American Lutheranism Vindicated Part 10

II. p. 452. See the writer's Elemental Contrast, pp. 26, 27.

Note 12. Mark i. 15. _Repent_ ye and _believe_ the gospel. James ii.

14-17 Even so _faith_, if it have not works is dead, being alone, &c.

Note 13. Rom. v.1, 2; iii. 21, 22, 23. John iii. 18.

Note 14. Rom. v. 5.

Note 15. Rom. viii. 16.

Note 16. 1 John v. 10.

Note 17. Rom. viii. 15.

Note 18. Gal. v. 22.

Note 19. Dogmatik, Vol. iii., p. 285.

Note 20. Mark xvi. 16. Acta ii. 37, 38: viii. 37, &c. Acts ix. 11. &c.

Note 21. 1 Peter, iii. 21.

Note 22. Elementa Theol. Dog., Vol. ii, p. 295. Qui fidem habent, illis beneficia Christi obsignantur et confirmantur. Notandum ergo est, fidem quidem ad salutarem fructum et effectum sacramentorum, non autem ad corum essentiam requiri.

Note 23. Biblische Glaubenslehre von Dr. H. E. F. Knapp, Prop. Halle, 1840, p. 292.

CHAPTER IX.

BAPTISMAL REGENERATION.

In regard to this error, the author of the Plea, relieves us from the necessity of proving that it is contained in the Symbolical books, by himself not only acknowledging the fact, but also defending the doctrine. For ourselves we do not think it taught as clearly in the Augsburg Confession, as most of the other errors touched on in the Definite Platform. But although not inculcated as explicitly as the others, the substance of the doctrine runs through the entire symbolic system, and therefore is justly chargeable on it. The name is not often distinctly met with there, but the thing meets us on many occasions.

This seems evident even from the following few citations.

_Proof that this doctrine was taught by the Lutheran Symbols and early Lutheran divines.

ART. II. - _Augsburg Confession_

"Our churches teach that this innate disease and original sin, is truly sin, and condemneth all those under the eternal wrath of G.o.d, who are _not born again by Baptism and the Holy Spirit_."

_Apology to Augsburg Confession_, p. 226.

"Our opponents also agree to the ninth article, in which we confess that _Baptism is necessary to salvation_, and that the baptism of infants is not fruitless, but necessary and salutary.

_Luther's Smaller Catechism_.

"_What does Baptism confer or benefit?_

"_Ans_.--It effects the _forgiveness of sins, delivers from death_ and _the devil_, and confers _everlasting salvation_ upon all who believe it, (not believe in Christ,) as the words and promise of G.o.d declare."

"_How can water effect such great things?_

"_Ans_.--Indeed it is not the water that has such effect, but the Word of G.o.d that is with and in the water, and the faith trusting such Word of G.o.d in the water. For without the Word of G.o.d the water is mere water, hence no baptism; but with the Word of G.o.d it const.i.tutes a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life, and a _was.h.i.+ng of regeneration_, in the Holy Ghost."--_Symb. B_., p. 421.

_Luther's Larger Catechism_.

"Every Christian, therefore, has enough to learn and practice in baptism during his life; for he must ever exert himself to _maintain_ a firm faith in _what it promises and brings_ him, namely, triumph over the devil and death, the _remission of sins_, the grace of G.o.d, Christ with all his works, and _the Holy Ghost with all his gifts_. In short, the blessings of baptism are so great, that if feeble nature could but comprehend them we might justly doubt their reality. For, imagine to yourself a physician, who possessed an art preventing persons from dying; or, even if they died, immediately restoring them to life so as to live eternally afterwards, how the world would rush and flock around him with money, while the poor, prevented by the rich, could not approach him! And yet, here in _baptism_, every one has such a treasure, and medicine gratuitously brought to his door-a medicine which abolishes death, and preserves all men to eternal life_."--_P_. 525.

_Luther's Larger Catechism_.

"It (baptism) is, therefore, very appropriately called food for the soul, which flourishes and strengthens the new man; _for through baptism we are born anew;_ but beside this, the old vicious nature in the flesh and blood nevertheless adheres to man, in which there are so many impediments and obstacles, with which we are opposed as well by the devil as by the world, so that we often become weary and faint, and sometimes stumble."--_Symb. B_., p. 533.

In the _Visitation Articles_, published fourteen years after the other symbolical books for the purpose of explaining their true import, and then made symbolic in Saxony:

ART. III.--_On Baptism_.

SECT. II. "By baptism as the _laver of regeneration_, and _the renewing of the Holy Ghost_, G.o.d saves us, and works in us such righteousness and purification from sins, that whosoever _perseveres_ in such covenant, and reliance, _will not be lost_, but have eternal life."

SECT. IV. "Baptism is the bath (laver) of regeneration, _because in it we are regenerated_, and sealed with the spirit of sons.h.i.+p and obtain pardon."-_Mueller's Symb. Buecher_, pp. 848, 849.

That the doctrine of baptismal regeneration was taught by Luther, and the prominent older divines of our church, is well known to those acquainted with their works.

1. _Luther_, indeed, sometimes expressed the most extravagant ideas of baptism, maintaining that the water in baptism, was pervaded by the divine majesty, and was a (durch goettertes Wa.s.ser,) water penetrated through and through with G.o.d! [Note 1] He compares the water in baptism to heated iron, in which, though you see nought but iron, fire also is contained, which represents the divine name and power pervading the water. But we will not enter any further into his extravagant ill.u.s.trations of the power of baptism. The result at which he arrives is thus expressed: "Therefore, he (this omnipotent name or power of G.o.d,) must also in baptism, make pure and holy, heavenly and divine persons, as we shall hereafter further see." (Darum musz er auch in der Taufe reine und heilige und eitel himmlishe, goettliche Menschen machen, wie wir hernach sehen werden.") [Note 2]

In his sermon on Baptism, Luther thus describes the influence of this ordinance:--"The import of baptism is a blessed dying unto sin, and resurrection in the grace of G.o.d, that the old man that was conceived in sin, may arise and go forth _a new man_ born of grace. Thus St. Paul in, t.i.t. iii. 5, terms baptism a bath of _the new birth_, that in this bath men may be _born again_ and renewed. Thus also Christ, in John iii.

3, says: Unless ye are born again of water and the Spirit (of grace), ye cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven. For just as a child is born of its mother, and by this bodily birth is a sinful being and a _child of wrath;_ thus also is man taken and _born spiritually_ from the baptism, and by _this birth he is a child of grace and a justified person_. Thus are sins drowned in baptism, and thus does righteousness arise in the place of sin." [Note 3]

2. _Melancthon_, whilst he by no means indulges in the extravagant and unscriptural views of a change in the water employed in baptism, by the Deity's pervading it, &c., seems however in substance to have entertained views of the efficacy of this ordinance, amounting to baptismal regeneration.

"The real use of baptism," (says he,) "is taught by these two particulars, the outward sign and the promise, 'he that believeth and is baptised shall be saved;' also the words which are used in baptism, 'I baptise thee in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost:' that is, through this outward sign (baptism) I, in the place of G.o.d, _testify that you are reconciled to G.o.d, and accepted of him_, who is Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Father receives you for the sake of the Son, and grants you the Holy Spirit, by which he will renew, make alive, comfort, and sanctify you." [Note 4]

And, again, when discussing the subject, of pedobaptism, he thus describes his view:--"In and by baptism the Holy Spirit is given to children, who operates in them according to their measure (ma.s.se) or capacity, as he operated in John in the womb of Elizabeth. And although there, is a difference between the old and the young, inasmuch as the old are attentive to the works, still the influences of the Holy Spirit are in both old and young a tendency toward G.o.d." [Note 5]

That this doctrine was also taught by the great majority of the most distinguished older theologians of our church, is a point which requires no proof to those acquainted with those authors. As their works are accessible to comparatively few of our readers, we will annex a quotation from several of them, at the same time abbreviating them as much as is consistent with perspicuity. Thus, Dr. Hunnius, professor at Wittenberg, and subsequently Superintendent at Luebeck, [Note 6] in his Epitome Credendorum, says:--"The sacrament of baptism is a spiritual action, inst.i.tuted and ordained by Christ, by the performance of which a man is baptised with water, in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost; and by means of which he receives _forgiveness of sins_, is received into G.o.d's covenant of mercy, and is made partaker of the merits of Christ, of _adoption_ and of _eternal salvation_." [Note 7]

Again, "Baptism is not a sign of regeneration, that is to take place some time after baptism had been administered to him. For as _baptism causes regeneration_, it cannot be said to signify the same," &c. [Note 8] And again, "Nevertheless, we have seen it to be the will of G.o.d, that they (children) should enter the kingdom of heaven, and it therefore becomes indispensably necessary for them to be regenerated. But this _regeneration is brought about by no other means than by baptism_, which we know to be the was.h.i.+ng of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost," &c. [Note 9] The celebrated _Dr. Gerhard_ says, "The holy Trinity is present with his grace (in baptism). The Father receives the baptized person into favor; the Son bestows his righteousness upon him, and the Holy Spirit _regenerates_ and _renews him_,--produces faith, _regeneration_ and renovation, and seals the covenant of grace in the hearts of the baptized." [Note 10]

Again, "Baptism is the first gateway of grace, the sacrament of initiation: the Lord's Supper is the sacrament of confirmation; by baptism we are _regenerated_, by the Holy Supper we are nourished and strengthened to eternal life. As in nature so in grace, we are first born and then fed, first generated and then we increase, (ix. 67.) _Dr.

Buddeus_, one of the most distinguished theologians of the School of Halle, in his "Theologia Dogmatica, [sic on punctuation] p.

1127, says, "The design of the baptism of infants is their _regeneration;_ in the case of adults, the confirmation and sealing of that faith, which they should have before (the reception of the rite.")

Since therefore we have seen that the doctrine of baptismal regeneration was taught not only by the symbolical books, but also by Luther and Melancthon in their other writings, as well as by the leading divines of the first two centuries after the Reformation, who all received the symbolical books, and understood their import, we may regard the charge of the Platform as established beyond contradiction, that this tenet was a part of Symbolic Lutheranism.

_Influence of this Doctrine on the Pulpit_.

Now the influence of this doctrine on the ministrations of the pulpit, is of the most deleterious nature. The word of G.o.d represents all mankind as by nature dead in trespa.s.ses and sins. Paul tells us that "there is none righteous, no not one, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of G.o.d:" and affirms that the carnal mind is enmity against G.o.d. The faithful amba.s.sador of Christ must therefore announce the command of G.o.d, "that all men every where should repent: and that unless they do repent, they shall all likewise perish. He must divide his congregation into two cla.s.ses, the friends and the enemies of G.o.d, those who are for the Saviour and those who are against him: and he must insist upon judging not by their profession, "Lord, Lord, but by the question, whether they _do the will of our Father in heaven_." Thus when the faithful servant of Christ represents all as unconverted, and exposed to the curse of the divine law, who do not give evidence of regeneration in their walk and conversation; careless sinners become alarmed and feel the necessity of fleeing from the wrath to come, by repenting and turning to G.o.d, by seeking pardon and a new heart, and consecrating all their powers of mind and body to the service of G.o.d.

But all this the believer in baptismal regeneration cannot consistenly [sic] do. Because 1. If we believe all our hearers _regenerated_, (for they are generally all baptised) even those whose life presents not the least evidence of piety, and many proofs to the contrary; we still must believe them in some sense the children of G.o.d, as they are born again! We cannot tell them that they are in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity; because we profess to believe them regenerated-- therefore children of G.o.d in some sense.

2. We cannot exhort the impenitent baptised, though apparently dead in trespa.s.ses and sins, to pray for a _new heart_ and a new spirit; for these, as regenerated persons, they have obtained.