that he will not be the God of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles also, [Rom. 3:29] and especially of Christians and those who believe. If the circumcision of boys is so beneficial in this instance both to boys and girls, as to make them the people of God because of Abraham’s faith, from whom they are descended, then how much more should baptism help each one to become a member of the people of of God because of Christ’s merit, to whom they are brought and by whom they are blessed. All this I say to show that the foundation of the Anabaptists is uncertain and that they build upon it absolutely impiously.

“But,” you say, “he did not command that children should be baptized, nor do we find any example of it in the writings or Epistles of the Apostles.” I answer: Neither has he specifically commanded the baptism of adults, nor of men, nor women, nor anyone in particular, so we had better not baptize anyone! But he has commanded us to baptize all nations [3] none excluded, when he said in the last chapter of Matthew: “Go and baptize all nations in my name,” etc. [Matt. 28:19] Now, children constitute a large portion of any nation. [to be continued in the next post]

Notes

[1] Luther is referring to published collections of his sermons, in particular, sermons on the Gospel readings for the Sundays for the seasons of Epiphany and Lent, in which he says he had “made known abundantly my faith concerning infant baptism.”

[2] Luther continues is argument against those who “wish to take the force out of this text [in which Christ commands that the children be brought to him], by alleging that the Jewish children were circumcised, and that therefore they might well be holy, and could be brought to Christ, but that our children are heathen, etc..”

[3] Matthew 28:19 reads:” Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (ESV). The Greek 𝜀𝜃𝜈𝜂 is usually translated “nations” or “Gentiles,” and less frequently “peoples,” “heathen,” or “pagans.” Luther used the word Heiden (“heathen”) in his translation. The English word “heathen” has negative connotations not intended by Luther. He meant simply those who had not yet heard of Christ.