Luther Strikes Both Ways

You have to love Luther. Not just for his stand on justification but also his bombastic ways. He kind of reminds of an unrestrained (at times) Spurgeon. He takes on both the "Anabaptists" and paedobaptists that reject paedobaptism and fides infantium (infant faith).

Luther against "Anabaptists" writes:

Have they now become gods to peep into people's hearts to see whether or not they believe? ... The Anabaptists are not certain that their rebaptism is correct, because they base it upon faith, of which they cannot assuredly know, and so uncertainty plagues their rebaptism. Now it is a sin and tempting to God when in divine things there is uncertainty and doubt.... The devil can always make me doubt whether the faith in which and upon which I was baptized was a true faith. Thus he makes me doubtful about the baptism that has been consummated. In this way I am constantly in a state of uncertainty about my salvation. . . . It is really a work of the devil on their part to talk about faith when they mean works and in the name and appearance of faith to lead poor people to trust in works. ... We Germans are really Galatians and remain Galatians, and this is a masterstroke of the devil. He cannot stand it that the Germans have come to know Christ aright through the Gospel, namely the justification which is by faith - therefore he has sent the Anabaptists.*

Against deniers of infant faith he writes:

The sophists in the universities and the papal gang have fabricated the story that young children are baptized without personal faith, namely on the faith of the church which the sponsors confess at his baptism; ... but if one asked them as to the ground of such an answer and where it stands in Scripture, then one finds them in a dark smoke-hole; or they point to their clerical cap and say: `We are the most learned doctors and say it is so; therefore it is right and you are not permitted to inquire further....' [But] baptism helps no one, is also to be given to no one, except he believes for himself, and without personal faith no one is to be baptized. As St. Augustine himself says: `Non sacramentum justifica, sed fides sacramenti' [the sacrament does not justify, but the faith of the sacrament]. . . . Were we not able to prove that the young children themselves believe and have personal faith, it is my sincere counsel and judgment that one straightway desist and the sooner the better, and never more baptize any child so that we no more mock and blaspheme the most blessed majesty of God with such baseless tomfoolery and jugglery.*

You have to love Luther, unless you belong to Rome.
Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando



*Cited in Mr. Paul K. Jewett. Infant Baptism and the Covenant of Grace (pp. 160-161). Kindle Edition.
*Ibid, p. 167-168