Menno Simons · 43 of 109

TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES CONCERNING BAPTISM IN THE WATER. · Part 4

Because they have, of their own choice, contrary to all scriptural truth, and by their own righteousness, taught infant baptism­therefore they subtlely seek to clothe and adorn it with a garbled form of the divine word, that the adulterous, enchanting wine which is in the goblet of the Babylonian whore, may be swallowed as a good and pure wine, Saying: "That infants should be baptized that they may be the better trained in the word and commandments of God; cleansed of their inherent sins; buried in the death of Christ; regenerated and put on Christ Jesus, yea, baptized into the body of Jesus Christ and thus become partakers of the Holy Spirit." Which teaching is, verily, nothing but open deceit, lies, gar­bling of the Scriptures and a deception of satan. For in all the baptized of the world we find the very contrary in their fruits, all through their lives, as every intelligent christian may plainly observe.

Most beloved brethren in the Lord, never let such shameful and abominable lies find place in your hearts, but examine all things rightly and according to the word of God, that you may rightly understand all evangel­ical truth. For thus to ornament infant bap­tism with the virtues which only belong to the baptism of the believing, is just as reasona­ble as it is to clothe an ape in purple and silk, as the common saying of the learned implies, which reads, Simia semper manet simia, etiamsi induatur purpura; which means: an ape is an ape though he be clothed in purple. In the same manner infant bap­tism will remain a stench and abomina­tion before God, however finely it be orna­mented with garbled Scriptures, by the learned; for an infant, so long as it is in its infancy, will remain ignorant, simple and of childish mind, notwithstanding it be baptized a hundred times and its baptism be still more subtlely asserted by six times a hundred garbled Scriptures; as it is plain to all intelligent persons that with infants are found neither doctrine, faith, spirit, fruits nor idea of God's commandment; and that therefore they should not be bap­tized; that is, if we believe that the word of God is true and will ever remain true, as we have abundantly proven in our first writings concerning baptism, as also in this.

O, kind reader! Verily, if it were not that this bitter, cancerous, lime spittle of false doctrine and long usage had so deeply eaten into the eyes of your hearts, you would acknowledge at once that this large church, in its young days, was not embod­ied into the pure, chaste, god‑serving, and unblamable body of Jesus Christ, by the office of a clean and christian spirit, but rather into the adulterous, idolatrous and blamable body of anti‑christ, by an unclean and anti‑christian spirit.

For if it were the case that they were in­corporated into the most holy body of Jesus Christ, as they persistently boast, they should prove by their works that they are serviceable, and fruitful members of that body into which they are incorporated. For we plainly see that there is no member of the human body created but for some use and purpose, be it ever so small and trifling; but it is in its way profitable and useful to the body to which it belongs. But how useful the beforementioned infants are to the body of Christ Jesus will be perceived by all those taught of the spirit.

From this it incontrovertibly follows, that if they are the body of Christ, as they claim, and that Christ is the head of his church, that Christ is the head of the unbe­lieving, the avaricious, perjurious, gam­blers, drunkards, adulterers, fornicators, Sodomites, thieves, murderers, liars, idola­ters, disobedient, blood‑thirsty, traitors, tyrants, proud, and of all rogues and knaves. For where is there one in the whole church of those who were baptized in in­fancy; that walks unblamably in all the commandments of our beloved Lord Jesus, Christ, and who, either inwardly or openly, is not guilty before God, in some or many of the beforementioned crimes. O no, kind reader, no. The most holy and glori­ous body of Jesus Christ is wonderfully far different from such a cruel, ungodly, re­fractory, disobedient, carnal, bloody and idolatrous body.

Most beloved brethren, since they plainly are such transgressors, blasphemers, and willful sinners, judge for yourselves from these and other scriptural reasons, what kind of a body they are; by whose doctrine, commandment and practice; by what Spirit they were and are yet daily incorporated into this very horrible body; yea, such a body that has neither gospel, faith, chris­tian baptism, supper, nor christian life; and therefore neither God, prayer, promise nor eternal life; but only false doctrine, false faith, false sacraments, false promise, ungodly life and eternal death. O, Lord, save all thy beloved children from such an abominable, bloody body.

But in the most holy body of Jesus Christ is a true and orderly state of things accord­ing to the word of God, as the true doctrine, faith, baptism, supper, love, life, worship and true excommunication; and therefore also grace, favor, mercy, remission of sins, prayer, God's promise and eternal life. Behold, brethren, where these are, there also, is the true body of Jesus Christ, of which Christ Jesus is the head. They are the true brethren of Jesus Christ who with him are born of God the Father; the spirit­ual Mount Zion which will never be moved; the spiritual house of Israel which is wisely ruled by Christ Jesus our only King, ac­cording to the Spirit, with the unbroken scepter of his divine word; the spiritual Je­rusalem in which the great King, the blessed Christ Jesus has placed the glorious, king­ly throne of his honor; the spiritual temple of the Lord (I. in which his holy name is sin­cerely glorified; the spiritual ark of the covenant with his heavenly bread; bloom­ing, red and stone tables upon which the throne of mercy, the blessed Christ Jesus is found under the two cherubims of his testa­ments according to his promise. Yea, the lovely bride of Jesus Christ; flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, Eph. 5:30; which he placed in his chamber, Cant. 1:4, and kissed with the mouth of his eternal peace, Col. 1; Eph. 1. Therefore no one can be a profitable member in this most holy, glorious and pure body of Christ, who is not believing, regenerated, converted, changed and renewed; who is not amiable, mild, meek, obedient, merciful, chaste, sober, humble, forbearing, peaceable, just, constant, and who are heavenly and spirit­ually minded with Christ; for it is impos­sible, according to Scripture, that Christ Jesus will or can be a Prince or head of those who do not conform themselves to him, that is, of those who do not sincerely seek, hear, believe and serve him; but rath­er trample upon, blaspheme and resist him.

But those who hear and believe the word of God, are, by the Holy Spirit which has taught, begotten and enlightened them, baptized into the body of Christ, on their own faith, according to the commandment of Christ; for these are regenerated of the word of God; bury their sins and are raised up with Christ into new life; have a good conscience; receive remission of sins; put on Christ Jesus; become true members of the most holy body of Jesus Christ, which are fruitful, useful and serviceable accord­ing to their strength, 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:5; 1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27. On all such are the affectionate eyes of the Lord, the heavenly blessing, and the mer­ciful mind, protection and solicitude of the eternal Father; because they have sincerely and fully denied themselves, and have obe­diently followed the will of God to live ac­cording to the will of him who has gracious­ly called them, Christ Jesus. Beloved read­er, since infants have not this mind, and as the Holy Spirit does not operate, nor show itself to be in them, and since they cannot serve in the body of Christ as is required by the word of God, since it is plain to all intelligent persons, they should not be bap­tized; for without the quickening Spirit of God, none should be baptized, as we have abundantly proven to all the pious children of God, from his word.

Therefore I conclude in regard to this matter of baptism, with these plain words: Inasmuch as Christ Jesus, the true Teacher, sent of the Father, has commanded us to baptize the believing, Mark 16:16, and as the holy apostles have, in the above ad­duced Scriptures, so explained that which is represented by baptism as pertaining to none but the believing, and as infant bap­tism is no such baptism because it is evi­dent that they have no faith nor its fruits, which faith and fruits are the true repre­sentation of baptism‑therefore we are again necessarily forced by the word of the Lord, by faith and by the love of God, dil­igently to teach and receive the baptism of the believing, and to assert it to the praise of the Lord before lords, princes, and the whole world, at the risk of life and goods as true witnesses of Jesus Christ.