SECT. II. "By baptism as the laver of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, God 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 sonship 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 Wasser,) water penetrated through and through with God! [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 illustrations of the power of baptism. The result at which he arrives is thus expressed: "Therefore, he (this omnipotent name or power of God,) 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 God, that the old man that was conceived in sin, may arise and go forth a new man born of grace. Thus St. Paul in, Tit. 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 God, testify that you are reconciled to God, 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 (masse) 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 God." [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, instituted 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 God'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 God, 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 washing 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.")