Menno Simons · 41 of 109

TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES CONCERNING BAPTISM IN THE WATER. · Part 2

Behold, kind readers, I have referred to this in this manner, first, that you may the better conceive and understand what kind of christians, those are, what kind of faith they have, and what kind of life they lead, to whom infant baptism has been adminis­tered and who now have it administered to their children, that the true, divine knowl­edge may multiply in you, that you may rightly comprehend, by the word of God, what abominable mockery and hypocrisy infant baptism is before the Almighty God; and that there is no other fruitful, pleasing and available baptism before God, than alone the baptism which is administered and received according to the command of Christ, Mark 16:16; namely, the baptism upon the confession of faith, as has been frequently remarked. Secondly, I must refer you, in the same manner, to how won­derfully far the custom of the godfathers, who lift the child upon the basin and an­swer their confession of faith, is different from the Spirit, commandment and word of Christ, that by all these facts, falsehood, unbelief, abuse, and satanic imposture may appear to you and be demolished; and that, on the other hand, truth, faith, the right practice and the divine will may be made known and acted upon.

Inasmuch as Christ commanded that the baptized should first believe, Mark 16:16, before baptism should be administered, Acts 8:38, and as the world well knew that infants had no faith; and as they, notwith­standing this, would have unconscious in­fants baptized, as human righteousness ever has looked upon, profaned, persecuted, de­spised and rejected the righteousness of God as useless, imperfect and foolish; therefore the ninth or tenth pope, named Higinius, without any commandment of God, hit upon a happy idea, with which the world has hitherto been well satisfied, and by means of which they baptized their infants, and those who feared God more, and therefore understood the word of God better, were for the greater part thereby ex­communicated as heretics. This means was this: That some should be chosen from the church, whom they called godfathers, who should lift the children up to the fountain, to be baptized, and who should care for and answer to the faith of the child. Most beloved reader, it is true this matter has a fine appearance and show, but is not in ac­cordance with Christ's Spirit and meaning because the practice of godfathers is a hu­man institution, as history plainly shows; therefore I am at a loss to know why it is that all the learned of the upper and eastern countries yet have this practice of godfathers, since they have so bravely and incessantly written, taught and battled with the word of God, against all human institutions and teachings; for nowhere in the divine word are we taught the practice of such godfa­thers, in any manner whatever; but every where in the Scriptures where baptism is spoken of, it is shown in very plain charac­ters that the baptized must believe for them­selves, must confess it verbally and by their works, and thus desire and receive baptism as a commandment of God, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38; 8:36; 10:48; 16:33; and other passages.

Again, if it were even so that the practice of godfathers was in accordance to the word of God or the commandment of Christ, which however is not so, O, how extensive­ly and closely, and with what great care we would have to search, in city and coun­try, for a suitable person to discharge the duties of such an office. For, How can one blind man lead another I How can one fool make another wise? How can one poor per­son be surety for another? Understand what I write. In the same manner one unbe­lieving person can be no surety for the faith of another; "For every man shall bear his own burden," Gal. 6:6. Neither can he teach nor advocate the faith of another so long as he himself has no true, christian faith; for whatever I am to teach another I must un­derstand myself; and prayer must be the prayer of faith, Jas. 5:16, in Spirit and in truth, Jn. 4:24.

As the unbelieving cannot be surety, be­fore God, for the faith of another, nor teach him faith, nor advocate it, even if the prac­tice of godfathers were founded on the or­dinance of God, which however it is not, so it must be acknowledged and admitted, that the practice of godfathers in infant baptism is entirely vain, useless and un­available. I will leave every intelligent christian to judge what faith there is in the godfathers.

I know that I will be asked if there are no right, believing godfathers, who with good consciences, hold the infants to the basin? To this I briefly answer: No. For, in the first place, it is human righteousness, contrary to the word of God, and without the ordinance of Christ; and therefore it can not be practiced with a good conscience. In the second place I admit that there are godfathers who are honorable and virtuous; but, truly, I do not know that they are tru­ly believing; for if they were true believers it would be impossible that they could ever be led to practice such abominable shame with infants, without the word of Christ. For there is no word to be found in all the apostolic Scriptures which in any manner teaches and commands us such a thing; not to say any thing about the impurity, avarice, pomp, ignorance concerning divine matters, idolatry, foolishness, vanity, re­fractoriness against God and his blessed word, and of the accursed, carnal life of most of those who are called to this office by the church, that the faith of the parent and of the godfathers alike, upon which they baptize these infants and through which they are thought to acquire faith themselves, may go over on them; as we have too often seen that the one adulterous knave calls upon the other; one drunkard on the other; or one proud person upon the other. By their works they show plainly that it is not of God; but that it is deceit, devilish hypocrisy, human righteousness, blasphemy, mockery, destruction of the or­dinances of Christ, and, in every respect contrary to the blessed word of God.

Behold, worthy brethren, in the course of time they have thus subtlely converted and changed the heavenly doctrine, and lovely ordinance of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ into such unclean mocking, abuse and shameful practice. O, Lord, Father of grace, that this fearful and abominable snare and imposture to our miserable souls, might once be destroyed, Amen.

In the third place, as we have first shown you the faith and life of the parents; sec­ond, the command, faith and life of the god­fathers, we will now show you who those are whose office it is to baptize these infants and thus to make christian people out of them, and will point you, faithful reader, to your own pastor, vicar, prebendary or chaplain, as you call them. Yea to all the priests round about you; that you may closely scrutinize them according to the word of God, and see if there is one amongst all of them, I say one, however many there may be, who is called of an unblamable, christian church, who is moved by the Spirit, and who is unblamable in both doc­trine and life: O, brother, not one, no, not one, however far you may travel, and how­ever industriously you may search. Their calling is of the dragon and of the beast. They have nothing which forces them to this office, but, solely, their lazy, greedy, avaricious, proud and gluttonous flesh. Their teaching for the greater part, is mere­ly deceit; their worship is all idolatry, spiritual enchantment of the bottomless pit and a cause for shedding innocent blood. Besides, their daily walk is so shameful, un­clean, sodomic, adulterous, lustful, greedy, avaricious, backbiting, envious, unmerci­ful, treacherous, ambitious, blind, ungodly, fearful and so abominable that all reason­able men, the angels of God and the heav­ens must be astounded and ashamed thereat.

Say, kind reader, is it not so? Have you, ever found greater pride, avarice, gluttony, adultery, fornication, spitefulness, hypoc­risy, mockery and shame than is found amongst them? I am aware that they are not all alike unchaste and shameful in their daily walk; yet there is not one amongst them, however finely he appears before the world, but his worship and life is of the flesh‑of the devil; contrary to God and his blessed word.

Worthy, beloved brethren, he who know­eth all things, knows that I do not write this with hatred or with bad intentions. Therefore, judge for yourselves all things according to the word of God, and accord­ing to your rational, natural understand­ing; as you may daily perceive these things amongst them. You will without doubt acknowledge that I have discovered and presented to you nothing but the truth, out of love for your salvation. Say, have I done wrong to discover and present unto you the wiles of a thief or murderer? Pluck from your eyes this accursed and abomina­ble blindness, and look to the truth of your Lord; root all unbelief from your obscured hearts, and believe the word of God. Be­hold, the holy apostle Paul says, "Not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother, be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat." A proof that, although they call themselves brethren or christians, they are not in the church of Christ on account of their disreputable life. For the church of Christ is holy, pure and unblamable. In another place he teaches that such shall not inherit the kingdom of God, Rom. 1:32; 1 Cor. 5:11; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 5:6.

Now if they are not in the church of Christ, and if they cannot inherit the king dom of God, tell me what things divine, or christian can then be served or practiced by them in the house of the Lord, that is, in the church of Christ? Notwithstanding that we should not keep the company of such, nor eat with them, and notwithstanding they have not the promise of salvation ac­cording to Paul, on account of their unbe­lief and their terrible, wicked, beastly life, yet the world is so blinded by them and so estranged from God that they look upon, honor and accept them as true shepherds, teachers and pastors who have power from God to do anything they please while they only make their pretensions under the false cover of christianity and of the holy, chris­tian church, as they call it. O, blindness!

These are they, O ye men, who yet this day are allowed to mislead the whole world by their false doctrine, and to uselessly bless, conjure and baptize infants, without the word or command of God, notwithstand­ing that the most holy gospel of Jesus Christ opposes and rebukes such things.

As these spiritual fathers or teachers are, so also are their children who are begotten of them, that is, those whom they teach and baptize as they plainly prove and verify by their fruits.

Behold, brethren, by no other means than by these beforementioned teachers; and in­fant baptists, the church of Christ is con­verted into such a work of hypocrisy, shame, mockery, deceit, degeneration, knavery and prostitution. O, misery of misery!

Now you have presented to you, first, the parents of whom the children are born, with their unbelief and carnal life; second­ly, the papal godfathers, together with their abuse, unbelief and evil fruits, who lift the children to the basin for baptism, and an­swer their confession. Thirdly, the teach­ers, or baptizers together with their send­ing, calling, doctrine, idolatry, unbelief, and ungodly works, who baptize the in­fants, and, as they call it, cleanse and wash them of their inherent sins; all of which parties, namely, parents, godfathers and baptizers, themselves feel in their hearts neither knowledge, faith, truth, love, fear of God, gospel, christian fruits, obedience, remission of sins, peace of mind, prayer, promise, God, Christ, Spirit, nor eternal life; but are only nominal christians. These deliberately claim to make a christian out of a child just taken from the mother's womb, which can neither stand, walk, hear, speak, nor comprehend; which for lack of understanding, is as the irrational animals; which cannot distinguish between good and evil; without the word and without faith by no other means than by crucifixes; breath­ing, salt, oil, crisma, candles, clothing, use­less questions and answers, blessings, con­juring, baptizing, offering, and such like abominations, and when this noisy, idola­trous hypocrisy has been practiced upon the infants, then they are christian people, as the nurses tell the mother after these things have been performed, saying, we have received from you a heathen but a christian we return and deliver to you again.

The next thing in order, is setting the ta­ble. Victuals and drink are prepared, the neighbors and friends partake thereof, and the parents are well satisfied with their baptized infant. And from that hour it is trained in all manner of foolishness, unbe­lief, vanity, sin, shame, wickedness, idola­try and all manner of carnal and devilish works; in a manner, that no knowledge, faith, fear, and love of God, evangelical truth and life can ever take root in it. And should anything occur that something chris­tian‑like would spring up in it, then it will have to suffer much and bear the cross of Christ. I repeat it, because of this baptism it is henceforth considered a christian person, no matter how it acts. Behold, beloved brethren, they call this the holy church of to‑day, and in this manner one of these christians begets the other, until the world is full of them.

Honored reader, understand rightly what I have written unto you, for I have treated so extensively of this matter that you may be convinced of what a secret, hidden snare and what a terrible, fearful idol, infant bap­tism is against God; and how very useless and idolatrous it is to teach that infants should be baptized that they may be the better trained in the word and command­ments of God. Thus human doctrine ever puts on a fine and holy air, but in fact it is, verily nothing but hypocrisy, falsehood and a deadly venom.

Those who do not depend on this anti­christian, infant baptism, but practice the true, christian baptism which was command­ed of Christ Jesus and taught and practiced by his holy apostles, take care of the sal­vation of their children. Therefore they train them in the fear of God by teaching, admonishing and chastising them, and with an example of an unblamable life, that when they become of mature years, they may hear, believe and accept the most holy gospel of Jesus Christ, and receive the holy, christian baptism, as Jesus and his holy apostles have taught all the believing of God, in divers places of the New Testament.

In the third place, Paul, also, teaches us so, saying, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life," Rom. 6:3, 4.

Here the baptism of the believing is again undeniably confirmed, and infant baptism is made void. For as Christ Jesus com­manded that we should baptize the believ­ing, Mark 16:16, so, also, it is evident from these words of Paul that baptism represents and signifies something which none can realize but those, alone, who are believing, namely, it represents death unto sin or a burying of the old life, and a resurrection into newness of life.

Since Paul says, This christian baptism is such a death unto sin, and a raising up into a new life, therefore they must confess and admit that none can die unto, and bury his shameful lusts and desires, his inordinate, carnal, ungodly life; and that none can raise up into a pious, unblamable, godly life but those, alone who, as obedient chil­dren of God, are taught and regenerated by the word of the Lord; which spiritual death, burial and resurrection are represented in holy baptism. At another place Paul calls it the spiritual circumcision, saying, "Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands; in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, where­in also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead," Col. 2:11, 12.

Inasmuch as it clearly appears that the believing alone die unto their sins, and bury them, and, with Christ, enter into, and are raised up into the new, godly life; and as little children cannot do this because they have no faith by which God operates in his children, therefore it must be ac­knowledged and admitted, whether they are willing or not, that infant baptism is not commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ, nor taught or implied in the apostolic doc­trine.

Kind reader, it is sometimes alleged that other apostles also left Scripture behind them; which Scriptures Pope Gelasius has selected, and that perhaps infant baptism was expressed and implied in them.

Beloved reader, if our opponents build their cause upon the selected Scriptures of the apostles and have no certainty there­from, but only presuming that infant bap­tism may have been expressed therein, we would discreetly answer, and ask, first, since they refer to the apostolic Scriptures which we do not have, we would like to know of them what these apostles have taught and commanded concerning infant baptism

Secondly, as they seek to establish their doctrine by uncertain Scriptures which they do not have, and that only on presumption, they show thereby that they are unable to verify their doctrine at all by the apostolic Scriptures which we now have.

Thirdly, we say that we should not teach and practice the ceremonies of the Lord, namely: The holy baptism, upon presump­tion and adventure, but on certainties.

Fourthly, we say that the apostles have all written, taught and preached in one spirit. Inasmuch as Christ Jesus has com­manded baptism on the confession of faith, Mark 16:16, and as Peter, Paul and Philip taught and practiced, according to the com­mandment of Christ, the baptism of the be­lieving, and not of infants, therefore you may surely deduce therefrom that it was not taught and practiced differently by the other apostles whose Scriptures we do not have; even if they had written and pub­lished six hundred volumes. For if infant baptism was an apostolic institution it would appear so in their Scriptures. Nor would Tertullian, who lived not long after the days of the apostles, have written, that among his ancestors, almost invariably adults were baptized, as has been said above. Also would Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, have baptized the infants of his church; and the ancients would not have disputed about it; as all those who feared God would act according to the Scriptures and not deviate therefrom; for what God­fearing person would dare to despise, op­pose, or in any manner contradict an apos­tolic institution or practice?

Those who did not rightly confess Christ, but sought their righteousness and placed their trust in outward ceremonies, got the upper hand of the world; and therefore it was not necessary that this infant baptism should be confirmed by any papal decree or council, as it gradually and of its own accord stole its way into all classes, nations and tongues and took its full sway; for the whole church, after the demise of the apos­tles, through the ignorant teachings of the bishops, gradually degenerated from the trust in Jesus Christ to the trust in outward ceremonies, as may be plainly seen.

Again, brethren, however plain this pas­sage of Paul, Rom. 6, applies to the believ­ing, yet the learned of this barren world have inverted and explained it as confirm­ing and asserting infant baptism, saying, That infants should be baptized that they may become partakers of the death and holy blood of Christ Jesus; and that when they become of mature age, they may die unto sin and walk righteously before God.

My beloved children in Christ Jesus, if it would do thus to bend, twist and garble, of our own choice, and carnal fancy, the plain truth and will of God and the most holy and glorious gospel of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, then verily, I do not see why we could not so adorn and beautify almost any abomination or idolatry as to give it a good appearance in the sight of the igno­rant. No, most beloved, no. The eternal, omnipotent, and saving word of God, must be taught, explained and understood ac­cording to the true meaning of the Holy Spirit. For they baptize before that which is represented by it (namely, faith,) is found in us. This is no more sensible than to place the cart before the horse, to sow be­fore we have plowed, to build before we have the lumber at hand, or to seal the let­ter before it is written. Would this not be ridiculed by all the world as foolishness? Yes, certainly. Therefore the Holy Spirit of God did not imply infant baptism in this beforementioned Scripture of Paul. Yet they are partakers of the death and blood of Christ by the precious promise which was graciously given of God through Christ Jesus our Lord, and not through baptism, Luke 18:16. But this passage of Paul speaks and teaches of those who, in their baptism, through their new birth from above and through their fruitful, operating faith, have died unto and buried their old, sinful life, as Christ Jesus once died in his flesh and was buried. For whosoever thus died with Christ, is already justified of his sins, and is thus victoriously raised up, with Christ, from the power of sin, to the praise of the Lord, in a new, just, godly, and un­blamable life, which is by no other means than through God's word alone, which is accepted and believed by them through faith, as has been alleged above, and is written "Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in put­ting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead," Col. 2:11, 12.

O, beloved brethren, open the eyes of your hearts and understanding and take heed; for he who will not willfully battle against his God, or his holy word, certain­ly, can not mistake these plain words of Paul. Yet Henry Bullenger and many oth­ers, on the strength of this epistle to the Colossians, have taught baptism to have taken the literal place of the Israelitic cir­cumcision, although without a good reason and without the Scriptures, yet not without a good deal of blasphemy and vituperation. For what reason they have done so, I do not know; perhaps because Paul has so closely placed together and so intimately connected both the spiritual circumcision and the baptism of the believing or upright christians.

O, Lord, thy divine, blessed word is ever garbled into a shelter for all manner of false doctrine, heresy and wrong doing, so that the Bible is called by some the book of heresy! Notwithstanding their opposi­tion and subtle lying and philosophizing, the eternal truth of God shall obtain and triumph in the chosen children of God who sincerely desire and seek the same.

I repeat it that I am heartily ashamed to write or speak one single word against such highly renowned and learned men. But what will we do? It will never do to be robbed, by these learned men, of God's eternal truth which leads to eternal life, and which was so plainly taught us by Jesus Christ our Lord, and by his holy apostles. For, verily, I find nowhere that we should follow and obey such learned men rather than Christ and his holy apos­tles. If it should be said that they are wise and pious, I say that Christ is the most wise and pious; and if it be said that they are versed in many tongues and sciences, I rejoin, briefly, that the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is not bound by tongues and science. Therefore the most holy and in­vincible truth of God must be defended and maintained by us, not only against them, but against all the gates of hell, by the most holy word of God, in so far as God has bestowed on us grace, mercy and knowledge.

For this reason I will refer all my readers to Col. 2:12, and would humbly beseech them to judge impartially whether we find in this or any other divine Scriptures that the circumcision of the Israelites was the prototype of infant baptism. It is incon­trovertible that Paul, in this passage and also in Rom. 2:29, taught that the literal circumcision was a figure of the spiritual circumcision and not of infant baptism, which circumcision cannot be applied to any but the believing as may be plainly inferred from the figurative, literal practice; for the literal circumcision was to be per­formed with stone knives on the foreskin, Josh. 5:2, 3; Gen. 17:23. This spiritual Rock is Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 10:4, the knife with which the believing are circumcised is his holy word. Brethren, understand it well. If we wish to remain with believing, circumcised Abraham in the covenant with God‑into which covenant we are all gra­ciously accepted, young and old, male and female, through Christ Jesus and not through any sign‑then our earthly, carnal birth which is of the earthly, carnal Adam, must be circumcised with this same, stone knife, which is Christ Jesus and his holy word. Therefore examine the beforemen­tioned words of Paul to the Colossians, and judge whether they are spoken in regard to the believing or to unconscious infants: Say, who is it that is circumcised by the circumcision of Christ? Is it not the believ­ing? Who is it that has put off the body of sin by the circumcision of Christ? Is it not the believing? Who is it that is buried in baptism with Christ? Is it not the believ­ing? Who is it that is raised up into a new life by the faith of the operation of God? Is it not the believing? Yea, they are those who hear the word of God and believe it; and not the little infants. Never.

Kind reader, since the infant baptizers seek to prove their cause by the circumcision of Abraham and by his promise, therefore observe and ponder how unreasonably they make this assertion; and observe and pon­der also on that which will be briefly taught and presented by us, from Scriptural truth.

In the first place, as we said before, we are all accepted into the covenant with God, not by any signs but by grace, and have obtained the promise by it, if we ac­cept them by faith and walk according to the will of the giver; as Abraham was ac­cepted of God by grace, from amongst the nations, and was made glad with the prom­ise of grace; for he accepted it by faith, and walked according to the will of him who had accepted him as the Scriptures say, He believed in the Lord, and it was counted to him for righteousness, Gen. 16:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Jas. 2:23.

To all those who are thus, by faith, gra­ciously accepted of God into the covenant of peace with Abraham, God has given his ceremonies and figurative signs. Not that they should thereby be justified (for if it were by the signs it would not be grace, Rom. 11:6), but that they should be justi­fied by faith; be children of God, children of the promise, &c., that they should show their obedience to the commandments of God who has graciously called, accepted and consoled them by his promise. For those that are obedient unto God, are his friends, Jn. 15.

Behold, brethren, this is one reason why God commanded his ceremonies, as is plain­ly shown in the case of Abraham; for Abra­ham was already in the covenant with God, before he was circumcised; as Paul shows, that his faith was already counted for righteousness when he was yet uncircumcised; and because he was in the covenant with God, justified by faith therefore God com­manded him the circumcision, in itself a useless and dishonorable ceremony. First, it was in itself quite useless, because it did not benefit any neighbor. Secondly, dishon­orable, for it is performed upon the most dishonorable member of the body. And it was commanded him that the believing father, Abraham, should deny himself and not live according to his own desires, but according to the will of him, alone, who, by grace, had accepted him and chosen him from among the nations; and thus he sealed, by this performance, which was dishonora­ble in itself, that his faith was true and fruitful before God. Why these ceremonies were again commanded, will be shown hereafter, if God please.

Behold, kind reader, in this manner Abraham was circumcised, and thus we are baptized; because it is thus commanded by God. Whosoever disobeys and opposes the voice of the Lord commanding these ceremonies, and despises the performance of them because of their uselessness and triflingness, not observing that it was com­manded by God, excludes himself from the precious covenant of grace, by his disobe­dience; neither does he prove his faith to be fruitful and living, but on the contrary he proves that it is unfruitful and dead be­fore God. For he hears not the voice of his Lord nor lives in accordance therewith, but despises it as powerless, vain and use­less. Therefore observe and know that we are not accepted into the covenant by an outward sign, but alone by grace through Christ Jesus. And because we are in the covenant by grace, therefore he has given and commanded us his signs, that we shall perform them upon those on whom he has commanded them to be performed, namely, upon the faithful; for if it were possible that we could come into the covenant with God by any signs or ceremonies, then the merits of Christ were vain, and grace was ended. No, brethren, no. Abraham was already chosen, accepted and justified by God, through faith, before he was circum­cised; and because he was faithful, and justified through faith, therefore the circum­cision was commanded him of God that he should thereby seal his faith. Again, as Abraham and all his seed born of Isaac, together with others, were already included in the covenant with God, women as well as men, and as the promise was given to both sexes, yet it was not commanded that the females should be circumcised, but the males.